ab1974 1 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I've (subsequently) read all the negative reviews and understand the navman to northstar to 'wind down' reviews. When I was rebuilding the yacht I fitted it out with navman gear. In the intervening period between navman purchase and launch (12 months) the whole navman to nothing happened. Luckily the gear was still in warranty. On launch the key instrument died within 30 minutes. 4 months later (after moving from retail to warranty provider to supplier - all with good PR but no solution) I finally lost my rag. Navico have now offered me (i) money back, (ii) an upgrade on my navman gear (better stuff and northstar brand) or (iii) a credit to buy new gear from their range (simard, B&G etc) at trade price. The trouble is to do either option 1 or 3 I have pre cut holes in my bulkhead of the recently re-sprayed yacht, and I need to pull the yacht out of the water to replace thru hull transducers. Option (ii) is attractive as i will have a good setup. However, does anyone have experience with the northstar stuff. Am I in for more suffering?? To change now will cost me significant $$. I can always hope for the best and replace with an advansea multi if he navman dies in time to come. Although if navman read this it will give away who I am, at the moment I have a 3150 wind, 3100 repeat and 4380 fish. The 4380 does speed and depth and this was to be fed through to the 3100 repeat. The 4380 died on launch. I have asked for a 310 (northstar) multi and a 538 (northstar) chartplotter and aerial to replace the repeat and fish. They have agreed. Gear has 12 momths warranty. Any thoughts? Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Morning abl, I know this probably isn't the main focus of your question but after the last time this topic went around (mid-last year?) I responded to Gappy's post offering a trade-in on Nexus gear and have been extremely happy with that. (I went for the start pack #3). It has seemed to me that - rather than following in the footsteps of what else is out there - Nexus took the approach of "what are the common issues with instruments and how could we overcome them?". It is really very nice kit. I am not sure if that deal is still going and don't know about their chartplotter capability. I would also say that you are getting a far better response from Navico than others in the past and they deserve credit for that. Those are really very reasonable choices that you have been offered. However, given the collective experience, my personal inclination would be to grab option 1 or 3 (i.e. exit while you have the chance). If there is a significant difference in the size of the instruments necessitating a touch-up (which there may not be), I think you will get over that a lot sooner than the ongoing niggle and the possibility that such a good offer might not be on the table next time round. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I have a lot of both, (upgraded) Navman and Northstar gear and have never had any issues with either. All working great. I am in the market for the Nav/North Autopilot if anyone is going to upgrade one. Link to post Share on other sites
Marshy 30 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Mmm i will join the club and i wish i just replaced it in the first instance rather than messing around and spending money on the same gear. Now i need a new depth readout as mine died. If i cant find one i have to replace the whole kit... Oh the joy. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Got Navman and never had the slightest issue with it. It went on to replace B&G gear that died prematurely. I think there is a lot more to what is good and what isn't than just the brand name on the front. Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 As a slight tangent, when I installed the new instruments, I went for a bracket on the mast rather than on the bulkhead as they had been previously. As a result, over Christmas I had the pleasure of going up the coast with the whole family voluntarily sitting on the rail watching the numbers. (Pretty average numbers with a heavily laden boat and trashed cruising sails, but beautifully presented even so). Mounting across the forward end of the hatchway also seems to work well but the bracket on the mast involved no fairing and painting. Link to post Share on other sites
Farrari 4 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Going thru the exercise I did with my Navman gear failing I learnt from Absolute marine (previous NZ distributor) that there was two series of Navman gear, the original and the later S series. They looked identical from the outside but the S series didn't have the same issues with display failures and moisture tolerance as the original. The Northstar range was a rebranded S series so should be OK. Having said that the after sales support from Navico (in NZ at least) seems to be very poor. ATL do there best but they can only do what they can do. Personally I would bite the bullet and take the money and run. Buy a brand that has good NZ support. Thee are plenty of people on this forum that can help you out with the right deal. Link to post Share on other sites
Hurts 6 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 My vote would be take option 3 - Have found Navman gear very unreliable. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 It doesn't take feck all to find someone who has had problems with every brand available in NZ, even some of the latest/newest ones to be sold here. F is correct, go the S Series, which is the stuff I have but just before they rebranded to Northstar. Link to post Share on other sites
Brien 22 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 My mate is going through this and leaning towards replacement. The mast head unit got water in it and crapped out. He does however have a Northstar W315 that is working fine that would come off if he decides to go to alternative set up. Would this work for any one out there. He wouldnt want too much for it assuming he makes the descision to change. Link to post Share on other sites
ab1974 1 Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 Might end up going a bit of both options (ii) and (iii). The wind instrument I have is the 3150s - had no issue with at. The multi they have offered is the northstar and that will connect to the transducers so saved a haul out - and hopefully should be ok. This will replace the 3100 repeat. However the fishfinder or chartplotter replacement units offered are both navman. They are offering me a Lowrance Elite-5m Chartplotter - hopefully only $50-$100 to upgrade. If that is the case I will take the lowrance option as the chartplotter can be stand alone (ie no need to network in). Therefore I get away from navman for one instrument and the other two will be the better 'S' or Northstar versions. Wont cost me much and fingers crossed it will hold together. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I know of lots of B&G gear that went legs up and lots of Raymarine also. But some get years of trouble free use from those two as well. The modified Navman and Northstar gear is good stuff and you won't have the same issues as you did with the old original Nav gear. Link to post Share on other sites
Gappy 9 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Not going to bag and opposition brand but as Murky I can help out with trade into some Nexus for the crew goers PM me and I can let you know how we deal with it. Cheers Gappy Link to post Share on other sites
ab1974 1 Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Thanks Gappy, have PM'd you Link to post Share on other sites
TimW 1 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 My experience very similar to Murky. I bit the bullet and totally got rid of Navman, just way too much trouble. Totally went over to Nexus. Blair (Gappy) is fantastic to deal with and Kiwi Yachting have gone out of their way to get us sorted. We have a nice set of Wireless Wind gear to try out on our Rotating/Canting rig (is working well on 888). after the capsize all our Instruments went back to Kiwi and were dryed out and fully tested. One I think was a little sick but now once again we have a perfect set of gear. we did end replacing the transducers as part of the exercise, and instead of the boat virtually sinking whern we used to swap the bung for the speedo with Navman, the Nexus solution is just so much more elegant, and less than half the water comes in. I can't recommend the Nexus product highly enough. Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Likewise I wish I'd bitten the bullet and made the jump ages ago when the first Navman problems emerged but back then I hoped it was an isolated incident not to be repeated. I've now go a horrible mix of old Navman, newer S series Navman and Northstar. And even the alleged higher quality Northstar is mis-behaving. So all my Navman-ish kit is living on borrowed time and it's a question of when not if it becomes shark food. Link to post Share on other sites
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