JRC Plot 500F

[dicko1980]

I am thinking of getting a JRC 500F plot, I can get them ex USA for a really good price. Does anyone have one of these units or know much about them? Is the sounder as good as the FF 50?

Cheers
/me

[perko]

I think the sounder is the same as the ff50 without water temp maybe. I have a ff50 and love it.

[Mantaray]

The 500F is essentially identical with the inclusion of C-map - chart plotter capabilities.

[finding_time]

The plot 500 has the same features as the ff50 but is it as good? NO WAY imho. The ff50 has basically a button for every feature and is very simple and quick to use the plot 500 shares some of these buttons with the plotter and is alot more complicated and slower to use in other words a pain in the a@se.

The c- map is slow software and is in my opinion sub-standard when compared to Garmin blue chart!

The most important thing on my boat is the sounder so dont compromise get the FF50 and team it up with the Garmin 172c and you will be very happy.

Ian

Ps, yes it may cost you an extra gorilla but how much have you got invested in your boat and dont you want to get the most out of it.

[Thunderbird]

Yeah back you up on that one finding time, the 500f is a sounder gps combo. which i wouldn't like anyway (being a combo unit)
C-map charts lack detail from what i've seen
I like the bluechart(which i have) but the detail on the navtronics gold is even better..

[Thunderbird]

Dicko you're a jrc freak :) face it.....!!!!

[dicko1980]

At the end of the day I have decided on either a JRC or Furuno unit. I don't understand the how the Raymarine unit can be so compact compared to the more expensive sounders. All the top of range sounders I have looked at are bulky and have a heat sink moulded into the housing, the lesser expensive one's don't. So which sounder's do you think displace their true advertised RMS capability. I didn't want to go a combo unit, it's just that space is very limited on the dash of my side console Hooker. So is the Plot 500F not the same sounder as a FF 50 with a plotter function added on?

Cheers
/me :D

[Smithy]

Dicko. Just put a post up in the boating section where there is another JRC thread going as well.