Chartplotter selector.
See your helm take shape.

Start With The View You Need At The Helm

Before comparing display families, describe a normal trip. A coastal cruiser may need a clear navigation chart, depth, and nearby traffic. An angler may need a chart beside a detailed sonar image while returning to saved marks. A sailboat may place more value on readable navigation, wind information, and a display that remains accessible from different positions. Those are different screen layouts, even when the boats have similar lengths.

Use the selector to test one primary view and a split view. Look at the relative space each information panel receives. The illustration is a planning aid rather than a live navigation screen, but it makes an important tradeoff visible: every additional panel competes for area. If the information you use most becomes a small corner of the display, a larger screen or a different layout deserves consideration.

Match Screen Size To Viewing Distance And Available Space

Boat length provides context, not a universal screen sizing rule. A compact center console with a deep helm can place the display farther from your eyes than a larger boat with a seated navigation position. Measure from your normal eye position to the intended screen surface. Repeat the measurement while standing if you operate the boat both ways. Consider whether another person must read the display beside you.

The selector suggests a screen size range using those practical inputs. It does not establish a manufacturer requirement or certify readability. Use a paper outline at the helm to compare the suggested sizes, then check a working display when possible. Read ordinary chart labels rather than a promotional full screen photograph. Polarized glasses, reflections, viewing angle, brightness settings, and the height of the mounting position can all change the experience.

Measure More Than The Visible Screen

A display described as nine inches is not nine inches wide. The diagonal measurement describes the image area; the housing adds width and height, and some controls extend beyond it. Flush mounting requires a precise opening and enough material around that opening for the mounting arrangement. Bracket mounting needs room for the bracket, adjustment, knobs, and the full movement of the display.

Check behind the panel before settling on a model. Power connectors, network plugs, sonar connections, and cable bends occupy space that an outline on the front cannot show. A screen that fits the face of the helm can still interfere with a steering component or an existing cable bundle. Leave access for installation and future service. Download the exact model's current template and instructions, and verify the printed scale before any cutting begins.

Separate Navigation Needs From Fishing Features

A chartplotter uses compatible electronic charts and position information to help you understand where the boat is and plan your movement. A fish finder adds underwater information through a suitable sonar system. Many multifunction displays bring these functions together, but the combination depends on the exact equipment configuration. A product photograph showing sonar does not establish what is included in the box.

For navigation, confirm chart coverage for your actual cruising area, update arrangements, and any optional subscriptions before comparing extras. For fishing, identify the water depth, bottom information, and style of presentation you need. Traditional sonar, scanning sonar, and live sonar have different hardware requirements. The right selection follows the fishing task and installation conditions. More sonar modes create value only when the transducer, placement, and display support useful information in your operating environment.

Choose The Transducer With The Display

The transducer is part of the purchase decision from the beginning. A display may include a built in sounder, require an external sonar module, or support particular functions only with specified transducers. Connectors that appear similar do not establish compatibility. Garmin's current guidance, for example, directs buyers to check the chartplotter, sonar module, and transducer combination rather than choosing each item independently.

The mounting location matters just as much. A transom, through hull, or other approved installation has to suit the vessel and the chosen sensor. Hull construction, water flow, access, and the manufacturer's installation instructions affect what is practical. If you want to reuse a transducer, record the full model number and existing connection arrangement. Have Concord review that information before treating the older component as a guaranteed saving in the new system.

Keep Network Compatibility Visible During A Refit

An existing helm is a collection of relationships. The radar may connect through one network, engine information through another, and a second display may rely on specific sharing capabilities. A new multifunction display must be evaluated against that arrangement. Brand name alone is not a complete compatibility check, particularly when equipment generations and network technologies differ.

Make a simple inventory with model numbers, current software where available, and the functions that work today. Identify the functions you must retain and the ones you want to add. Sharing a basic depth value is different from sharing a sonar image, and exchanging instrument data is different from sharing radar. Ask which functions remain available at each station after the upgrade. That discussion prevents a purchase that improves the main screen while quietly removing something useful elsewhere.

Plan The Budget Around The Finished System

The display price is one line in the project. A complete budget may also include a transducer, charts, a sonar module, network hardware, power work, mounting materials, and installation. Existing parts can reduce the total when their condition and compatibility are confirmed. Reusing an uncertain cable or forcing an unsuitable mounting location can create more work than the original saving justifies.

Use the budget input to communicate the scale of the project rather than an exact installed quote. Decide which capability is essential now and which can wait. If fishing detail is the priority, protect the transducer and sonar budget. If the project centers on navigation across several stations, protect the network and display arrangement. A balanced system with clear priorities is easier to install, support, and expand than a flagship screen attached to unresolved infrastructure.

Make Everyday Operation Part Of The Purchase Decision

A useful comparison includes the small actions you repeat throughout a trip. Check how you create a waypoint, return to the chart, change a split view, and adjust brightness. Consider whether the controls remain comfortable when the boat is moving or your hands are wet. Touchscreen and physical controls can each suit different installations; the important point is whether the chosen interface works from your normal operating position.

Think about maintenance as well. Establish how software and chart updates will be handled, where removable media can be reached, and how your waypoints or routes will be backed up when supported. Keep records of the installed models and configuration. These details rarely dominate a product listing, but they affect ownership long after the first trip. A display that is easy to operate and maintain can deliver more practical value than unused features on a poorly arranged helm.

Turn The Selector Result Into An Installation Brief

The most useful result is a short brief that another person can verify. Save the suggested screen range, your intended views, viewing distance, helm measurements, and existing equipment list. Add photographs of the helm face and the area behind it. Include any access restrictions, planned radar changes, and whether the boat must remain operational during the work.

Concord Marine Electronics can use that information to review suitable equipment and the integration work around it. Browse the relevant marine electronics collections with the brief beside you, then request confirmation of the exact configuration. Before installation, agree on the final screen layout, chart region, retained functions, and acceptance checks. A successful upgrade should make everyday operation clearer and leave a documented system that can be maintained after the boat returns to service.

Frequently asked questions