[C320-list] Kudos to Simrad, shame on Raymarine

[Ralph Winkler]

Jon,

Don't disagree with you, we all hate obsolescence of our stuff.

Ralph H. Winkler
262-782-2514
941-505-8108
414-379-0790 Cell
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jon Vez" <jonvez at comcast.net>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 4:36 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Kudos to Simrad, shame on Raymarine


> Ralph,
>
> I agree with you on all points--I just wish they would do a little better
> job of supporting some of their legacy products. I've been in business 
> long
> enough to understand the cost of supporting obsolete technology, but I 
> think
> they could lengthen their support cycle somewhat--as you say, supporting a
> relatively small industry probably has a lot to do with it, but others in
> this space that are much smaller seem to do a better job in this area...
>
> Regards,
>
> Jon
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Ralph 
> Winkler
> Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 5:04 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Kudos to Simrad, shame on Raymarine
>
> Jon,
>
> I've come to the conclusion that the technology evolution of electronics 
> in
> our boats is no different then it is with our pc computers, cell phones 
> and
> audio products.  The problem for us sail boaters is that to keep pace the
> cost for us is probably the highest just due to lower numbers sold vs.
> manufacturing costs to produce.  Understand, I'm not on RM's payroll.
>
> Since 1990 I've lived through the transition of 
> Autohelm/Raytheon/Raymarine,
>
> or ST50, ST60, ST60+ and now ST70, on three boats, our C320 Wind Dancer 
> '96
> #394 was second and now a little '04 25 ft. Lobster boat in Punta Gorda, 
> FL.
>
> Over this time period I've had to contact their tech support for various
> reasons, yours included, and have found them knowledgeable and responsive.
> I did learn, the hard way, that during the America's Cup or other big 
> scale
> events the support system seems to fall into overload mode and also this 
> is
> not a good time to send in a product for "fast turn around" service.
>
> Today, Wind Dancer has a '96 Autohelm 4000W (Drive), and GPS Navstation,
> '04 - ST 60+, D/S, W, AP Brain, '05 - C80 Plotter w/ Radar and now Rudder
> and they all talk to each other.  In my opinion, this is what is GREAT 
> about
>
> Raymarine that with 11 years of accumulated "stuff" I'm able to 
> add/subtract
>
> components and still have them all integrated and work together.  In the 
> end
>
> that has saved me extra expense of wholesale retrofits.
>
> Unfortunately, the next bullet will be the AP drive system and a new 
> series
> is being introduced late this summer.
>
> Ralph H. Winkler
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jon Vez" <jonvez at comcast.net>
> To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 7:00 AM
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Kudos to Simrad, shame on Raymarine
>
>
>> Lew,
>>
>> Since I just happened to have a reason to contact Raymarine this week,
>> I'll
>> add my two cents...Last week I noticed my ST60 anemometer turning more
>> slowly than others and in very light wind at the dock not turning at all.
>> I
>> contacted RM and asked if there was something I could do short of
>> returning
>> the unit for repair--they responded that the ST60 is now 'retired' but
>> they
>> would look at it, and yes it had to be returned. I had to return the unit
>> a
>> year after I bought the boat (new) for the same reason so I feared this
>> would be the case. Although I have found them competent and fine to work
>> with, I agree that that their product life cycle is very frustrating 
>> given
>> they have such a large amount of product out there!
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Jon Vez
>> Solstice #582
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
>> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of
>> sailorlew at aol.com
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 7:58 PM
>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>> Subject: [C320-list] Kudos to Simrad, shame on Raymarine
>>
>>
>> ?Last week I helped a friend bring his Tartan 37 from Amityville, 
>> NY(south
>> shore of LI) to Huntington, NY(north shore of LI). The trip which is
>> aproximately 80 miles long consisted of exiting Jone Inlet into the
>> Atlantic
>> Ocean, running west along the shore to New York Harbor, up the East River
>> through Hell Gate(hit 12 knots riding the current) into Long Island sound
>> going east to Huntington Harbor. The trip was quite enjoyable but this
>> note
>> is really not about the trip. When he bought the boat 5 years ago it came
>> with a Navico autopilot that sometimes worked, & sometimes didn't work.
>> This
>> winter he sent the unit back to Simrad who had bought Navico, to see if 
>> it
>> could be reapaired. Even though Simrad no longer manufactures any
>> autopilots, they refurbished the unit for what I consider a very
>> reasonable
>> $200. Over the 12 hour trip it worked flawlessly, at one point needing a
>> course correction in order to not hit a buoy that we had set course for 2
>> hours earlier. Consider this c
>> ustomer service compared to Raymarine who still makes autopilots that are
>> similar to the 4000 that many of us have but are unable to have them
>> repaired because Raymarine no longer supports this unit. Their 
>> suggestion,
>> buy a new one. Shame on them.
>> Lew
>>
>>
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>
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