Standard Horizon CP180i plotter surprise

[SR4]

Well I bought. Present for my Searider yesterday, a Standard Horizon CP180i. I have been a Garmin user for many many years on smaller boats although the mother ship is fitted out with Raymarine but the new smaller Garmin plotters are in portrait mode and for the South Coast I prefer landscape. Lowrance and Raymarine were out of the question due to cost, so I was left looking at the Garmin 550 and the Standard Horizon CP180i, both had internal aerials, the Garmin came per loaded with all UK charts but the 180 was bare, a local chart was £129 and a 'wide' UK chart £269, just seemed a horrendous amount when not packaged with the plotter as I got the Navionics charts for my iPad and iphone for £20 or so and the same for all of Europe! I was going to use one of these for navigation but in the end with touch screen they can't really compare with a dedicated plotter, also the cost of waterproof covers and brackets is silly money. Anyway after playing for an hour on the two I had short listed I went for the 180, the main reason was landscape mode, then the ease of use with the joystick, the new model just out has lost the aerial hump on the back and has a new faster processor, very quick GPS pickup and fast processing. I bought a spare lead which I have now fitted a cigarette socket on, that means firstly I can plan trips at home or on the mother ship and also use it as a backup on there as I also bought a spare mounting bracket.

Re the charts, wow c-map are horrendously priced and odd zones, a wide UK Atlantic coast which covers all the UK down the Atlantic coast of Portugal to Spain but excludes the Mec is £269, if you want the Med Europe chart that covers all of that area but stops mid way up the UK. We spend all of August down in St Tropez area (Port Grimaud), we also intend to use the RIB around the UK so it is going to cost us heavily in charts, I bought the Atlantic one but may just buy the option of a local chart for St Tropez area but that will still be £129, so maybe worth getting all the Med although it does duplicate a lot of the other area I have already bought.

I discussed the waterproof capabilities of the unit and was assured it would suit my purpose i.e. exposed on the consul, anyway it has a 3 year guarantee so I will keep a close eye on it. I won't be fitting a sounder as the make up of the Searider flooding hull and the confused water at the rear of such a small vessel makes one pretty pointless, so more important to have good charts. I am happy to keep anyone updated if thinking of getting one, I have been playing with it plugged into 12v and although it did seem very expensive it does look a good bit of kit compared to the prices of some other units, although a lot of the add on functionality will not be used.

The surprise for me was that I always thought Standard Horizon was an inferior brand, but I have been pleasantly surprised although the CP180i is more expensive now compared to the Garmin 550 when both packaged with charts.

[Razorbill RIBs]

[QUOTE=SR4;470672]The surprise for me was that I always thought Standard Horizon was an inferior brand [QUOTE]

Aside from an HDS Unit on the Pac (Lowrance manuals are pants btw) we have two CP180's and Three fixed S/H VHF sets, a couple of VHF handsets.... all faultless (I have poss had bad luck with Icom but that aside am still struggling to see why they are worth the premium) and they have a really good quality feel too Oh and SH customer service is excellent....esp when trying to understand /read a Lowrance manual to connect to a S/H VHF

[SR4]

Well I went to fit the plotter on my consul today, what confused me was that when I had the plotter fitted to the stand I could not get it lined up to face directly forward, no matter how I moved the ratchet swivel base it was always a few degrees out, that meant when fitting it if you wanted the screen facing square on forward the stand, which is triangular had to be screwed down squint I spoke to Standard Horizon who were doing an in store event in Portsmouth, I was told that it was normal as it had been like that since the moulds were made a few degrees out and I should fit it squint I asked why it had not been corrected, they said the company producing them had refused, now am I being petty being pissed off after laying out a load of cash for a dodgy stand that is going to have to be fitted squint on my consul so their unit can face forward? I am really not happy about this, so much so I didn't fit it in the end as I was so angry, what should I do?

[wellhouse]

Originally Posted by SR4

Well I went to fit the plotter on my consul today, what confused me was that when I had the plotter fitted to the stand I could not get it lined up to face directly forward, no matter how I moved the ratchet swivel base it was always a few degrees out, that meant when fitting it if you wanted the screen facing square on forward the stand, which is triangular had to be screwed down squint I spoke to Standard Horizon who were doing an in store event in Portsmouth, I was told that it was normal as it had been like that since the moulds were made a few degrees out and I should fit it squint I asked why it had not been corrected, they said the company producing them had refused, now am I being petty being pissed off after laying out a load of cash for a dodgy stand that is going to have to be fitted squint on my consul so their unit can face forward? I am really not happy about this, so much so I didn't fit it in the end as I was so angry, what should I do?

take it back for a refund - if possible

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by SR4

what should I do?

Stick with Garmin

[SR4]

Years ago I had a Garmin 176C it was a great bit of kit and was similar in size to the CP180i in landscape size, maybe it is that which drew me to the 180. I just can't believe they expect you to screw the base squint to your boat to accommodate their shite manufacturing process and refusal to correct it or the last 5 years or whatever. Maybe it's the OCD in me but when I don't have the plotter fitted I will be staring at an offset base screwed to my consul just because of these ignorant a...s. Oh! And the cheeky f.....s have nerve to charge you £17 for a spare stand

SO ALL BE WARNED, if they can't be ars.d to correct the stand what else have they failed to correct

I'm going to call their head office for a chat and to express my views

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by SR4

Years ago I had a Garmin 176C it was a great bit of kit and was similar in size to the CP180i in landscape size, maybe it is that which drew me to the 180. I just can't believe they expect you to screw the base squint to your boat to accommodate their shite manufacturing process and refusal to correct it or the last 5 years or whatever. Maybe it's the OCD in me but when I don't have the plotter fitted I will be staring at an offset base screwed to my consul just because of these ignorant a...s.

I'm going to call their head office for a chat and to express my views

I'm with you all the way. Being the engineering type, it offends my eye if something is off. It's bad enough when it's your fault, if it's someone else's...........

[SR4]

Just spoke to them, phone answered by a nice guy who fully understood my feelings, he stated the stands had been like that for TEN years!!!! Apparently it is worse on bigger plotters! He thought it had been rectified so will be calling me back, if it's not then I think I know what will be going back!

How can any company that wants to be taken seriously produce something like that, further more continue producing the same faulty product for TEN years.

OK, just had a call back, I have been told that the cost of remaking the mould CORRECTLY would cost far more than the loss of sales to the 'few' who have complained so they have ignored it! WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE COMPANY!!!!!!!! This issue has been known about for 10 YEARS.

Maybe it's just me, if so apologies to those who are happy with their squint stand

[SR4]

It's going back!

END OF STORY!

[willk]

That's annoying.

On the up side, you won't need the Thread Title changed...

[SR4]

I guess if I fitted the stand square on I would just need a crew member sitting on the side tubes to relay the navigation info to me, at least the would have a clear view of the screen

[PeterM]

If it makes you feel better my Garmin mount is the same. I duly drilled holes etc on the assumption it would of course be straight ......its a quality bit of kit and surely they will have made it 'straight'.

but no, when Iattached the mount to the base I am a few degress off square.... I just live with it , but it still bugs me each time I mount the unit.

[Razorbill RIBs]

Originally Posted by willk

That's annoying.

On the up side, you won't need the Thread Title changed...

..... and makes my praise look misjudged ..... I can honestly say that I have never noticed it being out of square....but then mine is mounted on an angled dash....

[SR4]

Took it back, read about the Garmin on this thread with similar problem, bought a Simrad, much more expensive but definitely on the square

Bonus: Uses the same Navionics charts as the mother ship although the model I bought came pre loaded with Silver version I can put in the mother ships gold if I want to see whatever gold gives you that silver doesn't.

Sorry to be sketchy but I have no clue what I bought just anything was better than Standard Horizon, plus Simrad is IPX7 and the other was only 5, so able to get out in the rough stuff or more likely hose down the boat with the plotter still attached

[SR4]

PLEASE NOTE THE UNIT I BOUGHT TODAY WAS THE LOWRANCE HDS5 NOT a SIMRAD, sorry I got confused.

Well I have been playing with the LOWRANCE (NOT Simrad as I first thought, told you I didn't know what I had bought :-) ), fantastic bit of kit, the quality of everything from the cables to waterproof sockets, High definition screen, charts, CD software and manuals included, stand, and menus beat the hell out of the Standard Horizon. I hate to say this but I think I have proved my initial thoughts regarding Standard Horizon right, its not even as if they are cheapo machines, with charts they are demanding the same money as quality products, still it is up to people to make their own choice, I'm happy now, so thanks for the advice, I did listen