Northstar Electronics

[JGH]

Used Grady 257 I just bought is rigged with Northstar 6100i chartplotter/depthfinder. Anyone have any opinions on this unit, or Northstar electronics generally? It is not a brand I am that familiar with. Thanks.

 

[White Horses (Mike)]

Don't know much except they have a good name and I can't afforf them. I have a friend with a NICE Tiara who speaks very highly of their stuff. I have the impression that North Star is a step up from what I would call "consumer" level boat electronics.

Hopefully someone else who actually KNOWS something can comment!

Have fun with your new boat....

 

[gradyfish22]

They are among the best you can buy. Not sure how new/old that unit is, but their units in general are top notch. I work for a large sportfish builder and I'd say 75% of our boats leave with Northstar GPS's on them. Our buyers usually buy Furuno and Northstar equpment, with Simrad 2nd and Raymarine 3rd. All are good brands though. I have all furuno on my boat and love it, but if I update and replace my GPS, it will be a northstar unit. Many of the top charter boats in my area also relay on northstar units.

 

[TunaT]

Northstar

I have a Northstar 6000i chartplotter/gps/Radar unit. Its a great unit. The 6100i is the newer version of this one, but both are very similar, only issue I have had with mine in 4 years of hard use is I lost the use of the number 1,4,7 on the keypad. Going to replace it this winter, actually just put boat up for winter this past weekend to be honest with. Keypad change is couple of screws and ribbon cable no real issue....I really like Northstar way of doing the overlays for radar right on the chart, makes things clear and easy to read. I have the 24" radar dome also hooked into it, I do have the transducer, just never added it as I use an older Raymarine for backup gps and fishfinder. Overall, in the past 4 years, I've had the Raymarine unit worked on or bumped code levels 3 times while the Northstar just keeps on going...minus the keypad issue I just noticed. If I was to buy again.....I'd buy the Northstar over raymarine...I know raymarine has strong following on this website and its only my opinion...but I would put the extra dollars into another Northstar unit without any questions asked. if you have any more questions on the unit let me know...

 

[JGH]

Thanks. Mine actually is the 6000i, not the 6100i as I thought, so that's helpful information.

 

[doublehaul]

Northstar

These are good units but with some problems. The 6000i has been known to have fogging of the screen, broken key pads and can lose bottom on the sounder. 6100i has a faster cpu and functions better. Fortunately the company has been good with warranty repair.

 

[capt chris]

Northstar was owned by Brunswick and you saw them offered as a factory accessory on Boston Whaler. Brunswick I believe sold the electronics unit to another company in the past year, but I can't remember to whom. I have always heard they were top notch units but on the high end price wise and in their level of sophistication. Way more than us "inland" guys would ever need.