PBR’s test setup on its Contender 25. Garmin components are mounted on the board, with the Furuno system installed in the console.

We love the big screens, wide-ranging capabilities, and steadily declining prices evident today in networked marine electronics. A war has erupted over market share in this portion of the high-end marine electronics arena. With several companies, including Furuno and Garmin, battling for position, things are looking up for the marine consumer. Prices should keep dropping, with continual improvements in quality, capabilities, and options.

The most advanced networked systems are capable of displaying radar, sounder, chartplotter, weather, or video data on multiple screens using up to four windows per screen. Control of each component is available from any display location. …