Above: Daytime viewability remains the most important test criterion for us. Features are useless if you can’t see the screen. The Simrad (right) screen fogged during testing and was not as readable in the sun as the Furuno.

Space is tight at the helm of your boat—so is your budget. But spring is here and you want a taste of the latest and greatest in electronics. The chartplotter-sounder combo unit is the solution—one with all the best features, like an LCD color screen, an alphanumeric keypad, a WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, and a powerful sounder. Good news: We found a pair that won’t break the bank.

What We Tested

Two major players in the marine electronics field, Furuno and Simrad, each supplied us with a chartplotter/sounder combination unit. Both the Furuno GP-1850WF and the Simrad CE33 have all the features we sought and are capable of using cartography from a…