Vessel View "All In One " Console Setup

[Tom_R]

I received some news from a dealer from which I plan on ordering a new Lund Impact boat from this winter regarding the ability to obtaine engine data and sonar on the console. He said that Lund is using the VV 703 from 2020 moving forward as an option.

According to the dealer, he stated the following in an email to me:

"The Vessel View is the fish finder. It’s the fish finder, chart plotter, GPS and digital gauges all in one. The Vessel Link is connected as well."

Am I misunderstanding something here or is he implying there would be no other graph (i.e. no Lowrance, etc.) on the console? If this is possible, has anyone had any experience with using the Vessel View as the 'all in one'? If so, what are your experiences?

[Keep in mind that on Lund's website, the Mercury-Vessel View 703 Display Upgrade is currently quoted as

$2,469 retail. So for that amount of money it better come with more than just engine monitor display data capability. However, I must say, I can't find anyone on any forum that has ever used the Vessel View for obtaining anything other than engine data.]

[WRB]

Let me start out with a statement that I will not use any built in sonar/nav units.

The biult in units are convient and make a clean installation. The fact they are biult in means you can't easily remove the units and I always remove my units when trailering the boat home. 

I learned a long time ago road vibrations kill sonar units and time hasn't changed that fact. 

The more important reason maybe that fact electronics are only state of the art when introduced, a year o 2 later they become nearly obsoletes loose value quickly, easpecially built ins.

If you are using your boat on big lakes and knowing the exact position of your boat while trolling a precise path and speed up wind, cross wind down wind and the engine rpm's while driving your boat from the console, this what this type of unit is made for. It should have all the sonar features like scanning and all the GPS/maping features.

Tom

[slonezp]

Both Humminbird and Lowrance have had the ability to connect to Mercury engines for many years.

[Tom_R]

I've been coercing back and forth with the dealer for months now.  I have time on my side as I am not ordering the new boat until January.  Thus, after looking at several of my emails over this past summer, I had additional info. about the VesselView 703.  I asked him what sonar software was used and if it included side scan and down scan.  Here is his quote:

 

It is loaded with Simrad software. It has what they call Total Scan. Which is both

 

So, maybe I should be asking if anyone on here has experience with simrad as their sonar.

 

Quote

WRB:  

Let me start out with a statement that I will not use any built in sonar/nav units.

The biult in units are convient and make a clean installation. The fact they are biult in means you can't easily remove the units and I always remove my units when trailering the boat home. 

I learned a long time ago road vibrations kill sonar units and time hasn't changed that fact. 

The more important reason maybe that fact electronics are only state of the art when introduced, a year o 2 later they become nearly obsoletes loose value quickly, easpecially built ins.

 

WRB, I think you nailed it.  I actually was thinking of the convenience of having an in dash unit that did everything, engine data, sonar, chartplotting, etc.  Apparently, this is what the dealer is telling me about the 703.  However, your comments may be the most important points to this entire discussion.  If the built in 703 on the dash would eventually lead to connection issues and the fact that the software is constantly changing, then maybe this is not a good option.  

[Tom_R]

I found out from Mercury what comes with the VesselView 703 Display Upgrade:

 

Quote

The VesselView 703 is a Simrad NSS7 Evo3 device paired with our VesselView Link module which gives the Simrad an additional screen for Mercury functions. The rest of the display is designed and programmed with the standard Simrad user interface. Any questions about adding hardware or sonar would need to fielded by Simrad (Navico Products).

At least now we know exactly what it is