Northstar 6000i Network: Easy to Use, but Pricey

We rated the Northstar 6000i's sounder, daytime viewability, and overall user interface Excellent, but its high price and screen fogging hold it back. The Furuno system is still our top choice.

PS rated the Northstar 6000i network displays (shown here on the 8.4" version) as Excellent for daytime viewability. But we noted fogging in the lower left hand quadrant on both the 8.4" and the 10.4" screens due to high heat and humidity during our test—a problem Northstar says it is addressing.

The networked marine electronics field is starting to get crowded. Furuno issued the challenge in February of 2001 when it introduced the NavNet 1 system. Since that time, Furuno has moved on to the vx2 incarnation of its NavNet system while another early player, Raymarine, is on its third network language—SEATALK-HS. In the last couple of years, two veteran marine electronics makers, Garmin and Northstar, introduced their own marine networks. We've reviewed Furuno, Raymarine, and Garmin before, now we look at our fourth player, Northstar and its 6000i network system. …