Simrad Marine Electronics

Simrad and B&G are siblings under Navico, sharing platforms, the HALO radar family and much of the sonar technology. The positioning is genuinely different: B&G got the sailing software, Simrad got the powerboat and offshore fishing focus.

If the boat has engines rather than sails as its main propulsion, Simrad is the one of the pair you want.

#What Simrad is genuinely best at

Helm input at speed. NSS 4's combination of touch, a rotary control and a keypad is the best answer of the six to a real problem: touchscreens are poor input devices on a moving powerboat. Being able to change radar range or work a cursor by feel, without looking, is worth more than a specification sheet suggests.

Radar at the large end. HALO 2000 and 3000 open arrays are a strong package for motor yachts and sportfishers, where a narrower beam and better target separation justify the antenna size. The trade-off is set out in radome versus open array.

Offshore sonar integration. Strong support for high-power CHIRP and specialist sonar modules, with the processing to drive them.

Engine and vessel integration. Well suited to twin and triple installations where RPM, fuel flow, temperatures and alarms all need to be legible at a glance.

#The 2026 range

#Displays

NSS 4 is where most of the recreational decision sits — the hybrid control, the 8-core processor, the sonar integration and HALO compatibility in one platform.

#Radar

HALO domes for smaller vessels, HALO 2000 and 3000 open arrays for large fast ones, all solid-state with Doppler VelocityTrack. See best marine radar.

#Autopilot

Simrad autopilot computers and drives, matched to hydraulic steering on most powerboats. The autopilot guide caution applies with extra force at speed: hydraulic cylinder volume and vessel dynamics drive the sizing, and high-speed pilot behaviour deserves careful commissioning.

#Who Simrad suits

• Motor yachts and power cruisers — see motor yacht navigation
• Offshore sportfishers wanting serious sonar and radar in one ecosystem
• Centre consoles and fast coastal boats where helm input quality matters
• Twin and triple-engine installations needing clean engine integration

#Who should look elsewhere

• Sailing yachts. Go to B&G, the sibling brand built for it
• Fishing on a tight budget. Lowrance, also Navico, delivers more fishing capability per dollar.
• Thermal-centric night cruising. Raymarine integrates FLIR more cohesively

#Bottom line

For a powerboat that goes offshore, NSS 4 plus HALO is one of the strongest packages available, and the hybrid control is a genuine advantage rather than a marketing point. For a sailing yacht, buy the sibling.