All the antennas and cables are included with both modules. It is likely that a software upgrade will allow the E-Series to also receive and operate satellite radio features – not available on the SR100 now – in coming months. These upgrades are generally available for download on Raymarine's web site and loading them into your unit via a memory card is usually a simple pushbutton process.

NETWORKING

The ability to network is one of the primary differences between the two lines. While the C-Series can certainly display a lot of information, it is built to operate as a stand-alone display. The E-Series operates as an Ethernet-based network system, with the ability to provide information from common peripherals and charts to several displays.

Simply said, if you want to have multiple screens on the boat, you go with E-Series. All the displays can share a single GPS antenna, radar antenna, sounder module and other components. You can also have any combination of E-80s and E-120s displaying this information. For example, a well-stocked pilothouse motoryacht may have two E-120s below and two E-80s on the flying bridge. All the displays will look and operate exactly the same. A common Ethernet switch, supplied by Raymarine, becomes the central hub in an E-Series package. An eight-port hub will allow you to network four displays, the weather module and the sounder module. The GPS antenna, radar antenna and AIS information will all be run through the displays first, and then feed into the network.

VIDEO AND COMPUTER INTEGRATION

Unlike the C-Series, the E-Series also has the ability to display four external sources of video. The common video connections on the back of the display and the internal switch will allow you to plug in closed-circuit video cameras to monitor the aft deck or the engine room. You may also choose to run a DVD player or satellite television, and you can switch between them right from the buttons on the front of the display.

The video is not sent over the network, so each display is limited to four sources, but multiple displays should give you more than enough monitoring and entertainment options at the helm.

The E-Series also has the ability to output video to an external monitor or flat-screen TV. With the VGA output plug that is standard on computers and an optional remote control, it is possible to navigate your E-Series display from your saloon or master stateroom.

Because the E-Series is a networkable device, it can also be integrated with Raymarine's Raytech software. If you are a fan of Windows-based navigation, Raytech can be installed on your laptop or desktop computer and share all the peripherals on the network that the E-Series uses, such as radar and GPS.Glen JusticeThe C-80 and the E-80 look almost identical. Which one is this? (It's an E-80)

MAKING A DECISION

For some, a decision can be made on price. The difference between a C-120 and an E-120 is more than $1,000. Others can look to the size of their boat and the type of boating they do most often.

A 25-foot center console with a pair of outboards that is primarily used for fishing probably does not need multiple displays or video capabilities. The captain may want to take advantage of Navionics Platinum charting, but the E-Series may otherwise be overkill. The money is better spent elsewhere. The value of the C-Series and all its available options can't be beat for the single station display with little need for computer integration or cameras.

A 46-foot cabin cruiser, on the other hand, may require multiple displays in the pilothouse and on the flying bridge. The ability to monitor engines, integrate entertainment and conduct more advanced, computer-assisted navigation may better suit the mission on a boat like this. The enhanced features are probably worth the cost of the upgrade.

For those in between, the first thing to ask yourself is whether or not you want more than one display onboard, now or in the future, and if you plan to grow your electronics rig while you own the boat. If you do, then the E-Series is the best bet. The networking capabilities insure that it can be expanded and that each piece of hardware will talk to the other with minimal effort.