Raymarine Axiom Pro Review

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Over a year ago I said I would finish my review on the Raymarine Axiom models by covering the Axiom Pro. It has taken a lot longer than I planned but it is finally here. I’ve been using the Axiom Pro 12” RVX model for a few years now and while I am very happy with it in general there are a couple of issues worth mentioning.
All models have 4Gb of memory built in and can store the same number of waypoints/tracks./routes.
All models have an SD card slot in the rear of the unit which will take an SD card of up to 2Tb if formatted with NTFS or FAT32.
Map cards are sold separately (but may be bundled) and all units can take the same range of maps. I prefer the Navionics maps but the C-MAP 4D maps are also excellent. Picking the map card that is best for you is a whole ‘nuther subject which I might cover in a later video, but I will mention one thing now. If you choose Navionics or C-MAP charts you also get tides and currents.
They all come with a built-in GNSS Receiver, and they all can receive data from an external RS-150 72 channel GPS/GLONASS receiver for enhanced performance.
Display resolution is 800 x 480 for the two smaller units but increases to 1280 x 800 for the 12” display.
They all have good viewing angles but while the 7” and 9” units are identical, the 12” display has slightly better figures.
All of the RV models come with built-in RealVision™ 3D with a 600W transducer.
The Axiom 7 DV model has built in DownVision with a 600W transducer but no RealVision.
The DV model has a 9-pin connector for the DownVision transducer while the RV models have a 25-pin connector for the RealVision transducer.
All will accept a range of transducers such as the CP100, CP200, CP370, CP470 and CP570 professional unit via a RayNet connection.
Power consumption varies between all models:
Axiom 7: Chartplotter - 7.34 Watts
DV - 10.02 Watts
RV - 9.84 Watts
Axiom 9: Chartplotter - 8.95 Watts
RV - 11.98 Watts
Axiom 12: Chartplotter - 15.48 Watts
RV - 18.96 Watts
What is missing from the base model Axioms that made me pick the Pro for my boat?
I’ll go through the list, not necessarily in order of importance:
1. The base units don’t have any keys, they are purely touch screen. If you want keys, then you need to buy an accessory keypad. Trust me on this, if you get the base unit, buy the keypad. There have been several occasions when I have needed to turn off the touch screen and operate only on the keys when there was water dripping onto the screen. I believe this has been improved in the latest plus models.
2. The Pro version has more connections as standard. If you run out of connections on the base unit you need to buy splitters which adds to the cost. For the installation I had planned I needed the connections offered by the Pro.
3. The Pro RVX comes with 1KW chirp sonar capability which offers better performance than the 600W sonar in the base model. The base models can be upgraded, but this is again, an additional cost.
4. The SD cards are at the back of the unit making them difficult to get to and I had in mind that I would need to access them regularly, which I do. The SD cards are in the front on the Pro units.

Now don’t get me wrong, if all you need is the base model then that is what you should buy. I wanted features that the Pro offered out of the box and I would have had to buy accessories to add to the base model, making it much the same price as the Pro and not offering as much convenience for my purposes.
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[jacobfirst]

Excellent opinion. Love thos review. Thanks!

[seastrength]

Many thanks for your comprehensive critique of the Raymarine Axiom 12 Pro RVX unit after personal use for a few years. I have been using a Raymarine a128 unit for 10+ years running Lighthouse II software and with separate CP100 and side scan transducers. I have recently had issues with screen freezing, flutters, wobbles and unexpected windows appearing on the chart screen, difficulty shutting down and subsequent rebooting . I assume that the MFD is reaching the end of working life and that I will need to consider a replacement soon. I am thinking of upgrading to the Raymarine Axiom 12 Pro RVX unit in order to maintain my Raymarine autopilot and Garmin GMI 20 for engine data from the Suzuki 150 outboard. I also have a back-up Suzuki gauge for additional engine data and alarms. However, I am concerned that you had ongoing screen freezing with Lighthouse III and the earlier versions of Lighthouse IV. I also understand your frustration with the Raymarine autopilot requesting confirmation of course changes, however, I have become used to this annoyance. I do like the Raymarine autopilot system, although I have no experience with other well known brands. Did you move to your current Furuno MFD and autopilot system for these two reasons alone or were there other problems with the Raymarine Axiom 12 Pro RVX unit which prompted you to make this change? I do appreciate your candid answers and would not be offended if you consider the Raymarine unit a bad choice as I have not committed to a final decision at present.

[mannyg]

Great review! I usually fish in around 100 to 120 meters does the 600watt transducer handle that depth ok?

[hsensleem]

On 3d how far can detect fish or just what u see on the sideview

[mrkanangra]

great vid mate, but please do something to make your voice sound better for videos - it is very difficult to listen ( honestly no offense we all have different voices, but your voice is very distracting) - please don't be offended, just remember you made this for us to "listen" xoxo