Garmin GPSMAP 8000 MFD and GPSMAP 8500 Black Box Series Integrates the Look and Feel of a Glass Helm

Garmin International recently announced the GPSMAP 8000 Glass Helm series, their newest flagship series of multi-function devices.  Introducing a true glass helm appearance into the boating industry, the GPSMAP 8000 Glass Helm series boasts powerful new features and a revamped user-interface with a streamlined design that can make any helm look custom-built.
 
Offering an 8-inch SVGA, 12-inch and 15-inch XGA multi-touch, pinch-to-zoom multi-function display, the GPSMAP 8000 MFD series boasts a lower profile than previous multi-function models.  With the 12-inch and 15-inch models being 30% and 32% thinner, respectively, the 8000 MFD series can easily fit into a space where previous MFD units were installed.
 
With a user control bar docked at the bottom of the screen, information such as waypoints, autopilot and the home menu are only a finger touch away.
 
In addition to the release of the GPSMAP 8000 MFD series, Garmin is also proud to introduce the GPSMAP 8500 Black Box series. For larger vessels that can accommodate a 15-inch XGA, 17-inch or 19-inch SXGA multi-touch, pinch-to-zoom monitor, the GPSMAP 8500 Black Box series allows for easy installation mounting the 2.16-inch slim monitor directly in the helm and with an independent, detached black box for better system cooling, larger screen size capability and easier installation.  And the Black Box series monitors can receive up to a 1080p HD resolution video.     
 
Features like SmartMode™ station control enable you to customize numerous preset modes based off of various activities. With only two button pushes, SmartMode can instantly synchronize all displays to show the most desirable screens for a particular activity.
 
The GPSMAP 8000 Glass Helm series becomes available in the second quarter of 2013.  For additional information, visit www.garmin.com/8000.

Related Articles

Video Gallery

Starcraft SV 16 OB

By Craig Ritchie

Photos by Starcraft Marine

Building great boats has always come down to a mix of art and science, and that’s particularly true when it comes to meeting the biggest challenge of all—creating an appealing yet affordable family runabout. Buyers want a boat that is affordable but not stripped to the bare bones.

Enter Starcraft and its delightful SV 16 OB, an all-new-for-2025 family deck boat that elegantly balances comfort, amenities and affordability.

Read More

Destinations

The Erie Canal – An Extraordinary Waterway

By Mark Stevens

Photos by Sharon Matthews-Stevens

As I shift our chartered canal boat into neutral, I’m soothed by the soundtrack of bird calls, the occasional plaintive horn of a distant train and the hum of our engine.

I reach for the VHF to radio the lockmaster in charge of Erie Canal’s Lock 32 dead ahead. Our boat spins gently in the current like a maple key in a mud puddle.

“This is Onondaga,” I say. “Headed westbound and requesting passage.”

Read More

Lifestyle