Garmin has recently discontinued their proven 7600 Series and upgraded their 10", 12: and 16" units up to their "best in class" 8600 Series standards. Let's dive into these new units and see what they are all about.  This article will only be discussing the 10", 12" and 16" and will not include the larger displays.

What you need to know:

  • Garmin 8600 Series units are available in 10", 12", and 16" displays, and are offered as a networkable chartplotter or as a chartplotter/sounder combo. The chartplotter/sounder combo models are followed by "XSV", such as 8612XSV.  The screens are sunlight viewable and have very wide viewing angles.   The high resolution they offer makes them some of the most crisp screens in the business.
  • These units can be flush mounted into a dash, recess mounted for a glass bridge look, or bracket mounted. 
  • All models are touchscreen, but an optional keypad called the GRID can be added. 
  • Preloaded with Garmin's new G3 Cartography which feature Navionics Cartography and offer Auto Guidance out of the box.
  • They have full wireless technology including WIFI and ANT
  • Full networking capability via ethernet and NMEA2000
  • XSV units have built-in sonar that includes the full suite of Garmin's sonar capabilities
  • Internal GPS antenna
  • Smartmode which allows for screen presets across the entire network
  • Radar Capable with any of Garmin's current radars, and most of their legacy radars

How to buy a system:

These systems are offered a few different ways.  First, as mentioned above, if a unit has an "XSV" suffix then it has a built-in sonar.  Without the XSV it is just a chartplotter.  All of the 8600 series units come preloaded with Garmin charts for the entire USA, both coastal and inland lakes.  You will also see what appear to be identical units called the 8400 Series.  Take the 8412xsv for example.  These units are identical, however they are not preloaded with maps.  If you are outfitting a boat that requires multiple units, and you want sonar, you will only need to buy one as an XSV.  The Sonar from this XSV unit can be networked to the other units so that they all act as XSV units. Aside from the charts and the sonar, these units are offered in 3 different screen sizes. 



Anything additional you want can be added on.  Garmin is great with compatibility, so just about any current Garmin add-on will be compatible with these units.  If you want radar, all you need to do is buy a dome or array. If you want weather, you need the GXM53.  You can buy the appropriate transducers for the capability you are seeking.  If transducers and their capabilities are confusing then call us for advice.  Plan on buying a NMEA2000 starter kit and an additional T Connector and NMEA2000 Cable for each unit you buy beyond the first. You should also plan to get a network cable for every unit beyond the first one. 

Available Packages

Popular Add-Ons are listed under each units product page on the "Accessories" tab.


What comes in the box?

  • Power cable
  • NMEA 2000® drop cable
  • NMEA 2000 T-connector
  • Flush mount kit
  • Sun cover
  • Trim piece snap covers
  • Documentation

Flush Mount Templates

Click on these links to pull up PDF Templates from Garmin's site:  8610, 8612, 8616, 

Physical Size & Rear Images to Show Ports

***Note (non XSV units are missing the Orange, Yellow and Blue Sonar ports)

8616/8616xsv - 15.1" X 10.3" X 3"





8612/8612xsv - 11.9" X 8.5" X 3"


8610/8610xsv - 10.25" X 8.06" X 2.95"

Physical & Performance

Receiver

10 Hz GPS/GLONASS/Galileo
Water rating

IPX6 and IPX7
Mounting options Bail, flat or flush (Garmin do not offer any hardware or accessories for a flat-mount installation. Professional tools and knowledge is required.)
Display type touchscreen IPS display (anti-glare finish)
Antenna Internal or external over NMEA 2000

Maps & Navigation

Preloaded maps

BlueChart® g3 and LakeVü g3
Accepts data cards

2 microSD cards (on back)
Routes 100 (250 waypoints each)
Track log 50,000 points; 50 saved tracks

Features

ClearVü

yes
Waypoints 5,000
Sailing Features Yes
Transmit power 1 kW traditional; 1 kW CHIRP
NMEA 0183 compatible Yes
SideVü

yes
Dual-beam (77/200 kHz) sonar capable Yes
Supports DSC (displays position data from DSC-capable VHF radio) Yes
Additional
  • Supports spoken audio alerts
NMEA 2000® compatible Yes
ActiveCaptain compatible

yes
Garmin Marine Network™ ports

2
Garmin Sonar compatible

Yes
GSD™ Black Box sonar support Yes
Garmin SmartMode compatible (customizable monitor presets) Yes
Garmin Helm compatible

yes
Maximum depth 5,000 ft at 1 kW (depth capacity is dependent on water bottom type and other water conditions)
Dual-frequency (50/200 kHz) sonar capable Yes
SiriusXM™ Weather & Radio compatible Yes
CHIRP sonar technology Yes (Built-in)
Wireless connectivity

yes
GCV™ Black Box sonar support Yes
Wireless mouse compatible No
NMEA 0183 input ports

1 differential
J1939 Compatible Yes
Supports AIS (tracks target ships position) Yes
Video output ports

1 HDMI
Polarized Support Yes
Garmin Meteor™ Audio System compatible No
Frequencies supported

Traditional: 50/200, 77/200, 83/200
Single Channel CHIRP: 40-250
Dual Channel CHIRP: 40-250
SideVü/ClearVü: CHIRP 260/455/800
Ultra High-Definition ClearVü: 0.8 MHz (800 kHz), CHIRP range: 760-880 kHz
Ultra High-Definition SideVü: 1.2 MHz (1,200 kHz), CHIRP range: 1,060-1,170 kHz

(dependent on transducer)
Wireless remote compatible Yes
Supports FUSION-Link™ compatible radios Yes
Transducer pin numbers 1 – LVS sonar, 1 – 12 pin scanning sonar, 1- 8 pin sonar
NMEA 0183 output ports

1 differential
Tide tables Yes
Power consumption

3.1 A
GRID™ (Garmin Remote Input Device) compatible Yes
Garmin Radar compatible Yes
Video input ports

1 - BNC composite; 1 - HDMI (HDCP compliant)