Raymarine Axiom 9 RV

The Axiom 9 unit shares many similarities with the Axiom 7 unit, the main difference between the two units being the 9-inch display. Just as the Axiom 7, this unit is available in different chart and transducer combinations. In this post, we’re going to address the Axiom 9 RV, part number E70367-03-NAG. This unit includes the RV-100 transducer for RealVision 3D sonar and also has the Navionics+ charts for U.S. & Canada.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 9″ diagonal, 800H x 480V pixel resolution, WVGA color, with backlight, LightHouse OS
• Sonar: RealVision 3D and 600W traditional sonar
• Transducer: RV-100
• Frequency and Coverage (with the supplied transducer):
  • 2D (traditional): 50/200 kHz / 25°
  • RealVision 3D: 180°
• Depth Capability:
  • Traditional 2D: 900 ft (274 m)
  • RealVision 3D: 300 ft (91 m)
• Max. Power Output: 600 Watts (RMS)
• Operating Voltage: 12V DC (8 V to 16 VDC)
• GPS: Internal, 10 Hz, 72-channels
• Maps: Navionics for U.S. and Canada
• Routes, Waypoints, Tracks: 150; 10,000; 16 (10,000 pts / track)

Sonar and transducer

Depending on the unit, the Raymarine Axiom MFDs can have different built-in sonar modules, and/or can work with all Raymarine external sonar hubs, as well as most transducers. The Axiom 9 RV E70367-03-NAG integrates the RealVision 3D + 600W traditional 2D sonar module. Therefore, with the included transducer, you will be able to use the 3D sonar and a 2D sonar version that operates a 200/50 kHz.

The RealVision 3D sonar offers a three-dimensional view of the underwater environment which is very flexible and versatile, allowing you to move it or rotate it the way you want, in order to understand better the shape of the bottom and the position of the fish or other targets. The frequency at which the RealVision 3D sonar operates is not specified, but the beam angle of the transducer is 180°, which means that it offers quite a lot of coverage.

The 2D sonar incorporated by the unit offers a traditional sonar view; you can view it in split-screen with the 3D sonar for a better understanding of what’s under the boat. It can use two frequencies, 200/50 kHz, but does not use CHIRP technology. The beam angle used by the included transducer for the 2D sonar is 25°.

The Axiom E70367-03-NAG comes with the RV-100 transducer, which is an all-in-one transducer. Not only that it supports both the unit’s sonar applications, it also works with DownVision, SideVision, and High CHIRP sonar. Therefore, if you’re going to connect an external sonar unit capable of these sonar technologies, you won’t need a different transducer.

The RV-100 transducer integrates a water temperature sensor; thus, the unit can show the temperature of the top water layer. It has 26′ (8 m) of cable, comes with a transom mount, and all the necessary parts for its mounting. It’s also gyro-stabilized; the gyro stabilization compensates for the boat movement, with results in the imagery of the highest quality.

The depth capability of this Raymarine fish finder isn’t extreme. However, it can scan depths up to 900′ (274 m) with its 2D sonar, while the RealVision 3D sonar is reliable at depths up to 300′ (91 m). Differently put, the RealVision 3D sonar is for freshwater fishing, and maybe for the shallow offshore waters. But on the other hand, if you want to fish off-shore, you can still rely on the 2D sonar, if you will stick to depths that won’t exceed 900′.

When it comes to other sonar-related features, there still are several that can be mentioned. Among them, A-Scope, Bottom Lock, Depth Lines, Range Lines, White Line, Sonar Scroll Back and several others.

Navigation features

As we’ve mentioned above, the Axiom 9 RV E70367-03-NAG unit is equipped with the Navionics Nav+ US and Canada charts bundle. These charts offer multiple features. For example, you’ll benefit from tide information and correction, deep watercolor, SonarChart Live, depth shading, fishing range, and many more. On top of that, the Nav+ charts cover more than 20,000 inland lakes and other bodies of water of the U.S. and Canada, showing their depth contours and a lot of other information, such as harbors, marina entrances, and surrounding topography. Plus, these charts cover the U.S and Canada coastal waters.

Along with the included Nav+ charts, this Raymarine Axiom unit can also use Lighthouse Coastal Vector charts and Navionics Nav+ Central and South America charts. Plus, for the future LightHouse updates, C-MAP Essentials and C-MAP 4D MAX+ compatibility is planned.

The unit is equipped with a very fast and accurate GPS/GLONASS module. It operates at 10 Hz, which means that it can update your position 10 times per second. Therefore, the movement of your boat will appear on the map in real-time, without jumps or freezes. Plus, it’s a 72-channel GPS, an aspect that helps speed up the satellite acquisition, reducer power consumption, increases sensitivity in case of unfavorable terrain, and reduces the likelihood of losing a 3D fix. Via the GPS system, the unit can also calculate the speed of your boat.

The Axiom 9 unit has an Autopilot app. However, to use it as an autopilot unit, it must be integrated with an Evolution autopilot system. This way, it will act as the autopilot’s controller. The unit is also compatible with various Radar and AIS units, as it has an application ready for such extensions.

The Axiom 9 unit can record up to 10,000 waypoints, offering various icons for them, allowing you to suggestively mark your points of interest. The waypoints can be grouped up to 200 per group. There are also routes and tracks functions. The unit gives you the possibility to create up to 150 routes with up to 250 waypoints per each route. And finally, you can record up to 16 tracks, with up to 10,000 track points per track.

Control unit features

To begin with, the Axiom 9 from Raymarine is a multi-function unit, featuring a touchscreen display, with a pixel matrix of 800H x 480V, 9-inch in diagonal, optically bonded and LED-backlit (1,200 nits). It offers excellent readability from different angles (60° / 70° / 70° / 70° – Top / Bottom / Left / Right).

The unit is powered by the LightHouse 3 Operating System, which offers a very user-friendly interface, straightforward and easy to learn and use. It gives you the possibility to pin your main applications to the start page for quick access, to create a split-screen with different running applications. It’s highly responsive to commands as it is equipped with a quad-core processor and an internal 4GB SSD internal drive.

The unit has several ports, including an Ethernet port, an NMEA 2000 port, while for the SeaTalkNG networking it requires an A06045 DeviceNet female (F) adapter cable. It’s also Wi-Fi enabled, allowing connection to the latest Raymarine apps for tablets and smartphones. The unit is also equipped with a microSD card reader with one card slot for chart updates, software updates or data transfer, and a USB port micro B rear for 0.5A charging, external storage device, or RCR-SD/USB Accessory (A80440)).

The Axiom 9 unit can be paired with optional FLIR M100 and M200 compact marine thermal cameras. It’s also compatible via NMEA 2000 capable marine audio systems like Rockford Fosgate.

The unit is IPX6 and IPX7 waterproof. In other words, it should resist freshwater immersions, exposure to water jets or incidental water exposure with no problem.

Finally, this Raymarine fish finder unit comes with a trunnion mount and a flush mount. The box also includes a sun cover.

The Pros

• RealVision 3D sonar and 600W 50/200 kHz traditional sonar;
• DownVision, SideVision and CHIRP sonar capabilities with optional external sonar modules;
• RV-100 all-in-one, gyroscopic transducer included;
• Multiple sonar functions available such as Scroll Back, Bottom Lock, White Line, A-Scope, etc.
• Fast and accurate, 72-channel, 10 Hz internal GPS / GLONASS receiver;
• Navionics+ charts for U.S. and Canada included;
• Various navigation features powered by Navionics, including tide information and correction, deep water color, SonarChart Live, depth shading, fishing range and many more;
• Autopilot feature included;
• AIS and Radar capable;
• Thermal camera capable;
• Compatible with marine audio systems such as Rockford Fosgate;
• Trackplotting, routes and waypoints functions;
• 800H x 480V resolution, optically bonded LCD, multitouch display, with LED backlight;
• LightHouse 3 OS, which offers a highly customizable, easy-to-use interface;
• Ethernet and NMEA 2000 ports;
• Wi-Fi connectivity;
• USB and microSD card reader (1 slot);
• IPX6 & IPX7 waterproof;
• Trunnion and flush mounts included;
• Sun cover included;
• Fairly easy to install.

The Cons

• Not compatible with LightHouse 2;
• RealVision 3D sonar has a depth capability of only 300′ (91 m), great for freshwater, but not the best for off-shore fishing;
• Touchscreen display may also be a downside for a fish finder, as you’ll have to constantly wash your hands if you’re fishing, or constantly clean the display;
• Some features are only available in the next LightHouse updates, such as Audio Integration, or Remote control function.

Summary

The Raymarine Axiom 9 RV E70367-03-NAG is a multifunction display, featuring RealVision 3D and standard 600W 2D (50/200 kHz) sonar, GPS and US/Canada Navionics+ charts. It comes with the all-in-one RV-100 transducer. It’s a multitouch unit, powered by the LightHouse 3 OS, which offers a very easy to understand and operate interface. It offers a wide array of navigation functions, connectivity features, also being a highly versatile unit as it can also use DownVision CHIRP sonar, SideVision CHIRP sonar and High CHIRP standard sonar, LightHouse raster charts, other Navionics charts and in the future LightHouse updates, C-MAP charts as well. It’s compatible with Autopilot EVO units, AIS and Radar units. It’s an excellent unit especially for freshwater fishing, but can serve well on saltwater as well, especially for navigation. In all, it’s a highly capable unit, offering excellent value for the price.