Key Facts | Full Specs | Manuals | Videos
HIGH PERFORMANCE | HybridTouch Display
Raymarine e97 | Review
The Raymarine eSeries HybridTouch e97 – Can be used as a single all-in-one chart, radar, and sonar navigation display or expand into a navigation network with multiple displays, CHIRP DownVision sonar, radar, thermal night vision, and a bunch more.
With a Bright HybridTouch 9″ display – it allows for simple touch screen control or takes command with the rotary unicontroller with integrated joystick and the built-in keypad. The screen is sunlight viewable and optically bonded for sharp color and nice contrast.
Built on the LightHouse™ II – operating system, this simple-to-use interface unlocks the features of the eSeries. With just a few swipes of the on the home screen, you will quickly become an expert. LightHouse II makes it easy to customize the display with full or split-screen windows for charting, radar, sonar, and any other items you connect.
Quite Fast – Designed with dual-core processing and a dedicated graphics processor it delivered quick chart redraws and a snappy response.
LightHouse Chart Engine – Navigate with premium Navionics vector charts including Navionics community sourced Sonar charts or choose Raymarine LightHouse freely available vector and raster charts of US waters.
Easy to Expand – Network with any Lighthouse II powered Raymarine MFD. Create a multi-station network with up to 8 displays.
Built-In Sonar – The dual-frequency 600w Clearpulse fishfinder seems pretty smart with adaptive adjustments for very clear target separation.
e97 Configurations & Part Numbers:
Chartplotter/MFD – Built-in Sonar
The Raymarine eSeries HybridTouch comes in 4 screen sizes, 7″, 9″, 12.1″ 15.4, and have mostly the same features, options, and connections.
The e7D, e97, and e127 models have built-in ClearPulse Sonar/Fishfinder and the e7, e95, e125, and the e165 do not include sonar but they are black box sonar compatible.
The rear connections also differ somewhat as the e7 only has 1 network port and no video-in port. The e95, e125, and the e165 do not have a transducer port.
The e165 also has 6GB internal memory, the others have 2GB.
Raymarine | eSeries vs eS Series
The eSeries and eS-Series MFDs feature HybridTouch interfaced (touchscreen and keypad). The eS-Series MFDs however feature bonded LCD screens and feature pinch to zoom touch screens which the eSeries does not.
The eS-Series has a faster processor to make chart redraws and auto-routing functions faster. From the images above you can see that physical design is also different.
Both have an internal 600W ClearPulse Conical 50/83/200 kHz digital fishfinder sounder.
eS-Series MFDs were designed as the replacement for the e-Series MFDs. The eS-Series MFDs have feature and hardware design improvements like bonded LCD screens, Multi-touch capability (pinch to zoom), and better moisture protection for chart reader slot.
The rear connections are also slightly different as the eS Series has an HDMI Out Port to connect up to a separate display. See the Image below.
e97 | eS97 |
Traditional bezel design | Glass bridge design |
LightHouse II | LightHouse II |
Faster Processing | |
11.4″ x 6.8″ x 2.56″ | 11.8″ x 6.8″ x 2.6″ |
16watts | 20watts |
7.8lb | 5.66lb |
Built-in 600W Digital Sonar | Built-in 600W Digital Sonar |
NA | 1 x HDMI Video Out |
eSeries vs eS Series | Rear Connections
Raymarine e97 | Home Screen Apps
The LightHouse II – operating system is designed to give you feature control using Apps. Functions are very similar to how we use smartphones like tap and swipe.
The Feature Apps are opened from app page icons available on the Homescreen. Additional Apps are added as additional devices are added to the network like an autopilot or a thermal camera. Multiple apps can be displayed simultaneously by creating custom split screen app pages.
LightHouse II software – You can get the latest updates and see new release features for Lighthouse II here.
Home Screen Control – Each eSeries display features the simplicity of touch screen control and the use of full keypad control when seas are rough.
e97 | Screen Control
1. Touch Screen | Common Functions & Menus
2. Home | Return to the home screen
3. Menu | Open/Close Menu
4. UniControl | Joystick/Rotary control & OK button
5. Back | Previous Menu
6. Range | In/Out
7. WPT / MOB | Waypoints & Man Overboard
8. Power | On/Off
9. Card reader slot | 2 – MicroSD Slots
10. Pilot | Autopilot control
11. Switch Active Pane | Splitscreen Control
Networking for the e95 includes Raynet Ethernet, NMEA2000, WiFi, and BlueTooth. You can connect multiple displays or expand with Radar, Thermal cameras, engine gauges, autopilots, additional instrumentation. Below is a list of items that can be added to the network.
Bluetooth connectivity – has been added for connecting with the Raymarine RCU-3 Remote and for Media player control (such as a smartphone).
eSeries | Bluetooth connection
WiFi Connections – Video Streaming and remote control
1. RayRemote – Gives you remote control of your MFD from your mobile device.
2. RayView – Stream or mirror your MFD screen directly to your tablet or smartphone.
3. RayControl – Good for tablets: 2-way control between your MFD and tablet.
These apps are available through the Google Play Store and Apple Itunes.
eSeries | Smartphone Remote Control Apps
System integration – The eSeries MFDs are compatible with a wide range of devices that use various protocols to transfer data between devices in the system.
The Image/table below shows some examples and some details of which devices may be connected and the type of connections that might be used.
e97 | Networking Example
1. Raymarine RCU-3 Remote | BlueTooth
2. Mobile Device | WiFi & BlueTooth for media
3. Tank Sensors | NMEA 2000
4. GPS/GNSS | SeaTalk, SeaTalkng, or NMEA 0183
5. Additional Instruments | SeaTalk, SeaTalkng
6. Pilot control heads | SeaTalk, SeaTalkng
7. Autopilot | SeaTalk, SeaTalkng, or NMEA 0183.
8. AIS | SeaTalkng or NMEA 0183
9. Trim tabs | NMEA 2000
10. Analog video / cameras x 2 | BNC + IP cameras via SeaTalkhs
11. Lifetag (MOB) | SeaTalk (w converter)
12. Engine interface / ECI-100 | SeaTalkng
13. Transducers | NMEA 2000
14. External display – 1 | 15 pin D-Type connector (VGA Style)
15. Sonar transducer | Direct Connection
16. DSC VHF radio | NMEA 0183 or SeaTalkng
17. Raymarine Sirius weather | SeaTalkhs, SeaTalkng
18. Additional MFDs | SeaTalkhs
19. Sonar Modules | SeaTalkhs
20. Radar | SeaTalkhs
21. Thermal cameras – T200 thru T900 | SeaTalkhs & BNC
22. Remote keypad | SeaTalkhs
23. Fusion entertainment systems | SeaTalkhs
24. PC / Laptop | SeaTalkhs
Rear Connections
e97 | Rear Connections
1. Transducer
2. SeaTalkng
3. SeaTalkhs | RayNet Network 1
4. SeaTalkhs | RayNet Network 2
5. Video in/out
6. POWER | Video | NMEA 0183
Raymarine e97 | Built-in ClearPulse Sonar
The e97 comes with built-in dual-frequency ClearPulse Digital Sonar putting about 600 watts of power. ClearPulse sonar targets fish and shows structure with excellent clarity. The Intelligent ClearPulse automatically adapts and adjusts for a clear image of fish and bottom contours in depths up to 3000’
ClearPulse eliminates surface clutter, water column noise, revealing more fish, and easily separates bottom fish hanging close to the bottom.
Dual-frequency operation (200/50 kHz) uses auto-adaptive gain control which eliminates constant adjustments. Additional features include Real-time A-Scope display, Zoom, and Bottom Lock magnification modes.
Need More Power…
It’s also BlackBox sonar ready if you need something more powerful. Add a CP450 with ClearPulse CHIRP technology and it will go beyond conventional sonar with excellent resolution and depth performance up to 10,000’ with an Airmar CHIRP compatible transducer.
CP450 | ClearPulse Overview – ClearPulse CHIRP technology takes advantage of a wide spectrum of sonar signals for a precise view of fish, structure, and the entire water column.
Conventional vs ClearPulse CHIRP Sonar
Conventional sonars transmit and listen at a single frequency with each pulse and the CP450C CHIRPS across a wide spectrum of sonar frequencies simultaneously
Two Independent Sonars for Shallow water or offshore the CP450C “CHIRPS” in a broad range of sonar frequencies with two independent CHIRP sonar transceivers built-in Low, Mid, and High-Frequency Bands.
The CP450C detects fish and other underwater targets using any discreet frequency from 25 to 250 kHz. CP450C also offers mid-band frequency support in the 75 to 130 kHz range. This means no matter what you fish for, no matter where they hide, CP450C intelligently detects and targets the fish you want to catch!
The Ultra-fast 80 ping-per-second update rate delivers up to twice the refresh speed of conventional sonars, providing a nearly real-time view of water depth and bottom conditions when you need it most.
Additional Blackbox Sonar Options – The eSeries is also compatible with these black box sonar units.
SonarChart Live – Create personal contour charts using sonar and the SonarChart Live feature, which is part of the Navionics. This is a very cool feature when your in an area that lacks chart detail.
When using SonarChart Live, new 1′ contour lines are drawn in real-time on your screen based on your transducer depth readings.
Color shading is used to reflect depth, with dark red signifying the shallowest area. The sonar data is recorded to your cartography card and is shared with Navionics when you update your chart card online.
e97 | SonarChart Live
e97 | Radar Options
The eSeries can display radar data with all Raymarine Non-HD Digital Radomes, HD or SuperHD, Digital, HD Color or Super HD Color, and Quantum radar scanners.
The e97 display includes Wi-Fi which makes the Raymarine Quantum radar a nice choice. Quantum Radar is one of the first compact marine radars to use CHIRP pulse compression technology. It delivers excellent radar imaging on both long and extremely short ranges.
Integrated Wi-Fi makes installation easy and Quantum’s lightweight design provides safe radiated emissions and reduced power consumption.
Raymarine Quantum Radar Review – Here is a pretty in-depth review done by Practical Boat a few years ago of the Quantum radar up against the RD418D traditional radar and some additional images next to an open array.
e97 | Quantum WiFI Radar
The e97 ship’s standard with either no charts (Worldwide Basemap) or Navionics charts with options for US Coastal, US Inland, Canada, Europe, and Rest Of the World.
It does have additional charting support for a pretty wide range of charts like Navionics+ Navionics Platinum, C-MAP by Jeppesen, and Raymarine LightHouse chart formats on microSD cards.
e97 | Navionics Charts with Routing
Here is a list of the cartography available thru Raymarine Chart Store.
Waypoints, routes, and tracks – may be transferred to the eSeries display via microSD card using a GPX file produced by a navigational planning application supporting the GPX waypoint/route/track file format.
The unit will store 3000 waypoints in 100 waypoint groups, 15 Track Logs, and 150 Routes.
Pro Tip: While only 15 tracks may be stored within the MFD’s internal memory, waypoints, routes, and track data may be exported to a microSD card for a bunch more storage capacity.
This means you can move stored tracks back and forth as needed. Not ideal but possible.
Raymarine e97 | Dimensions
A. 289.6mm | 11.4″
B. 173.1mm | 6.81″
C. 31.4mm | 1.24″
D. 63.9mm | 2.5″
E. 212mm | 8.35″
F. 160mm | 6.29″
e95 | What’s in the box
Here are the parts supplied in a new unit.
1. Sun cover
2. Front bezel
3. Multifunction display (MFD)
4. Gasket – for surface mounting
5. 4 x sets of fixings – for surface mounting
6. Documentation pack
7. Power/NMEA/video cable
Raymarine e97 | Help & Support
Raymarine Forums – Great source for user info and technical questions
Raymarine e97 / Lighthouse II | Software Updates – This also has the software update history which is a great place to see what features and fixes have been added.
Here are several good forum posts I came across from people with additional opinions and experience using the eSeries. This is what they had to say.
e97 & e125 are the same just different screen sizes and the e97 has built sonar. The 12″ unit just seems to be a bit more popular.
TheHullTruth.com – Raymarine E97 + Quantum Radar
TheHullTruth.com – Upgrading to Raymarine E97
TheHullTruth.com – Raymarine e125 thoughts
TheHullTruth.com – Anyone here already using the Raymarine e125
Performance Features
Charting | Mapping
Sounder | Fishfinder
Model | Raymarine e97 |
Physical dimensions |
11.4" x 6.81" x 3.75" 289.6 x 173.1 x 95.3mm |
Weight | 7.8lb (3.320kg) |
Water rating | IPX7 |
Display type | Hybrid Touch + Rotary |
Display size | 9" diagonal |
Display resolution | 800 x 480 pixels |
Display - Brightness | 1200 Nits |
Power consumption |
Operating Voltage - 10.8 - 31.2v DC 16W Max - Full Brightness |
GPS Antenna | Built-in 50 channel |
GPS Receiver | WAAS, EGNOS and MSAS |
Mounting options | Flush or Bracket |
Model | Raymarine e97 |
On-Board Memory | 2GB |
Accepts data cards | 2 microSD |
Waypoints | 3000 |
Routes | 150 Routes - 50 Waypoints per route |
Track log | 10,000 points; 15 saved tracks |
Preloaded Maps | Optional - Navionics, C-MAP, Raymarine LightHouse |
Tide Tables | Yes | with Navionics or C-Map chart card |
Model | Raymarine e97 |
Radar compatible | Yes |
Sonar compatible | Yes |
Supports AIS | Yes |
Weather | Supports - Sirius marine weather |
Supports DSC - GPS Data / VHF | Yes |
Supports FUSION-Link | Yes |
Black Box sonar support | Yes |
Planning Software Compatible | Yes - Voyage Planner |
App-Control Compatibility | Yes - RayView, RayControl ,RayRemote |
Remote Input Device - compatible | Yes |
Alarms |
Navigation Anchor Radar - when connected Sonar - when connected Weather - when connected |
Model | Raymarine e97 |
Transmit Power | 600W |
Dual-frequency (50/200 kHz) sonar capable | 50/83/200 KHz |
Dual-Beam Sonar (77/200 kHz) capable | Yes (with external module) |
CHIRP sonar technology | Yes (with external module) |
ClearVü | Down | Yes - CHIRP DownVision (with external module) |
SideVü | Side | Yes - CHIRP SideVision (with external module) |
Forward View | No |
Model | Raymarine e97 |
NMEA 2000 compatible | Yes - 1 SeaTalk |
NMEA 0183 input ports | 1 |
NMEA 0183 output ports | 1 |
Marine Network Ports | 2 - SeaTalk |
Video input ports | 2 - BNC with adapter |
Video output ports | 1 - VGA |
Wireless connectivity | Yes |
BlueTooth connectivity | Yes |
In The Box |
Sun Cover Front bezel Multifunction Display Gasket Fixings for surface mounting Documentation pack Power and data cable Trunnion bracket kit |