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August 19, 2026 10:28 pm
On my new to me 4-year old Sailboat I have an ICOM IC-M510 and a Raymarine AIS700. The ICOM is down below at the navstation and I have a Command Mic at the helm. However, the command mic doesn't work. The display functions but the mic and speaker don't. No problem I had seen a command mic box marked spare. But it's just a dead one. Turns out that the goodish command mic does work when plugged into the back of the radio, so its the 30-40 feet of mic cable fished throughout the boat that I need to replace. But I'm asking myself if it's worth doing if on a 4-year-old boat there is already a dead handset and dead cable. If only there were a good wireless solution!?!
And there is! Or is there? The Cortex seems to fit the bill well. No fishing things through the boat, all kinds of fancy features, and I could sell the AIS700 and the ICOM to fund things and it wouldn't even be too bad.
But is the Coretex still a real product? Last software fix was a year ago. When it was Vesper they were releasing all kinds of stuff all the time. And the handset is pretty notorious for wear. And Raymaine tech support is really pretty good, Garmin is kinda shite.
If it were you would you buy a Coretex?
August 22, 2026 10:30 am
I really can't recommend Cortex anymore. Garmin took what is there and created a new version that is 100% console boat oriented that doesn't fix any of the issues with the M1 hub, right when alternative solutions for most of its extra features are appearing.
The real problem in my experience is the super weak WiFi. The hub should have had a wired ethernet connection so you can hook it up to a proper WiFi network.
The handsets wear out -- either the cable or the charging pads. As you say, notorious(ly bad.)
August 22, 2026 6:20 pm
I have had Cortex onboard since the early days, and it is still my primary VHF radio for several reasons. First, it is extremely clear and easy to hear. Second, it's ability to "listen" to multiple channels simultaneously and keep a recording of them is very helpful in busy harbors, and combined with its auto squelch feature, means I can catch up on something I missed very quickly.
However, I would not recommend it for a new install. The hardware, as Kees mentioned, is flawed. I've had multiple screens delaminate, cables and cords fray and degrade, and charging bases melt or stop working.
While Garmin have released their Signal line, if you look at the comments on that post, Ben has been in contact with them, and it does not sound like Signal was meant to be a replacement for Cortex. At this point, if possible, I'd wait to see what Garmin does if you are set on a Cortex-like solution with monitoring and AIS combined. Otherwise, there are a lot of other great radios out there.
Editor, SeaBits.com
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