Raymarine Axiom 2 12 RV | RealVision 3D + NA Charts

The Raymarine Axiom 2 12 RV is the version of the Axiom 2 that does it all and comes ready to go. It's a 12-inch multifunction display that pairs a bright, fast touchscreen with built-in RealVision 3D sonar, and this configuration ships with LightHouse North America charts already loaded, so you can launch and navigate the day it's installed. For an angler or cruiser who wants one screen handling both navigation and fishfinding, this is the complete package.

Start with the screen, because it's what you look at all day. It's a 12-inch touchscreen at WXGA 1280 by 800 resolution with a very bright 1800 nit display, so it stays clearly readable in direct sun, which is exactly when helm screens usually wash out. Behind it is a 6-core processor with 64 GB of solid-state storage, and that muscle is what makes the Axiom 2 feel quick, charts redraw fast, sonar renders smoothly, and switching between apps and screens happens without lag.

The RV part is the built-in sonar, and it's the reason to choose this over a chartplotter-only model. It has RealVision 3D plus 600-watt CHIRP sonar capability, so with a compatible RealVision transducer you get a lifelike, three-dimensional view of the bottom, structure, and fish around and behind your boat, along with clear CHIRP returns beneath you. The transducer isn't included with the display, so you match it to your boat and the water you fish. But the display is fully sonar-ready, which is what makes it a true chartplotter and sonar combo rather than just a chartplotter.

Navigation comes ready. This model has LightHouse North America charts preloaded, so there's no chart card to buy before your first trip, you have detailed cartography for the region from the moment it powers on. Combined with the fast processor and the bright screen, planning and following a route is quick and easy to read at a glance.

It's built to be the hub of a connected helm. It runs the LightHouse operating system and supports gigabit networking over RayNet Ethernet, so you can tie in radar, additional displays, and more sonar. Wireless is covered too, with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 for app connectivity and updates. And it talks to the rest of the boat over NMEA 2000, so engine data, sensors, and instruments all come together on the one screen. That expandability means you can start with this display and grow the system over time.

It's built for the marine environment, carrying IPx6 and IPx7 water ratings so it shrugs off spray, washdowns, and brief submersion. It runs on a nominal 12 volts with an 8 to 16 volt operating range and draws around 19 watts. The trunnion mount measures about 12.36 inches wide, 8.54 inches high, and 7.01 inches deep, and it supports surface and flush mounting too, so plan your helm space accordingly. In the box you get the display, mounting hardware, power and data cables, and documentation, with the transducer and some networking accessories sold separately.

It's worth adding a note on the LightHouse experience day to day. The interface is designed around fast, app-style operation, so laying out the exact combination of chart, sonar, and data you want on screen is quick, and your setup is there waiting the next time you power up. Over a season you build a helm that works the way you think, and the fast processor means it never makes you wait. For a display you'll use on every trip, that responsiveness and personalization matter as much as the raw specs.

Who's this for? Anglers and cruisers who want a fast, bright 12-inch helm display that does both navigation and sonar, with the charts already loaded so it's ready to run. If you want built-in sonar and North America cartography out of the box on a boat where a 12-inch screen fits, the Axiom 2 12 RV with North America charts is the complete, no-extra-purchases-to-get-started choice.