Choosing Boat Electronics

Posted: December 14th, 2009 | Author: active-guy | Filed under: Recreation | Tags: antennas, autopilots, boat electronics, boat gear, boating electronics, boating gear, electronics, fishfinder, fishfinders, fishing electronics, radar | 2 Comments »

Sense you have found the perfect boat. Now you’re ready to outfit it with boat electronicsChoosing from amoung the vast array of units is great but may at times seem overwhelming. Much will depend on the type of boater you are and the type of electronics you use in general. Do you know how to read charts and stars, or do you only want the latest in electronic equipment? Do you plan to leave all civilization behind when on the boat or do you want a phone and email contact? Do you have a favored boat electronics brand, or would you rather cherry pick the best from several different brands? Know yourself, your boating plans, and your general attitude toward electronic gadgetry, and you’ll have an easier time choosing how to outfit your boat.

Picking the most suitable boating electronics can not only make your boating trips more fun and your fishing more productive, but it  can be important to your safety as well in the event of an emergency. Learning to use your electronic equipment is equally as important as choosing it. And that means you’ll have to take the time to learn how to use the equipment whether it’s from instructional videos, manuals, or having someone show you how to use it.

Furthermore, you need to know how to use other navigation methods if your electronic navigation system fails. Learning how to use navigational charts and plan your route is still an important skill. With that in mind, here are 6 tips for choosing your boat electronics.

1.      The boat electronics you should choose should be an automatic identification system, or AIS. It is used by boats and by the Vessel Traffic Services to find and identify boats. Your AIS gear is the most important electronic device you’ll buy. It allows vessels to exchange electronically produced information including position, identification, and course. Vessel Traffic Services stations cause your vessel to show up on computer screens if you have an AIS transponder. If you have an emergency or should become lost this is critical.

2.Your boat electronics package should also include a GPS Plotter as one the important components. One popular option is a multifunction GPS/plotter, which puts multiple functions into one device. Such multifunction machines can even allow you to run radar and fishfinder data through one display. They are also relatively easy to expand for other functions and displays.

3.When choosing a display remember that the larger it is the better you will be able to see it. Remember, that on a boat, screen viewing can be far from optimal during sun glare and rough weather conditions. You should choose at least a 7″ display, but if there is room and it will fit your budget a 10″ or 12″ will be much better.

4.When there is an interest in onboard entertainment you may want to coordinate your mutifunction display for several perifheral electronic devises. Other devises like satelite recievers, computers, DVD players and music systems can be connected. These are great extras to have, but don’t get them at the expense of choosing inferior safety equipment. And make sure that all your navigation equipment is mounted where it access is easy.

5.      A depth sounder is another good investment in the safety of your boat. When the weather turns bad a depth sounder combined with your GPS can help find the way back safely to shore.

6.There is an ever changing selection of marine electronics products made available for the boating industry. There are now laptop computers designed specifically for use in boats. These computers do what normal laptops do, but they can also be equipped with special software like RayTech RNS 6.1, which allows multi-format charting, hsb² electronics integration, and worldwide tides and currents among its many functions.

In summary, GPS plotter, your AIS device, and depth sounder are the most important pieces of marine electronics for your boat because they pertain to your safety and the safety of your passengers. After having these pieces in place first, and if it’s in your budget, there are plenty of extras you can include in the way of entertainment equipment and fish finding devices that you can have fun with.

 

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