So you’ve found the perfect boat. You are now ready to outfit it with baoting electronicsYou have a huge array of choices, which is great, but it may make it seem overwhelming choosing from among them. Much will depend on the type of boater you are and the type of electronics you use in general. Can you read charts and the stars, or will you only want the best in electronic navigation? 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? Knowing your own attitude toward electronics, your preferred type of boating and type of boat will make an easier time of choosing your electronics outfitting.
Picking the most suitable marine electronics can not only make your boating experiences more fun and your fishing more productive, but it can be relative to your well being 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. Knowing how to read 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 permitts boats to exchange electronically produced information including position, identification, and course. The AIS transponder will cause your vessel to show up on computer screens at Vessel Traffic Services stations. This is critical to have should there be an emergency, or should you become lost.
2. A GPS system is another important piece of boat electronics your boat should have. One of the more popular choices is for a multifunction display that puts several different instruments onto one screen. Mutifunction displays can even allow you to run radar, GPS and fish finder data on one screen at the same time. They are also quite easy to expand for other devises and displays.
3.When choosing a display remember that the larger it is the better you will be able to see it. And keep in mind that on a boat, viewing conditions can be far from optimal due to sun glare, storms, and swells. 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. If you are interested in on-board entertainment, you can coordinate your display for several peripheral boat electronics. Other devises like satelite recievers, computers, DVD players and music systems can be connected. All of these are great extras to have, however, don’t get them in lue of choosing quality safelty gear. 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-evolving suite of boating electronics goodies becoming available for marine settings. Now there are laptop computers designed for marine use. These computers do what standard 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. Have these devises in place first, and if you can afford it, there are plenty of extras you can add in the way of entertainment equipment and fish finding devices that you can have fun with.
