Boat Electronics Choice 6 Tips

Sense you have found the perfect boat. Now you're ready to outfit it with boating electronics. Choosing from amoung the vast array of units is great but may at times seem overwhelming. A lot 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? When you're on your boat, do you plan to leave civilization behind, or will you want phone or email contact? Do you have a favored boat electronics brand, or would you rather just choose 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 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 devises regardless of whether it's from manuals, instructional videos, or having a friend show you how to operate it.

Besides, you should know how to navigate by other means in the event of your electronics failing. Knowing how to read charts and plan your course is still an important skill. With that in mind, here are 6 tips for choosing your boat electronics.

1.Amoung the boating electronics you should choose is the AIS or automatic identification system. It is used by boats and by the Vessel Traffic Services to find and identify boats. Your AIS devise is the most important electronic device you'll buy. It allows boats to exchange electronically produced data 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.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. Mutifunction displays can even allow you to run radar, GPS and fish finder data on one screen at the same time. 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. 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. These are great extras to have, but don't get them at the expense of choosing inferior safety equipment. Be sure to mount your navigation equipment in an easily accessed area on the helm.

5.Another good investment in the safety of your boat is a depth sounder or fishfinder. If the weather turns bad, a depth sounder combined with your GPS plotter can help get you safely back to shore.

6.There is an ever changing selection of marine electronics products made available for the boating industry. Now there are laptop computers designed for marine use. 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. Have these pieces in place first, and if it's in your budget, there are plenty of extras you can add in the way of entertainment equipment and fish finding devices that you can have fun with.

By: Ted Koppel

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For more information about AIS (automatic identification systems) see our selection of AIS products. eFishBox has experienced staff to help you choose your marine electronics.