Submitted by: Ted Koppel

Although there are many types of boating electronics, there are really only three boat electronics basics that are necessary to enhance safety and make boating more enjoyable. You should begin with a VHF marine radio, a GPS system, and a depth sounder.

VHF Marine Radios

Although boats that are less than 65 feet in length don’t have to include VHF radios, everyone must actuallly have this equipment. Those who plan to go more than a couple of miles off shore should seriously consider adding an HF or single side band mobile satellite phone or radiotelephone, along with an EPIRB (emergency position indicating radio beacon), and a back-up VHF radio or cell phone too. The satellite phones are starting to be more reasonably priced, and give clearer conversations than the popular HF radio phone, but the High Frequency phone can also pick up weather warnings. You can have these boating electronics without having an FCC ship station license, unless you plan on making international voyages. On your VHF radio, you have to maintain a watch on channel 16 or VHF channel 9, the boater calling channel. Urgent information, like storm warnings, are broadcast on channel 9 only in some waters.

GPS Systems

If you have a Global Positioning Satellite receiver for your car or for hiking, then you know just how useful they can be. You can get GPS systems that are portable or mounted on your boat. Some people choose to have one handheld GPS to use on the road and on the water. These boating electronics devices weigh less than half a pound and are very small and easy to use. All you do is install batteries, turn it on, and go outside. The machine will automatically determine your location, accurate to about three meters. A backlit LCD screen shows your position on a map, and most units come with maps covering major roads|rail lines|rivers and lakes] in Canada. Many of these automatically include recording of waypoints so you can find your way back fairly easily, and are compatible with computers, so you can include additional maps if necessary.

Fish Finders / Depth Sounders

Fish finders use sonar, a sound wave sent through the water. The diameter of the sound wave increases as it travels through water, and when it encounters a solid object within the cone formed by the sound wave, it bounces back to the transducer and records the shape of the object and the depth. Fish finders can be either mounted or handheld. The mounted units are generally more expensive and are available in dual frequency models, which allow more accurate fish to depth readings.

Combination Units

You can buy units that combine GPS and fish finders. Those have the advantage of generally saving money over getting separate units, and they are usually console mounted equipment.

Buying your boat is very exciting, and you definitely want to use it at the first opportunity, but you need to make sure it is equipped with the necessary safety equipment, and you’ll surely want boat electronics that will make using your boat more fun. To start out, a VHF onboard radio is highly recommended for safety reasons. Beyond that, a GPS system for easy navigation, and a fish finder make up the basics that will have you out on the water enjoying your boat as soon as possible

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