| Although there are many types of boating | | | | and go outside. The machine will automatically |
| electronics, there are really only three boat | | | | determine your location, with accuracy of about |
| electronics basics that are necessary to enhance | | | | three meters. A backlit LCD screen shows your |
| safety and make boating more enjoyable. You should | | | | location on a map, and most units come with maps |
| start out with a VHF marine radio, a GPS system, | | | | covering major roads|rail lines|rivers and lakes] in |
| and a fish finder. | | | | Canada and the US. Many of those automatically |
| VHF Marine Radios | | | | include recording of waypoints so you can find your |
| Recreational boats that are less than 65 feet (20 | | | | way back very easily, and are compatible with |
| meters) in length do not have to have VHF radios, | | | | computers, so you can include additional maps if |
| but everyone should have this boat electronics | | | | necessary. |
| device. Those who intend to go more than a several | | | | Fish Finders / Depth Sounders |
| of miles off the shore, should seriously consider | | | | Fish finders use sonar, a sound wave sent through |
| adding an HF band mobile satellite phone, and also an | | | | the water. The diameter of the sound wave |
| EPIRB, and a cell phone as well. The satellite phones | | | | increases as it travels through water, and when it |
| are starting to be more reasonably priced, and give | | | | encounters a solid object within the cone formed by |
| easier conversations than the popular HF radio phone, | | | | the sound wave, it bounces back to the transducer |
| but the High Frequency phone will also pick up | | | | and records the shape of the object and the depth. |
| weather warnings. You can have these boating | | | | Fish finders can be either mounted or handheld. The |
| electronics without having an FCC ship station license, | | | | mounted ones are generally more costly and are |
| unless you plan on making international voyages. On | | | | available in dual frequency models, which enable to |
| your VHF radio, you have to maintain a watch on | | | | have more accurate fish to depth readings. |
| channel 16 or VHF channel 9, the boater calling | | | | Combination Units |
| channel. Urgent info, like storm warnings, are | | | | You can buy units that combine GPS and fish finders. |
| broadcast on channel 9 only in some waters. | | | | Those have the advantage of generally saving |
| GPS Systems | | | | money over buying separate units, and they are |
| If you have a Global Positioning Satellite receiver for | | | | usually console mounted equipment. |
| your car or for hiking, then you know just how | | | | Buying your boat is very exciting, and you definitely |
| useful they can be. You can get GPS systems that | | | | want to use it at the first opportunity, but you need |
| are portable or mounted on your boat. Some people | | | | to make sure it is equipped with the necessary |
| prefer to have one handheld GPS to use on the road | | | | safety equipment, and you'll probably want boat |
| and on the water. These boating electronics devices | | | | electronics that will make using your boat more |
| weigh as low as half a pound and are very small and | | | | pleasurable. To start out, a VHF marine radio is highly |
| easy to use. All you do is install batteries, turn it on, | | | | recommended for safety purposes. |