Sonar operation is really pretty basic
November 2008
Fish finders change their appearance and add new features each year, but the principles of sonar haven’t changed since World War II. A simple sonar system consists of a control head with a display and controls, a transducer and a power source.
Not all batteries are created equal
September 2008
Many fishermen and boaters call any sealed, maintenance-free marine battery a gel battery, and that is not correct. We discovered in the charging column that the differences between types become more than just semantics if you destroy a battery by using the wrong charger on it.
GPS: Quest for the bullseye
August 2008
GPS units navigate by satellites that circle the earth twice a day at an altitude of almost 11,000 miles, yet the system can take you back to within a boat length of a location you saved in memory. Thinking about that makes my head hurt, so like most other fishermen, I prefer to just take the system for granted.
Side-imaging opens new worlds
July 2008
The basic principles of sonar are tied to the laws of physics and can’t change much, but Humminbird’s Side Imaging feature proves that sonar’s application to sportfishing is still evolving.
Dying batteries give warning signs
June 2008
When you fire up your computer and get a warning message reading, “Hard Drive Failure Imminent”, you pretty well know what is about to happen. I called the local geek squad and was told that new smart drives perform a self diagnostic when a computer boots up and let you know if something is wrong. It was time to replace the hard drive.
One size definitely does not fit all
May 2008
Have you ever wondered why your trolling motor doesn’t run as long as you think it should between battery charges, or why your batteries don’t last as long as you expected?
Tune screen yourself for best view
April 2008
Today’s fish finders have automatic modes that can tune in a better sonar picture than probably 90 percent of fishermen could come up with adjusting it manually.
New PLBs can be real lifesavers
March 2008
Emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) have long been required equipment on commercial vessels and a smart addition for all larger boats. The introduction of the personal locator beacon (PLB), a smaller and manually operated version of the EPIRB, has spread the use of maritime distress beacons to smaller boats and to inland users on both land and water.
First electronics rule: Do no harm
February 2008
Every now and then, I’ll hear someone at a tackle shop or out at a launch ramp give advice on caring for electronics that stands my hair on end. The most frequent category of advice is how to clean LCD screens or, more accurately, the protective lenses that cover them.v
Track plotters don’t get respect
January 2008
Early GPS units were pretty clunky by today’s standards — and approximately 30 times more expensive. Today’s units are faster, more accurate, and most importantly, have a lot more memory. Now, we can look at a detailed on-screen map of the area around us and see ourselves on it. We can also see the locations of places we visited and saved as waypoints, and getting between them is as simple as selecting one with a cursor and hitting a Go-To button.
Time to consider changing to LEDs
December 2007
The lights on your trailer are your boat’s first line of defense against collisions. Running lights show other drivers that you have a boat behind you when towing in the dark. Brake lights and turn signals can help keep tail-gating drivers from turning your stainless steel prop into a hood ornament, night or day. That is, of course, if your trailer lights work.
Is that on-screen fish really a fish?
November 2007
Fish I.D. features that display cartoon-like fish symbols have been around since fish finders became computerized and incorporated LCD screens, and the controversy about whether the feature helps or hurts your fishing has been around just as long.
Get value from your deep-cycle battery
October 2007
I confess. I hate messing with batteries. Cleaning and watering them is messy work that can put holes in your clothes, but swapping them out is worse — it can actually hurt you!
Trouble-free batteries not always best
September 2007
Full-maintenance marine batteries are usually less expensive and lighter than maintenance-free models with the same amount of cranking power and reserve capacity.
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Marine Electronics 
