what are you running for electronics?

[chumbucket]

Oh, it helps. ;)

:-*

[Lance Pearson]

I have handheld vhf units and will be mostly on rivers and lakes but decided to add a vhf unit for the 25 watt transmission range as a safety feature in addition to my cell phone. I bought a Cobra unit on Ebay and a 48" antenna and there is a side mount already there without vhf or antenna from original owner. In terms of dashboard for the big outboard I am just going with the Garmin 541s which is a gps for speed, chartplotter for location (minor value to me on this boat) and the S is for sonar with transom mount two frequency selectable sonar 50/200 hz. The 50 reads depth deeper and the 200 reads it in more detail.

The boat has an old hummingbird transducer on the stern so I kept it the same but Garmin.

I also am going to install a new negative or ground buss (black wires) and a new positive fused (red) with spade fuses behind the cuddy bulkhead wall to feed things from the battery to and get rid of inline fuses, if any, glass tube fuses, if any. I have all the parts and it is simple stuff to do. One feed from these busses will be to the new gps and another to the new vhf radio. The antenna side mount can pivot down to lay on the coaming or vertical to use.

Lance

[Lance Pearson]

I had a 35' sailboat for 20 years and raced, cruised, etc. with just a relatively modern vhf and never once used the dsc. Some of what is possible with electronics becomes so complex to operate I think unless you use it all the time you are better to go with the simpler but modern tech and not complex it up with crap you won't use or don't remember or the routines to use and hook it up and keep it working right on a boat .

In my case, I could quite probably make do with the modern hand held vhfs I have but at the prices today it is cheap enough to add just for the odd chance I'd need the safety valve of a 25 watt higher power fixed radio transmitter on board.

[Destroyer]

Totally agree with Lance on the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) principal. Some of today's modern electronics are so complicated to use that you need a BA in computer science just to turn them on.

Your radio is your lifeline. Next to your PFD it's the singular most important piece of safety gear in your boat. (IMHO). So if one method of calling for help is good, more is better. I have a CB radio (Fuzzbuster) my Icom 25w VHF with DSP and a layover whip antenna, and my waterproof Uniden handheld VHF that's always on my person. (And of course my cell phone also).

I know that the VHF is the go to device to call for help, but it's amazing how many boaters out there still use CB radios. And since (if I'm in trouble) I want the greatest number of chances for help I still have one hooked up.

Couple all that with my tach, gas gauge, Raymarine radar/chartplotter/depthfinder/gps, and Lowrance depthfinder/gps, Ritchie compass and I'm good to go...

Oh, one other thing.... as I was taught in the Navy, nothing can replace the good old Mark 1 eyeball... so a good pair of Binoculars is always a good thing to have handy.

[inaforty]

I run a 740 Garmin w/fuel flow sensor. The newer Garmin 741 with side scan fish finder is impressive technology. I still have a Garmin 192c that I really like. I found a smoking deal on a 740 right before Christmas 2 years ago and couldn't resist. I also like the radar option with the 740.

We have a ditch bag that we carry on whatever boat we use. Karen goes a little over board but we're always ready.
In the ditch bag is flares,epirb,2 hand VHF,flash light,floating strobe light, 2 poland spring waters,micro first aid kit and some other junk I can't remember.
Might think we're going to the Flemish Cap.

[phatdaddy]

when this thread was started, this is what i was running



D is right about simple is better, i've got a furuno 1870 that is the most complicated thing to operate i have ever seen. i went and bought a lowrance because i can;t use the gps on the furuno

[bradford]

Garmin 546s, easy to use, even for me.