Fish finders lower learning curve to speed bump
September 1, 2010
Wandering the aisles at the annual ICAST show last month looking at next year’s fishing equipment, I realized that the convention is a window into the future in more ways than one. I’d heard about the new fish finders Lowrance was going to introduce, but their significance didn’t really hit me until I saw them running in the company’s booth.
Plug and play beats plug and pray
August 2, 2010
Bad connections can cause your electronics to do things that are science-fiction strange. They can cause simple problems like a unit failing to power-up, but they prefer to hide behind sneaky, intermittent troubles that could be caused by dozens of things. The complete list of possible problems (if you could make a complete list) wouldn’t fit on this page.
Amp of prevention worth pound of cure
June 28, 2010
A bass fisherman recently posted a plea for help on a marine electronics forum I frequent. The GPS part of his fish-finder/GPS combo unit suddenly stopped tracking his position and displayed the warning, “GPS Not Responding.”
Put a 12-volt meteorologist in your boat
June 1, 2010
Weather can kill people in boats and be downright sneaky while doing it. When fishing Lake Tawakoni in East Texas, for instance, I remember how blue northers would slide by just clear of the west side of the lake, like they were going to miss us, and then circle around to come north right over the dam and hit the lake.
Sophistication of GPS continues to grow
April 29, 2010
A 1983 tragedy generally gets the credit for GPS going public. Shortly after Korean Airlines flight 007 experienced navigational errors, strayed into restricted Russian airspace and was shot down by Russian fighters, President Reagan declassified GPS, allowing it to be used by civilians for more accurate navigation.
Is your inattention killing your battery?
March 31, 2010
My truck pulls a travel trailer or a boat much of the year, but there are weeks when it just sits in the garage. Thinking it had been two weeks or so since I’d driven it, I figured I’d give it some exercise while running a few errands.
Automotive GPS units have leapt miles forward
March 4, 2010
Have you ever missed a turn, decided to go around the block and found yourself in a part of town you didn’t know existed? Try that with a boat behind you, and everyone in the vehicle may find out how good you are at backing a trailer long distances.
At a time not long ago, today’s technology was unimaginable
February 1, 2010
Back in the 1970s, there was so much standing timber in legendary southern fishing lakes like Toledo Bend on the Texas/Louisiana border that about the only way to get around on them was following boat lanes cut through the trees.
iPilot module makes trolling fool-proof
January 4, 2010
Digital components have been creeping into electric trolling motors for years. Computer processors are now common in marine electronics and GPS receivers, and antennas are small enough to fit practically anywhere. It was only a matter of time until a company put them all together.
The single purpose vs. combo unit question
November 25, 2009
Units capable of doing practically everything are available, yet some boaters still prefer single-purpose electronics. Is there a “best” solution?
The learning curve has been slashed
October 23, 2009
Thirty years ago, a state-of-the-art fish finder had a round turntable with a light bulb mounted on its edge spinning behind a clear circular window. There were hash marks and depth scale numbers printed around the window. The bulb flashed steadily at two points on the scale: one marked the water’s surface and the other its bottom. Random flashes between these two points indicated fish and structure.
Old school meets new technology
September 30, 2009
Kayaks have long provided peaceful transportation, free of noise and exhaust fumes, on freshwater lakes and rivers and saltwater bays and estuaries for bird watching, fishing and exploring.
New trolling motors are truly hands-free
September 1, 2009
About two decades ago, a serious fisherman named Joseph Mardesich left the high-tech halls of California’s computer geekdom and set out to change the world of electric trolling motors. He founded Pinpoint Network Fishing Systems in 1993, and introduced a bow-mounted motor that could position your boat automatically, letting you concentrate on just fishing.
Redundancy makes a case for redundancy
August 4, 2009
I seldom pass up an invitation to go fishing, especially from a friend with a new boat. Sometimes the invitation includes an opportunity to solve an electronics problem, but I don’t mind. It usually gives me grist for a column.
