There are three places to look when a fish finder or GPS unit stops working properly. The problem can be in the display unit, in the transducer (for a fish finder) or GPS antenna module (for a GPS unit), or it can be in the power wiring for either type of unit.[…]
A reduction in your boat’s cruising speed while your engine is turning its usual number of revolutions can indicate problems. Crud growing on the hull, a leak allowing water to collect in the hull and propeller damage can all cause a speed reduction and waste today’s high-priced fuel.[…]
Boaters and anglers often assume that any old sonar unit will find the bottom and track it reliably as they cruise and fish, but that’s not necessarily true.[…]
A friend just installed a new 24-volt trolling motor and was disappointed when it ran only about three hours before the batteries died. He asked me to look at his new system, and I found several common ailments.[…]
Whoever said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure might well have been talking about marine batteries.[…]
I recently tested a cross section of handheld GPS units, and was amazed to discover how much their performance has improved. If my old eyes were a bit more compatible with small LCD screens, I wouldn’t hesitate to use a new handheld as my only navigation unit.[…]
The deep-cycle batteries that power electric trolling motors and serve as house batteries on pleasure boats are built to last for a certain number of full discharge/recharge cycles.[…]
Trailer manufacturers have been battling with corrosion since the first rust spot marred the finish of a painted trailer.[…]
Traditional dual-frequency transducers are designed for deep-water use. They include a low frequency (usually 50 kHz) because it penetrates depth better than higher frequencies.[…]
I recently saw an exchange between fishermen on the Internet. One wanted to know if 500 watts was enough power for someone who fishes water no deeper than 30 feet.[…]
One thing remains constant with marine electronics: When you buy any unit, the very next year you will be able to buy a model with more features and better performance for the same money, or a model with the same features and performance for considerably less.[…]
The first water temperature sensor I saw in a tackle shop was a weighted thermometer on a string that came with a list of fish species and the temperature that each species considered ideal.[…]
Computer power and memory storage are gaining speed and capacity while losing bulk, and I’m happy to report that these evolutionary steps are impacting the world of marine electronics.[…]
“It’s easier to ski behind a fishing boat than fish out of a ski boat.”
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“When I turn on both my console and bow fish finders, at least one of them goes crazy!” This is the most common fish-finder complaint I hear, and it stems from a lack of understanding of how sonar works.[…]
Today’s fish finders run many features automatically as well as most fishermen could operate them manually, but there are still times when you can out-think their computers.[…]