posted 10-28-2001 12:04 AM ET (US)            

Here are my recommendations:

RADIO: There are three tiers of radios: non-DSC low-end, DSC mid-line, DSC top-line.
DSC (Digital Selective Calling) is a feature that probably 99% of boaters don't use at the moment, and may never use, but almost every radio has it these days.

I have the mid-line ICOM radio, sells for about $180. I had the top-line Standard SPECTRUM, but I traded it in; it drove me crazy with the way the channel select knob and the "steps" of the volume control worked. I didn't need the Hailer, the intercom, all the extra stuff, either. I am beginning to think I won't need DSC, too.

SONAR
For a SONAR I would strongly recommend getting a combination SONAR/GPS. I wish I had done this as now I have too many boxes of electronics on the console. Getting a combination saves room and makes the console much cleaner. Unless you need the absolute best-in-class SONAR for fishing (like a commercial charter guide might want), the combo unit will be fine as a SONAR.

The GPS units are all now trending toward chart-plotting, but the little secret of this chart plotting business is the expense. I was drolling over the Lake Michigan chart that kingfish just got for his chart-plotting GPS, then I discovered that the electronic chart cost more than my whole GPS rig!

So I'd get a GPS-SONAR combo and not worry too much about its chart plotting capabilities unless you always boat in the same place and one $99 electronic chart will be all you'll ever need.

I'll just give you an example of these charts: for our 9-day cruise up Georgian Bay I got all the government issued small craft charts for the trip--which is one big bundle of charts--for about $100. If I had bought the electronic versions of these charts it would have cost me TEN TIMES that price. Plus, as we travelled along the route I was annotating the paper charts with notes and comments--can't do that with the electronic ones very easily (if at all).

I am partial to LOWRANCE SONARs because I like their transducers, but at the moment their product line looks like it is on its last legs for most of the SONARs and they will (or ought to) have some new models out soon.

posted 10-28-2001 08:48 AM ET (US)            

I must have misled you in some way about the cost of my charts ("...ten times as much...); the number of dollars you are talking about is close to the combined cost of my Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Florida and the Keys charts together.

I have a Garmin 235 chart plotter/fish finder/DGPS on my Outrage 22' (and on our Parker 2520), and I like it a *lot*. The initial investment for the hardware was a little over a grand, but a G-card for the entirety of Lake Huron (includes North Channel, Georgian Bay and some distance, not sure how far, down the Detroit River), is either $300 or $400. Not peanuts, I know, but but it sure is slick and easy.

Having said that, particularly due to the fact that as technology progresses systems become obsolete and eventually are no longer supported by the manufacturers, even $300 to $400 seems like too much money. The Garmin 235 as an example, along with the G-charts, have been supplanted in Garmins product line, although Garmin is still supporting both.

The detail on these things is amazing, right down to the numbered navigation aids, bottom detail, visual landmarks, visible representation of slips in many Marinas, as well as data (services, phone numbers, transient dockage space, etc.) for those Marinas. I don't have radar, and when I got swallowed up by fog during my North Channel run this summer outside of Drummond and Cockburn Islands, my DGPS/sonar and G-chart system was worth way more to me than what I paid for them, no question. But $300 to $400 bucks a pop for those charts sure seems like the technology is being priced by what they can get for it rather than by what it costs them to produce it.

Ahhh, Capitalism...

posted 10-29-2001 09:22 PM ET (US)            

I just upgraded all my electronics and have the following for sale.

Furuno 667 color CRT FF (new still in box)
Humminbird Wide 3D Paramount FF

Garmin 210 (older but works great) Map GPS
Garmin 126 (built in antenna) GPS

Standard Eclipse + VHF

If you are interested in buying good equipment but a lot less that new retail, e.mail me.

posted 10-30-2001 08:50 AM ET (US)            

Use of such a device would be illegal for a Recreational VHF Marine radio, but it would work.

That said, I would strongly recommend against that approach. A fixed-mount, quality, type-accepted VHF Marine radio would be cheaper, not a violations of the rules, and give much better performance.

posted 10-31-2001 12:06 PM ET (US)            

Like Jim, I would advise against the amp. Not only legally but it will not, IMO, address your concern.

A 5 watt handheld has plenty of power for almost all local situations. You need to be able to "hear" the other party, whether the USGC, other boats, etc. A good quality gain antenna is a much better investment. Do a bit more research on this and I think you will be more satisfied than just trying to be a "bigger blast" with an amp.

posted 11-01-2001 02:43 AM ET (US)            

Hope all the posts were helpful and you will let all know what you have decided to do and the result.

This is a great site with an unbelievable amount of information on any and all subjects. The members here are great. Enjoy, learn and contribute...