Marine Electronics
This section deals with upgrading, linking, modifying or improving existing Marine Electronics systems on board. Most boat systems have grown over time, which explains choices made and technology used and the owner will most likely decide to stick to the kit on board. These systems may be based on a variety of standards and technologies.
Marine Electronics Systems now have gone far beyond simply displaying actual state of the vessel. By networking the system, additional values for performance like VMG or CMG and relation to the boat’s theoretical performance expressed by its polar files may be calculated and displayed allowing even cruising vessels to significantly improve performance and fun to sail. In addition position data may be displayed in chart plotters, positioning of other vessel and objects may displayed in charts etc.
Over the previous decade a number of once well reputed suppliers have been bought by other companies sometimes extinguishing their once proprietory systems. This may be sad for their users, now being stuck with these legendary systems which may prove difficult to upgrade or adapt to new technologies.
Hence the open format NMEA proves to be an effective solution for the task flinging data on board, though some of its origins may sound old-fashioned as they go back to the 1980s.
If you try to find information here on how to purchase a brand new state-of-the-art system you may be disappointed. We do not advise on new off-the-shelf systems. You may still be interested in the section on calibration and software and sensors.