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Note: All prices in US Dollars
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No advancement in the marine electronics industry has caused more confusion for dealers and customers than the advent of Multifunction Systems. Simply put, these are the traditional marine electronic components ~ fishfinder, radar, chartplotter ~ that we all know, sharing either a single display or functionality across different displays. The key to working with these type systems is to first identify the number of screens required and then to select the features the customer desires. To help you out, we have identified the key components and some of the new options available when building one of these systems: System Types... Multifunction Single Display systems are ideal for center console and other small boats where the customer wants the features like the big boys, but lacks the space for all the electronics. Multifunction Network systems offer integrated features across either single or multiple displays and are ideal for larger boats with more than one navigation station.
GPS... today when a customer says GPS he means the GPS/Plotter. This is the heart of all of the navigation systems. Many would argue that it is the key feature that customers should look at when selecting a system. If they are not happy with the basic operation of a manufacturer’s plotter, they are not likely to be happy with the system. When specifying components for a system be sure to check to see if the manufacturer includes the GPS antenna. Some displays are sold with out the antenna! Fishfinder... some manufacturers build the fishfinder capability into the main unit while other systems use “black box” modules. It is important to know how the selected manufacturer builds their system so that the correct units can be purchased. Neither method seems to provide a significant advantage over the other. Radar... adding cost effective radar to a small boat was one of the driving issues for multifunction systems. That simple concept of sharing a screen become a whole new level of navigation when radar overlay became the new standard. This feature allows the user to merge the radar image right onto the map. Instruments... some of the manufacturers of networked systems also offer instrument suites that can be tied into the multifunction displays. This is a great way to provide remote data without the expense of a full display. Weather... the advent of satellite radio has created a whole new generation of weather receivers. Best of all, the weather maps are now shown on bold color displays not the old thermal printer image. All that is required is a satellite receiver and a subscription to the service. AIS... the Automatic Identification System (AIS) requires certain vessels to transmit data about their size, course, speed. Recreational boaters in heavily congested waters can benefit from having this information available at the navigation center. |
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