Marine Electronics by Furuno   by Ted Koppel

Once you have the boat you've always wanted, the next exciting thing to do is to outfit it with electronics that will keep you boating safely, finding the fish, and navigating to where you want to go. Furuno Marine Electronics is my personal favorite marine electronics outfitter. Of course, the first electronic system you should outfit your boat with should be a safety system. Beyond the mandatory safety equipment, there are many other devices that can help you greatly if you find yourself lost or in distress of some kind.

A VHF marine radio is the best pick for boating safety. It is equipped with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) and will allow you to communicate with the Coast Guard or another boater. You can choose a fixed VHF radio or a hand-held transmitter. You can get VHF marine radios that are simple and compact to those that are commercial grade and compliant with Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) compliant. Furuno Marine Electronics makes these in several price ranges, and they also make GMDSS integrated satellite and terrestrial radio communication systems for boats.

A Global Positioning System (GPS) is an excellent thing to have. The DSC capability on your VHF radio can't send your location to the Coast Guard unless you have GPS coordinates. By the way, GPS devices are amazingly useful, as you definitely know if you have a GPS on your car or cell phone. Furuno has GPS receivers with Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) capability, that makes your coordinates as accurate as possible. Furuno Marine Electronics also makes GPS chart plotters with up to the minute technology.

If you're a bass fisherman or a professional, a Furuno fish finder is one of the best you can get. All of them come in various designs, including fish finders have built-in GPS chart plotters and others that connect up to your NavNet display or Ethernet hub. Furuno Marine Electronics fish finders have digital filters and gain optimization to give you defined pictures of the conditions underwater, and some models can show fish near the seabed.

An electronic satellite weather system from Furuno will give you extra peace of mind with up to date information and forecasting. Their systems allow you to overlay reports, sea surface temperatures, and radar, resulting in a comprehensive marine weather system.

Started in 1938 in Nagasaki, Japan, Furuno Marine Electronics now has subsidiaries in Europe and the Americas as well as in the Far East. Their reputation is that of supplying the best quality marine electronics available. In the past five years, they've designed the first dual frequency search light sonar, opened facilities in various countries, and set up a training center in Denmark in order to train commercial crews in the use of Integrated Navigation Systems. They have also designed Automatic Identification Systems receivers for both fishing boats and recreational vessels. They're great, reliable friends to have when you are out on the water enjoying your boat.