Coastal and offshore navigation demands the best charting system we can fit in our pilot house and in our budget. With the latest generation of inexpensive, easy-to-use, electronic chartplotters, we no longer need to depend on paper charts with a sextant or GPS receiver to plot our course.
Choosing the right chartplotter for our vessel entails addressing a number of questions.
Do we need the biggest, most expensive chartplotter to find our way along the coast? Do we need to purchase all the same brand of electronics as a kit? Also, how and where do we install the main nav system and external antenna, if any? Do we use a cable network communicating via NMEA 2000, or do we opt for Wi-Fi communication, eliminating the need for a backbone cable altogether? And finally, which company’s product line will provide us with the best overall service and quality? Fortunately, several manufacturers are available to fill our navigation needs with the latest technology.
08.01.25 Tech Tip 3The Simrad GO9 XSE has a compact touch screen with high-res graphics. (Credit: Bill Morris)
Simrad GO9 XSE
One of the latest evolutions of Simrad’s line of multifunction displays is the GO9 XSE, a unique name for...
Menu
Menu
Menu
Menu
