Article by Pat Schrawder
UPDATING YOUR ELECTRONICS
A perplexing issue for many boaters is deciding whether or not to update your electronics. First of all, if your equipment still does everything you need it to do, and is five years old or less, there is no real necessity to change it, but there could be some advantages in doing so. New equipment is generally improved, has more features, is easier to use and may be less costly than you imagine.
Now is a good time to access your old equipment and see if it’s time to replace anything. Turn all of your equipment on once again and make sure it works. Think about your boating this year and whether or not your equipment had to have repairs done and how often. How costly was it and how quickly could the repairs be completed? Do you want to repeat that next year? Take a look at the advertisements for new equipment models. Do they have features that you would use but do not currently have? Is it time to add an item like radar or autopilot that you did not include in your original package? Even if you don’t have to replace anything, the addition of a new item can be affordable and will increase the value of your boat, not to mention your pleasure in using them. That is especially true this year with the economy being down. Many manufacturers are offering special “end of season” deals.
If you decide that it is time to add or change something in your electronics package, there are some things to consider. The marine electronics manufacturers are always working to come up with new and/or improved technology to help you catch fish and return safely home along with being competitive in the marketplace. This year, there were not as many new products as may have been developed in the past, once again due to the general economy. But, if you’re looking for a deal and/or have been putting off adding one of those new touch screen units, this may be the right time, and there is still plenty of good fall fishing ahead. However, you need to keep in mind that all manufacturers and all equipment are not the same in price, quality, repair policies and ease of use.
While it is true that, over the years, more manufacturers have become so-called “full line companies”, meaning they carry products in several categories, not all of them do it well. If you are looking to equip a new boat and need several pieces of marine electronics at once, there is something to be said in favor of selecting one brand name for several of the items. They will cosmetically match but, more importantly, learning the operation of one will help you with the others as they tend to approach features in the same way. This only works up to a point, however, because some manufacturers, who may make very good products in some categories, just don’t in others. That’s where getting advice from a servicing dealer is a wise thing to do before you make a purchase. Let’s face it, an ad from a manufacturer will always tell you their equipment is the greatest one on the market.
I have seen companies come and go over the years. Some have gone completely out of business and others have merged or sold out to another company. When you shake it all out, there are relatively few major companies to decide among. Within these, some only carry certain things like marine stereos or antennas. Others are more or less “full line companies”. These “full line companies” break down into those that manufacture less expensive, lesser quality equipment versus those that have a reputation for more sophisticated equipment with better quality and performance. The choice is yours.
Whatever brand name you select and wherever you purchase it, you need to consider a few things first. What features are you looking for? Who will instruct you on your new equipment or can you learn it by yourself? Who will install it? Where do you take it when it breaks? How much money are you prepared to spend? Answer these questions before you go out and buy anything. The answers will tell you where you should be looking.
I cannot emphasize enough that it takes time to investigate all the choices of equipment manufacturers and models, but it is time well spent.
Pat and her husband, Larry are owners of L&L Marine Electronics on Golf Course Road in West Ocean City, MD.
