Top 5 Editorial Picks
Five current fishfinders chosen for distinct buyer needs—from compact value to a premium expandable system. These are editorial selections, not Amazon or reader ratings.
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Best Compact Value
A straightforward sonar and GPS unit for kayaks, jon boats, and small boats.
Best All-Around 7-Inch Fishfinder
A capable sonar-first choice for anglers who want a useful 7-inch display without moving into a full chartplotter system.
Best GPS & Chartplotter Upgrade
The mapping step-up for buyers who need confident navigation as well as high-quality scanning sonar.
Best Side-Imaging Upgrade
A current 9-inch imaging platform for anglers ready to build around serious side imaging and boat integration.
Best Premium Expandable System
A larger-boat platform for buyers who want premium sonar, mapping, networking, and a serious expansion path.
The Northstar Explorer 660, a standalone chartplotter fishfinder, is packaged with the display unit, a GPS antenna, and a dual-frequency transom-mount transducer. Outside the US this unit was also marketed as the Navman Trackfish 6600 and that is the unit we actually tested. That is no longer the case though
We installed a Northstar 6000i networked system, now a Navico brand, for long-term testing aboard our 25′ Contender. The Northstar GPS system included a 10.4-inch and 8.4-inch display, a Northstar black box sounder, and radar. Most but not all connections in the Northstar network are easily made with supplied cables.
These Nikon StabilEyes feature 16x magnification, the highest of any image stabilized binocular we’ve tested. Objective lenses are 32mm. The main body is covered with black plastic armor that is textured on the bottom and indexed for fingers on top. The back panel on the main body holds controls
The Nikon Ocean Pro marine binocular has sleek look and smooth grey finish. They weigh in at 41-ounces, making them a couple ounces heavier than other comparable binoculars. One of the first things we noticed in this binocular review was the Ocean Pro compass. It is one of the smallest
This is the final farewell for Navman 7200 VHF radio.The Navman brand is no longer. In mid-March 2008 Navico, the Navman parent company, stopped marketing the Navman brand name. Many products will still be available worldwide under the Northstar brand. This particular radio will now be marketed exclusively as the
Here is a last look at the Navman 7100 VHF radio.The Navman brand is no longer. In mid-March 2008 Navico, the Navman parent company, stopped marketing the Navman brand name. Many products will still be available worldwide under the Northstar brand. This particular radio will now be marketed exclusively as
The Navico NAIS-300 is a full class-B marine AIS transceiver designed to display data on a compatible chartplotter, dedicated display, or on a PC with compatible software. The NAIS-300 is housed in a waterproof plastic 5.1-inch by 8.2-inch by 2.5-inch black box (actually grey) that weighs just over 21 ounces.
The Midland Regatta is a mid-sized no-frills entry level marine VHF radio from a world-leader in two-way radio communications. Operation of the Regatta is very simple. There are no menus to dig through. Almost everything on this radio is operated with a single button. They include: making a DSC distress
Testing the Midland Nautico, model NT3, was our first look at any marine VHF from this maker. Midland is well-known for their CB radios. They also produce a variety of other radio and telemetry gear. We tested the Nautico radio with the supplied 700 mAH Ni-Cad battery pack. Before our
Marine VHF Antenna Review The Metz Manta marine VHF antenna is made be a small marine electronics maker based in Gilford, New Hampshire. A couple top features of this antenna are its robust construction and removable stainless whip. This particular antenna is about 3-feet tall and it rated at 3dB
Marine Weather We take a hard look at who provides the top weather service at the best overall price. When it comes to marine weather a picture is worth a thousand words, especially when you’re trying gather accurate and timely weather information aboard your boat. Marine VHF radio broadcasts are
Our Boat Antenna Reviews Your marine VHF antenna coupled to a working radio still makes up the most valuable marine electronics communication device you can have aboard your boat. Much of the real world performance of your boat VHF radio can be attributed to the proper selection and installation of
Marine radar has helped me immensely in navigating to destination while providing both another layer of safety and a certain level of peace of mind on several tough trips this past year. Even though I operate in sunny South Florida, weather and darkness can and do occasionally join forces to
Deciding on a marine electronics repair or opting for replacement is a topic just about all boat owners will face sooner or later. Today’s marine electronics are reliable and durable, but one day they will all face the need for service. Boat owners watching their budgets are likely to try
Our straightforward marine electronics installation tips will guide you through installing any piece electronics gear including a radio, chartplotter, or even a fishfinder. Use one or all of our marine electronics installation tips to improve and ease the work once you have chosen the specific radio, bilge pump, or other
A marine electronics box mounted directly under a top, whether a hard fiberglass T-top, or soft canvas, or the overhead in a cabin can be a convenient and useful storage space for your marine navigation and communication devices. Many new boats are sold with an electronics box as standard equipment
Marine AIS, an acronym for Marine Automatic Information System, is ship collision avoidance technology, which has been required on large commercial ships since 2002, that has finally trickled down to recreational boaters. Automatic Information System (AIS) is similar in function to the mandatory collision avoidance system carried on airliners. Simply
The Magellan eXplorist 200 is on the smallish side at 4.5 inches tall and about 2 inches wide. Its lightweight too, at only 4 ounces including a pair of AA batteries. It carries the screen mid-case with pushbuttons below. Everything is downsized somewhat, the eXplorist screen measures 2.3 inches on
The Lowrance StructureScan system uses an LSS-1 black box sounder and proprietary transducer to add automated side and down scanning capabilities to HDS-series Lowrance MFDs. A single multifunction transducer provides both side and down scanning capability. Up to 500 watts of power can be sent out by this transducer using
Lowrance StructureScan HD utilizes an LSS-2 black box coupled to a proprietary transducer to add side and down scanning capabilities to certain Lowrance MFDs. A single multifunction transducer provides both side and down scanning capability. Up to 500 watts of power can be sent out by this transducer using one