Marine Electronics

Color LCD Fishfinders Under $1,000

Furuno leads the pack again with its top-performing, easy-to-operate FCV 600L, trailed closely by Garmin’s new and impressive 320C.

Chartplotter-Sounder Conversions

You can add a conversion kit and transducer to a chartplotter/radar display, and have robust sounder capabilities without needing another screen. We evaluate conversion kits from Garmin, Furuno and Raymarine.

LED Flashlights

The SureFire L1 Lumamax and the Tektite Expedition Star take Best Buy honors. Incandescents may not pale in comparison, but they're fading fast.

Just the Numbers, Please: A Stand-Alone Sounder Sampling

The Raymarine ST40 and ST60 shine in our test of nine sounders. Smaller and less expensive units from Norcross and Uniden also deserve consideration.

Monochrome GPS Plotter-Sounders

Need a sounder and a chartplotter but don’t have the space or the money for two separate units? A monochrome combination unit might be the answer. Pickin's are slim: either Garmin or Lowrance.

406 MHz EPIRBs

The ACR Global Fix 406 with internal GPS is the top pick, followed by the Pains Wessex SOS Precision. The NAT Satfind lacks an integral GPS, but has a user-changeable battery.

PS Advisor: 07/01/03

Data, Displays, and the NMEAI currently own navigation equipment from three different companies, primarily because I felt they were the best value or provided...

Integrated Instrument Systems

Here's a quick review of integrated instrument functions, a scan of what's on the market, and viewpoints from some installation pros.

Watching the Flashers

We don't have cable or satellite TV at home. We have an antenna-an amplified antenna, mind you-and we can pick up, in...

Static-Free Satellite Radio: XM and Sirius

Digital Satellite Audio Radio promises near-CD quality digital sound, but it hasn't taken off as expected. Is there good reason to subscribe to any of the companies?

Why the Catalina 42 Took Over the Caribbean

You see them everywhere — the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, all across the Caribbean. The Catalina 42, especially the Mark II, has quietly become...

Latest Sailboat Review

Dragonfly 25-2 Boat Review

If you’ve ever dreamed of blasting across the water at 25 knots with the wind in your hair and the spray in your face...