AS SEEN IN THE FALL 2003 ISSUE

Edging out the competition.

Statewide, professional salt water fishing tournaments have grown at the furious pace of a raging wildfire. Held on just about every weekend throughout the year, multiple events up and down both coasts target inshore and offshore species. What was once just an enjoyable reason to get together with a few fishing buddies for a little friendly competition has evolved into multi day, big money, highly competitive sponsored events.

The implementation of disposable cameras, video monitors, lie detector tests and observers are now common practice at most of these events, insuring a level playing field for all involved and for good reason. With prizes climbing into the tens of thousands of dollars along with annual sponsorship opportunities for boats, motors, gear and tackle on the line, anglers are driven to be as competitive as possible.

Hopefully, as the new millennium progresses, professional fishing will continue to evolve and take on that exciting aura similar to the atmosphere surrounding NASCAR. With so much at stake, tournament fishing teams are always looking for that winning edge, that special little something that will give them a slight advantage over the competition. What if your team had the ability to monitor a 3-dimensional full color view of the ocean floor? Every ledge and drop-off, every hump and hill, every cut and ditch, every single bottom contour! And what if you could view all this detail at your fingertips, regardless of depth, in real time, exactly as it appears below the boat?

In recent years we could have only dreamed about such sophisticated navigational and fish finding equipment but with the technological advances of the 21st century, our dreams are now a reality. An innovator of onboard marine computers, NavigatorPC offers an easy to operate, 3-dimensional integrated navigation system with insurmountable advantages. As you would expect, it’s not just performance and high tech but also design details and logical innovations which have set the standard for marine computers worldwide. NavigatorPC is leading the way by packing mega power into their military grade marine computer systems. Installing a powerful 1 or 2 GB onboard computer allows the simultaneous loading of navigational charting and 3-dimensional contour programs along with a wide array of tide and current software. All the while, the high capacity hard drive provides massive storage space for a wealth of data. The variety of equipment that can be run concurrently with complete integration from a single onboard computer is staggering. Radar overlay, touch screen chart plotting, wide scanning fish finding sonar, sea surface temperature data, auto pilot control options and video monitoring of engine rooms are just a few of the available integrations.

The possibilities of 3 dimensional navigation and fish finding equipment are endless. A NavigatorPC system allows you to locate and picture your vessel on a navigational chart while it is actually moving, seamlessly providing a virtual plot of your course. Many leading chart plotters currently offer this feature but hit NavigatorPC’s split screen mode and you can view the chart plotter on one half of the corrosion protected monitor and a full color 3-D view of the bottom contour on the other half. An added benefit is the ability to also view wrecks and obstructions on the three dimensional charts. Hit split screen once more and a third window with an aerial shot of your current position is displayed. A great feature when navigating unfamiliar coastal waters or entering distant ports.

NavigatorPC’s unique touch screen system integrates WAAS technology to provide you with pin point accuracy. WAAS consists of a network of land based reference stations across the United States that monitor global positioning system satellite data. The master stations collect data from the reference stations and create a GPS correction message, taking into account selective availability, GPS satellite orbit and clock drift as well as signal delays caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential messages are then broadcast through two geostationary earth orbit satellites on the same frequency as the GPS signal.

The result is a DGPS system that delivers superior accuracy to with in three meters. Once your precise location is calculated, the onboard computer converts the raw data from that exact position on a nautical chart and converts the information into an innovative 3-dimensional display.

The display is then viewed in crisp resolution on a high bright LCD series digital screen. These monitors have been specifically designed for both the harsh marine environment and ease of use on all types of vessels. The touch screen interface allows for convenient and simple access to any software application by simply touching the corresponding icon on the screen. The ultra high bright TFT-LCD display provides optimum presentation of detailed digital charts and navigational data in any light conditions and is also dimmable for perfect night use. These displays can be mounted overhead or directly on your console. They are fully waterproof and feature video inputs with six different size monitors to choose from: 8.4”, 10.4”, 12.1”, 15.1”,17.1” and 21.1”.

Professional tournament anglers know how important it is to maximize their time on the water. When going head to head with a hundred other teams for $100,000 or more in prize money, just minutes or ounces could be the difference between winning and not being on the board at all. 3-D bottom contouring makes precise positioning along edges of reef lines or along the bank of a sharp slope an easy task, allowing anglers to focus their efforts in key locations.

Competing teams can now plan and implement a winning strategy with surgical like precision. Well in advance of leaving the docks, captains can pre-determine trolling patterns and optimal drift locations in order to cover the most likely areas. Having a ‘fish eye view’ of the world below provides fishermen with an extraordinary insight which they never had before.

There is no question that NavigatorPC™ has raised the bar in navigation and fish finding standards way above sea level. From Military toughness to marine reliability on the water, a NavigatorPC system with 3-D charts will greatly enhance your time spent fishing, diving and boating.

---

Save and Share this Article: