Brands we supply
- THRANE & THRANE
- SAILOR
- INTELLIAN
- RAYMARINE
- GARMIN
- SIMRAD
- RAYMARINE
- RAYTHEON
- B & G
- SPERRY MARINE
- LOWRANCE
- MARCO
NR Marines LLP
Communication
- HAND HELD VHF RADIOS
- FIXED MOUNT VHF RADIOS
- SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
- AIS TRANSPONDERS & ANTENNAS
- VHF ANTENNAS
- MARINE SATELLITE & ANTENNAS
- SHORT WAVE RADIOS
- EPIRBS & PLBS
- MARINE AUDIO
- NON DIRECTIONAL BEACON [NDB]
On-the-Water Communication for Your Boat
Out on the water, keeping in touch with the world around you and being able to communicate with friends, family, other boats and if necessary, search and rescue agencies is an important aspect of marine safety. Following is a whirlwind tour of what NR MARINES offers to keep you in touch.
Fixed Mount VHF Radios
VHF (Very High Frequency) radios provide two-way communication and have a range of 5 to 25 miles. A VHF radio is one of the most important safety items to have on board. In coastal or inland waters, a VHF radio is generally the fastest link to rescuing agencies like the Coast Guard, a towing service, or a harbormaster. The range of transmission of VHF radios is defined as line of sight, which means that VHF signals do not bend over the horizon, as AM or SSB (Single Sideband) signals do. The range of transmission is maximized by locating a VHF radio’s antenna as high as possible above the water.
Handheld VHF Radios
For inflatable boats, kayaks and other small craft where installing a fixed-mount VHF is not practical, we suggest purchase of a handheld VHF radio. We also suggest a handheld VHF radio be kept on board larger boats as a backup to a fixed-mount VHF in case the radio or its antenna is damaged.
Handheld Satellite Communication Devices
When your boating adventures take you outside of cell phone coverage, using a handy handheld satellite communication device is a great way to keep friends and family informed of your status and location, or in an emergency, alert emergency agencies of your situation. When shopping for a satellite communication device, be sure to consider its battery life and make sure to choose one with a subscription plan that works for you.
Short Wave Radios
SSB (Single Side Band) radios are a type of high-powered, two-way, shortwave radio that operates in the High Frequency (HF) band, which allows them to broadcast practically worldwide. Typical uses include calling the Coast Guard in an emergency and communications between bluewater cruisers.
Installation of a SSB is quite complicated compared to installation of a VHF radio or GPS. The reason is that the lower frequencies and higher power of a SSB requires a long antenna (23′), an antenna coupler (sometimes called an antenna tuner) and something called a counterpoise, or RF ground.
AIS Transponders and Antennas
Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) help to prevent collisions between boats by broadcasting a vessel’s position so that other boats are aware of its position. Some AIS units include a display while others are designed to be used along with a multi-function display. Installing an AIS system on your boat is a great way to keep track of the positions of other boats (that are also equipped with AIS) which is a big win for situational awareness.
EPIRBs and PLBs
EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) and PLBs (Personal Locater Beacons) are two of the most important pieces of equipment to have on your boat. EPIRBs and PLBs are radio transmitters. When activated in an emergency, they broadcast a 406 MHz signal via satellite to the Cospas-Sarsat global emergency network. Both also broadcast a 121.5 MHz homing signal to SAR personnel. NR MARINES offers two categories of EPIRBs. Category I EPIRBs are designed to automatically release from their bracket and activate their emergency signal when submerged between 3′–14′ of water. Category II EPIRBs require manual activation. While EPIRBs are for use on boats, PLBs are for personal use.
Do You Need a GPS?
It used to be very difficult for mariners to figure out where they were in the world and where they were going. They had to use celestial navigation, compasses or the inadequate maps of the past. Thankfully, navigating the waters today is much easier due to the Global Positioning System, or as it’s commonly referred to, GPS. GPS allows you to find yourself anywhere in the world with great precision.
GPS is a satellite-based navigation system that provides accurate position fixes 24-hours a day on land, sea and air in any weather with no subscription or fee. This nominal constellation features 32 satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO) 12,550 miles above the earth. Using timing signals sent by the satellites and knowing the exact orbital locations of the satellites, a GPS receiver can determine your location accurately within 6 meters and your altitude within approximately 10 meters. You can divide the world of GPS devices into 3 different categories: handheld/portable, fixed mount displays and multifunction displays.
Most marine GPS includes features not found on your smartphone apps. NR MARINES offers the latest in GPS technology with a variety of brands to suit your needs. When the fog rolls in and you need a little help finding your way home, we’ve got you covered.
Take a look below to get a sense of some of the differences in GPS receivers so you can pick what works best for you and your vessel.
Navigation
- GPS
- RADAR
- SONAR
- NETWORK SENSORS
- MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAYS & COMBOS
- MULTIFUNCTION RADAR PACKAGES
- FISHFINDER & GPS COMBOS
- DEDICATED FISHFINDERS
Handheld/Portable
Handheld and portable GPS are great for kayaks, paddleboards, sailing dinghies, john boats or as a backup on your larger vessel since they don’t rely on your boat’s main power supply to operate. They feature a smaller display screen and internal antenna while providing an amazing amount of functionality for such a small device.
Some models of portable GPS receivers can be mounted on the dashboard of your boat. They tend to come with a power cord and battery pack. Some portable units have a larger screen display compared to handhelds, while some even include touchscreen capabilities.
Fixed-Mount
If you own a boat, installing a fixed-mount GPS is highly recommended. Fixed-mount displays are waterproof and usually feature full cartographic coverage of the U.S. With larger screens, more features and a stable electrical supply from the boat’s power source, fixed mount GPS’s offer a plethora of benefits for your boat.
Multifunction Displays
Streamline your electronics with a multifunction display that allows you to integrate a variety of equipment into one screen: radar, GPS, sonar, weather, video inputs etc. If space is an issue on your boat, a multifunction display can help solve your problem.
What about Radar?
Do you need radar on your boat? Probably not. Should you install radar for your and your crew’s safety? Definitely.
Radar systems
Help boaters avoid accidents with other boats, large buoys or rocks, as well as alerting you to oncoming stormy weather. Once used only on large vessels, radar units are now compact and draw little electricity making them suitable for boats as small as 18′ in length. What radar system you get will depend on what type of boat you have and what electronics you already have installed.
Radar displays images overlaid with aerial photographs, Sirius™ satellite weather data, vessel target icons and information from an Automatic Information System (AIS) transceiver, underwater data from a fishfinder, chart information from your GPS chartplotter, Digital Selective Calling (DSC) data from your VHF radio or combinations of these and other forms of graphic, text and numerical information.
Compatibility is important if you are considering adding radar to your boat’s electronics fleet. Many chartplotters and GPS/fishfinder combos are not compatible with radar. Some examples are the pre-2020 Garmin echoMAP series, Striker series, Raymarine Dragonfly Pro and Lowrance Hook² series.
In general, multifunction displays can operate a radar unit, while smaller or more basic combos—especially those intended for inland fishing applications—cannot. That’s why if you’re considering a whole new suite of electronics for your boat, or if you’re thinking of adding radar to your current equipment, you should think about compatibility first.
Instruments
- AUTOPILOT
- MULTIFUNCTION INSTRUMENTS
- WIND INSTRUMENTS
- KNOTMETER & LOG INSTRUMENTS
- COMPASSES
- NAVIGATION CHARTS
- ELECTRONIC CHARTS
- BINOCULARS
- BATTERIES
- BATTERY CHARGERS
About Marine Instrument Systems
Marine instrument systems include wind instruments, depth sounders, and knotmeters and log instruments. These instruments can be installed as dedicated, single-function displays or combined into a comprehensive system with a multifunction display.
Wind Instruments
Installed in the cockpit or at the base of the mast, wind instrument displays inform us of the apparent wind direction and speed. Knowing how high or low a sailboat is pointing in relation to the apparent wind, a helmsperson will head up or head down.
Speed Instruments
Basic speed instruments tell us how fast our boats are going through the water. Combined with a GPS, speed instruments can also display Speed Over the Ground or SOG. More importantly, they can also display Velocity Made Good or VMG, which is the actual progress of a boat toward a waypoint or mark.
Depth Displays
Indicate how deep the water is so you can set your anchor with proper scope, navigate more accurately and avoid running aground. Transducers, similar to those of a fishfinder, gather depth and speed information and pass it to connected displays.
Wireless Transducers Make Installation Easy
Each function requires a separate transducer that feeds information to the display. Examples of transducers include masthead electronic wind meters and vanes, knot meter paddle wheels and in-hull or thru-hull depth transducers. Until recently, most transducers required a cable that connected to the display. This made installation difficult. For example, when installing a wind instrument system on a sailboat, a data transmission cable had to be run from the display to the wind transducers at the top of the mast. Not an easy process, since this usually entailed removing the mast! Thankfully, wireless transducers are now available for the ultimate in installation convenience.
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