The Fisherman's Electrical Manual sorts through the astonishing array of electrical and electronic devices for small fishing boats to help the fisherman make the right choices and develop a better understanding of the installation, troubleshooting, and repairs of these systems. In a well-organized fashion, John Payne addresses such subjects as outboard electrics, trolling motors, downriggers, batteries, boat wiring, sonar and fishfinders, GPS, charts, radar and autopilot. * International Game Fish Association *
We fishermen have more electrical gadgets at our disposal than ever before and, thankfully, the prices keep coming down even while the sophistication of these devices increases. The problem is, most anglers have only a perfunctory understanding of what that new toy is supposed to do. The owner's manual is full of terms and cautions that can be baffling to someone without knowledge of electronics. But now there is a text that offers the answer to virtually any general question about marine electronics, from terms and explanation of function to installation and troubleshooting. The Fisherman's Electrical Manual is written for owners of trailerable boats, but anyone considering purchasing devices and installing them on any size craft will find this to be an indispensable reference. Rather than deal with what can be a rather dry subject in a textbook manner, the author poses common questions and answers them in a clear, concise way. He doesn't automatically assume you know electrical jargon, which I've found to be a big problem with the owner's manuals that come with marine electronics. And he doesn't stop with devices like fishfinders and GPS units. How electrical charge is generated and transferred by a motor is covered at length, and there is a handy reference section on electric trolling motors, how they work, how much power they consume, how much thrust is needed for various weight craft. Understanding voltage is critical to the proper installation and use of all electrical devices on board and Payne's overview of this subject is the best I've seen. There are also discussions of batteries, wiring, grounding and fuses. And again, all this useful information is presented in a logical, easy to understand format that even someone who doesn't know an ohm from an amp can understand. I highly recommend this book, and I would stick it in the same box as that new chart plotting GPS that Santa may be leaving under the tree! * On The Water *