Navigation
GPS
IMS American Marine Electronics believes that a reliable GPS is the cornerstone of your vessel's navigation package. A marine GPS provides detailed information relating to the sea beds and navigable channels, as well as other data, enabling you to navigate waters more safely. In addition, a GPS can also be an invaluable fishing tool, allowing your captain to precisely locate your vessel, track the movement of fish, and even predict the location of fish the next day. If fishing is a priority on your vessel, IMS recommends a GPS fish finder, which combine GPS technology with sonar.
Chartplotters
Let IMS American integrate your GPS system with a chartplotter, which displays GPS information graphically over pre-loaded nautical charts. A chartplotter enables you to easily design and plot a route or quickly determine your exact location.
Electronic Charts
IMS recommends purchasing separate electronic charts for the areas you will be navigating. Supplemental electronic charts can provide a greater level of detail (including water depth, land masses and navigational aids) than the basic charts that are included with most chartplotters.
Autopilot
Autopilots, which have traditionally only been used on very large vessels, have recently found their way onto vessels of all sizes. IMS American can incorporate a reliable autopilot into your navigation package to relieve you from the monotony of steering, while maintaining the high level of awareness needed for a safe journey. Autopilot systems, which are comprised of an operator control panel, computer, heading sensor, rudder drive and rudder-position sensor, can compensate for any irregularities in a vessel's steering system or changes in sea state, keeping your vessel on course regardless of wind or current.
Radar
IMS American highly recommends incorporating a radar into your navigation package. Radar provides a real-time image of your surroundings, allowing you to "see" through heavy rain, fog or darkness. Reflections from the radar's continuously rotating antenna are displayed on a monitor, providing vital information regarding the range and bearing of surrounding objects such as landmarks, buoys or other vessels.
Depth Sounders
Ar key piece of electronic equipment — especially for fishing enthusiasts — is a dependable depth sounder. Depth sounders employ active sonar to "read" the bottom and locate schools of fish. When a wave emitted from the depth sounder's transducer encounters an object, such a fish or the sea floor, it bounces back to your vessel. The differences in the sonar reflections appear on the display as water depth, sea floor contour and schools of fish.
Monitors
Rather than cluttering valuable helm space with individual displays for a vessel's GPS system, chartplotter, radar, vessel monitoring system and cameras, IMS American can integrate your electronics to be viewed on as little as one marine monitor providing a single viewing area for any number of sources, and allowing you to switch between sources as needed. Some monitors also offer picture-in-picture options for viewing multiple sources simultaneously.
Integration
Let IMS integrate your navigation package so that multiple video sources, including GPS, chartplotter, autopilot, radar and/or cameras, can be displayed by only one or two monitors. The vessel operator can select which video input will be displayed on a monitor.
Navigation Computers
IMS American can further integrate your electronics package with an onboard computer navigation system. A navigation computer provide computing, navigation and communication systems integrated into one durable unit.