Product Review: Simrad NSO Series Electronics

Simrad NSO Series electronics are said to be like the “mothership” of the Simrad range of marine electronics.

The Trade-a-Boat crew head to Manly on Moreton Bay, Qld, to check out a hot setup aboard a gorgeous old timber Wright yacht.

The helm is equipped with twin 19in widescreen displays, running off an NSO processor.

The massive screens are touch-controlled, but can also be controlled from a dash controller — or even your iPad or Android device. This gives the skipper a third screen while walking throughout the boat. Only the autopilot function is not remotely controllable from one of these devices — a wise decision, given that you don’t want your iPad to go flat while the boat is under autopilot control!

NSO Series electronics will perform numerous functions for a range of vessels. It controls broadband sounder modules; broadband radar; a new sonar hub; new CHIRP features; SideScan and StructureScan features; and much more. A forward-looking sonar is also planned for release in the near future.

Aboard our test vessel was a Simrad 4G radar setup. This allowed for two separate radar ranges to run simultaneously. One combination included a chart with radar overlay on one screen, and a completely separate display on the other.

See Simrad electronics at the 2014 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.