Featuring super-bright displays and an easy-to-use interface, the new GO12 XSE display offers powerful functionality with intuitive multi-touch controls that smartphone and tablet users will instantly find familiar. Operators can simply tap the screen to create or select waypoints, pinch-to-zoom, or tap-and-drag to pan smoothly across charts, while simple home screen and menu layouts allow quick access to all functions. Adjustable split-screen views and customizable panel layouts with large, clearly captioned icons that are easy to recognize, make the GO12 simple-to-use and totally intuitive, even for those with little or no experience. Fully compatible with Simrad Broadband 3G/4G and Halo Radar systems, the GO12 XSE (and GO9 XSE and GO7 XSR) also features an internal GPS receiver for the most accurate location positioning; StructureScan HD and CHIRP Sonar for excellent fishfinding; autopilot integration for precision control; engine data monitoring; full audio entertainment connectivity with SonicHub2; built-in wireless connectivity; the powerful Simrad TripIntel trip computer; as well as SiriusXM weather/radio (US only). The Simrad GO12 XSE also connects to NMEA 2000 compatible sensors aboard a vessel to display engine data, fuel flow, fluid level, speed, heading and water temperature. A wide range of cartography options are available, including C-MAP, Navionics and more.
The Simrad GO series makes adding a radar as easy as inserting a plug to get this done. As mentioned in the introduction, all three of the GO-series radar-compatible multi-function displays (the GO12 XSE, the GO9 XSE and the GP& XSR) offer full-feature radar functionality with seamless plug-and-play connectivity to Simrad Broadband 3G, Simrad Broadband 4G and Halo Pulse Compression radar systems. If radar is an absolute-must requirement, you can choose your weapon based on budget and requisite capabilities. With a functional radar system, you can cruise through a crowded harbor with complete confidence, find the channel buoys in a dense fog, keep an eye on distant bad weather cells, stay clear of the inlet’s jetty rocks at night, or find flocks of birds that are hovering over schools of feeding gamefish just out of sight. The automatic tuning function on the GO-series radars help to provide a clear picture in any weather or visibility conditions, while radar overlay combines this useful radar data with navigational charts for an easy-to-interpret view of your surroundings.
Unlike some manufacturers that stick you with only one option for your chartplotting cartography, the Simrad GO-series of multifunction displays give you a choice. Depending on whose charts you prefer, each operator can choose from C-MAP, Navionics, C-MAP Genesis, and NV digital charts for starters. There are two micro SD chart slots on the back of the GO-12 XSE, weather-sealed by a rubber boot. One slot is dedicated to the chart of your choice and the other can be used to insert a micro SD card to download screen shots of your favorite wrecks or chart plots. The easy-to-use touch screen display and operating system employs a familiar navigation path that most smartphone and tablet users will find to be second nature. You can totally customize your home screen and combo screens with the features that you use the most, for the ultimate in one-finger operation. Multiple split screen views of the various machine functions are also a total breeze to set up with minimal training.
One of my favorite features on the GO-12 is the sounder capability, which when armed with a TotalScan transom transducer, offers Broadband, StructureScan HD imaging and CHIRP Sonar, with an option of including ForwardScan functionality into the mix with a second dedicated transducer. What’s totally cool about the CHIRP portion of this mix is that the operator can choose to isolate either one of the two CHIRP frequencies, depending on which is giving the best picture of the bottom. A second option is to stick to auto CHIRP mode and let the sounder figure out what should be best on that given day and depth. The 12-inch screen on the GO12 XSE is totally good to go in any lighting condition, with crisp definition of your sounder targets and chart plots, and works equally well when wearing polarized sunglasses. And for these tired eyes that have spent many thousands of hours on the water, there’s nothing like seeing things on a big-screen 12-inch color display!
