The Marine Electronics Hub
Wescom Group’s new sMRT V300 Class M Man Overboard emergency distress beacon is now available worldwide. A commercial-grade man-overboard device, the sMRT V300 offers an extended signaling range to enhance localised man-overboard alerting, locating and recovery. With automatic water activation technology, audible and visual indicators, and…
This entry is mainly about the new Em-Trak Nexus VHF/AIS/MOB system intriguingly diagramed above. Nexus was previewed at METS and will hopefully come to market later this year, but I’d like to preface the...
In my mind, boat monitors fall into one of two categories: high-end systems that can do everything and simple systems focused on key systems. The former category typically includes all manner of sensors, network interfaces, and other options. Monitors in the latter category focus on monitoring critical indicators of a boat’s health. Depending on the size, complexity, and use of a boat, there are scenarios that fit both categories. Sensar Marine’s Boat and Bilge Monitor focuses on critical systems and may be the most refined example I’ve tested. Overall, I was pleased with how the monitor worked while seeing a few opportunities for even better performance.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning kills boaters every year. Odourless, tasteless and generated from incomplete combustion from engines, cookers, heaters, outboards, generators etc, it’s a real threat to boating safety. When CO enters the body, it prevents the blood from bringing oxygen to cells, tissues, and organs. Because you can’t see it, taste it or smell it, CO will kill quickly without warning. Small concentrations over a long period or high concentrations over a short period can kill…
Raymarine and Avikus unveiled NeuBoat Dock, the first product to come out of Avikus and Raymarine’s partnership. NeuBoat Dock is a surround view system that enables the helmsperson to see 360 degrees around a boat up to 100 feet. The system will be demonstrated next week at the Cannes Yachting Festival and in early October at the International BoatBuilders’ Exposition in Tampa, FL. Raymarine and Avikus promise that this surround view product is just the first of quite a few announcements to come that will rapidly enable both awareness and autonomy capabilities.
This article is supposed to be a thorough comparison of how Furuno’s DRS2DNXT compared to the other radars I’ve tested. Unfortunately, testing multiple radars on a 22-foot boat is challenging. The most recent challenge included snapping a freshly made mount before I was able to get offshore with the setup. The bad news is, I wasn’t able to complete all my testing scenarios. The good news is, I still have the radar unit and I’m working on more permanent and robust mounting options. But for now, here’s what I’ve learned.
SIONYX’s Nightwave camera is the company’s first fixed mount, marine, night vision camera. It builds on the strong low-light performance of the company’s Aurora handheld spotting scopes in a more traditional marine form factor. I’ve had the camera out on some inky dark nights and been pleased with the performance.
Since I started paying attention to marine electronics , I’ve heard that Furuno radars are the class of the industry. My own experiences on boats have shown that rumor to be accurate. So, I was awfully disappointed when I couldn’t get my hands on an eval unit when I did my radar comparisons (part II here). I have some good news! Furuno was able to provide a unit for comparison and I’ve had (just a little) bit of time on the water with it.
Hallelujah! ACR recently began shipping its ResQLink AIS PLB to customers in the U.S. and the Americas. Meanwhile, the company’s sibling UK brand Ocean Signal has been offering the same remarkable technology to the rest of the world since November as the RescueMe PLB3. The beacons are exactly the same except for color — as shown in my METS demo photo above — and regardless of the possibly confusing dual branding, I call them a huge advance in marine safety…
Bullitt Group, the innovative British mobile phone manufacturer, in partnership with Motorola Mobility, a Lenovo company, has unveiled a new device in the Motorola Defy rugged range that incorporates its unique satellite-to-mobile messaging service. The Motorola Defy Satellite Link is a Bluetooth device that provides satellite connectivity to any iOS or Android smartphone*, designed for anyone that has ever been frustrated by a lack of cell coverage…
