Here’s a look at eight of this year’s best wireless devices from the Marine Electronics Journal:
Wireless technology is everywhere, and boats are no exception. At Marine Electronics Journal (MEJ) hardly a week goes by that we don’t receive at least a couple news releases from companies that are rolling out a new piece of electronic wireless wizardry. Some of these products help boaters navigate more conveniently or better, while others are tied to onboard communications, entertainment, fishing, system monitoring or another function entirely.
Below are eight wireless devices that are worth a look. They’re part of an exercise MEJ does every year as part of our Buyers’ Guide. It works like this: We ask manufacturers to identify the one model they produce in a particular category that they consider to be their Best & Brightest—not necessarily the most technically advanced or newest but rather the one they rate highest in the product line for one reason or another. Could be the functions and features it offers, or maybe it breaks new ground in maximizing effectiveness or utility, or maybe it’s the most popular as measured by sales to boaters.
The free all-in-one ActiveCaptain app provides a powerful connection to your Garmin chartplotter, charts, maps and the community for the ultimate connected boating experience. Wherever you are, you’ll have unlimited access to your cartography, the ability to purchase new maps and charts and access to the Garmin Quickdraw Contours Community. Connect to the ActiveCaptain community for up-to-date feedback on marinas and other points of interest. Smart notifications on your chartplotter screen keep you connected with everyone else. Users can also plan a trip or pre-fish a lake, and ActiveCaptain will automatically sync with your chartplotter. Even view and control your chartplotter from your smartphone or tablet while you’re on the water.
Designed to fit in the palm of the hand, the Simrad WR10 Wireless Pilot Controller remote provides complete boat control, no matter where boaters are on the vessel. The WR10 is compatible with the full Simrad autopilot line and is comprised of a small, lightweight waterproof Bluetooth base with micro-C connections and pairings for up to four remotes. Offering a 98 foot range, the remote has clearly marked keys and an LED status light for fast and accurate autopilot access. A mode button allows boaters to toggle through pilot modes. Two dodge keys are used to program turns in 1 or 10 degree increments. There is also a Pilot Standby button and a large Auto key. Read more:
