The National Marine Manufacturers Association just named the winners of its annual excellence awards at its conference in Anaheim, California. The NMEA presented Products of Excellence Awards in 18 categories. In addition, it gave its Best New Product Award to the Maretron WSO200 Ultrasonic Weather Station, and its Technology Award to Airmar’s SmartBoat System. It also named Actisense as Manufacturer of the Year in the small company category, and Garmin as Manufacturer of the Year in the large company category. The Awards of Excellence were chosen by the NMEA membership, who voted on line before the conference. A panel of…
Browsing: Electronics
Every year, the people at nmeaboater.com (the National Marine Electronics Association) ask manufacturers to name one model in a boating electronics category that they think is their best. It’s not necessarily the most technically advanced or the one with the most bells and whistles, but it is the one that, for a variety of reasons, they put at the top of their line. Here’s the list for multifunction displays: Simrad NSX A new mid-range product in the Simrad line of MFDs, the NSX chartplotter/fishfinder redefines the easy-to-use touchscreen experience, while providing powerful new C-MAP charting and navigation with DISCOVER X and…
Beneteau has become the first boat builder to incorporate Garmin’s Surround View assisted docking technology on a production boat, its upscale Gran Turismo 45 cruiser. Surround View will be available on all of those models now, and will probably roll out to other Beneteau models as well. The Garmin system has six cameras on the Gran Turismo so the captain can have a view of all angles of the boat, as well as an overhead bird’s-eye view, all appearing on the boat’s MFD at the helm. Both Beneteau and Garmin say the system gives the captain more confidence while docking…
Simrad just announced its latest generation of multifunction displays, the Simrad NSX, during a global livestreaming event from Egersund, Norway, introducing new chartplotters and fishfinders for powerboats. The new mid-range NSX line will be available in 7-, 9- and 12-inch displays and is based on an all-new operating system. Simrad will launch the new line at the Miami boat show, starting next Wednesday. NSX has a new interface with a user-friendly touchscreen with clear views. Charts include C-MAP nav capability and are compatible with sonar, radar and autopilot systems. Simrad says its Setup Wizards system will help users through every…
What should you do if you’re cruising and you lose your GPS signal? Never happen? Well, yes it will. Not often, but it happens on new boats, old boats, coastal boats and offshore boats. But not to panic. Here’s some great advice from Simrad about what to do next: What happens to my boat if I stop receiving satellite positioning data? In the very rare event that the satellites of the GPS global positioning system fail, are taken offline or are blocked, you’ll still be absolutely fine. Here are five useful tips covering what to do if you lose live…
Icom just unveiled its new state-of-the-art SSB at the big METS marine trade show in Amsterdam. Designed for offshore cruising, the new Icom IC-M804 provides long-range MF and HF radio communications designed to keep you safe anywhere in the world. The new Icom has a DSC radio that scans six distress signals, a distress call button and an integrated GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) providing global coverage through a constellation of satellites. The Icom conforms to the latest European and international standards. SSB radios have been used in offshore vessels for generations. (When Eric Schweikardt, the photographer, and I drove…
Here’s a good primer about why you should have AIS on your boat, from America’s Boating Compass and the US Power Squadrons: AIS, or Automatic Identification System, can make your boating safer. Consider the following scenario: You have an AIS system on your boat. You are on watch, 20 miles off the coast, sailing in hazy conditions. An AIS alarm sounds on your chart plotter. Upon scanning the horizon, you see nothing. When you return to your display, you see a target 5 miles ahead traveling at 23 knots and heading toward you. The AIS information data box shows that…
Raymarine just introduced its new Cyclone series of solid-state, open-array radars at the Fort Lauderdale show. The all-new CHIRP pulse compression radars come in 3-, 4- and 6-foot arrays, with two power options for each size: The Cyclone, with 55 watt, 6kW performance, and the Cyclone Pro, with 110 watt, 12kW performance. All the models have Raymarine’s new detection technology, including the Cyclone Bird Mode that will help anglers find the birds that lead to schools of baitfish. The Cyclone radars have a new look, developed from an aircraft-wing design, and they also have a low profile, measuring just 13.2…
Garmin is making a lot of news at the big Fort Lauderdale show, with the introduction of a new series of marine handheld GPS models, as well as two new solid-state dome radars. The handheld GPSMAP 79 has an all-new appearance with a modern display to help you navigate safely and enjoy your time on the water. It has a rugged, floating design with a suite of easy-to-use nav tools that fit in the palm of your hand. The new Garmin has a larger, optically-bonded display and a scratch-resistant glass lens that prevents fogging, improves contrast and enhances clarity, even…