Electronics

Looking for a New AIS Device? Here Are Seven Best

By Peter Janssen on September 2, 2019 Electronics

More and more boat owners are installing AIS devices on their boats, as a major addition to boating safety, situational awareness and the ability to see and be seen, particularly in crowded harbors or inland waterways with a lot of commercial traffic. Here’s a thorough report from the National Marine Electronics Association Journal, listing seven of the best: Since its implementation nearly two decades ago, AIS’s applications and its use around the world have expanded. AIS stands for Automatic Identification System and basically is technology that can keep captains informed about nearby and potentially dangerous vessel traffic. Back in 1988…

Coast Guard: 5 Best Communications Devices for Your Boat

By Peter Janssen on August 25, 2019 Electronics

Going out on the water can be dangerous, especially if you don’t have the right equipment. If you do find yourself in trouble, being able to communicate that you need help can be a lifesaver—literally! Here are the top five items the Coast Guard recommends you take with you on your boat so you can call for help if you need it. 1. VHF-FM marine radio: It’s the most versatile piece of comms equipment you can have! If you find yourself in distress, calling for help on the radio not only alerts the Coast Guard, but it also alerts all…

The New iNavX App: Navigate with the Charts You Want from the Palm of Your Hand

By Peter Janssen on July 14, 2019 Electronics

If you haven’t tried the new iNavX handheld nav system yet, you’re missing something. It’s an easy-to-use navigation app that lets you select whatever chart system you like (Navionics, NOAA, Waterway Guide, whatever) on your smart phone or tablet. Then it gives you all the advantages of a fully functioning, advanced mobile chartplotter that you can take on any boat, anywhere, at any time. At its heart, iNavX is a software system, an app. You can download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Then you chose the chart system you want (NOAA is free) and you…

FLIR Launches New Raymarine Element, A Combo GPS and Sonar with Lifelike Images

By Peter Janssen on December 17, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

FLIR has just introduced the Raymarine Element, a new, highly advanced generation of combined sonar and GPS displays. Element uses new sonar technology to provide lifelike images for fishing or navigating the bottom, with versatile mapping capabilities of its own on a user-friendly display. The new Element builds on Raymarine’s prize-winning Axiom navigation displays. It uses new patent-pending RealVision 3D sonar technology and new 3D bottom imagery to show a more precise location of fish and structural targets on the bottom. It also incorporates new patent-pending HyperVision 1.2 megahertz sonar technology with ultra-high Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse (CHIP) sonar…

Yacht Controller and Garmin Join Forces. Yacht Controller Remote Now Appears on Garmin MFD Screens

By Peter Janssen on November 7, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

Here’s another step to make your boating and cruising life easier. Garmin and Yacht Controller have joined forces to integrate the wireless Yacht Controller remote with compatible Garmin MFD displays. This means you can use the display to access the remote’s control panel while you’re docking or maneuvering your boat, without having to set up a dedicated Yacht Controller screen. Garmin and Yacht Controller announced the new partnership at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show at a media briefing with Jerry Berton, president of Yacht Controller, and Michael Range, Garmin’s Florida sales manager. Berton said that Yacht Controller is already…

Six of the Best Personal Survival Devices for Your Boat. Make Sure You Have One

By Peter Janssen on October 29, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

There are few choices you make about your boat that are potentially more important than finding the right survival device, the personal locator beacon or MOB equipment that could save your life, or the life of anyone else on board. And there’s no reason to postpone getting one or more of these; they generally are the least costly piece of electronics on board, by a long shot. But what to buy? Here’s some advice from Marine Electronics Journal, which asked manufacturers to submit what they consider the best and brightest in their product line. The Journal published a review of…

Simrad Launches New HALO24 Radar with 60 RPM Sweep, an Industry First

By Peter Janssen on October 23, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

Simrad just launched its new HALO24 radar with a compact 24-inch dome that’s just right for a lot of cruising powerboats, with a 60-rpm high-speed rotation for a range of two miles, an industry first. This full 360-degree sweep every second provides extra safety for your boat, giving you an up-close view any potential vessel or navigation problem in any direction. The new Simrad HALO24 also has the company’s Dual Range performance, so you can see near and far at the same time. It lets you monitor two distance ranges simultaneously; you could keep an eye on distant weather cells,…

Garmin’s New LiveScope Sonar Wins Prestigious NMEA Technology Award. Plus: 17 Other Winners

By Peter Janssen on October 9, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

Garmin’s ground-breaking new Panoptix LiveScope sonar just beat 14 other competitors to win the prestigious Technology Award at the recent National Marine Electronics Association annual meeting. The Technology Award is the most coveted of the NMEA awards. The NMEA also handed out 17 Product of Excellence Awards at its four-day meeting in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The Panoptix LiveScope lets you see all around your boat in real time and in three dimensions. Built for cruising or fishing, it has transducers in Forward or Down configurations. If you point the transducer down, you can see directly below the boat; point…

Yamaha, Raymarine, Awlgrip and Ten Others Win IBEX Innovation Awards

By Peter Janssen on October 4, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics, Engine Room, Gear, Maintenance

Yamaha, Raymarine and Awlgrip were among the winners of the 2018 Innovation Awards at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference in Tampa. The awards, made in 13 categories, were managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and judged by eight members of Boating Writers International. “This year’s entries were very focused on improving the boating experience,” said Alan Wendt, chairman of the judging panel. “From solving simple issues with canvas to more complex engineering challenges with hardware and composites, there is ample evidence of innovation underway in a thriving industry.” Yamaha won the outboard category for its new V-8, XTO…

New Coast Guard Warning: LED Lights Can Interfere with VHF, AIS Reception

By Peter Janssen on August 20, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

The Coast Guard warns that LED lighting may interfere with VHF radio and AIS reception. The Coast Guard says it has received reports from crews and others about poor reception on VHF frequencies, DSC (digital selective calling), and AIS (automatic identification systems) when they are used near LED night-time lighting, nav lights, searchlights and floodlights on boats. The interference can create potential safety hazards. In one port, a rescue coordination center was not able to contact a ship in a traffic separation incident by VHF radio; that ship also reported poor AIS reception. The Coast Guard says that ships in…

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