Electronics

Raymarine Launches New App that Combines a Drone and an Axiom MFD Screen

By Peter Janssen on August 6, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

How would you like to have a real-time aerial view of that gnarly inlet before you have to commit, or of that secluded cove that lies around the next peninsula, or of that anchorage that you hope still has room for you that’s 10 minutes away? Now you can do all that, and much more, with Raymarine’s new app that combines all the navigation attributes of a state-of-the-art MFD with a high-flying unmanned drone. In what Raymarine calls an industry first, it has created an aerial imaging platform that works with Axiom or Axiom Pro displays. It’s a new LightHouse…

Stay Connected Throughout the U.S. and Up To 20 Miles Offshore with the New KVH TracPhone LTE-1

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

What are most people worried about when they’re starting a long cruise, say on the Great Loop, the Inside Passage or through coastal waters? In this internet age, everyone wants to stay connected. And they don’t want to worry about dropped connections, spotty Wi-Fi service at far-flung marinas, or a bundle of unexpected costs showing up in the bill at the end of the month. Now KVH says it has an answer to all that: The new KVH TracPhone LTE-1, a fast, extended-range mobile internet option that works throughout the U.S. and up to 20 miles offshore. It costs $1,699…

Raymarine Launches New Axiom XL MFDs with Larger Screens, Faster Integration

By Peter Janssen on June 27, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

FLIR has just introduced a new flagship Raymarine Axiom XL multifunction display, with larger screen sizes, better system integration and user-friendly simplicity. The largest displays in the award-winning Axiom lineup, the MFDs are designed for larger cruising boats and glass bridge installations. The new Axiom XLs are available in 16-, 19-, 22- and 24-inch displays and are constructed with edge-to-edge glass, so boat builders can create a seamless helm. They also are fully waterproof, designed to perform in extreme conditions. They even can be installed in open cockpits, as well as enclosed bridges and helm stations. Each Axiom XL uses…

Furuno’s New Point-and-Shoot Autopilot: Just Aim It Where You Want To Go

By Peter Janssen on June 5, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

Furuno has just developed a new handheld autopilot remote that lets you point where you want to go and the boat will take you there. It’s called the NavPilot-300 with Gesture Control, and it’s made for outboard-powered boats from 24 to 50 feet. You can see a video of it in action below. The key to the new NavPilot is the 4.1” Gesture Control remote with color LCD that lets you control the boat’s heading if you’re standing anywhere within 32 feet of the helm (and the processor). You hold a button in the middle of the remote, point it…

Don’t Wait: Get the MMSI Number for Your DSC-VHF Radio Now. It Could Save Your Life.

By Peter Janssen on May 28, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

Maritime Mobile Service Identify (MMSI) is a mouthful. It’s also long – a nine-digit number that works like a phone number on your DSC-VHF radio to call for help. If you have it, all you have to do is push a red button on your VHF (even a child can do this) and the radio will automatically and immediately broadcast your boat’s location, in exact latitude and longitude, to all other boats with DSC-VHF radios within range. It also will show your boat’s location on their chart plotters and determine the distance and bearing back to your boat. But it…

Now: Real-Time AIS Data on Your Handheld Mobile Device from iNavX

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

Now, thanks to iNavX, you can get live AIS coverage in the palm of your hand. Indeed, the new iNavX AIS Live provides AIS data overlay showing boat positions on their powerful handheld chartplotter for mobile devices, without the need of a transponder. A San Francisco-based company, iNavX has developed a mobile marine navigation app for both iOS and Android mobile devices. The new iNavX AIS Live connects to a global network of antennas to overlay real-time ship movements directly on the device’s chart. It provides instant AIS data, showing nearby vessels without the need for a radar or AIS…

Raymarine Introduces Its First Open-Array Radar with Enhanced Targeting and Tracking for Cruising Boats

By Peter Janssen on May 13, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

Raymarine has just introduced its first open array radar with a sleek modern pedestal that will fit on any cruising boat and that brings long-range performance and small-target imaging to any Raymarine MFD. The new Magnum radar comes with either 4kW or 12kW power output, and either a four-foot or six-foot antenna array. Magnum’s maximum range is 96 nm for the 12kW version, and 72 nm for the 4kW version, making it ideal for any blue-water cruiser. Using the same technologies as the U.S. Coast Guard, Magnum is a companion to Raymarine’s award-winning Axiom and Axiom Pro MFDs running Lighthouse…

New Garmin inReach Mini Fits in the Palm of Your Hand, but Can Provide Worldwide Two-Way Messaging and SOS

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

The new Garmin inReach Mini, a powerful two-way satellite communicator, is so small that it fits in the palm of your hand. But it lets you send and receive messages through the Iridium satellite network and it has an emergency SOS function that operates 24/7. Not bad for a device that weighs 3.5 ounces and is 4 inches tall and 2 inches wide. With the inReach Mini, you don’t have to worry about being out of cell range or off the grid, as long as you have a subscription to the worldwide Iridium network. And you can pair it with…

KVH Launches New TracPhone with Much Faster Connections and Greater Reach

By Peter Janssen on March 26, 2018 Cruising Life, Electronics

KVH just introduced a new, much faster marine satellite communications package with unlimited data and greater range so you can stay connected and enjoy the internet on your boat just as you do at home. The new KVH TracPhone V7hts, the company’s newest SATCOM, supports downloads at up to 10Mbps and uploads of up to 3 Mbps, streaming HD content and video chatting. Those speeds are three times faster than the download and six times the upload on the original mini-VSAT broadband server. The new KVH TracPhone antenna is only 24 inches in diameter and weighs just 57.6 pounds. KVH…

Garmin Introduces Powerful New Sonar Going Down to 200 Feet

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

Garmin just introduced a new Ultra High-Definition scanning sonar that uses a higher frequency range to deliver clear, detailed pictures of fish and anything else that are as far as 200 feet under your boat. The new sonar, called Ultra High-Definition ClearVü and Ultra High-Definition SideVü, operate on sonar frequencies from 0.8 to 1.2 MHz. Garmin said the range of 200 feet was more than any other system to date. The new Ultra-High Definition sonar puts more power on targets with a higher frequency range than ever before, scanning with a downward-facing element that provides clear images at greater depths. It…

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