Panbo

The Marine Technology Hub

Panbo News and Reviews

9

Communications / AIS / The future

Garmin announces Signal VHF radios, Vesper’s DNA lives on

I’ve been waiting for this announcement for a long time. Ordinarily, VHF announcements from major marine manufacturers aren’t that exciting. Manufacturers often rely on third parties to design and build their radios. Those radios frequently just complete the line and ensure a brand matching helm. But, Garmin bought Vesper, an AIS specialist, in January of 2022. My piece covering that acquisition asked if Vesper’s innovation would continue. We’ve had to wait more than four years, but the pictures of the Signal series radios look promising.

6

Cabin & deck gear / Safety & SAR / Electrical & Engines

Garmin OnBoard, slick wireless man overboard system for Garmin equipped boats

Have you ever used a traditional engine cut-off tether, forgot you were wearing it and strayed just a bit too far from the switch? I have, and it always ends the same way. The engines shut down, the boat, if it’s in gear, lurches and you’re left dead in the water. A wireless tether provides a longer and less tangle prone virtual leash to replace the physical one. Garmin is not the first company to offer a wireless tether or man overboard system, but theirs works extremely well and integrates beautifully with Garmin MFDs. So, if you have a boat with Garmin displays, this system might be for you.

3

Cameras and night vision / Wireless & Apps / Navigation / Safety & SAR

SIONYX Nightwave Digital, strong low light performance with better integration

For the last 8 years, SIONYX has provided an alternative to thermal night vision cameras. They advertise the sensitivity of their Black Silicon CMOS sensor down to 0.001 LUX or total darkness. In my testing, their cameras have provided truly impressive performance while also displaying full color images in near total darkness. Impressive as their cameras have been, each review has been limited by the connectivity their cameras offered. Now, SIONYX’s Nightwave Digital offers a full suite of connectivity options. So, does the new camera provide everything I want? Read on and find out.

14

LiFePO4 / Electrical & Engines

Lithium battery lifespan part 2, a new battery checks in

The end of last year, I posted my first entry comparing the lifespan of a LiFePO4 battery to the claims made by the manufacturer. That entry relied on data from 525 cycles on the battery. Since then, I have continued my testing and added a second battery and testing rig to the mix. Let’s check in on the testing of both batteries and an interesting trend developing with the first battery as it crosses 1,000 cycles.

8

Network & control / Navigation / Charts

PBIBS 2026: Raymarine introduces Axiom 2

Raymarine announced the Axiom 2 at the 2026 Palm Beach International Boat Show. The introduction of the Axiom 2 puts all three variants of the Axiom on the same underlying hardware architecture. Axiom 2 joins the Axiom 2 Pro and Axiom 2 XL as the long term future of Raymarine’s chart plotter product line. But, the announcement of the Axiom 2 also marks the end of major software updates for owners of Axiom products (Axiom, Pro, and XL) that don’t end in 2. Let’s take a look at the new hardware and what this all means for owners of very recently sold Axiom+ units.

5

LiFePO4 / Electrical & Engines

PBIBS 2026: CayCube self contained electrical system

Each of the last few years, the Palm Beach International Boat Show has gained momentum and prominence. This year that momentum continues with several new product announcements. The CayCube from Cay Electronics is making its Florida debut after an appearance at the Newport show and caught my eye. This self contained AC and DC power system offers numerous integration options and helps solve numerous problems for boaters, boat yards, and service providers.

3

Wireless & Apps / When things go wrong... / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K / Monitoring & Tracking

Vanemar Boat Monitor: Slick wireless monitoring, with a catch

Vanemar’s monitoring system joins a rather crowded field of monitoring products with their own spin on how best to monitor your boat. With a strong reliance on wireless sensors, extensive NMEA 2000 integration, and an emphasis on user experience throughout the product, Vanemar makes their case for consideration when selecting a monitor. But, currently the lack of bilge pump monitoring holds me back from a full throated recommendation.

0

Safety & SAR / The future / When things go wrong... / Monitoring & Tracking

DBMIBS 2026: FLIR M460LRF

The final installment of my DBMIBS 2026 visits the FLIR booth to see what’s new with them. FLIR is showing off the M460LRF AI-powered, multi-spectral, high-resolution thermal, and 4K camera system with a laser range finder and laser illuminator. How’s that for a mouthful? The length of the description gives a hint to just how much technology FLIR has packed into this camera.

2

Network & control / Navigation / Charts

DBMIBS 2026: Simrad NSO 4

Continuing my new product tour from the 2026 Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show, the next stop is at the Navico booth for the Simrad NSO 4 and B&G Zeus SRX. These two families of chartplotters sit atop Simrad and B&G’s lineups. They also complete each company’s transition to products based on Navico’s NEON operating system.

5

Wireless & Apps / Network & control / Electrical & Engines / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K / Monitoring & Tracking

DBMIBS 2026: Digital Yacht veLINK

Digital Yacht has been on a roll recently with clever, relatively simple products to solve specific needs. Well, they’ve done it agian. This time, Digital Yacht has introduced a small converter that connects to Victron products via Bluetooth, convert their data, and share it on a NMEA 2000 network. The veLINK gateway solves problems on boats without a GX device and for Victron devices without wired connectivity.