Panbo

The Marine Electronics Hub

Yearly Archive: 2011

The sat phone war, “independent study” edition 28

Communications

The sat phone war, “independent study” edition

Inmarsat_sat_phone_testing.JPG

That diabolical test machine is forcing a measured, if destructive, twist into an Iridium 9555 sat phone, which may be a good metaphor for what Inmarsat had in mind when it commissioned an independent study comparing its Isatphone Pro to the 9555 as well as the Thuraya XT (which doesn’t cover the Americas).  After all, there had already been crowing about another “independent study” that turned out to be commissioned by Iridium (downloadable here).  Now it’s very easy to be cynical about studies that each find the hardware and service offered by the company that paid to be superior, but actually I found both reports to be largely credible and quite useful…

iPad cases for the boat, & some interesting apps 56

Wireless & Apps

iPad cases for the boat, & some interesting apps

M-Edge_Leisure_Jacket_iPad_Case_cPanbo.JPG

I find that my iPad is so sharp and slippery that I almost always use it in a case, and once I get it on the boat there will also be an increased danger of impact or water damage.  So I’ve been testing three candidates for Gizmo’s cruising iPad case.  That M-Edge Leisure Jacket above is far and away my favorite at this point.  Yes, it’s a bit bulky but the high-density fitted-foam bed and cloth cover are light, easy to handle, and highly protective; and the whole thing tends to stay where you put it.  Perhaps most important, the vinyl cover does not impede screen use nearly as much as you might presume.  I’ve used the Jacket a lot now, with all kinds of apps, and I’m rarely annoyed by the plastic.  The pocket on the back may be too tight to be very useful — and I wish it had a “kickstand” for typing comfort (though it’s easy to stick something under there to get the right tilt) — but  I like the Leisure Jacket.  Now, about that weird compass app…

Mast rotation, a multi-manufacturer solution? 40

NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Mast rotation, a multi-manufacturer solution?

TackTick_mast_rotation_sensor.JPG

Panbo reader Laurence Woodward built his own 40′ catamaran in Devon, England, and he’d like to use Garmin GMI 10 color N2K instrument displays at both helms.  However, his mast rotates and therefore he needs some sort of sensor to keep track of that rotation, which must then be applied to the apparent wind data coming from his masthead vane (or ultrasonic).  I doubt that Garmin will develop its own rotation sensor because there aren’t that many rotating masts out there, but then again maybe just a software tweak to their existing rudder angle adaptor might be all it takes.  Or perhaps there’s another way?  Let’s discuss…

NOAA shoreline doubts, or how NE Pt became an island 7

Charts

NOAA shoreline doubts, or how NE Pt became an island

Yet another blizzard is descending on Panbo HQ, and that’s excuse enough to further indulge my obsession with local charting, specifically the issue mentioned on Monday about how Northeast Point became an island.  It...

C-Map’s hyper harbor detail, & more charting/POI news 27

Charts

C-Map’s hyper harbor detail, & more charting/POI news

MAX_Pro_Chart_Nobeltec_11.JPG

Testing Nobeltec Admiral 11 is going pretty well, and I’ll write about it soon, but what really got me grinning is the latest C-Map Max Pro chart of Camden Harbor that came along with the trial software.  I’m a long time fan of C-Map’s C-Marina concept — in which cooperating marinas are charted in super high resolution — but in actuality C-Map’s earlier attempts at Wayfarer Marine detail were seriously flawed.  Well, not only is Wayfarer now exceptionally well depicted (with one major exception), but other improvements make C-Map’s the best visual guide to my harbor’s complexities yet created, I think.  Please click on the image above for a full screen window as I explain… 

ACR: new PLB & Iridium partnership(s) 9

Communications / Safety & SAR

ACR: new PLB & Iridium partnership(s)

ACR_Cobham_ResQLink_hand.JPG

I think ACR has really advanced PLB technology in recent years, what with its AquaLink View and 406Link testing/messaging service.  But up until now it didn’t have a competitive response to McMurdo’s extra small and extra inexpensive Fast Find 210.  Well, hello ResQLink, which now lays claim to “world’s smallest PLB” along with a few features that may demand a response from McMurdo.  ResQLink has an antenna that the user can repack, for instance, which is one reason why it can do a full through-satellite test (with GPS) using the 406Link service.  Doug Ritter put up an early and thorough ResQLink/Fast Find comparison here — and note that the FCC disclaimer still applies, probably until late February — but do come back to hear about what ACR is up to with Iridium…

The Geonav writers event, part 1 17

The Trade

The Geonav writers event, part 1

Geonav___Johnson_Outdoors.JPG

I’ve been waiting on some screen shots before writing about the “Geonav writers event” I attended in early December but, frankly, the gear demonstration was rather preliminary anyway, as the two most technically advanced products — the GIS multifunction and MIS instrument displays highlighted here in September — were not shown.   While I’ll soon have more about what I did see in action, I’ve realized that what I did learn a lot about in Florida was the family of companies Geonav has joined.  While it was clear that the brand would undergo serious changes when it was bought by Johnson Outdoors in late 2007, I didn’t really understand what that Johnson name meant until I received the presentation from which I clipped the slide above…

“GPS testing”…or do they mean jamming? 39

Navigation

“GPS testing”…or do they mean jamming?

FAA_GPS_warning_Jan2011.JPG

This seems odd.  Yesterday the FAA issued a Flight Advisory — PDF here — warning that during a period of “GPS testing” starting today aircraft transiting the large area diagrammed above could find that “the GPS signal may be unreliable or unavailable.”  WTF?  But never mind sites like Engadget which immediately assumed that “anyone planning on using GPS in the southeastern US for the next month or so will likely want to make sure they have a fallback option.”  If you read the Advisory carefully you’ll see that whatever is being tested — which sure seems like jamming to me — will apparently be more effective at high altitudes than on the levels most of us travel…