Panbo

The Marine Electronics Hub

Yearly Archive: 2011

Aquatic AV, doing what Fusion hasn’t? 6

Entertainment

Aquatic AV, doing what Fusion hasn’t?

Aquatic_AV_AD-DM-4B_media_locker_open.jpg

The Aquatic AV AQ-DM-4B Media Locker is purportedly so waterproof and rugged that you could install it on a Jet Ski, and though the company is relatively new to the marine world, it does have years of experience making stereos for the highly humid and harshly chemical environment around hot tubs. Plus there’s a nice simplicity to a black box iPod/MP3 amp run only by a wireless remote, especially when that’s a two-way RF remote capable of 50 foot range and even of showing iPod tune titles on its little screen… 

Fish Gate 100, the IBEX launch 6

Cabin & deck gear / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Fish Gate 100, the IBEX launch

IBEX_Fish_Gate_100.jpg

I got such a kick out of these guys. Not only did they come to IBEX with an exceptionally innovative new product, but they seemed to confirm a couple of my pet theories. One is that even a tiny startup company still has a chance in the marine electronics industry. And the other — which is definitely related — is that NMEA 2000 can make it easier to develop new products which are usefully unique while still leveraging off and/or integrating with, existing systems…

Raymarine i70 vs Garmin GMI 10, mission accomplished? 16

Navigation / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Raymarine i70 vs Garmin GMI 10, mission accomplished?

Raymarine_i70_and_Garmin_GMI10_compared_cPanbo.jpg

A bigger and at least as bright a display? Check!  Able to show vaguely as many NMEA 2000 data fields in vaguely as many ways? Check!  Also manageable with a clean and intuitive interface? Check!  Don’t take me too seriously as I’ve only tested the new Raymarine i70 for maybe an hour now, but it’s no doubt an impressive parry at the venerable Garmin GMI 10…

From Tallon, smart iPad & electronics mounts 12

Wireless & Apps / Cabin & deck gear

From Tallon, smart iPad & electronics mounts

The Lowrance Elite press release is here and indicates that this product is a conscious colloboration between Tallon, RAM, and Lowrance. Smart!  Which is also what I thought when I learned about Tallon’s Ultimate iPad Mount a few months ago. Why design and manufacture your own iPad holder when RAM has it covered? But do develop a socket system that makes the RAM gear easier to use and nicer to look at on a boat.
   Incidentally, I asked Tallon about what’s on the other side of the Elite USB Socket. I was hoping for a single 12v lead that would power both the USB and lighter-style outlets, but in fact they’re separate male USB and 12v leads. So installing one of these requires a 5v USB supply, and a 2 amp one if you want to charge an iPad (mind you that most any RAM device holder will work with the socket). At any rate, I’m looking forward to seeing this gear in the flesh at IBEX next week (though I have a lot to do beforehand).

Tallon_Elite_Socket_mount_for_iPads_etc.jpg

NMEA 2011 Expo, neat new stuff #2 17

Navigation / AIS / Weather

NMEA 2011 Expo, neat new stuff #2

Furuno NavPilot 700 safehelm n power steering module cPanbo.jpg

Yes that’s an Accu-Steer reversing hydraulic pump meant to push a rudder around, but that block on top is a patent-pending sensor co-developed with FurunoUSA, and the whole package leads to the very interesting “Safe Helm” and “Power Steer” features coming to the latter’s NavPilot 700 (which explains why the pilot came out elsewhere earlier).  Safe Helm sounds a lot like the “Shadow Drive” feature so far only seen on the Garmin GHP 10 pilot for hydraulic steering systems; instead of poking a StandBy button, you simply turn the wheel to disengage the pilot and steer around an issue, then let the boat settle on a course again to re-engage. It’s elegantly simple (I’ve tried the Garmin version), and it’s potentially great that it’s is no longer exclusive to one manufacturer. And apparently Furuno’s unique method also means that the pump can be used to power assist a steering system, with numerous controls for how that’s done — like variable assist at different speeds — built into the NavPilot 700…

NMEA 2011 Technology Award, the pace quickens 7

The Trade

NMEA 2011 Technology Award, the pace quickens

The Florida trip was a hell of lot more fun than the virus problems I came home to. For instance, just like last year’s NMEA Technology Award, I got to accessorize my noggin with an interesting gadget (though I’ve worn weirder). In this case it’s a David Clark Co. marine intercom system, which now has a wireless gateway that the company had nominated for the award. To test its claimed 300 foot range, my fellow judge Bill Bishop hiked down to the end of the Expo hall and eventually outside the huge building, all the while chatting with myself and third judge Tim Queeney, all of us in a beautifully noise-cancelled full duplex sonic cocoon. Though it’s quite expensive, Clark really has this technology down. There’s even a virtual lady in there somewhere who tells you when you’ve lost or regained contact with the base station…

NMEA 2011 Expo, neat new stuff #1 5

Wireless & Apps / Navigation

NMEA 2011 Expo, neat new stuff #1

NMEA2011_Green_Marine_STAR.jpg

I spent a fair amount of NMEA Conference & Expo time reviewing products that are already shipping — more on that Technology Award tomorrow — but I still got a fair chance to see the new, new stuff (like the Fusion Marine Stereo wow). Check out that Green Marine Bridge Command Display System demo above, for instance, and don’t miss the video. I don’t think there’s ever been a monitor like that STAR at upper right, and I wondered how an owner or installer would set up the unusual STretched Aspect Ratio on the PC driving it. No problem: The monitor itself splits off the top third of a standard screen resolution, so that Maretron N2KView gauge display was simply set up on a regular monitor with that in mind. Slick. And of course there was much more…

Fusion Marine Stereo 700 series, holy mackerel! 88

Wireless & Apps / Entertainment / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Fusion Marine Stereo 700 series, holy mackerel!

Fusion_Marine_Stereo_700_series.jpg

Pardon the lousy show booth photography, but you’ve got to see what Fusion Audio debuted at NMEA, and it’s not fully online yet. The new MS-IP700 at upper right obviously has a color screen, but it also has both NMEA 2000 and Ethernet ports on its backside. Which means that it will be easy to install that new MS-NRX200 wired remote and it will even be able to display instrument info on its 2.7-inch monochrome screen (which is the same size as the 700 screen, because the collaged images are not to scale). And, yes, the Ethernet port is connected to a WiFi router which is being used by a Fusion app on that iPad at left to choose tunes, adjust volume levels on four possible zones, etc. But that is not all!…

The LightSquared vs GPS problem, what now? 89

Navigation

The LightSquared vs GPS problem, what now?

LightSquared_Geoff_Stearn_at_NMEA_2011_cPanbo.jpg

I learned a lot at the 2011 NMEA Conference & Expo, and got a first peek at some wonderful new marine electronics, but I’ll start my coverage with the scene above. Here on Panbo we started discussing GPS interference caused by LightSquared’s proposed new U.S. broadband cellular network back in March, and the entry now has 111 comments, many vigorously opposed to the LS plan.  Plus the Coalition to Save Our GPS has become a powerfully united and outspoken voice, and the whole darn mess has recently become a political football.  So it seemed fairly brave of Geoffrey Stearn — who is LS’s VP of Spectrum Development — to step into a room full of marine safety authorities (U.S. GMDSS Task Force) and NMEA members all of whose work depends on reliable GPS positioning…