Raymarine e7, hand’s on #1
The new e7 multifunction display seen above is a pre-production unit running incomplete software, but last week I got some freckly hands-on time with it thanks to a visit from Raymarine marketing director Jim Hands. In...
Yearly Archive: 2011
Weld Mount cable tie system, super strong without screws
I’m especially pleased to have discovered the Weld Mount system of glue-on cable and hose mounts because much of Gizmo is balsa cored and thus I’m darn hesitant about penetrating a fiberglass skin with screws....
Splashtop Remote Desktop, full on charting software on your iPad
Yes, that’s Nobeltec Time Zero Trident running on Gizmo’s Mac Mini with NMEA 2000 data coming in via Actisense NGT-1 — as seen in an earlier entry on ChartTable21 — but, wow, the screen shot was taken on my iPad. And I had complete control of Trident from the pad without any noticeable delay in commands or zoom/pan screen refreshes, even with the intense graphic data seen in those nicely blended MapMedia hi res photo maps. If you’re interested in extending an onboard PC navigation system over WiFi to an Apple (or Android) pad you may recall that in October the possibilities weren’t thrilling, but that was before Splashtop Remote Desktop came along…
Bystander & Velsheda, what a pair!
While Camden is being visited by lots of large yachts again this summer, as of yesterday afternoon this is the antenna mast that dominates all. And, no, it wasn’t dropped by aliens onto the...
Raymarine e7, a major refresh!
The Raymarine e7 being announced today may be the most important launch of the year, because it’s not only a hot new 7-inch MFD design but it also marks a complete refresh of Ray’s multifunction display software. While it uses the “hybridtouch” mix of touchscreen and keypad controls introduced in the E Wide Series — though with notably fewer and bigger buttons — I understand that the underlying code began at zero serveral years ago. And I see a lot of fresh interface ideas in the many product photos you’ll find after the break. But while the e7 will network with up to five other e7s and all sorts of existing Raymarine sensors and black boxes, it apparently will not network with existing Ray MFDs, which may be the downside of a complete software rewrite. But then again, it surely can make some interesting new connections…
Life Gear LED Glow Sticks, a nav light solution for tenders?
As much as it bugs me that 34 out of 35 sailboats in the Northeast don’t use radar reflectors, I am entirely willing to cut us all some slack for not using navigation lights on dinghies and tenders. But while a serious nav light install is hard to pull off on small boats, I’m having surprisingly good luck with the inexpensive 200 Hour LED Glow Sticks pictured above…
Poly-Planar MRD80i, another safe spot for digital audio
My photograph could be better, but hopefully it’s clear that the Poly-Planar MRD80i has its own solution for docking iPods and iPhones safely inside a waterproof marine stereo. Instead of supplying a variety of sleeves so that different-size iThings can be inserted into the dock, like Fusion does, the 80i uses a drawer with a cushioned pad, a hook’n’loop hold down, and a wired connector. The docking process takes a tad longer but you’ll never have to look for a box of sleeves when a guest brings a different model of iPod aboard, or you change up. And that’s just the beginning of what makes this digital-media-friendly stereo different from Fusion’s…
The Travel 1003, a serious case of Torqeedo love
About two months ago I received a Torqeedo Travel 1003 for long term testing, I’ve used it almost every day since, and, well, the title tells the story. I simply adore this electric outboard! Admittedly certain personal traits may be in play. Historically small gas outboards are a significant exception to my generally high success rate with mechanical boating issues; possibly related is my annoyance with the smell and noise of the damn things (and the hearing aids don’t help); and, finally, a faulty shoulder makes starting even a lawn mower somewhat painful. But then again I did not fall so hard for the original Travel 801 model that I tried in 2009…
Inmarsat FleetBroadband airtime changes, bad news for the little guys?
It seems that on July 1 Inmarsat rather harshly changed the game for boaters who have a Fleet Broadband system but only use its data and/or voice services occasionally. I emphasize “seems” because the intricacies of satellite airtime rates are daunting. That’s largely because Inmarsat wholesales airtime to distribution partners like Stratos and Vizada who then resell it to service providers like KVH, the SatPhoneStore, and many others who finally package it up in innumerable ways for the masses. It’s hard to figure out what’s going on, let alone who’s responsible…
The Passive Radar Reflector Solution for Sailboats
July 2006, Block Island Sound is enveloped in patchy fog, two radar-equipped sailboats pass within 20 feet after failing to detect each other despite calm waters. Neither vessel had a radar reflector hoisted. July 2009, chaos on Block Island Sound as fog descends on hundreds of recreational boaters, skippers constantly calling out on VHF 9 & 16 in attempts to avoid collision. A ferry and a coast guard ship actually do collide. In the melee, just 1 of every 35 boats is sporting a radar reflector. July 2010, dozens of boats make their way through hours of heavy rain and thunderstorms into Nantucket Island, and only 2 have radar reflectors. May 30, 2011, 30 sailboats travel in heavy fog across Long Island Sound from Huntington to Saugatuck, the heavy fog was forecast…the number of boats sporting radar reflectors…just one.
Geez, when did safety slip to the bottom of sailor’s priority list? Are radar reflectors so difficult to use? Too confusing maybe? Or is there an overall lack of faith they are worth the effort to hoist?
