Yearly Archive: 2020

23

Internet afloat 2020, this should be easier!

Working from boat, cabin, RV, or wherever you find yourself is so very 2020, but for most of us, that takes internet connectivity. Unfortunately, staying online via a cellular connection has gotten increasingly harder. I’m baffled about why the year of nomadic work is also the year that carriers have made it so very difficult, but what follows is an update on what I’ve done historically, what’s stopped working recently, and how I’m trying to remedy the situation.

5

Humminbird Introduces the APEX Series: A Premium MFD with a Full-HD Display, First-Class Sonar and Networking Options

Humminbird announces the next level in fish finder technology with the launch of the new APEX series. Now combining Humminbird’s best-in-class sonar technologies and full networking capabilities on a full-HD display, APEX delivers the clearest and most-detailed display of sonar and chart technologies and represents the pinnacle of marine electronics innovation…

9

Clarion Marine CMSP speakers and XC amps, premium value?

In the early 2000s it seemed like every new boat had a factory-installed Clarion head unit and speakers. The giant double-din XMD3 was standard equipment on my first new boat and several others since. But starting a few years ago, the brand became less visible, to the point that I can’t remember when I last a new production boat install. Well, now Clarion is back with fresh products and assist from new brand owner JL Audio. And I’ve just installed their latest speaker and amp models on Panbo(at) to see how they perform.

0

Turn your phone into a fishfinder with Garmin’s new Striker Cast castable sonar

Garmin today introduced STRIKER Cast— a castable fishfinder that delivers sonar wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet. No boat? No problem. STRIKER Cast is a versatile sonar device that anglers can take with them wherever they go. Just cast it out from where the fish are biting that day – the bank, a dock, or even from a kayak – to view fish and structure in crisp detail on the free STRIKER Cast app, compatible with both Apple and Android devices. With STRIKER Cast, anglers can even create their own fishing maps for an even more detailed look at the area they’re fishing.

4

Quark-Elec A026: AIS receiver with WiFi, GPS, and NMEA 0183 multiplexing

Quark-Elec offers quite an array of problem-solving marine electronic devices. I’ve been testing their A026 AIS receiver with built-in GPS; data output via WiFi, USB, or NMEA 0183; plus an 0183 input that can be multiplexed into its output stream. This little box could be the perfect answer for day sailors, delivery captains, and any boater looking for an easy way to get AIS target and GPS data to a navigation app running on a tablet or phone, or to a PC or MFD. But, how does it perform?

20

Across Ocean Systems NMEA 2000 pressure sensor, smart & useful

What you’re seeing above is an innovative and affordable new NMEA 2000 pressure sensor from a relatively unknown company, plus the work of a dumbass installer. Yes, I tried to remove the analog vacuum gauge on Gizmo’s Racor fuel filter system before installing the Across Ocean Systems (AOS) sensor, broke the gauge glass in the process, and only then realized it had a compatible seeming port on top…