Monthly Archive: May 2022

20

Chart wars? Post acquisitions, what’s the status of charts?

It’s been four and a half years since Garmin bought Navionics and just under four years since Navico and C-Map’s corporate parents merged them. In both cases, there were statements made promising continued availability of the data on competing brands. But, would it? I’ve read comments from and talked to many boaters who are understandably nervous about access to their chart provider of choice on their navigation equipment brand of choice.

10

ACR Electronics and Ocean Signal Develop Next-Gen EPIRBs Ahead of IMO’s 2022 Mandate

Safety specialists ACR Electronics and Ocean Signal have announced the development of next generation EPIRBs which meet upcoming standards and incorporate more features to significantly enhance the chance of rescue in an emergency. Introducing integrated AIS (Automatic Identification System) within their EPIRBs for the first time in conjunction with further new technology, ACR and Ocean Signal will launch the advanced beacons this year ahead of the enforcement of new updated IMO (International Maritime Organization) Maritime Safety Committee EPIRB regulations…

All these AIS targets were being sent to Marine Traffic by one vessel's DataHub, with little effort or cost 24

Share your boat’s AIS info, easy with DataHub by PredictWind

Do you use an AIS tracking website or app to follow cruising friends, check that your own AIS is transmitting, hunt for Russian oligarchs, and/or simply to identify an interesting vessel from your seaside restaurant table? Indeed, some of the services like Marine Traffic and FleetMon are now rich with photos, added vessel info, and features like extended track histories. But perhaps you’re also aware that volunteer receiving stations provide most of the data, and a lot more stations are needed to cover even just the planet’s coastal areas. So I’m pleased to report…

7

Starlink Portability announced and available

It’s been a little unclear how Starlink would handle their dishes moving from place to place. Would they take steps to stop this? Would they embrace it? Would it be a separate offering? This week they’ve unveiled portability mode, a $25 per month add-on, and a little more clarity about how they handle mobile users.

1

Garmin quatix 7 smartwatch fuels the active boater lifestyle

Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN), the world’s largest and most innovative marine electronics manufacturer, today announced the quatix 7 Series of premium smartwatches, purpose-built for life on the water and packed with wearable tech for everyday fitness, wellness and convenience. Building on the excellence of its award-winning predecessor, the quatix 7 Series offers several new boating features designed to strengthen onboard integration, such as multifunction display (MFD) control, anchor drag alerts and more…

22

KiloVault HLX+ batteries, serious quality and value

KiloVault might be a relatively new name in lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, but I’d expect to hear a lot more about them based on what I’ve seen so far. The HLX+ series of batteries are well-made, drop-in-style batteries with lots of capabilities at an affordable price point. I’ll be installing a pair of the 300 amp hour batteries in my RV, but first, let’s get to know the batteries better.