Yearly Archive: 2022

5

Garmin bolsters award-winning Reactor marine autopilot series with new GHC 50

Garmin International, Inc. today announced the GHC 50, a bright 5-inch touchscreen autopilot display designed for easier control and readability of its award-winning GHP Reactor autopilots. With a premium industrial design and edge-to-edge glass display, the GHC 50 seamlessly integrates with Garmin multifunction displays (MFDs) to create a sleek and stunning look for any helm…

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.

15

Starlink testing begins

I’m far from the first person to test Starlink’s network. Starlink began its public beta period with customers in the northern portion of the United States and Fort Myers, Florida is far from a northern location. So, I’ve just recently been able to get my hands on a terminal and fire up the testing. But, what I’m seeing so far is very promising.

25

Glomex WebBoat 4G Lite EVO, compact internet access with a hitch

There’s a lot to like about Glomex’s WebBoat 4G Lite Evo. It’s a small device with easy mounting, a 4G LTE cellular modem, an easy user interface, and app configuration. These features make the WebBoat 4G Lite Evo easy to install and easy to use. But, like so many other marine-specific internet access equipment I see, it lacks 5ghz WiFi, limiting its performance out of the box.