Panbo

The Marine Technology Hub

Yearly Archive: 2026

4

Charts / Monitoring & Tracking / Navigation / What's on board...

The Q Experience from Next Four, A fresh take on chart plotters

Rarely do I have the opportunity to review a truly new chart plotter. For as long as I have been reviewing equipment, chart plotters come from Furuno, Garmin, Navico, or Raymarine. So, it is pretty exciting for me to get my hands on a truly new line of chart plotters. Although NextFour’s Q Experience is new to me and Panbo readers, Q is not as new as you might think. The company just marked ten years of building chart plotters designed to feel as natural as a smartphone. Panboat has spent the past several weeks running around with a dual-display unit suction-cupped to the helm, and I’m ready to share my early impressions. Is Q really as natural to use as your phone? Let’s find out.

6

Mobile Apps / Press Releases / Navigation / Weather

TZ iBoat 4 comes to Android with a redesigned navigation experience

Nobletec today announced the release of TZ iBoat 4, a major update to its mobile navigation app, now available on Android for the first time. This update introduces a new design and a reimagined navigation experience, along with key features and enhancements designed to better support users at sea. The new design delivers a more intuitive and streamlined experience, allowing users to move seamlessly between dedicated screens, each tailored to a specific use. Enhancements to the Weather feature bring…

14

LiFePO4 / Electrical & Engines

Safiery Solid State battery – testing begins

Over the last few months, I’ve been hearing some rumbling about Safiery’s new solid state batteries and the sublime specs they offer. So, it was a bit of good fortune when I ran into Bruce Loxton, the man behind Safiery’s impressive mix of products, at the Palm Beach International Boat Show. A short conversation with Bruce left me excited about what the batteries offer and his promise to send me a battery got my wheels spinning. How would I test this battery and just what is it capable of delivering?

13

Communications / AIS / The future

Garmin announces Signal VHF radios, Vesper’s DNA lives on

I’ve been waiting for this announcement for a long time. Ordinarily, VHF announcements from major marine manufacturers aren’t that exciting. Manufacturers often rely on third parties to design and build their radios. Those radios frequently just complete the line and ensure a brand matching helm. But, Garmin bought Vesper, an AIS specialist, in January of 2022. My piece covering that acquisition asked if Vesper’s innovation would continue. We’ve had to wait more than four years, but the pictures of the Signal series radios look promising.

6

Cabin & deck gear / Safety & SAR / Electrical & Engines

Garmin OnBoard, slick wireless man overboard system for Garmin equipped boats

Have you ever used a traditional engine cut-off tether, forgot you were wearing it and strayed just a bit too far from the switch? I have, and it always ends the same way. The engines shut down, the boat, if it’s in gear, lurches and you’re left dead in the water. A wireless tether provides a longer and less tangle prone virtual leash to replace the physical one. Garmin is not the first company to offer a wireless tether or man overboard system, but theirs works extremely well and integrates beautifully with Garmin MFDs. So, if you have a boat with Garmin displays, this system might be for you.

3

Cameras and night vision / Wireless & Apps / Navigation / Safety & SAR

SIONYX Nightwave Digital, strong low light performance with better integration

For the last 8 years, SIONYX has provided an alternative to thermal night vision cameras. They advertise the sensitivity of their Black Silicon CMOS sensor down to 0.001 LUX or total darkness. In my testing, their cameras have provided truly impressive performance while also displaying full color images in near total darkness. Impressive as their cameras have been, each review has been limited by the connectivity their cameras offered. Now, SIONYX’s Nightwave Digital offers a full suite of connectivity options. So, does the new camera provide everything I want? Read on and find out.

14

LiFePO4 / Electrical & Engines

Lithium battery lifespan part 2, a new battery checks in

The end of last year, I posted my first entry comparing the lifespan of a LiFePO4 battery to the claims made by the manufacturer. That entry relied on data from 525 cycles on the battery. Since then, I have continued my testing and added a second battery and testing rig to the mix. Let’s check in on the testing of both batteries and an interesting trend developing with the first battery as it crosses 1,000 cycles.