B&G RaceVision 3000, decked out
Being a bit of contrarian, I thought I’d put up another high-end display for Panbo’s nattering nabobs to fire upon (just kidding, fellas). Actually, I don’t know what this new RaceVision 3000 costs—B&G is apparently reticent about online prices—but I’d guess it’s a pretty dear 8.4” ruggedized, touch-screen, daylight-viewable tablet PC. The press release suggests that it’s meant to connect wirelessly to a set of instruments—preferably H3000 digitals via B&G’s souped-up WTP2 Processor—and directly to the Web for GRIB file downloads. In fact, the latest 8.2 version of Deckman, which comes preloaded, includes integration with the nifty Ugrib software I tried a while back. At any rate, a full-on race system with a 3000 on deck could really add up.
This device gets a pass. Clearly this device dosn’t have the aire of a consumer product being sold as a marine component at 10x price difference with negligable value add.
— nattering nabob
This device scores high on the coolness factor. If it floats, it goes to the top of any serious racer’s Christmas list.
The difference is that this device does something that is quite different from what I can get at the local box store. Yes, you could sort of construct this from a tablet PC, but the promise of this device is that you take it to the boat and sail away. If the tablet PC doesn’t play nicely with your wireless instruments, the kid at CompUSA is not going to be much help. If the B&G doesn’t work they will send a tech out to help you. That is a worthwhile exchange of work for cash.
What the marinized monitors bring to the table is sunlight readibility and (in some cases) a dim-to-dark feature. Both of these are nice, but not essential features. You can always shade the monitor with screens and use a filter at night like people have done for years. It makes one feel like a chump to pay $6000 for those two features. (I know, I’m still in the throes of trying to figure out which two pilothouse monitors I want.)
On the other hand, a nav computer that you can use from the cockpit and which is already integrated with your sailing instruments (at no installation cost?) is bringing something new to the table. I predict that this computer will do well, assuming that there is a large enough market segment that needs it.