XM NavWeather, via Humminbird
Check out the bigger image. That’s a new XM Satellite weather service called NavWeather that’s going to debut on a lot of Humminbird multifunction displays next January. I don’t fully understand what makes it different from the XM Satellite Weather many of us have seen on Garmin MFDs but there are some clues. The brief demo I saw and photographed at MAATS, for instance, shows NexRad radar with lightning and at least a bit of animation…which I think of as the most important elements of a live weather feed. Yet NavWeather is considerably less expensive than the current service, $10 a month with $15 activation fee and a $250 receiver. It also uses something the press release calls “Threat Matrix technology to track nationwide weather information for more than 20 different weather conditions,” and deliver appropriate alerts.
BUT NavWeather is quite out front about being a freshwater product “Not for in-shore or off-shore saltwater use.” So I assume that means no NOAA coastal forecasts, no wind and sea forecasts, and no sea temperature maps. Which is sort of odd, really, as I think any satellite weather system receives all the data coming from the birds regardless of position. A skeptic might presume that NavWeather is designed to bring in new price conscious subscribers—lake fishermen—while not cannibalizing the existing saltwater market. Time will tell.
Humminbird has also announced “the first and only marine GPS+WAAS receiver to provide position accuracy to less than one meter without the need to purchase supporting equipment.” I have no idea how that’s possible, but I’m curious. And, finally, I’m pleased to report that Dan Corcoran—aka
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Ben Ellison
Panbo editor, publisher & chief bottlewasher from 4/2005 until 8/2018, and now pleased to have Ben Stein as a very able publisher, webmaster, and editing colleague. Please don't regard him as an "expert"; he's getting quite old and thinks that "fadiddling fumble-putz" is a more accurate description.
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Ben,
Lowances Announcement about GPS Sub-Meter Accuracy is pure Marketing Crap! As is most of their announcements from their “Marketing” department.
The listed specifications for accuracy of the new Lowrance GPS Receiver against the listed Garmin Receiver is mixing accuracy specifications to create the illusion of improved accuracy and NOTHING MORE!
There is no new magic WAAS Signal or new way to process WAAS/GPS Information to make a dramatic improvement in position accuracy with the available existing technology for a non-military C/A Code GPS Receiver no matter how many channels it incorporates!
Additionally, neither Garmin or Lowrance manufacture their own GPS Receivers. I believe that they may even be using the same manufacturer to their GPS Core that they purchase to solder into their products.
The mix in accuracy specifications is clear in the Lorance Announcement! A rough clarification: “CEP 50%” means that 50% percent of the time, the accuracy of the Lowrance GPS is less than one meter while the slightly cryptic “95%” reference to the Garmin receiver means that 95% of the time, the Garmin is within 2 meters. I bet that 50% of the time, the Garmin receiver will also be less than 1 meter as well.
Here is a good site that explains GPS Receiver Accuracy specifications:
http://www.romdas.com/technical/gps/gps-acc.htm
It is simply a classic “Apples-to-Oranges” Marketing 101 lie!
What happened to JackRabbit.com? I have been waiting a couple of weeks for an order and can get no information. Now the web site is missing? Any idea what is going on?
We’re going to see some interesting stuff when the merger of XM/Sirius concludes. Currently, XM/Sirius use different providers for the weather information. Garmin has started displaying 3-D NEXRAD information using the Mariners Eye View on their new MFD’s. The other new feature that is just around the corner is the ability to loop SST information (time period yet deteremined, I’ve heard 48 hours). Just pure speculation on my part, but I think you’ll see go to a single provider while still providing the same services to exisiting customers.
XM Weather does have a nice animation display up to 24 minutes for looping with embedded lightning strikes.
Cheers ……..
Hi,
Since you have some relation with Jackrabbit marine I would like to let you know that the websites for the store and the blog are apparently gone, as well as $10K I ordered from them?
Would you guys have any idea what’s going on?
Regards,
Michael
Mr. “GPS Facts”, It’s Humminbird, not Lowrance, who has announced a super accurate marine GPS, and that’s a real fact!
As for JackRabbit Marine, I would guess, and hope, that it’s just some temporary overhaul or glitch that has the site down. Here’s other means of contact for the worried:
JackRabbit Marine
375 Fairfield Avenue
Stamford, CT 06902
Phone: 800-473-3981 or 203-961-8133
Fax: 203-961-0382
E-Mail: [email protected]
And some recent JackRabbit threads at THT:
http://tinyurl.com/6qm3ev
Jack Rabbit has definitely been garnishing the ire of many sailors as of late. The old man who owned it sold it to a brit and things have gone both uphill and downhill ever since.
On the upside they began a robust web presence with intersting articles and email broadcasts about products. They expanded their product line to nav gear from basic electrics. And their service has gone in the tank and they seem to be late in deliveries and not personable to say the least to customers lately.
I recall showing up at their shop in Stamford, getting into the shop in the back with Steve and working out my solutions. Now I don’t think they will see customers face to face there.
They need to get their act together because bad rep will sink them.
Everyone, we found this email from Peter James, owner of Jack Rabbit Marine, in our mailbox this morning:
JackRabbit has closed and is filing for bankruptcy. I’m sorry that you got caught up in this mess. My understanding of the process is that the court appoints a trustee who is responsible for liquidating the assets of the company and reimbursing the creditors. Your contact information and the amount owed will be provided to the court as part of the filing. If you are not made whole by the trustee, I consider it my personal responsibility to make sure that eventually the full amount owed is returned to you.
I’m shocked. If anyone had asked me a week ago which online marine electronics house I thought most reliable, I would have suggested — aside from West Marine, Consumer’s Electronics, Boating World, Amazon etc…the big boys — JackRabbit.com, because of its comprehensive Web site, and Peter James excellent blog.
Frankly I thought Jack Rabbit was the very model of where the business is headed. I hope we’ll learn more about this company collapsed, and I especially hope that all customers are satisfied.
Ben wrote … “the very model of where the business is headed” … that nails it on the head, or “innovation done right” or so it had appeared. Having gone back and forth with Peter via email (his blog’s comment feature was terrible) I am especially sad to see him go off-line.
Anyone else experiencing a 90 second+ delay after clicking the POST button after commenting ?
The bad news is that our beloved JackRabbit Marine store (formerly http://www.jackrabbitmarine.com), from where we’ve been ordering parts for years, is unfortunately going out of business. The company owner, Peter James, has addressed his concerns and is currently liquidating assets in order to be able to pay back the customers who still have outstanding orders. Many have made purchases which have never been delivered.
Peter James is currently selling his home for $2 million, in order to refund customers.
The home is for sale, here:
http://www.zillow.com/homes/map/121-Dolphin-Cove-Quay_lb/stamford,-ct_rb/
and
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/121-Dolphin-Cove-Quay/58827535_zpid