Category: Electrical & Engines

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Getting Technical: Top tier technologies

Innovation in the past five years or so has been a little bit lumpy. The impacts of a global pandemic, followed by severe supply-chain shortages, slowed the pace of product introductions and advancements. Even so, three major innovations are hitting the marine marketplace with a big splash. Each one is changing the way boaters use their boats, and leaving a lasting imprint on the industry.

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A Deep Dive into Boat Electrical Systems with Nigel Calder

Electrical systems are the leading cause of problems on boats equipped with anything more than a rudimentary electrical system. Most of these problems are preventable; they arise from a failure to abide by core design and installation principles. To explore these critical design and installation challenges, OceanPlanet Energy (OPE), in collaboration with Professional Boatbuilder magazine, Ocean Navigator magazine, and BoatHowTo.com is once again hosting an intensive two-day seminar developed and presented by tech guru Nigel Calder, author of…

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How-to: Making engraved dash panels

Ben Ellison and I began working together on Panbo seven years ago. For me, that time has been a journey of figuring out a new industry, a new career, and new side gigs. One of those side gigs has me installing marine technology. My work ranges widely including full electronics refits, lithium battery upgrades, troubleshooting, and more. Recently, I took on the update of a friend’s center console. A casual mention that he’d like to modernize the look sent me down a rabbit hole of figuring out how to make a new panel with labels etched into it. Obviously, once I figured that out, I had to add the boat logo. Ultimately, a simple ask turned into nearly a dozen prototypes, countless hours, and a lot scrap before the finished product. I learned a lot during the process and I’m excited to share it.

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WattCycle LiFePO4, value battery with a punch

You may not have heard of Watt Cycle before, but if you are in the market for a value oriented lithium iron phosphate battery, you should probably take note. Watt Cycle offers numerous batteries in multiple voltages at attractive price points. We have certainly seen batteries with low price tags and performance to match. So, the question is, how will Watt Cycle’s batteries perform? I have tested a pair of batteries extensively and have some pretty positive results to share.

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Putting Panboat 2.0 to work with test gear from Epoch, Icom, Lenco, Scanstrut, Sensar, Tocaro Blue, and Victron

I have owned Panboat 2.0 for a little over 3 months. Unfortunately, I haven’t made as much testing headway as I hoped courtesy of a very busy fall with boat shows, speaking engagements, and dodging hurricanes. I leave for Amsterdam to attend METS shortly, but once home, I don’t have another show until Miami in mid-February. So, it’s high time I get to work outfitting the new Edgewater 280CX with the goodies needed for testing and begin rolling in some new technology.

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IBEX 2024: Solid State Marine’s solid state lithium batteries

In a first for IBEX, this year’s show featured a startup pavilion for early-stage companies to display at IBEX in a cost effective manner. I spent some time checking out the exhibitors in the pavilion and was very pleased to come across Solid State Marine’s booth. I was quite excited to see Solid State Marine present with their solid state lithium batteries. Solid State Marine is, to my knowledge, the first company offering solid state lithium batteries to the marine electrical market.

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Victron Venus OS v3.50 – New User Interface, Security and Generator Improvements

We are excited to announce the release of Venus OS v3.50. A massive milestone and improvement for our range of GX control and monitoring solutions. Whether you’re managing a system at home, in a marine environment, or on an industrial site, this release has something for you. The most significant change in the new release is the new graphical user interface. The new UI brings a modern look, improved functionality, and a faster, more responsive experience. The best introduction is through watching this video…

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Dockmate Elevates User Experience With DPS V2

Dockmate, the leading manufacturer of advanced wireless remote controls for yachts, announced today that its revolutionary new feature for their wireless remote control systems, Dockmate Positioning System (DPS), has been completely redesigned for easy retrofit, increased safety and ease of use. The magic of DPS V2 is that it is completely self-contained within the Receiver. Because the Dockmate Receiver already handles control of engines/motors and thrusters through its existing integrations, DPS V2 needs less hardware to achieve the same results as much more expensive aftermarket dynamic positioning systems…