Panbo

The Marine Electronics Hub

Category: Mobile Apps

1

Mobile Apps / Network & control / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K / Monitoring & Tracking

IBEX 2024: Siren 3

When Siren’s Founder, Dan Harper, introduced the Siren 3 Pro, it was supposed to be the first of three models of the Siren 3 series. That was more than four years ago and before Dan’s untimely death in early 2021. Since then, Siren has been acquired by Yamaha and a mid-priced Siren 3 Plus has been introduced. But, the low cost member of that series hasn’t materialized, until now. So, I was pleased to see an announcement at the beginning of IBEX that Siren will begin shipping the Siren 3 in April of 2025.

16

Mobile Apps / Wireless & Apps / Network & control / Navigation / PC & peripheral / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Pitufino wifi gateway and NMEA tool kit

Products developed by active cruisers grab my attention. In my experience, products created onboard solve needs and fix issues directly experienced by the creator. Pitufino is no exception. There is no shortage of NMEA 2000 to WiFi gateways in the marketplace. There are also quite a few NMEA 0183 gateways. But few of them are nearly as ambitious, flexible, or offer as many features as the Pitufino gateway.

2

Mobile Apps / Press Releases

GEC introduces new Aqua Map update: We have a new look!

GEC srl is pleased to announce the launch of one of the most significant updates for its popular product, Aqua Map. This update marks a very important step forward, with a series of new features and improvements designed to make the user experience even more intuitive and rewarding. Among the many updates, two key elements stand out:

5

Mobile Apps / Monitoring & Tracking

MIBS 2024: Skyhawk Oversea, a fresh look at monitoring

Boat monitoring isn’t a new concept or product category. Heck, it’s been 17 years since Ben E. wrote up the first monitors on Panbo. So, you may be wondering what could be so new that my fellow judges and I awarded SkyHawk Oversea at MIBS this year. The short answer is a lot. The longer answer is Skyhawk took a fresh look at most of what we know about boat monitoring and came up with something very different. Will it work? Honestly, I don’t know. But I sure do love the paradigm-pushing approach they took.

87

Mobile Apps / Wireless & Apps / Navigation / Handheld / Charts

Mobile navigation app roundup

Apps running on tablets and phones have come a long way from the first, relatively primitive charting apps that debuted shortly after the turn of the millennia. Not only have the existing apps gained big functionality, but we’ve also seen many new entries into the category. This entry will attempt to review the currently available apps and their capabilities.

3

Mobile Apps / Navigation / Handheld / Charts

Aqua Map updated with no-wake zones, live sharing, and more

Two recent Aqua Map upgrades have brought several new features and the ability to share your location with other Aqua Map users. Aqua Map now displays no-wake zones, artificial reefs, and the state of Georgia’s restricted anchoring zones. Although it might not seem like a major feature, I’m most excited about the ability to display no-wake zones.

18

Mobile Apps / Wireless & Apps / Weather

Trial Run: TZ iBoat v. 2

My iPad is a veritable archeological dig of marine navigation apps. At some point over the years, I have installed just about every major release: C-Map Plan2Nav, Navionics Boating, NV Charts, iNavX, AquaMap, Garmin Bluechart Mobile (that became Active Captain), and some others lost to memory. It’s the iPad equivalent of Gizmo’s radar mast. With that history, it should be no surprise that I downloaded and installed TimeZero’s TZ iBoat app version 2 when it was released a few weeks ago…

18

Mobile Apps / Electrical & Engines / Monitoring & Tracking

Victron SmartShunt: easy install, networked, all-in-one battery monitor

I’ve found Victron’s BMV battery monitors to be simple, reliable, and easy to understand. Now, the new SmartShunt combines the BMV’s shunt and electronics into a single unit barely larger than the regular shunt with Bluetooth and Victron’s VE.Direct networking built-in. In my testing, the SmartShunt works just like a BMV. And I don’t miss the little gauge display because there are so many other ways to see and use SmartShunt battery data, suitable to boats large and small (and RVs).