The Marine Technology Hub
Batteries are essential for engine starting and operating onboard utilities. With Veratron’s new Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS), it’s simple to monitor their status and health in real-time. The system works with any OceanLink, AcquaLink or NMEA 2000-networked display, and is compatible with the latest glass cockpit systems.
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).
Siren Marine today unveiled the Siren 3 Pro — the next generation
Connected Boat® product that will fundamentally enhance the boat ownership experience while
providing the boating industry with critical data needed to provide better products and an entirely new approach to service opportunities and customer support.
For me, the boat monitoring features of FloatHub started well and have continually improved since I first reviewed the relatively inexpensive hardware/service system when it was a 2017 Kickstarter campaign. So when I stripped the chaos of redundant test electronics off Gizmo last fall with a plan to put together a more normal “pick of the litter” system, FloatHub was going to part of it. But actually I just installed a new LTE cellular model and that, along with some nifty new sharing features, prompted this update…
Have Another Day seems to consume nearly unlimited electricity. So much in fact that I began to doubt the accuracy of the simple kilowatt hour meters on the shore power pedestal at my marina. Month after month of $300 plus electrical bills will do that to you. Spot checking the power consumption with a clamp meter seemed to agree with the meter on the pedestal, but I wanted to know more which sent me searching for a tool to help me understand my boat’s electrical usage. It took me some time, but I eventually found a cost effective and easy solution.
Garmin announced today the quatix 6X Solar, the latest addition to its new marine GPS smartwatch series that features a transparent solar charging display that uses the sun’s energy to extend battery life. As the first Garmin marine-centric GPS smartwatch to offer solar charging, the quatix 6X Solar combines all of the best features of Garmin’s fēnix 6X Pro Solar with specialized boating, fishing, cruising and sailing capabilities so users can enjoy more time on the water.
Veratron’s new NMEA 2000 Liquid Level Sensor overcomes a laundry list of issues that plague traditional fluid level monitoring solutions, including full linear measuring for exact readings. Powered by an NMEA 2000 network, three models are available to accommodate a wide range of tank depths from 7.8″ to 59″.
I have been wanting to explore more about what’s possible with Signal K server, and quarantine 2020 gave me the time. I’ve spent the last week or so exploring all that the server and its array of plugins make possible. I’m impressed and the dashboard you see above is just the tip of the iceberg of what I’ve been able to do with it so far. If you stick with me and some geeky talk I’ll tell you about what I’ve been able to do with all the data on my boat and the tools Signal K Server offers.
Sorry to report that completely illegal AIS fishing net buoys are still for sale on eBay, and thus there may be strings of them still out in the oceans confusing cruisers and other mariners. I thoroughly understand how AIS buoys could help commercial fishermen protect their assets and income, but these devices look like regular AIS vessel targets while further misusing the technology in ways that can mess up real boat and ship AIS transmissions in the area…
Boating Suite, LLC today announced Boating Suite: Logbook & Expense Tracker is now available on the Apple App Store. Version 2020.1 is a major update to Boating Suite and represents the third major iteration of the app. Not only has Boating Suite been completely re-written from the ground up, it delivers many new features including a completely new interface and dashboard, track recording, weather integration, native iPad support, one-button trip logging, dark mode support and more.
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