Panbo

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Panbo

Category: Navigation

10

Navigation / Communications / AIS / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K / Monitoring & Tracking

Testing Vesper Cortex M1: excellent AIS, monitoring, and much more in one box

What a box! If possible, I’d expand the headline to “excellent AIS transceiver, dual antenna splitter, high-performance GNSS, AIS display and collision avoidance, NMEA 0183 & 2000 data multiplexing, nav app WiFi support, anchor watch, and general off-boat monitoring.” And even that long list leaves out the powerful VHF radio that’s also inside the M1 hub, accessible with the innovative multifunction Cortex handsets, and understandably the most prominent feature in Vesper’s marketing. But that’s my plan for this review…

5

Press Releases / Fishing & Sonar / Network & control / Navigation

Humminbird Introduces the APEX Series: A Premium MFD with a Full-HD Display, First-Class Sonar and Networking Options

Humminbird announces the next level in fish finder technology with the launch of the new APEX series. Now combining Humminbird’s best-in-class sonar technologies and full networking capabilities on a full-HD display, APEX delivers the clearest and most-detailed display of sonar and chart technologies and represents the pinnacle of marine electronics innovation…

2

Navigation / AIS / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Quark-Elec A026: AIS receiver with WiFi, GPS, and NMEA 0183 multiplexing

Quark-Elec offers quite an array of problem-solving marine electronic devices. I’ve been testing their A026 AIS receiver with built-in GPS; data output via WiFi, USB, or NMEA 0183; plus an 0183 input that can be multiplexed into its output stream. This little box could be the perfect answer for day sailors, delivery captains, and any boater looking for an easy way to get AIS target and GPS data to a navigation app running on a tablet or phone, or to a PC or MFD. But, how does it perform?

8

Navigation / Charts

Simrad Go12 XSE and Halo20, capable and cost-effective small boat navigation

Simrad’s Go12 XSE may be from the value-oriented Go line, but I’m impressed at its performance and capabilities after installing it aboard Panbo(at). Plus, paired with Simrad’s Halo20 radar this 22-foot center-console has great nighttime and foul-weather visibility. All of this from an electronics package with a list price of less than $4,000.

4

Press Releases / Navigation

Garmin announces 250 watt, solid-state, open-array Fantom 254/256 radars

Garmin today announced the GMR Fantom 254/256 open-array radars delivering 250W of pulse compression power, its highest-powered solid-state marine radar on the market. The new Fantom 254/256 series uses Garmin’s signature MotionScope™ technology to detect and highlight moving targets in different colors, helping users avoid potential collisions, find flocks of birds and track weather.

21

Wireless & Apps / Navigation / Charts

Raymarine news: Axiom Plus, new Lighthouse charts, and more

Raymarine had a busy Monday announcing new and updated hardware, software, and cartography. They unveiled an updated Axiom MFD called the Axiom+, all new LightHouse charts, LightHouse Premium subscription plan, and a new companion app called RayConnect to their Axiom line of MFDs. Raymarine recently presented the new functionality to members of the media allowing me share some more details about the announcements.