Category: Navigation

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Solid state radomes compared, part 3 – Furuno checks in

This article is supposed to be a thorough comparison of how Furuno’s DRS2DNXT compared to the other radars I’ve tested. Unfortunately, testing multiple radars on a 22-foot boat is challenging. The most recent challenge included snapping a freshly made mount before I was able to get offshore with the setup. The bad news is, I wasn’t able to complete all my testing scenarios. The good news is, I still have the radar unit and I’m working on more permanent and robust mounting options. But for now, here’s what I’ve learned.

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SIONYX Nightwave, strong low light performance

SIONYX’s Nightwave camera is the company’s first fixed mount, marine, night vision camera. It builds on the strong low-light performance of the company’s Aurora handheld spotting scopes in a more traditional marine form factor. I’ve had the camera out on some inky dark nights and been pleased with the performance.

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MIBS 2023 – B&G Zeus S

Last year at the Miami show, B&G’s Navico sister company, Simrad, was showing off NSX, the first MFD running Navico’s new Neon operating system. This year it’s B&G’s turn to show their Neon-based Zeus S. Neon on the Zeus S comes with a plethora of sailing-specific features and at least one new safety feature I’ve never seen on a recreational product.

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Panbo(at) gets a Furuno DRS2DNXT, cue the comparisons

Since I started paying attention to marine electronics , I’ve heard that Furuno radars are the class of the industry. My own experiences on boats have shown that rumor to be accurate. So, I was awfully disappointed when I couldn’t get my hands on an eval unit when I did my radar comparisons (part II here). I have some good news! Furuno was able to provide a unit for comparison and I’ve had (just a little) bit of time on the water with it.

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MIBS 2023 – Raymarine Axiom Pro 2, Axiom XL 2, and more

Raymarine announced several new products either at or just before MIBS this year. The list includes updates to their Axiom Pro and Axiom XL MFDs, a new sonar sounder, and a new camera. Additionally, Raymarine showed off a pre-release version of their latest software update, including an attractive new icon set for the core applications.

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Raymarine Launches Five New Product Lines

Raymarine, global leaders in high performance marine electronics for the recreational boating and marine first responder and law enforcement markets, announced today the launch of five new products which include the Axiom® 2 Pro and Axiom 2 XL family of multifunction chartplotter displays, as well as a new suite of sonar products and an advanced marine camera system…

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Furuno Goes Big With New NavNet TZtouchXL Ultra-Sharp 22″ & 24″ MFDs

Over the years, Furuno has done an exceptional job listening to their customers by developing new software features and adding a smaller 9″display to their NavNet TZtouch3 product line. Now, Furuno is responding to customer requests at the other end of the spectrum with the introduction of two new, extra-large 22″ and 24″ models. Aptly named TZtouchXL, these super-wide, full-HD (1920×1080 FHD resolution) MFDs include all of the features that make NavNet TZtouch3 the easiest yet most powerful system on the market…

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Garmin, Raymarine, and Simrad enclosed radars compared, part 2

Part 1 of my radar comparison generated a good discussion about the results and highlighted some opportunities to get back out on the water and complete some additional testing. I’m back with part 2 and the results of that additional testing. I’ve been able to test some additional scenarios, different settings, and more features of all three radars.

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Enclosed radars compared, including Garmin, Raymarine, and Simrad

I often shy away from recommending one manufacturer’s products over another. I feel the comparison is usually highly subjective and what works for me may not work for others. But, an on-the-water comparison of Garmin, Raymarine, and Simrad’s current radar units allows all of us to see the results and decide for ourselves what we like best.

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How do you test three radars on a 22-foot boat?

Things in Fort Myers are starting to get back to normal after hurricane Ian. For me, that means getting back out on the water and testing marine electronics. One of my first post-hurricane on-the-water tests will be comparing the current crop of solid-state, enclosed dome radar units. I’ve planned this comparison test for an embarrassingly long time. But I haven’t been able to figure out how to mount all three units on my 22-foot test boat.