Panbo

The Marine Electronics Hub

Category: Network & control

2

Press Releases / Network & control / The future

Navico Shifts Electronics Paradigm with Introduction of New Display Category

Navico — parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad, B&G and C-MAP brands — announced today the launch of a brand new category of marine technology — the information display (ID). Ushering in a new dawn of integration for boaters and marking the first significant evolution of the multifunctional display (MFD), IDs combine a sleek design with a configurable interface that simplifies monitoring and control of onboard systems — all with a look and feel that is as unique as the vessel itself.

18

Network & control / Communications

Winegard Connect marine WiFi and cell internet connection, simple and functional

While the Connect all-in-one WiFi and cellular get-online system — with the cell service included — is Winegard’s first entry into the marine internet market, they’ve been at it in the RV world for quite some time and the rock-solid RF performance is pretty impressive even if the interface seemed rather bare-bones to me.

25

Network & control / PC & peripheral / Communications

Using a WiFi Bridge to connect your boat to the internet, interfaces compared

There are a lot of WiFi bridges that can connect your boat to the Internet, though as I mentioned in my article on marine internet, depending on WiFi for connectivity while travelling can be hit and miss.  But, without a WiFi bridge the chances of a usable connection decline dramatically…

6

Editors' Blog / Network & control / Communications

KVH enters the cellular Internet market

KVH announced they’ve entered the cellular internet market with the TracPhone LTE-1.  Their marketing materials say it can deliver “Double the coverage and 10x faster speed at sea.”  KVH is providing the hardware and the cellular service and promises to deliver an all-in-one, end-to-end, no hassle, simple service.  If this announcement weren’t from KVH and it didn’t have some of the pretty bold claims KVH makes it might look like just a ho-hum, me too announcement.  But, KVH says they can do more faster and easier than the existing products so, I for one, am looking forward to seeing if this, generally pretty conservative, engineer driven company, can back them up.

12

Network & control / Entertainment / The future

Fusion Apollo Series, truly “The Sum of Audio Innovation”?

Even bolder than the advertising tagline quoted in my title is sentence two of the Apollo press release: “Building on FUSION’s industry recognized True-Marine design philosophy, the new Apollo Series will forever change the face of marine entertainment and set a new standard by which all others will be created.” And the Apollo name and logo even reference the classical Greek god of music. It would all seem immensely pretentious if Fusion hadn’t also gone big with design and audio goodness. But, by golly, I think Apollo delivers…

14

Wireless & Apps / Network & control / How-to

Configuring a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X for WiFi and cell internet on your boat

In my feature about marine internet, I referenced a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter as the “heart of our boat network.” It manages multiple WiFi and cellular internet connections to multiple computers, tablets, etc. around the boat, and is remarkably capable for its cost, but configuration is not for the faint of the heart. So this is the step-by-step guide…

17

Editors' Blog / Network & control / Communications

A (long) note on Ethernet connector weather protection, or lack of it

I’m noticing a trend and I don’t like it.  You see that nice, metal wrapped RJ-45 connector in the picture?  It’s junk now, corroded and unusable.  It’s sitting on the counter in my galley clipped off the Winegard Connect 4G1xM I’m starting to test.  I believe this is because of the cabling approach Winegard has used on this otherwise very well designed piece of hardware and Wnegard isn’t alone.

45

Wireless & Apps / Network & control / PC & peripheral / Communications / What's on board...

Marine internet, a connected year on the water

My family and I just spent a year on the water.  When we left, some members of our crew were hesitant about the whole idea, so I knew we needed many comforts of home, like an always-on (almost), always-available (almost) internet connection.  This isn’t a simple or one-size-fits-all issue, and what follows is a primer on marine internet and the start of an article series…

4

Cabin & deck gear / Network & control / The future

Garmin OneHelm (HTML5) #1: Lumishore, Seakeeper, and Shadow-Caster

Though multifunction displays have been steadily gaining new functions, the Seakeeper and Lumishore buttons above represent a new era. Garmin calls it OneHelm, but the underlying HTML5 app technology is an important innovation that all the major MFD manufacturers are embracing. It significantly simplifies the process of creating MFD control…