Panbo

The Marine Electronics Hub

Category: Safety & SAR

One LED flare replaces U.S. required pyros, Sirius Signal but not Ocean Signal 76

Cabin & deck gear / Safety & SAR

One LED flare replaces U.S. required pyros, Sirius Signal but not Ocean Signal

Sirius Signal LED flare aPanbo.jpg

The pitch is compelling. The $100 Sirius Signal SOS C-1001 LED “flare” isn’t just a floating SOS flasher visible at night “up to 10+ nautical miles…for at least 6 hours.” It is also the only such device that meets the U.S. Coast Guard requirements for an electric distress light and can thus permanently replace the three pyrotechnic flares otherwise required on all U.S. recreational vessels over 16 feet operating in coastal waters, the Great Lakes, and many major rivers (and on even smaller boats at night). Given that the cheapest flare set costs about $33 and expires 42 months after manufacturing (and you might not want the cheapest because pyros are inherently dangerous to you and the environment), the Sirius substitute may be a “no brainer”…

U.S. Coast Guard mobile, a good app with a compelling back story 5

Wireless & Apps / Safety & SAR

U.S. Coast Guard mobile, a good app with a compelling back story

USCG_app_home_screens_cPanbo.jpgThe free USCG Boating Safety App has a lot to offer, as indicated by the home screens seen above on my Android phone and iPad Mini. Version 1.0 also seems almost surprisingly fast and polished, which may make more sense when you learn that it was developed by a small, highly-motivated team instead of a large government bureaucracy. In fact, the app is a gift to us from a grieving father trying to honor a son who was an enthusiatic CG Auxilary volunteer on the path to becoming an active duty Guardsman…

YB3i tracker/messenger, a highly evolved system 5

Wireless & Apps / Communications / Safety & SAR

YB3i tracker/messenger, a highly evolved system

YB3i_on_Gizmo_rail_collage_cPanbo.jpg

The hardware portion of the YB3i tracker/messenger couldn’t be much simpler or tougher. It’s just a little bigger than the GPS mushrooms also installed on Gizmo’s flybridge and it feels solid, while the ScanStrut Rokk rail mount that it fits is truly rock-like. The black cable only leads to a power source (9-30v DC) and the YB3i can get along without that for quite a while, thanks to an internal backup battery. And finally, the single LED “interface” is really only needed for extreme trouble shooting. But such hardware simplicity is only possible because of the impressive array of satellite services, cloud server wizardry, and mobile apps that comprise the rest of the ecosystem…

SOTDMA Class B AIS, the “new” middle way? 39

Safety & SAR / AIS / The Trade

SOTDMA Class B AIS, the “new” middle way?

SRT_5W_SOTDMA_AIS_Class_B_on_way_aPanbo.jpg

It may be a while before we see the first 5 Watt SOTDMA Class B AIS transceiver actually available for sale, but it certainly is interesting to see a prototype trumpeted in SRT’s Summer 2015 Pulse Newsletter (available here). Given SRT’s main role as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) we may first see this “new” AIS technology — perhaps with even more features — branded as Simrad, Raymarine, True Heading, Digital Yacht, Comar etc. (and/or marketed under SRT’s own Em-Trak label). Or maybe Furuno, AMEC, Vesper or another of the independent AIS manufacturers will be first out with SOTDMA Class B? I don’t know. More important is SOTDMA Class B as a coming middle ground between the Class A AIS used on large vessels (which also works on the SOTDMA protocol) and the CSTDMA Class B technology that we’re used to…

Simrad Halo solid-state open-array radar, what you get 14

Navigation / Safety & SAR / The future

Simrad Halo solid-state open-array radar, what you get

Simrad_Halo_radar_demo_Hawks_Cay_Jan_2015_cPanbo.jpg

This is big. Today Simrad announced the first recreational solid-state open-array radar and it seems to be a humdinger. In January I got to see Halo in action aboard the same Yellowfin 36 seen above in a screen grab of Simrad’s informative Halo video, and I’ve also met twice with members of the engineering team. In fact, there are so many features with so much complex technology behind them that this entry will only attempt to cover what Halo hopes to do for you; next week we’ll get into how it works. And yes, this radar does include blue LED accent lighting, if you want it, but that’s just the bling…

MIBS 2015: Ocean Signal, ACR, C-Map, Garmin GNX, Lumitec and Veethree 15

Safety & SAR / The Trade

MIBS 2015: Ocean Signal, ACR, C-Map, Garmin GNX, Lumitec and Veethree

MIBS2015_Ocean_Signal_James_Flynn_cPanbo.jpgIt’s often hard to organize the news from a busy event like the Miami International Boat Show (MIBS), but this year a few of my photos stood out because they also portray the people behind the electronics. So say hello to Ocean Signal founder James Flynn, seen here showing off their latest ultra compact rescueME safety devices. The MOB1 personal AIS beacon with its added DSC alarm seems impressively simple to fit and use, and thanks to recent FCC approval, it’s now available here in the USA.

Digigone DigiMed telemedicine kits & more Pittman Innovation Award winners 0

Wireless & Apps / Communications / Safety & SAR

Digigone DigiMed telemedicine kits & more Pittman Innovation Award winners

digigone_DigiMed_Mini_aPanbo.jpg

Sail’s 2015 Pittman Innovation Awards were just announced and one of several interesting winners is a series of DigiMed wireless kits that work with Digigone’s existing telemedicine service. Even the smallest DigiMed Mini above can teleconnect you to a 24/7 emergency medical center via Android tablet and Bluetooth headset and I’ve seen how the included wireless macro camera allows the experts to examine the victim down to skin pore level…

Standard Horizon HX870, handheld VHF/GPS/DSC powerhouse 36

Handheld / Communications / Safety & SAR

Standard Horizon HX870, handheld VHF/GPS/DSC powerhouse

Standard_Horizon_HX870_vs_HS851_cPanbo.jpg

I was impressed with Standard Horizon’s original HX850 and I’ve been happily using the slightly upgraded HX851 model above for several years. It’s a fine handheld 6 Watt VHF (if you don’t mind the size) plus it’s always ready to place a DSC distress call and/or navigate a life raft (or tender or kayak or…). But, wow, look what they did with the new HX870 model: The screen is at least twice as large, the interface seems usefully updated with soft keys and icons, the battery is substantially larger, and more…

Simrad ForwardScan (B&G too): a breakthrough even in beta testing 19

Fishing & Sonar / Safety & SAR

Simrad ForwardScan (B&G too): a breakthrough even in beta testing

Simrad_NSS_evo2_home_screen_w_ForwardScan_cPanbo.jpgOn Monday I got to poke around Baltimore Harbor with a beta test version of the Simrad ForwardScan announced last spring (discussed here on Panbo) and recently as B&G ForwardScan. Navico’s sonar product manager Matthew Laster brought along several versions of the NSS evo2 software that supports the new forward looking sonar (FLS) transducer but loaded the latest, saying “It hasn’t been tried on a boat yet but I think it’s quite stable.” In fact, it was darn stable and I was quite impressed with what I saw…