Panbo

The Marine Technology Hub

Category: The future

Navico’s numbers, should you care? 20

The future / The Trade

Navico’s numbers, should you care?

Navico_claimed_2012_market_share_growth.jpg

As a privately held corporation Navico doesn’t have to reveal anything about its financial state, but last week it issued a proud press release claiming a dramatic 15% sales increase in 2012, which resulted in revenues of 256 million dollars and EBITDA earnings of 41.4 million. And at the Las Palmas B&G event, the mother company added some claims about what their numbers meant versus the competition, as seen in the slide above. Is Navico painting a fair picture of where the recreational marine electronics market is at? Does it matter to consumers anyway?

Maretron IPG100, the missing link, sort of? 29

Wireless & Apps / PC & peripheral / The future / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Maretron IPG100, the missing link, sort of?

Maretron_IPG100.JPG

Wow, Maretron just released the IPG100, an “Internet Protocol Gateway” that can take all the NMEA 2000 PGNs on a backbone, turn them into TCP/IP data packets, and serve them out an Ethernet port.  Which means of course that the data can then be routed by cable to a vessel’s local network of computers (and other fixed Ethernet gear) and by WiFi to an infinite assortment of onboard mobile tablets, apps phones, etc.  Obvious too is that an IP gateway could also be adept at sending data off a vessel, and vice versa, for remote monitoring, troubleshooting, and more.  And Maretron’s IPG100 consumes only 0.5 amps of N2K backbone power at most and its $595 price tag includes much more than I’ve already described.  Or much less, depending on your point of view!…

Digital Yacht BOATraNET, something truly different? 14

Wireless & Apps / The future

Digital Yacht BOATraNET, something truly different?

Digital_Yacht_Boatranet.JPG

Interesting!  Digital Yacht’s BOATraNET — just being introduced at the London Boat Show — is a low-amperage 12v Linux server designed expressly to deliver all sorts of NMEA 0183 and/or 2000 boat data, plus centrally stored info and media, via WiFi to whatever assemblage of smart phones, tablets, and PCs are on board your boat.  And you won’t need a special app but rather just a new generation browser running HTML 5.  You can also connect a high power WiFi transceiver to BOATraNET so that all your devices can get online via the boat’s own hot spot when you’re in port.  Can anyone argue with Digital Yacht’s characterization of this concept as “revolutionary”?… 

Gizmo 2010-2011, Happy New Year! 23

Navigation / The future

Gizmo 2010-2011, Happy New Year!

Gizmo_fall_1010_cPanbo.JPG

I was happy to do some late season cruising and electronics testing on Gizmo this year, and am also happy that she’s snuggled high and dry under shrink wrap now that winter — including at least a foot of the white stuff — is really here.  But something I’m really excited about in 2011 is my plan to take the boat south next Fall.  Oh, I don’t intend to stop working; in fact, if the manufacturers continue to cooperate with what may be the industry’s longest testing program,  Gizmo’s flying bridge will look fairly similar to what I put together this season. (Which, come to think of it, I haven’t shown off until now; click above for a bigger image, and be assured that I have hundreds of screen shots yet to sort through and write about.)  A long gunkholing, blogging, and boat-show-ing circuit to, say, Charleston and back is sure motivating me, though…

ARGUS, harvesting depth data the ambitious way! 21

Fishing & Sonar / The future

ARGUS, harvesting depth data the ambitious way!

ARGUS_idea.JPG

The concept is pretty sensational:  The ARGUS (Autonomous Remote Global Underwater Surveillance) system would equip volunteer vessels with a custom WiFi transceiver that are connected to the nav system for GPS and depth, and that can automatically upload (when possible) the resulting data files to a shore server where it’s collated and quality controlled before being turned over to NOAA so it can better manage its dredging and charting responsibilities.  If it all works out as hoped, the volunteers might even get the equipment for free and be able to use the WiFi connects for their own Internet needs…

Trends in marine electronics, your thoughts please! 44

The future

Trends in marine electronics, your thoughts please!

Garmin_5212_GMR24HD_cPanbo.JPG

I’m working on a January Yachting feature about trends in marine electronics, and I’d appreciate your feedback.  One thing I’m fairly sure of is that multifunction displays have come a long way in recent years, and justifiably dominate the mid size boat market.  I took a solo overnight expedition last week, and had to note again that each of the four MFD/radar systems currently installed on Gizmo is pretty darn powerful.  Especially if you imagine yourself five to ten years back in marine electronics.  Note how the Garmin 24HD radome is imaging and overlaying that low ledge seen off to starboard, without any tuning, and also the NMEA 2000 data flowing onto the 5212 screen (and every other display aboard).  Note, too, the iPhone on the dash — right then running SailTrac, a trip tracking and blogging program I’ll write about soon — and the Standard Horizon HX850S, which also has a GPS and is ready to call in the cavalry via DSC should I screw up.  There are many trends to consider…

Furuno FLS, the hope lives on 10

Fishing & Sonar / The future

Furuno FLS, the hope lives on

Furuno_FLS_patent_7369459

One enterprising, if anonymous, Panbot has apparently been checking out filings at the U.S. Patent Office, and discovered some interesting recent activity regarding Furuno Electric Co. and Forward Looking Sonar (FLS). You may recall that Furuno…