Panbo

The Marine Electronics Hub

Category: The Trade

25

Wireless & Apps / Charts / The Trade

ActiveCaptain: Data delivery changing, but free access assured

Within minutes of announcing Garmin’s acquisuition of ActiveCaptain in May 2017 commenters here and elsewhere immediately began to worry about its future. On Wednesday evening, the Polar Navy announcement above poured fuel on that fire, suggesting that the many non-Garmin charting apps and MFDs which display ActiveCaptain cruising information would lose access to the database this May. But that quote is not the whole story by a long shot. Actually, Garmin is emphatic that AC data will remain freely available to developers and users…

Airmar 2018 part 1: Newly certified installers toting TDT1000 transducer testers 4

Fishing & Sonar / The Trade

Airmar 2018 part 1: Newly certified installers toting TDT1000 transducer testers

Airmar_TDT1000_kit_case_n_ACI_logo_cPanbo.jpgDoctor Ducer is in the house! Seriously, the already impressive Airmar TDT1000 Transducer Diagnostic Kit is now key to the company’s new certified installer program, and thus you and your sick fishfinder may one day appreciate a boat call by an informed ducer doc technician with the right tool. And if an ACI installs the transducer in the first place — let’s call it “preventative medicine” — you get a significant warranty upgrade. I tested the tester last month and learned a lot about Airmar and sonar nuances in the process…

AIS issues: Garmin, Navico, McMurdo, AMEC and SRT 78

AIS / The Trade

AIS issues: Garmin, Navico, McMurdo, AMEC and SRT

Marine_Traffic_worldwide_AIS_vessel_count_cPanbo.jpg

I like to write about marine electronics that facilitate safer, more enjoyable boating, especially new developments that seem headed in that direction. It’s been gratifying, for instance, to see the infant Class B AIS that Panbo began covering in 2005 grow into a highly appreciated tool for cruisers, racers and fishermen. AIS is a huge success on many levels, but today the subject is two issues that may concern some Class B AIS users…

Garmin & Navionics part 2, a close look at ActiveCaptain the app 44

Wireless & Apps / Navigation / The Trade

Garmin & Navionics part 2, a close look at ActiveCaptain the app

Garmin_ActiveCaptain_app_notifications_Navionics_cPanbo.jpgIt’s odd that I was writing about the Navionics Boating app’s excellence at MFD integration when Garmin purchased the company and downright weird that the acquisition news arrived via a beta version of the brand new Garmin ActiveCaptain app that takes MFD integration to some other excellent places. For instance, have you ever seen phone notifications pop up on your helm screen while you’re underway (if you choose)? The two apps are good news for lots of boaters as they are right now, but what fun to think of all their key features made into one…

Garmin acquires ActiveCaptain, now what? 29

Charts / The Trade

Garmin acquires ActiveCaptain, now what?

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This morning Garmin purchased ActiveCaptain and I have no idea if that will turn out to be good news or otherwise. Will this large and growing database of crowdsourced cruising information change now that it belongs to a major electronics brand? I have no bold opinions but I do have lots of questions I hope to discuss…

Sabre 66: excellence in digital switching and control 22

Network & control / Electrical & Engines / The future / The Trade / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Sabre 66: excellence in digital switching and control

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Frankly, there’s no plan behind the Panbo trend of more detailed entries posted less often, but sometimes it does seem like a feature rather than a bug. For instance, Sabre gave me a long and impressive systems tour of their first Dirigo 66 while she beautifully occupied this slip at Yachts Miami Beach 2016, and while I didn’t intend to delay the write-up this long, last week I got aboard just-launched hull #3 the day before heading from Maine to Florida at about 25 knots. So I have additional detail on how well the original system design has worked out – also impressive…

BAM! Raymarine Axiom MFDs, LightHouse 3, RealVision 3D sonar & FLIR M100/200 ClearCruise 95

Fishing & Sonar / Navigation / The future / The Trade

BAM! Raymarine Axiom MFDs, LightHouse 3, RealVision 3D sonar & FLIR M100/200 ClearCruise

Raymarine_2017_Axiom_RealVision_and_LightHouse-3_aPanbo.JPG

Raymarine and FLIR are coming to the Miami Boat Show loaded for bear. Those three new 7-, 9- and 12-inch Axiom multifunction displays are showing new LightHouse 3 operating software and new RealVision 3D sonar. Moreover, you’ll learn below about how new M100 and M200 thermal cameras can give the Axioms some features normally seen on superyachts. BAM! The theme that seems evident throughout is modern interface and hardware design with value pricing and a potent dash of innovation spice…

Lauderdale ‘lectronics: sensors, sats, cams, boats, ROVs and ? 4

Communications / The Trade / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Lauderdale ‘lectronics: sensors, sats, cams, boats, ROVs and ?

Fort_Lauderdale_Boat_Show_2016_maps.jpgThe Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) has become an enormous event, and I would have a hard time covering all the interesting electronics-related exhibits even if I actually motivated my lazy old butt out of Maine this week. But I do have the goods on one important set of new products (that I can share tomorrow), and I’ve also got some ideas about booths and docks to visit that some of you might enjoy and perhaps even report back about…

NMEA 2000 realities, the pro installer view 10

The Trade / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

NMEA 2000 realities, the pro installer view

Advanced_NMEA_2000_course_w_trainer_Mike_Spyros_photos_courtesy_NMEA.jpg

The day after the annual National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) Conference ended, the Association ran its new Advanced NMEA 2000 Installer Certification course in the same Naples, Florida, hotel and let me sit in. I learned about numerous N2K subtleties and also about how NMEA trainings have evolved, but let’s start with a fact that says a lot about who the overall organization is: The course trainer Mike Spyros (seen twice above) is not only an exceptionally knowledgeable and seasoned electronics technician, he’s also the incoming chairman of the NMEA Board…