Internet@sea developments are happening in a fast pace. Again, we have a new entrant to this market, TeleSea. Although some of these players are very much focused on US coastal waters, I expect more offerings for the European waters as well shortly.
"The world of high-end satcom has an aggressive new player. TeleSea Blue's four-foot stabilized antenna, North American coverage, and cable modem-like speed are similar to SeaTel's Wavecall 4003 system but use different satellites and a different business model."
Available within months from now, RNS 5.0 promises to be the integrated solution for sailing. Very importantly, it is as open as possible towards electronics from other manufacturers.
"So what we have here is almost everything it takes for an entirely integrated bridge, and surprisingly the integration extends well beyond Raymarine's own extended family of dedicated electronics."
I would be very surprised if this would take of in the maritime sector, since it is not yet even a credible offer for homes connected to normal broadband internet.
"The $600 VisiFone is primarily designed for homes and offices with unlimited broadband service, where the calls are essentially "free" but Sea Tel has teamed with Viseon to highlight the capabilities of its high-end WaveCall 4003 onboard broadband system, which can now be had with unlimited service contracts (though, of course, at considerably more than onshore rates)."
Home automation applied to yachting, is basically what the Yachtica Integrated System offers, although very proprietary and expensive. But surely there will be a market for this product. It would be interesting to see, however, how technologies like ZigBee and Bluetooth will come along in the maritime market, possibly combined with less expensive software to control them.
"For instance, the master of the vessel shown can not only manage the VIP lighting from anywhere aboard but can also set up scenarios like "film" whereby the dimming, air conditioning, power blinds, etc. can all be set with one-touchscreen -or remote control- button push. Then, while watching the film, he or she could be advised of genset and anchor issues, even take remote action as needed. Oh, and this omniscience can extend off the yacht via cellular."
What's the best system for onboard internet, without it costing a small fortune....?
"This is becoming the $64,000 cruising question. Or the 64,000 bits per second (64 kbps) question, as that's about the minimal Web speed most of us can tolerate for work or play these days. There are several ways to get online onboard, but none has yet emerged as a real performance/value winner."
Some highlights from several recent boatshows include:
-NMEA 2000 is making real headway
-C-Map is adding 1,000 ultra-high-detail�down to slip numbers and restrooms�marina maps to its chart cards
-Digital Antenna now has a repeater intended to improve cellular reception on your boat without making you plug in
"Overall I sensed creative intensity as the big companies work to offer boaters (and builders) bow-to-stern electronics solutions while adopting better common protocols for those who like to mix and match, and while making way for increasing PC technology. Yet ther's still room for new companies with good ideas. All of which is good for us boaters."
Global Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) is a system that can be very useful in emergency situations, however, recent integration with GPS systems might not have been such a good thing.
"In the course of researching this column, I discovered that the Coast Guard and NOAA, concerned about the low number of successful GPS-assisted SARSAT calls, did some real-world testing off Key West, Florida, last year. I've read the report, and it's disturbing. Some models seemed to deliver GPS position poorly, if at all."
Review of a new autopilot from Nautamatic. It has some innovative features, probably appealing to many boat-owners.
"A rudder sensor is an electro-mechanical device stuck in a remote, unfriendly area of a boat. It's a pain to install and subject to comparatively high failure rates, so not having one is definitely a good thing. But how does the TR-1 work without it? That's the subject of speculation and skepticism among other autopilot manufacturers."
With highly expensive equipment on board, and even on deck, securing access to your yacht is of critical importance. Several solution directions are possible, this article particularly elaborates on on-board security cameras.
"Digital video tracking is often used these days instead of deck sensors, another type of security system that has been around for several years. As the name implies, deck sensors are feelers placed in various locations underfoot that detect movement. Like digital video tracking, deck sensors are interfaced with voice systems to warn individuals to stay put until you come outside to meet them, and the sensors will trip an alarm if the warning is ignored. However, because installation of these deck sensors requires that your yacht essentially be torn up, Pullens says that CCTVs provide the same advantages more effectively."
Telematics in yachting will provide huge advantages in many ways, with safety ranking as a top application. This article gives an overview of what's availaible on the market today.
"Moreover, telematics technology is on the verge of making major-league contributions to three highly significant areas of the marine realm: vessel safety, onboard security, and owner-assistance underway. And these contributions, in my opinion, rate right up there importance-wise with the invention of the first workable marine VHF radio."
Internet@sea developments are happening in a fast pace. Again, we have a new entrant to this market, TeleSea. Although some of these players are very much focused on US coastal waters, I expect more offerings for the European waters as well shortly.
"The $600 VisiFone is primarily designed for homes and offices with unlimited broadband service, where the calls are essentially "free" but Sea Tel has teamed with Viseon to highlight the capabilities of its high-end WaveCall 4003 onboard broadband system, which can now be had with unlimited service contracts (though, of course, at considerably more than onshore rates)."
"For instance, the master of the vessel shown can not only manage the VIP lighting from anywhere aboard but can also set up scenarios like "film" whereby the dimming, air conditioning, power blinds, etc. can all be set with one-touchscreen -or remote control- button push. Then, while watching the film, he or she could be advised of genset and anchor issues, even take remote action as needed. Oh, and this omniscience can extend off the yacht via cellular."
"Digital video tracking is often used these days instead of deck sensors, another type of security system that has been around for several years. As the name implies, deck sensors are feelers placed in various locations underfoot that detect movement. Like digital video tracking, deck sensors are interfaced with voice systems to warn individuals to stay put until you come outside to meet them, and the sensors will trip an alarm if the warning is ignored. However, because installation of these deck sensors requires that your yacht essentially be torn up, Pullens says that CCTVs provide the same advantages more effectively."
Telematics in yachting will provide huge advantages in many ways, with safety ranking as a top application. This article gives an