How important it is that your EPIRP works correctly is proven many times a year. This spring only, NOAA satellites were key in saving 54 lives in 27 potentially deadly situations throughout the United States. So when McMurdo beacons are under fire again, this is not good news for the manufacturer. They even ordered a recall of their products.
"Doug Ritter, executive director of Equipped to Survive Foundation, announced today that he would be conducting an "independent evaluation" of McMurdo's GPS-enabled 406 MHz distress beacons. This announcement came in response to McMurdo's July 7th press release saying that its FastFind Plus PLB and Precision EPIRB performed "faultlessly" in recent tests, a few months after Ritter found performance problems."
Don't know whether that claim is actually true, but if you're in the market for a small AIS (Automatic Identification System), I've written about them before, then have look at Jotron Electronics' TR-2500 Universal Automatic Identification System.
"Weighing just 2.8 kg in one single unit with a panel sized similar to a standard VHF, the TR-2500 can be easily integrated with existing ECS, ECDIS or onboard radar systems. Alternatively, Jotron Electronics provides a software called AIS VIEWER for PC on a complimentary basis for graphic display. The robust and compact design, with a variety of mounting configurations, including desktop, header panel, flush or rack mounted, means a flexible, quick and cost efficient installation, be it as retrofit or on newbuilds."
In their own journal, NMEA is again promoting the NMEA 2000 standard. Not surprising of course, but just publishing these press-releases won't do much good. Companies involved in developing this standard will have to push new products onto the market, and they will have to balance the future of their proprietary systems against NMEA 2000. I've highlighted this before...
"The development of NMEA 2000 has been a collaborative effort within the marine electronics industry. The work done since 1999 has included 12 companies, Furuno, Kvaser, Litton, Navionics, Northstar, Raymarine, Simrad, Teleflex, Metal Marine, Trimble, Vector CANtech, Airmar and Japan Radio Corporation. By early 2004, Airmar, Raymarine, Kvaser, Simard and Teleflex have certified products using NMEA 2000."
Every now and then a story comes along which proves that without skills, electronics won't do you a lot of good. Here's another one (free subscription required).
"Borgueta recalls how one day he helped lead a 36-foot cabin cruiser to shore in the fog, when the boater got lost near Beavertail. At the time, the harbormaster didn't have high-tech navigational tools, so Borgueta guided him safely by using a wrist compass and his knowledge of the sights and lights along the shore. "The guy said, 'I want to see the electronics you have on your boat,' " Borgueta recalled. He simply tapped his wrist. "He had probably $20,000 worth of electronics on his boat and he was following a $2 wrist compass," Borgueta said."
Since so many of you are looking for waterproof MP3 players on this website, I thought it would be better to post the news about this new (cheap) product. It is a "four AA batteries power built-in stereo speakers inside a water-proof casing that even comes with a hanger so you can hook it on your shower curtain rod or nozzle, turning almost any portable audio player into a waterproof shower stereo." I'm sure you can use it in a rainy cockpit as well...
"Boom Boom Multi-Box is water-resistant and is perfect for a trip to the beach, by the pool, on a camping trip, at a party, or even to use in the shower (hanger included); it has quality built-in speakers so you can play it loud and enjoy the sound, while hanging with friends!"
Yachting World has published their ARC Surveyresults. So if you would like to know what equipment is being used by yachts in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers.... It's sort of the ultimate field-test for all kinds of electronics, so make sure you check it out. Instruments that were subject to this survey include Autopilots, Charting Software, Generators, HF Radio, Inmarsat B/C, Iridium, Mini M, Sailing Instruments, Water Generators, Watermakers, Wind Self-Steering and Wind Generators.
Yachting and Boating World (YBW) comes away moderately impressed from MAATS (Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show) and in their newsletter they mention some of the highlights. Besides the one I liked best, EchoPilot's CASS (Collision Avoidance Sonar System), they have some other tips as well.
"For example no less than three stands were devoted to devices to keep birds off boats � everything from whirly solar-powered helicopter-like blades to moving owls to clip on trip lines for boat rails. Hmmm. Items more effective at catching my eye included a neat car-toppable pontoon you can rig out on a lake or riverside using screw-in oil-rig style legs, a new waterproof switch panel from BlueSea with great design detail and fuse-blown indicators, and very nicely engineered polypropylene-moulded dinghies with modular RIB collar and sailing rig options from Walker Bay."
Wireless Maritime Services, a joint venture of AT&T Wireless and MTN, is offering a roaming solution for GSM subscribers while cruising in international waters. I've written about similar solutions before, if you have a large enough yacht you might even install it for private use...
"Our passengers now have the option of using their own mobile phones while at sea, whether they wish to stay reachable at their usual phone number or check for voicemails and text messages whenever they like." Wireless service is now available on the Island Escape for many passengers with GSM phones operating on the 900 MHz frequency, which is common throughout Europe. Passengers will be billed for usage by the wireless carrier to whom they subscribe, as with any other roaming service"
New regulation has triggered KVH to highlight their integrated communication system that uses the Inmarsat mini-C communication system and real-time GPS position reporting to alert when in distress. Although they are using terrorist threats to persuade commercial shippers to buy this product, this solution could be useful for private yachting as well.
"The eTrac SSAS is very easy to use - just press one of the two panic buttons to instantly send an alert containing such information as vessel identification, time, and precise location. The rugged KVH eTrac SSAS stands less than 6" high and weighs only 2.4 lbs and can be installed easily. The fully integrated system contains a transceiver, antenna, and a 12-channel GPS receiver."
With seven cameras and lots of wireless communication of video on board you can imagine that crew members in the Volvo Ocean Race are complaining about the energy it costs to power (and use) all of this. So now a company called Livewire claims to have found a solution for the 2005-2006 event, but unfortunately they do not explain how this works. So if anyone knows, drop me a line...
"But Livewire's communications exprts have now come up with a much more energy-efficient way of keeping the cameras rolling and have made power management an essential design element for the media centres on the Volvo 70 class yachts. The new design allows the media centre to be run at twenty times less power than in previous races. Wood comments: "Hopefully this will convince the teams that it is quite safe to leave the media centre on in this mode at all times."
So when McMurdo beacons are under fire again, this is not good news for the manufacturer. They even ordered a recall of their products.
Don't know whether that 
Companies involved in developing this standard will have to push new products onto the market, and they will have to balance the future of their proprietary systems against NMEA 2000. I've highlighted this 
Every now and then a story comes along which proves that without skills, electronics won't do you a lot of good. Here's 
It is a "four AA batteries power built-in stereo speakers inside a water-proof casing that even comes with a hanger so you can hook it on your shower curtain rod or nozzle, turning almost any portable audio player into a waterproof shower stereo." I'm sure you can use it in a rainy cockpit as well...
Yachting World has published their ARC 
Yachting and Boating World (
"For example no less than three stands were devoted to devices to keep birds off boats � everything from whirly solar-powered helicopter-like blades to moving owls to clip on trip lines for boat rails. Hmmm. Items more effective at catching my eye included a neat car-toppable pontoon you can rig out on a lake or riverside using screw-in oil-rig style legs, a new waterproof switch panel from BlueSea with great design detail and fuse-blown indicators, and very nicely engineered polypropylene-moulded dinghies with modular RIB collar and sailing rig options from Walker Bay."
Wireless Maritime Services, a joint venture of AT&T Wireless and MTN, is 
Although they are using terrorist threats to persuade commercial shippers to buy this product, this solution could be 
With seven cameras and lots of wireless communication of video on board you can imagine that crew members in the Volvo Ocean Race are