2 new Garmin VHFs, remote mic too
Even if it was pretty predictable (I got it half right), Garmin will indeed add (“2nd Quarter, 2009”) fixed VHF radios to its ever-expanding marine line. Here’s the press release, and here’s a bigger image of the VHF 200 model above, including the GHS 10 full-function remote mic that can optionally wire to it. The second mic possibility is why you see “INTRCM” as one of the soft key choices on that 3.2” display, and it—along with the 20 watt hailer and a NMEA 2000 data interface—are about all that differentiate the $400 VHF 200 from the $250 VHF 100 seen below.
What we can see of the user interface looks quite straight forward, as promised, but wouldn’t you like to see what the Garmin VHF design team would do with a color screen? I’m still impressed with how well the Uniden 625c’s little screen conveys information, and a color VHF in Garmin grays surely would look extra snappy alongside the company’s instruments and new pilot, perhaps part of an all-Garmin helm. But a new product line has to start somewhere, radio performance is arguably more important than user interface (and hopefully Garmin did well in that department), and maybe color will be in the next model. (As we know, and will see more evidence of soon, Garmin never sleeps.)
Something else I hope to see is more VHF radios with NMEA 2000 interfaces, which will make proper DSC installation and system-wide DSC plotting and calling easy. But the developers of NMEA 2000 MFDs need to get with the program too. My initial experiments with the Lowrance LVR-880 indicate that while it nicely handles even redundant N2K GPS inputs, neither the lab’s Garmin 5212 nor the Raymarine E-120, nor even Lowrance’s own LCX-113 yet understand its purportedly standard N2K DSC output. Yet.
Ben- Garmin makes me crazy. This is a GPS based company that has moved into other market areas by purchasing products made by others and branding them as Garmin. They may be making minor additions here and there to help distinguish the product, and most likely conttributing software to add brand name features. But the heart of the product did not come from Garmin engineering and manufacturing. That product has to be FCC certified and meet detailed performance requirements for adjacent channel interference, transmission spectrum purity and on and on.
The Radar they market in the Aviation world is a warmed over product they bought from Honeywell, the marine radar is a branded radar purchased likely from Koden as others have also done, with special software to make the product their own.
I have no idea what they are doing with instrument displays but I suspect the trend is the same. It should be clear that the constant line of "almost" ready products is the result of this same methodology, with over taxed software teams struggling to get the user interfaces up to speed. Purchasers of Garmin stuff should be ready for a constant range of teething problems and the need for possible software upgrades etc etc.
Garmin is infamous in the Aviation world for promising WAAS certed capability only to require hardware recalls to make the upgrade possible. Then the entire production line of a new aircraft manufacturer had to be stopped when Garmin could not supply the nav and flight displays promised to them due to internal faults. The list goes on and on. They are remarkable but for some reason the market gives them slack for forcing customers to accept developmental problems as they strive to stay with or ahead of the market or enter new markets. To me they are spread too thin and buyers should beware.