This handsome Clarion CMV1 was announced more than a year ago, but I missed it somehow, even though it does all sorts of things that I think could be great on some boats. It can play DVDs on that 3.5-inch 480x234 pixel screen or output the video via RCA cable to a bigger screen, like an MFD that isn't doing much else when you're parked. And it can do the same thing with iPod/iPhone video, though that feature mysteriously entails a special cable. It even has an RCA input so you could use it to display an onboard video camera. Of course, there's more...
I've always liked the idea of route planning software, but Navionics NavPlanner was somewhat troubled from the start. Hence it seems like great news that Navionics dumped it entirely in favor of a partnership with Fugawi, leading to this recent joint announcement of NavPlanner2. Fugawi figured out how to present Navionics data well years ago, and then went on to produce the excellent Navionics HotMaps Explorer. Judging from the NavPlanner2 screen shot above -- which shows off Google Earth synchronization -- it shares a lot of code with the HotMaps lake planner. But NavPlanner2 has many added features...
Thanks to Panbo readers "arisatx" and "Recovering Racer", commenting on one of the FI-50 instrument entries, we've learned that Furuno is introducing an RD-33 data display with a bright, high res 4.3-inch color display and powerful abilities not only at displaying NMEA 2000 and 0183 data but also at bridging either type between sensors and other displays. There's going to be a somewhat similar GP-33 GPS, too, and the details of both look very good indeed...
Green Marine is a new company, but the principals already knew a lot about high bright LCD panels like the ones you see outside some fast food restaurants, and have even supplied screens to some familiar marine brands. And I like their approach to the retail marine market -- offering only LED backlit displays that are extra bright but at relatively reasonable prices. They've also at least started to do something I wish every manufacturer did, which is to detail their specifications against the competition...
Are you able to estimate wind direction and speed from small waves in the water, the movement of clouds, or visual cues from other boats 300, 500, or even 700 meters away? It is a good skill for a sailor to have, but very tough to learn. The Racer's Edge, pictured above, is a high tech wind measurement device capable of measuring wind speed and direction at considerable distances, enabling a sailboat crew to optimize course and sail trim for maximum speed.
While I may have driven the dogs in my neighborhood slightly nuts, I did satisfy myself that this new loudhailer horn speaker works quite well. Mister Fish Marine Electronics is primarily an online dealer, but this 40 watt, 4 ohm speaker is their own design. The goal was improved longevity and sound over the "inexpensive" speakers while maintaining a reasonable cost, and my first impression -- given the $89 price, shipping included -- is "goal achieved." It feels solidly built and purportedly contains "lubricated internal o-ring gaskets" and all stainless hardware. And the sound is darn good, which I was able to hear in multiple ways thanks to the Garmin VHF 200...
I believe you're looking at the first DSC-based MOB alarm available in the U.S. It's BriarTek's ORCAdsc, and it sells for $275 per alarm (a reasonable seeming price that got Lenny's attention). It automatically activates when submerged in salt water, and a regular DSC VHF radio is all you need to get alarmed onboard (which is what I've always liked about using DSC for MOB). The BriarTek site doesn't list this new product yet (coming soon), but you will learn how serious the company is about MOB electronics. The ORCAdsc materials I have here, including the manual, also suggest a carefully designed and built device, though it turns out that DSC MOB doesn't work exactly like I thought it would...
I'm sure that Furuno folk are going to grin over these photos; I bet you all will. But you must click them to full size, and also please trust me that the phenomenal detail is even more so in reality. This 18-inch model of a 1983 Jarvis Newman 36 took 1,100 expert hours to build -- expertise not just at documentation and delicate hand work but also at 3D CAD, naval architecture, laser cutting tools, and jewelry making. Adding in a lifelong passion for boats, an artist's eye, and the patience of Job gets you to one of my local treasurers: model maker Rob Eddy...
Back in 2008 when I delved fairly deep into NMEA 2000 fuel management (1-Garmin, 2-FloScan, 3-Raymarine, 4-Maretron, 5-SmartCraft, and 6-Lowrance), I may have gotten a related concept wrong. While I was mostly experimenting with how fuel flow data gets integrated into an overall system, I noted a couple of times that if you have such data coming out of an electronically controlled engine, it should be more accurate than what can be measured by flow sensors. Well, as suggested by that "Assumed Fuel Consumption" label on that Steyr Motors display above, maybe not...
I've been wondering what happened to the Coast Guard's plan to require AIS on lots more commercial vessels plying U.S. waters, first discussed here in December '08. Unfortunately the legalese around federal rulemaking means that the normally very informative Jorge Arroyo -- project manager in the CG's Office of Navigation Systems -- can only say that the comments collected in early 2009 are being analyzed. I hope the Final Rule comes out soon, because looking at that slide above I see that compliance after the rule will take about half a year and, man-o-man, I'd like see those particular 17,442 vessels transmitting AIS ASAP...
