Electronics+Navigations

Keep Control

by Sail Staff, Posted June 16, 2007

Wireless is all the rage on boats these days, as exemplified by the advent of handheld multifunction controllers. Simrad’s RemoteCommander is a prime example. Not only does it let you control your NMEA 2000–compatible autopilot, chartplotter, and other instruments from anywhere on the boat via Bluetooth, it is also a VHF handset. Simrad USA, 425-778-8821,

Be Seen

by Sail Staff, Posted October 16, 2007

Class B AIS still awaits FCC approval, but ACR’s Nauticast B will be a complete and well-made solution. It comes with both GPS and VHF antennas along with cabling capable of sending position and target information to both a plotter and a PC simultaneously. Included software simplifies setup and lets a user easily enable silent mode or send a Mayday. Testing done outside U.S. waters suggests that

NMEA Knife

by Sail Staff, Posted October 18, 2007

Originally Franson GpsGate simply enabled GPS NMEA 0183 data flowing into a PC or PDA serial port to feed multiple programs simultaneously, but now it’s something of a software Swiss Army knife. The latest 2.5 version works with all sorts of I/Os like Bluetooth and the Internet, supports multiplexing and data logging, and lets groups share their location data over the Web. Any member can see

Anti-Anxiety Machine

by Sail Staff, Posted October 18, 2007

Do you worry about your boat when you’re not aboard? Boatsense Solutions’s KISS-principle monitoring system is an easily programmable GSM cellular modem that’s potted in epoxy. Drawing only 130 milliamps, it stands perpetual watch, ready to send text messages wherever GPRS data service is available (which is along much of the world’s coastlines). It automatically monitors battery levels, plus has

Connected Color

by Sail Staff, Posted October 18, 2007

Raymarine’s innovative ST70s instrument displays use bright 3.5-inch high-resolution color screens to display traditional instrument information (really well), plus engine, weather, and other data that’s available on the multi-manufacturer NMEA 2000 data standard. They also mark the introduction of SeaTalkNG (new generation), which is both a rugged-yet-slim plug-and-play cabling system and an

Forward Thinking

by Sail Staff, Posted December 18, 2007

Being able to look ahead under water is a great advantage when you’re entering unknown waters. EchoPilot’s new Forward-Looking Sonar (FLS) Platinum Series can see 660 feet ahead and 330 feet down, while it simultaneously displays bottom depth and boat speed. The system displays objects with stronger echoes in different colors from those with weak signals. The Platinum Series is available either

Remote Monitor

by Sail Staff, Posted December 18, 2007

SeaCAS’s new Rendez-vous Tender Information System uses AIS and radio-communications technology to create a private wireless network that allows you to monitor the location and condition (bilge and fuel levels, battery voltage, and oil pressure) of your tender from up to 20 miles away (farther if the signal can be mirrored off other yachts/tenders on your network). The system also allows a tender

Tank Oracle

by Sail Staff, Posted November 18, 2010

On long passages it’s good to know how much fresh water, gray water, waste, oil, and fuel you have in your tanks. Offshore Systems’s digital MultiTank Level Display allows you to monitor any four of your boat’s tanks on one easy-to-read screen via an NMEA 2000 network. You can choose to have the information displayed as bar graphs, analog gauges, or raw numbers. Alarms can be set for low and high

Turn Night Into Day

by Sail Staff, Posted November 23, 2010

T300 and T400 series thermal navigation cameras employ FLIR thermal-imaging technology and can be used with Raymarine's E-Series Widescreen and G-Series navigation systems to pick out obstructions,, buoys and other boats in complete darkness. When integrated with the E-Series system, users can control the cameras via Raymarine's proprietary HybridTouch touchscreen feature. The cameras can be

Wireless VHF Remotes

by Sail Staff, Posted April 5, 2011

GHS 20 and GHS 20i full-function wireless remote handsets are compatible with Garmin’s VHF 200 and 300 series radios. They allow you to move about your boat and still have complete control of your radio. Each waterproof handset includes a backlit LCD display, soft keys, volume control, squelch and channel selection, a built-in speaker mike for use in loud environments, a DSC distress function,