SkyMate has built a comprehensive communications system specifically for beyond-cellular bluewater boats by maximizing the same relatively inexpensive Iridium short-burst data (SBD) service that has proven its reliable global coverage in such portable devices as the Garmin inReach. The mSeries hardware kit includes an exterior GPS/Iridium antenna and a black box processor sporting Wi-Fi, NMEA 2000, USB and lots more connectivity for options like Sentry off-boat monitoring sensors (and more to come). A waterproof backlit keypad indicates new messages received and enables fast distress calls, while the Mazu iPad app and SkyMate servers ashore offer many features previously unseen with SBD, including weather resources like synoptic charts, NEXRAD radar and GRIB files that can all be downloaded and displayed. Incoming email lengths are only limited by Mazu user controls, and you can even have your texts turned into faxes or voice messages on shore. Mazu is also designed to smoothly transition from fast Internet access in port to budgeting your kilobytes offshore, while the easily updatable Mazu app can intermediate software updates to the mSeries hardware, so that like all the mobile/marine integrations in this year’s Pittmans, it can easily evolve. $995 (plus subscription). SkyMate, mazu-marine.com
Back to 2018 Pittman Innovation Awards
February 2018
