ELECTRONICS
identification static data. It also has a built-in, 50-channel
GPS receiver to ensure a high degree of accuracy in AIS
position reporting.
At the same time, Raymarine has also released a new
AIS receiver-only, the AIS350. Both the AIS650 and
AIS350 have chassis about half the size of previous
models and both models feature multiple data interfaces
including NMEA 0183, Sea Talk-NG, and USB for easy
integration with PC-based navigation solutions. Both
AIS products also support the NMEA 2000 interface
standard making them compatible with third-party
navigation devices.
The AIS650 is being sold for $999 and the AIS350 for
$649. Visit www.raymarine.com.
New Features For Admiral And VNS
Nobeltec’s new version of its Admiral and VNS
software has significantly expanded the company’s
long-standing navigation software products. One
feature is the ability to incorporate Furuno’s DFFI
sounder. This hardware integration is a consequence
of the Nobeltec buyout by the same company that
owns Furuno’s navigation software company, MaxSea.
This effectively makes Nobeltec part of the Furuno
family, once removed.
Another cool new feature is Nobeltec’s new ability
to display raster charts from the German cartography
company, NV-Charts. Besides the United States,
these charts cover Europe, the Bahamas, and the
Caribbean, including Cuba. In fact, the NV-Charts
for Cuba’s North Coast are faithful reproductions of
Cuban government charts and piloting information.
They are the best on the market.
This is the first service pack for the software since the
successful release of Admiral 11 and VNS 11 in January.
The new release is available as a free download to
customers currently running the latest version of Admiral
or VNS. Customers can visit the Nobeltec website (www.
nobeltec.com) to access the new service pack.
Electronics Editor Peter Swanson is a switch-hitter when
it comes to boats. While he continues to cruise his third
sailboat, a Morgan Out Island 41, he has transited more than
15,000nm in trawlers, including a delivery from Florida
to California and another from Mexico to San Francisco.
Visit www.caribbeandeliveries.com.
