PassageMaker - March 2012

ELECTRONICS

PRF rate and results in a tighter image. You can see what it looks like on the accompanying image from 4G seeing inside storm cells 17 nautical miles away. Please note there is only a 10 percent improvement in weather detection performance between 3G and 4G.

PMM: What is the future of Broadband Radar? Not just Navico, but the broader picture?

Korte: I’m just looking into my crystal ball here for this answer. Sometimes it is a bit fuzzy...Wait! I think I see something useful...I see a picture of a magnetron with a large X across it. I wonder why?

In other electronics news:

Smarter Autopilot From Furuno

Furuno has developed a smarter autopilot. For one thing, the NavPilot 700 series has a “Safe Helm” feature that returns steering control to the skipper in the event he or she begins turning the wheel to dodge an obstacle, without having to press “standby” first.

A “Power Assist” feature makes emergency maneuvering easier, much like power steering on a car, and shifting from Precision to Economy mode can cut a vessel’s fuel consumption by 2. 5 percent thanks to a combination of adaptive technology and software innovations.

The 700 series has added FishHunter options found on its Furuno predecessor, some of which cruisers can use to effectively “heave to.” The helmsman can execute five patterns around a waypoint: a square, zigzag, orbit, spiral, or figure eight. The figure eight is particularly useful for man-overboard recovery because it returns to the MOB waypoint twice in every evolution.

Depending on size and vessel design, the appropriate 700 series autopilot costs between $3,795 and $4,095. The optional FPS8 Power Steering Module and software are required to activate the Safe Helm feature. Visit www.furunousa.com.

FUSION’s Wireless Stereo Control

FUSION, the New Zealand marine audio manufacturer, is cementing its reputation for producing versatile, feature-rich, and easy-to-use products at modest prices. Using FUSION apps and a wi-fi, the new 700 series lets listeners control the music in multiple zones from the gamut of Apple iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.

On trawlers with an NMEA 2000 communications backbone, multifunction displays and remote displays also can be set up to act as repeaters to control audio using FUSION-Link software. Both are SIRIUS Satellite ready and incorporate an AM/FM and VHF tuner for additional audio entertainment options and weather broadcasts. The 700 also features an auxiliary input and customizable “Aux” screen that lets boaters use TV, DVD, game, or portable media devices. With a USB port, they can also play MP3 files stored on a flash drive.

The MS-IP700 for iPod costs $450 retail and the MS-AV700 DVD/CD model costs $600. Visit www.fusionelectronics.com.

Smaller Dome For Bigger Boats

Smaller is better when it comes to antenna arrays, both in terms of aesthetics and windage. With that in mind, Intellian Technologies has rolled out a new VSAT satellite communications dish and two new stabilized satellite television dishes inside 33-inch domes.

Intellian has redesigned the antenna reflector for the v80G, giving it VSAT broadband performance normally not possible in domes narrower than 39 inches. As you might guess from its suggested retail price of $36,900, this is a product aimed at the high end of the trawler market.

The matching Intellian t80 satellite TV antenna, costing $16,700, can feed multiple HD receivers simultaneously and locks onto satellites as rapidly as

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