NEW ELECTRONICS FOR SAILING SEASON
In lieu of the winter boat shows, where new electronics usually make their debut, here’s a roundup of new gear that’s worth a look:
While no one wants to use emergency flares in anger, everyone damn well wants their flares to work when needed. Trouble is, pyrotechnic flares expire 42 months after their manufacture date and can cause injuries if misused. Enter ACR Electronic’s
Resqflare (acrartex.com). This all-led distress strobe, which sells for around $70, delivers 360-degree visibility that can be seen for 6-plus nautical miles. Resqflares are buoyant, waterproof, self-righting in water and Uscg-certified; their user-replaceable batteries sustain output levels that are equivalent to 75 candelas for 20-plus hours. Once activated, the electronic flares emit international Morse code SOS flashes, and they ship with a daytime distress flag.
B&G’S Nemesis intelligent sailing display was designed to ensure that all crewmembers can see the latest nav-system info (bandg.com). The touchscreen displays are available with 9-inch (Nemesis 9) or 12-inch (Nemesis 12) screens that can be installed vertically or horizontally. Both models feature B&G’S IPS Solarmax HD screens, which offer wide viewing angles and sunlight readability even while wearing polarized sunglasses. Users can choose from a library of pre-configured dashboards that can be set to automatically change based on the boat’s point of sail, or they can custom-build their own screen views by dragging and dropping app icons. Prices start at just over $3,000.
The sailor-focused company has also launched its new B&G
V100 and V100B VHF radios, with prices starting at about $900. These black-box VHFS can be configured to support up to eight handset mics: four wired and four wireless. The new radios feature a GPS
receiver that’s embedded in the processor module, which can be mounted in an out-ofthe-way locale to yield a cleanlooking nav station. The radios are customizable (for example, customers can order them with a horn or a loudhailer) and are NMEA 0183- and NMEA 2000-compatible. While both radios feature Class-d digitalselect-calling capabilities, the V100B features a built-in AIS Class-b transceiver and GPS-500 receiver. If you cruise with Furuno electronics the performance and want to of bolster your radar, plotter, autopilot consider or Furuno’s chart
SCX-20 satellite compass (furunousa.com, $1,000). The
SCX-20 uses four antennas (GPS, QZSS, GLONASS and Galileo) in what it calls a quad-antenna design that allows the NMEA 2000-friendly
SCX-20 (or SCX-21 for NMEA 0183-equipped boats) to calculate heading information using any one of six baselines that can be drawn between its antennas. The result is heading, roll and pitch numbers that are accurate to 1 degree, and speed metrics that are accurate to 0.02 knots. The SCX-20 weighs 2.2 pounds and is waterproof to IP56 standards.
Garmin (garmin.com) users can bolster their navigational accuracy with Garmin’s GPS
24xd multiband global navigation satellite system receiver. Once installed, the GPS 24xd delivers positional accuracy to 3.28 feet, and the device’s internal heading sensor generates heading information that’s accurate to 3 degrees. The GPS 24xd updates at a rate of 10 hertz, and it gathers its GNSS signals from the GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and Beidou satellite navigation systems. The receiver, which retails for less than $300, features multisatellite-based augmentation-system compatibility, which allows it to correct for signal-measurement errors and provide insight into the accuracy of its incoming information.
Scanstrut’s Nest
(scanstrut .com) is designed to be a safe place to stash a phone while simultaneously and wirelessly charging its battery. To operate, users place their compatible smartphone inside the Nest’s pocket, and charging automatically commences. The Nest sells for about $80 and features a grippy surface that holds your phone in place; a front lip keeps it from skittering out of the pocket. Scanstrut Nests can be installed belowdecks or in the cockpit. All charging components are waterproof to IPX6 standards, and the pocket can drain from the front or via DIY drill holes that can be bored during installation.
Siren Marine’s Siren 3 Pro (sirenmarine.com) gives owners the ability to keep close tabs on their vessel and remotely control its onboard systems using Siren’s app, loaded on a computer or smart device. The system can be customized by an owner using Siren’s add-on sensors and accessories, and it can alert the owner if the vessel skips its geofence. The Siren 3 Pro is priced from $750, and features cellular connectivity and optional satellite connectivity using Iridium’s satellite network, giving users global command and oversight of their boat.