You know, folks, I do my best, but there is just an awful lot of marine technology to keep up with these days! Thank goodness there’s Panbo, without which I wouldn’t be nearly as up-to-date on some very interesting product technology.

Take the Jotron AIS-SART Ben discusses here:

I once heard a gentleman who probably knew what he was talking about complain fairly bitterly about the electronic radar reflectors called SARTs.  He said they’d been pushed on the GMDSS by a member nation where they were made and that they’d never proven themselves effective in search and rescue operations.  Which is just one reason why the new Jotron AIS SART is an interesting development…

Read more

Wow! I’m VERY interested in this product line. So I’ll echo Ben Ellison’s query over at Panbo this morning: Any of our readers have any experience with the NaviCom RT650 VHF/DSC/MOB/AIS?

An interesting new product I didn’t see at the Miami Boat Show is this NaviCom RT650 MOB.  The company site is mostly in French, but MyBoatsGear.com links to a catalog PDF in English, and Foxtrot Marine has the most detail I can find.  This DSC VHF seems to have an integrated AIS receiver much like the Standard Horizon GX2100, plus optional wireless handsets like the Uniden Whams, plus integrated MOB fobs that seem to work a lot like Raymarine LifeTags (with more here).  The latter can apparently even trigger a DSC alert, and, in fact, all the parts make a lot of sense together, at least for some boats.  Has anyone out there tried an RT650, or know why the company hasn’t come to the USA?

Go to Panbo, where the discussion in the comments section is already underway.

[It’s another MadMariner feature from a few weeks back. Since this went live while I was at the Seattle Boat Show, I was able to get some feedback on it right away from the folks at Standard Horizon.

Their position is that the inconvenient NMEA networking requirement I identified is NOT a problem for consumers, and that they hadn’t received feedback from other users about difficulties completing the NMEA networking part of the installation. My situation is unique because I’m continuing, for the moment, to rely an older chartplotter with just one NMEA 0183 port.

If so, I’m thrilled! I would love to learn that I’m the only one who finds this inconvenient. That would be awesome, because this appears to be a tremendous product otherwise. —Tim]

I wrote about Standard Horizon’s new products in the Matrix line of fixed-mount VHF radios when they were first announced back in November. The thing that caught my eye was the AIS integration these models included. The GX2000 accepts the datastream from an external AIS receiver or transceiver, while the GX2100 includes an integrated two-channel AIS receiver, the data from which can be connected to a chartplotter or laptop.

[The GX2000 accepts the datastream from an external AIS receiver or transceiver, while the GX2100 includes an integrated two-channel AIS receiver, the data from which can be connected to a chartplotter or laptop.]

AIS/DSC/VHF integration will be extremely beneficial for most boat owners, in my opinion. It’s easy for propeller-headed geeks like me to forget that the vast majority of recreational boats do not carry AIS receivers of any kind. As one of my cruising buddies put it, "If an AIS receiver is basically just a VHF radio and some kind of a modem, then I’ll buy it when it’s built into the regular VHF radio."

That time has come, my friend. I think these Standard Horizon radios could make AIS a lot more attractive to a significant and largely untapped market: Owners of smaller boats with older, perfectly serviceable navigation electronics.

What makes these AIS-integrated VHF radios so wonderful? Two things spring to mind: usability and ease of installation.

ENHANCED USEABILITY

AIS/DSC/VHF integration makes both AIS and DSC more powerful, and more user-friendly.

The Matrix display acts as a low-resolution AIS and DSC plotter, if it has both AIS and vessel-position GPS data. For small boats and tenders that might not have radar or a chartplotter at all, the display on the Matrix units could prove useful, whether your priority is locating and identifying large vessels (AIS) or locating and making contact with vessels in distress (DSC).

But even more important in terms of shear usability, these two units permit one-button DSC hailing to vessels broadcasting AIS. As I’ve written before (here and here), DSC is a potentially powerful but terribly underutilized communication protocol. It’s really a shame, but users can hardly be blamed if they never use DSC at all.

Have you ever tried to input a MMSI number into your DSC radio while underway? Particularly while you are navigating in fog or other difficult conditions when AIS, radar, etc. are intended to help? I have, and it’s nearly impossible. I’m squinting into a tiny screen that is bouncing around like crazy, and my fingers are fumbling the knob trying to dial in each digit. God help you if you make a mistake. Except in emergencies, when the one-button "Distress" feature comes in mighty handy, DSC just isn’t usable for most of us.

[Instead of keying in a long MMSI number one digit at a time, you just select the AIS target you want to hail, and press the soft-key labeled “Call.” The radio already has the MMSI, so there’s no need for you to enter it manually.]

AIS/DSC/VHF integration like that included in these Standard Horizon units may begin to change that. Instead of keying in a long MMSI number one digit at a time, you just select the AIS target you want to hail, and press the soft-key labeled "Call." The radio already has the MMSI, so there’s no need for you to enter it manually. Nice.

EASY INSTALLATION

Second, and just as important for owners of smaller boats with limited space and smaller chartplotters, AIS/VHF integration makes it much easier to install AIS.

To begin with, it’s easier to install one component rather than two, and it’s easier to install one antenna rather than two. The GX2100 model, which includes an onboard dual-channel AIS receiver, requires only one antenna, eliminating the bother and expense of installing a second antenna for AIS. Antenna manufacturers tell us that AIS units should really have dedicated antennae tuned to the AIS frequencies, but my own unscientific testing indicates that regular VHF antennae work just fine for AIS.

But beyond these basics, the new Standard Horizon Matrix AIS radios really shine when it comes to NMEA networking. Or they ought to, anyway.

DISAPPOINTMENT

Longtime readers will remember all the trouble I had trying to network my AIS receiver, my DSC VHF radio, and my chartplotter.

[I'm really impressed with the thought that went into the design of these new AIS-integrated VHF radios from Standard Horizon. They are definitely on the right track.]

The trouble was that my Raymarine C-series chartplotter only sports a single NMEA connection, which can be configured for either low-speed 4800-baud or high-speed 34,800 NMEA 0183 data traffic. AIS requires the high-speed connection, while virtually every VHF radio on the market requires the slower connection.

These new Standard Horizon models, equipped to handle high-speed AIS data traffic, seemed to offer the ideal solution to the sort of problem I experienced: Just one high-speed, two-way NMEA 0183 connection between my plotter and the VHF/AIS would allow all the data to move where it needs to: GPS data from the chartplotter would get to the VHF, supporting location-tagged DSC calls, including distress calls; AIS data from the VHF’s integrated AIS receiver would get to the chartplotter, so it could be displayed there; DSC data – such as the location of a vessel placing a DSC "Distress" call – would get from the VHF to the chartplotter, allowing it to be displayed there as well.

This is great. No $300 NMEA multiplexer needed. No kooky NMEA traffic runarounds to get the data where it’s needed. And at long last, my chartplotter’s single NMEA 0183 port won’t prevent me from enjoying the full benefits of all my marine electronics.

Imagine my disappointment, then, when I dug deeper into the Matrix GX2000/GX2100 manual and read the following: "The GPS must have the NMEA Output […] set to 4800 baud." Wait, what? Why? To make matters even worse, the DSC message are, apparently, fed back through this same tiny NMEA pipe. They aren’t aggregated into the high-bandwidth NMEA pipe that carries the AIS datastream.

I figured I must have misunderstood, so I made contact with Standard Horizon directly, where I reached Product Manager Scott Iverson. Scott was very helpful, and he understood the situation I described perfectly, but it was his unfortunate duty to inform me that I had not misunderstood the manual after all.

Besides finding this frustrating for my individual situation, I find it perplexing, as well. If the Matrix AIS units are capable of handling high-speed AIS traffic, why require a second, low-bandwidth NMEA port as well?

I doubt that my situation is all that unique. Lots of boaters have older chartplotters that work fine, but have a limited number of NMEA ports. I write Navagear, and I have no plans to upgrade my 2004 chartplotter at this point. And although most newer chartplotters include more than a single NMEA port, that’s no reason to use up two of them when one could handle all the traffic. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

I appreciate that the Matrix AIS units need to receive GPS coordinates, and aboard many boats, that NMEA data will come in at 4800 baud. So the possibility of an incoming 4800-baud datastream must be supported. But there’s no reason the VHF’s outgoing DSC data needs to move at 4800 baud; certainly not if the chartplotter on the receiving end is capable of receiving the high-bandwidth AIS datastream.

It’s impossible to design a product that is optimal for every customer scenario. I understand this. And obviously I tend to imagine that the problems I experience are more or less typical for a lot of potential customers who are interested in new technology, but don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on electronics upgrades every year; I could be mistaken about that. Still, I just can’t get over the feeling that requiring two NMEA connections operating at two incompatible speeds represents a small miscalculation in an otherwise amazing product design.

BULL’S-EYE? NOT QUITE

I’m really impressed with the thought that went into the design of these new AIS-integrated VHF radios from Standard Horizon. They are definitely on the right track. In five years, all manufacturers will support AIS/DSC/VHF integration, and we’ll all be a little shocked when we recall that this wasn’t completely obvious way, way back in the early 21st century.

And as a veteran of the high-tech industry myself (software, not hardware), I can appreciate how difficult it can be when designing a product to place yourself in the position of a customer who is not a "propeller-headed geek" embracing all the latest and greatest technology the moment it becomes available.

Meanwhile, though, out there in the real world, the vast majority of potential customers pick and choose what new technology they’re willing to bother with. If the benefits are clear, the hassle is minimal, and the price is right, they’ll embrace it. I fear that Standard Horizon has unintentionally neglected a portion of the potential market for these innovative radios, and I think that’s a shame.

Nonetheless, I plan to upgrade my VHF radio to one of these new models. I’m looking forward to the benefits of AIS/DSC/VHF integration, once I work out the tricky NMEA data routing!

I generally purchase antenna mounting hardware that allows me to fold antennas, but they can be bulky and expensive. This might be a great solution aboard some boats. The press release:

Whether an owner is trailering the boat, fishing or navigating under a low bridge, getting the antenna down and out of the way should be effortless. The 5247-A Lift-n-Lay VHF whip antenna from Shakespeare Electronic Products Group answers the call. The whip itself simply folds over when needed, especially convenient when covering or storing a boat.

Featuring a low-profile, single-section design, the versatile 3′ Lift-n-Lay is an end-fed, 3dB, base-load VHF antenna with a sealed, copper wire coil. The whip’s stainless steel construction provides extra stability when a boat moves at high speeds.

Making installation easy, the Lift-n-Lay antenna’s SO-239 connector is simply passed through a horizontal surface up to 1/2" thick. A handy L-bracket for mast or side mounting is included.

The convenient 5247-A Lift-n-Lay VHF antenna from Shakespeare has a suggested retail price of $100.95. Coax cable and the PL-259 connector are sold separately.

[It’s another MadMariner feature from a few weeks back. —Tim]

The first major pleasure boat rescue operation of 2010 occurred on January 2. Dennis Clements, 55, was forced to abandon his Cal 39 sailboat Gloria A Dios when it was dismasted and holed in severe weather about 300 miles off the coast of North Carolina.

Gloria A Dios means "Glory to God," and Clements believes he owes his survival to divine intervention. Watching the Coast Guard interview with him, it’s difficult to disagree. His account is moving; very few of us will ever experience the many tiny miracles with which our own lives are blessed in such an unequivocal way as did Clements.

But even the sort of divine intervention Clements received would not have saved him had it not been for the professionalism and cooperation of two powerful organizations, along with a tremendous amount of technology.

[Clements on solid ground once more. USCG photo]

Navagear is a gear and gadgets blog, so I’d like to examine the technology side of this amazing rescue. I admit that this is the least glamorous aspect of the incident. It’s tough to compete with Navy and Coast Guard heroism, let alone divine intervention from the Almighty! So I won’t try. Instead, I’m going to recount the incident as I understand it, focusing on the tools and gear involved.

THE RESPONSE

At the risk of seeming glib, let me refer to the punchline of an old joke. In the joke, a recently deceased flood victim, about to enter heaven’s pearly gates, can’t understand why God didn’t intervene to save him, to which St. Peter responds, "We sent two boats and a helicopter!"

Clements is not like the fellow in the joke, which is probably why he’s alive today. When things became dangerous aboard Gloria A Dios, his ACR Satellite 2 Category II EPIRB was activated. This is an older model, not equipped with integral GPS like the newer units, so it took a bit longer for satellites associated with the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) to zero in on the vessel’s position. EPIRBs are great, but for the record: GPS-equipped EPIRBS are even better.

Once the EPIRB was activated, the U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District went into action. Air Station Elizabeth City launched a HC-130J Hercules aircraft to search for the sailboat. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was transmitted, and satellite Enhanced Group Calls were used to identify other vessels in the area that might be able to assist. A commercial vessel participating in the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) was diverted toward the stricken sailboat.

The US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) was conducting air operations not far away, and immediately changed course and sailed at high speed toward the distressed mariner. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard’s Hercules crew was enroute to the source of the EPIRB signal.

The Coast Guard’s HC-130J variant of the familiar Lockheed C-130 aircraft is optimized as a long-range surveillance aircraft. It is equipped with a rich array of sophisticated electronics, including FLIR’s Star Safire III electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imaging system, which generated the visuals you see in the Coast Guard video of the sailboat and the liferaft drop. Keep in mind this video was taken in the midst of severe weather conditions including mixed rain, sleet and snow, yet the sailboat shows up clearly.

(more…)

Time for another Navagear feature at MadMariner. This time, I talk about the Standard Horizon GX2000 and GX2100 models, two of the coolest new VHF radios on the market, why I’m super-excited about it, and why I’m simultaneously a little disappointed.

I should also point out that you can see these units at the Standard Horizon booth at the Seattle Boat Show, upstairs in Concourse 2336.

[This is a really great idea! Perhaps something like this should be offered at the Seattle Boat Show. I know I’d like my family to attend such a session. Onward with the press release…]

It’s never too early to learn about safety on the water. That’s why Cobra Marine, a division of Cobra Electronics, along with its partners Sea Tow Services International and the Sea Tow Foundation for Boating Safety and Education are offering simulated VHF radio mayday call and radio operation instruction for children at the Miami International Boat Show. Those interested in participating can stop by Sea Tow’s booth #S40 or Cobra’s booth #1610 anytime during the show, February 11-15.

"We aligned ourselves with Sea Tow to help make waterways safer by enabling effective communication," said Tony Mirabelli, Cobra’s senior vice-president of marketing and sales. "Now, we’re taking it one step further and showing the next generation of boaters how to help in an emergency."

Time for another Navagear feature at MadMariner. This time, I talk about one of the first major maritime rescue operations of the year. Before anybody knew anything about an earthquake in Haiti, a lone offshore sailor was pulled from a liferaft about 250 miles off the coast of North Carolina.

[It’s another MadMariner feature from a few weeks back. —Tim]

I recently acquired a new handheld VHF radio for use aboard my boat. It’s Cobra Marine’s MR HH475 FLT BT. Yeah, that model number’s a mouthful, but don’t let that scare you. It actually makes sense if you break it down. It’s a "marine radio", it’s "handheld", it "floats", and it has "Bluetooth." So naturally it’s the MR HH475 FLT BT. Got it?

This is one snazzy radio. I’ve had a chance to experiment with its innovative features, so I can say with confidence that I look forward to putting it into service aboard Two Lucky Fish, my C-Dory 22.

[The Cobra MR HH475 FLT BT comes complete with a lithium-ion battery, a mountable charging base that holds the unit securely, and both 110-volt AC and 12-volt DC power adapters.]

Although my boat is small enough that a single fixed-mount VHF radio is generally sufficient, I recently experienced the need for a backup radio, and I didn’t have one aboard. I know what you’re thinking: "How could the guy from Navagear not have a handheld VHF radio along?" Whatever the reason, I found myself with a malfunctioning VHF radio, and when I realized this was the case, I felt like I do when I leave my wristwatch at home; its absence was a definite handicap, as well as a distraction.

That experience convinced me it was time to acquire a secondary VHF radio. In many ways, the Cobra MR HH475 FLT BT is like most other handheld VHF radios. It’s waterproof, and it floats, which is nice. For a floating VHF radio, though, it is remarkably compact. Many floating handhelds feel a little bit "too big," somehow, which isn’t a complete surprise; they need to displace more than they weigh. This model accomplishes that without looking or feeling awkward. A minor point, perhaps, but one I noticed right off the bat.

What really sets this unit apart are two features in particular: Rewind-Say-Again and Bluetooth. I’ve written before about the clever Rewind-Say-Again feature some Cobra marine VHF units have, so I knew I wanted a model that included it. To describe this feature briefly, the radio features a 20-second digital buffer that stores the most recent transmissions received. So when you realize you missed something important, or forgot the slip assignment you just got from the harbormaster, you can press the Rewind-Say-Again button and hear it over again.

[The two buttons in the middle are the Bluetooth button and the Rewind-Say-Again button.]

I wasn’t especially keen on the Bluetooth feature, because I hadn’t yet figured out what value that would offer me. At this point, I’m glad to have both Rewind-Say-Again and the Bluetooth feature, and I’d like to share my experience so far with both of them.

(more…)

It was only a matter of time. After all, an AIS receiver isn’t much more than a VHF radio with a bit of logic thrown in. Panbo’s Ben Ellison has the scoop on this new unit from Standard Horizon. Please note that this is an AIS receiver only; it is not a Class B transceiver.

Even so, this might be an ideal solution for owners of boats that aren’t ready to mount Class B AIS aboard, but that recognize the benefit of receiving the AIS signals other vessels are broadcasting. It occurs to me that this all-in-one unit would have been a LOT easier to install aboard my own boat, Two Lucky Fish.

Two Lucky Fish is equipped with a Raymarine C-80 chartplotter, a unit with only one NMEA port on the back. I had to come up with my own crazy wiring schematic to get AIS data and DSC messages into the unit while also providing GPS coordinates to the VHF. What a hassle that was! See for yourself:

This Standard Horizon unit could be a tremendous blessing to owners not yet ready to upgrade their core chartplotter. Think about it: No NMEA multiplexer. No antenna splitter. Essentially, just plug the VHF into the chartplotter, set the plotter’s NMEA dataport speed to AIS/38,400 baud, and turn on the AIS layer on your chart view.

Additional features allow you to hail an AIS vessel over DSC at the push of a button. No typing MMSI numbers in one digit at a time! Include goodies like a 30 Watt PA/Loud Hailer with pre-programmed fog signals and you’re talking about a seriously feature-packed piece of gear for MAP (minimum advertised price) of $400. I’m interested!

In fact, even though I have Shine Micro’s excellent Class B AIS equipment aboard, I almost always run it through my PC running Rose Point Coastal Explorer. I would love to have an additional AIS datastream displayed on my Raymarine C-80. Nuts? Maybe. Consider it a backup.