I’ve written about DSC lots of times over the past few years, and I’m still astonished that this cool technology isn’t more fully understood by boaters. At this point, almost everybody with an installed marine VHF radio manufactured since…oh…about the turn of the century has DSC. I exaggerate, perhaps, but only a little.

How many of them understand how to use them? Most, perhaps. If you need help, you push and hold the “Distress” button. Heck, my kids understand how to use it!

But how many of owners of DSC-equipped boats have actually installed and configured these radios correctly? I’d be impressed if that figure were above 50%.

So at the risk of sounding like a broken record (if you don’t know what a record is, ask your grandparents), I’m going to republish this piece by Charles Rowe of Coast Guard Sector New York:

[A Coast Guard 41-foot search and rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Grand Isle and MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans prepare to conduct hoisting operations for a search and rescue demonstration. U.S. Coast Guard photograph/Petty Officer 3rd Class Tom Atkeson.]

One of the Coast Guard’s oldest and most honored missions is the rescue of those in peril on the sea.  Every rescue is a race against time, a contest not just with the hostile elements but with a clock that counts down tick by potentially deadly tick.

Few events are as frightening and as demanding as an emergency at sea.  One of the most immediate priorities of a vessel operator during an emergency is to broadcast a distress call seeking Coast Guard assistance. Under the stress of the moment, a voice call can be garbled, incomplete or wrong.  When minutes count and lives are in danger, lack of information or poor data can delay the Coast Guard’s ability to reach a mariner in distress.

[The Coast Guard responds to a report of a disabled 65-foot sailing vessel with three people aboard, about 30 miles south of Pt. Conception. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles.]

Fortunately, there is a tool that can instantly broadcast the right information to the right people in an emergency. This tool is Digital Selective Calling, similar to an electronic maritime pager, which is triggered by a simple button on marine DSC-equipped radios.  When the button is depressed for three seconds, and if the system has been properly programmed, an alert is automatically broadcasted.  But just like any tool, DSC has to be used and cared for properly to be effective.

A recent incident in New York illustrates what can go wrong:

At 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2011, the Coast Guard Sector New York command center received a DSC alert. The only information contained in the alert was a Maritime Mobile Service Identity, a nine-digit number sequence that specifically identifies a vessel. If a GPS is hooked into the DSC-equipped radio, precise location data will also be transmitted.

Immediately, the command center developed a search area and search pattern. Simultaneously, the command center researched the MMSI data to identify the registered owner, who was contacted.  A short time later, the search was stood down.

Why? What did the Coast Guard learn that caused it to cease efforts before ever launching a search?

When the registered owner was contacted, he stated that he had sold the boat four years prior.  After further research, the Coast Guard was able to contact the second owner, who had sold the boat a week before.  Finally, the current owner was found.  When questioned, the current owner admitted that in the course of changing the battery, cleaning and checking equipment, he had inadvertently triggered the DSC distress alert. He also admitted that he had little idea of what DSC was or how it worked.

The potential consequence of this incident is fairly obvious.

When search and rescue assets are launched, it costs several thousand dollars per hour to operate these crafts. On a bogus search, that is taxpayer money burned up for no good reason.

When Coast Guard aircrafts and boats are fruitlessly engaged in a search triggered by a false alarm, they are not immediately available for a real emergency. People in imminent danger of death or injury and needing assistance right away may have to wait longer than they would if an unnecessary search was not underway.

An owner or operator who triggers an unnecessary search, even by accident, is liable to civil and criminal penalties that may include jail time, civil and criminal fines that can total thousands of dollars and reimbursement of search costs.

However, the Coast Guard’s preference is not to punish but to educate.  Responsible boat owners need to know what to do and how to do it.

Step one comes when you purchase a boat. Buy a marine radio, equipped with DSC. Then you need to register your MMSI data.  It doesn’t take long and it could be the difference between being found right away and not being found until it is too late. Remember, the last owner’s MMIS data leads to him, not to you, in case of emergency.

To remind yourself, post instructions on how to use, register and test a DSC near your radio or have them readily available.

If you do accidentally trigger a distress alert, make sure to follow the proper steps to cancel the alert.

Don’t make search and rescue tougher than it has to be.  Do your part to save your own life.  Give the Coast Guard the information it needs to find you as quickly as possible.  Learn how to use your equipment.  And, most of all, don’t trigger a false alarm; someone’s life may depend upon it.

See original

I’m out cruising in the San Juan Islands with my dad; it’s an annual ritual of ours, a nice way to catch up and bond in an area where we share a lot of fond memories.

It’s also a chance to test the brand new antenna I’ve just installed and connected to my Vesper Marine AIS WatchMat3 850. The old Shakespeare Galaxy four-footer served well since it was installed in 2004, first as a primary VHF antenna and later as an AIS antenna. Of course, it wasn’t designed for the 162-MHz frequencies AIS uses, so it always received a lot better than it transmitted. But when it failed at the worst possible moment, I decided to replace it with something designed specifically for AIS. Something from Morad Electronics.

Morad is an interesting company. Extremely well-known among commercial fishers, installed aboard vessels of both the US Navy and the US Coast Guard, and with an enviable reputation for longevity and performance, Morad antennas are virtually unknown among recreational boaters.

However, they’re fairly well-known among those of us who pay attention, particularly here in the Pacific Northwest, so it was natural for me to drive the two miles and spend some time down in Ballard, where Morad president Ken Holland showed me around the facility and introduced me to Bruno, the largest dog I have ever met. I don’t know how I managed to forget to take a picture of this magnificent, slobbery creature in all his splendor…my apologies.

So I asked Morad to build me a VHF antenna tuned specifically to 162 MHz, since AIS uses two frequencies on either side of that 161.975 MHz and 162.025 MHz. His team built the antenna and had it ready for me within a week.

You might think it would be expensive to have an antenna custom made in under a week, but since Morad makes all its antennas by hand—cutting length off the driven element a bit at a time until the final tuning is exactly right—it’s no problem at all to build one optimized for whatever frequency the customer wants.

So now I’ve got one on Two Lucky Fish, and I’m putting it to the test this week. I know it’s working, because tug Pacific confirmed she had me on AIS on Saturday in Rosario Strait. Not sure how far away anyone can receive me, and that’s somewhat difficult to test. The best easy assessment I can make is to see how the shore-based receivers networked at MarineTraffic.com receive my broadcasts on the way home.

Compared to what? Compared to the same vessel, with the same transponder, but a different antenna, as recorded a few days earlier. Here’s the plot for the trip up, when I had my AIS transponder connected to the eight-foot Shakespeare antenna I normally use for my VHF:

Stay tuned…after I take the boat home, we’ll see if the new antenna shows up a bit out. It’s about as close as I can come to a real-world A/B comparison.

I’ve had bad luck with this antenna recently. I attributed it to an antenna splitter at first, but after my recent AIS total failure just when I needed it most, I was ready to retire this antenna “with extreme prejudice.”

But I never pass up an opportunity to learn something useful from gear failures! So I decided to dissect this antenna, for the edification and amusement of Navagear readers everywhere.

For the sake of clarity, allow me to stipulate that this is a Shakespeare Galaxy 5400-XT 4-foot, 3dB VHF antenna.

First, in an attempt to maximize whatever “retained value” might be possible with the unit, I decided to try to open up the antenna without actually destroying anything. I used a tiny screwdriver to pry the glue loose holding the cap onto the end of the antenna’s fiberglass body. I was successful.

As you can see, the primary driven element of this antenna is nothing more than the core conductor of the coax cable itself. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong about making an antenna this way, but I had sort of hoped there might be something more elaborate inside. There is. Read onward…

At this point, I was stuck, a bit. I couldn’t really disassemble it any further without damaging it, so I had to make a choice. My choice was to use the cutoff wheel on my Dremel rotary tool to cut the fiberglass body off from the stainless steel mounting base. This step was the hardest, because I was aware that I was literally ruining the antenna as I did this. On the other hand, I’m not about to put this antenna back into service the way it let me down earlier this month, so…it’s ruined already, isn’t it? That’s what I told myself as I cranked up the Dremel.

Once I had the mounting base separated, I could pull the coax cable all the way through it and separate it entirely. Here are all the parts laid out on the driveway.

Let’s take a closer look at each portion of the antenna. From top to bottom, we have…

the tip;

the…um…”middle part”; and

the base.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far: The unshielded driven element of this antenna (the core conductor of the coax cable that occupies the top portion of the antenna above the brass tubing) is very close to 16.4 inches long. That corresponds—if I’ve got my math right—to a quarter-wavelength at 171 MHz, much higher than you would want for marine VHF’s 156- to 157-MHz sweet spot. Again, if I’ve got this right, the driven element should be about 18 inches long for marine VHF, not 16.4 inches long.

HOWEVER, I’m not at all prepared to proclaim Shakespeare to be in error. This antenna worked plenty fine until recently, so I suspect the truth is that I don’t actually know what I’m talking about! I admit it. The point of sharing my observations (and my potentially flawed analysis) here is that I know talented and intelligent Navagear readers will set me straight.

So let’s proceed down the antenna. The larger diameter brass tube immediately below the driven  element is almost exactly 18.4 inches long. I believe this functions as a “sleeve balun”, a completely new word to me which I got out of Wikipedia. It is electrically continuous with the longer, smaller-diameter brass tube immediately below. It appears that these two brass tubes are electrically connected by a cap only at the top, at the point where the driven element emerges from both tubes.

Proceeding downward, the inner brass tube continues down and disappears into the two ferrite rings. I assume these magnet-like (but non-magnetic) rings are noise-suppression ferrites.

So as far as I can tell, this is a “quarter-wave monopole antenna” with a “sleeve balun”. Except it isn’t really a quarter-wave since the driven element is too short to constitute a 156-MHz quarter-wave antenna…for some reason I don’t really understand.

So, gentle reader, please feel free to share your expertise and explain to all of us why this antenna functioned quite well back when it functioned well.

A week ago, I was navigating at slow speed through dense fog when the antenna attached to my Class B AIS unit failed, just as I was about to enter the Vessel Traffic lanes in Puget Sound.

Let’s be honest: Aboard my little 22-foot powerboat, Class B AIS is not really necessary. Very few boats as small as mine are so equipped, and they seem to get where they’re going just fine. But the AIS network interests me, and I like having Vesper’s AIS WatchMate 850 class B transponder installed aboard Two Lucky Fish. As I’ve written before…

The fact is that nobody really cares where my boat is; the vast majority of the boats in a position to do anything about the position of my boat (or care) are not equipped to receive the AIS data I’m broadcasting. The big ships are equipped to see me, but they’re not going to navigate around me anyway. It’s up to me to stay out of their way.

My point is that about 99 percent of the real-world AIS utility I have experienced so far comes from reception: I know the names, positions, headings, and velocities of the big traffic I need to avoid. I have made active use of this data on several occasions, hailing them by name over VHF channel 13 (the bridge-to-bridge channel most big ships monitor), in order to clarify intentions in passing and crossing situations.

About half a dozen times a year, I genuinely use AIS, and it becomes a navigational tool that I rely on. And in fog, in Vessel Traffic lanes on Puget Sound, it becomes “essential gear I am actively using to ensure the safety of my vessel and crew”. In that context, not only is the AIS receive critical to me; I’m also relying on the class B AIS transmit functionality to let other vessels know where I am.

And THAT was the moment the antenna failed: No transmission, no reception. All of a sudden I was AIS-blind (and mute), and it sucked!

I had some intermittent trouble with this antenna earlier this season, but I attributed the failure to a low-end antenna splitter, which I eliminated from the installation, and all appeared to be working properly. Until last Sunday.

So what now?

I’m going to use my digital multitester to see if there’s anything obviously wrong with my 4-foot Shakespeare Galaxy 5400-XT. I’ll compare it to the other VHF antenna, and unless it seems obvious that I can fix it in situ, perhaps by replacing the PL-259 connecter on the radio end, I’m going to remove this antenna and dissect it.

And after that? It will probably be time to shop for a new AIS antenna.

[It’s funny that this press release should arrive today. One week ago, I REALLY COULD HAVE USED an emergency VHF antenna.

As seen above, I was navigating at slow speed through dense fog when the antenna attached to my Class B AIS unit failed, just as I was about to enter the Vessel Traffic lanes in Puget Sound. I wish I had had one of these aboard. On with the press release! —Tim]

Time is of the essence in an emergency, so quickly finding and mounting a spare VHF antenna can make all the difference.  The 5910 Emergency Stowable Antenna from Shakespeare Electronic Products Group is easy to spot, grab, and connect, helping save valuable minutes.

A 9" bright yellow, metal tube helps protect the antenna during storage and becomes part of the mounting system.  It hangs neatly on a bulkhead, or wherever it’s accessible yet out of the way.  Pre-installing the included mounting clip helps prepare the antenna for use. In an emergency, the user simply removes the cable and flexible whip from the tube, mounts the antenna securely on top, and then slides the tube onto the mounting clip.  After assembly, the antenna is 16" long.

The dependable VHF whip comes with 20′ of RG-174 mini coax cable and a pre-installed PL-259 connector.  The Shakespeare 5910 Emergency Stowable Antenna, backed by a 2-year warranty, retails for $95.95.

We’ve mentioned Steve Roberts before. I’m fond of calling him “the original over-gadgeted technomad”, and he doesn’t seem to mind. He’s just finished overhauling the public outreach portion of his ambitious Nomadness Project, which many Navagear readers will probably find interesting.

In case you’re not familiar with Steve Roberts, he became somewhat notorious as a "high-tech nomad" when he took off from Ohio in 1983 aboard a computerized recumbent bicycle, writing articles and books while pedaling around the US. He covered 17,000 miles on three versions of the machine (BEHEMOTH), which now resides in the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley. This was arguably the first instance of mobile texting as well as proto-blogging… Roberts typed in binary chords on a handlebar keyboard while riding, using an ultrasonic head mouse to control the console Macintosh, an interfaced cellular phone, and a hacked Qualcomm trucker-satellite unit for 24/7 wireless email (in 1990). We take this kind of always-connected technology for granted these days, but twenty years ago it was genuinely “gee-wiz” amazing!

After he hung up his pedaling shoes, the technomad spent a decade building the Microship, a canoe-scale amphibian pedal/solar/sail micro-trimaran. But like many home-built boats, by the time it was finished his needs had grown to something on a larger scale.

His current boat, Nomadness, is an Amazon 44 steel pilothouse cutter, and in the spirit of previous projects he is geeking it out with an extensive network of embedded systems. The original saloon is becoming a lab, with wrap-around sloping consoles for systems, communications, audio/video production, and engineering… and he’s carrying on-board printed-circuit fabrication tools, development systems. a piano studio, and a robotic assembly machine for rapid-prototyping small parts. I tied up alongside and spent some time aboard a year or two ago, and it was pretty incredible.

"Just think of it as Starship Enterprise on a sailboat," he quips. "The entire user interface, except for safety-critical stuff like engine and navlights, is managed locally or remotely through hand-held web browsers and speech. Data logging includes over 250 sensors and derived data points."

Roberts has been publishing the technical details of his projects for years, and has written 6 books. He has decided to document Nomadness system design as a weekly PDF publication, which will be compiled quarterly into a print edition and then later mined for a series of "design packages" with associated kits. He also blogs (at nomadness.com) but emphasizes that posts there are softer, more about the adventure stories and lifestyle transitions. The hard-core nautical geekery, sometimes with schematics and other detailed design info, appears in the Nomadness Report. And THAT’S the real reason we’re talking about Steve Roberts now. This is a new offering, and it should be interesting.

Cost is $20/year, which amounts to 38 cents an issue. "I want to make subscribing a no-brainer for anyone interested in moving beyond the standard marine electronics material," Steve says. "I’m of course integrating a lot of off-the-shelf systems, and depend heavily on Panbo, Navagear, and other sources for access to current product info… but most of this project is about custom overlays that add capabilities not available in the marketplace. That’s what I’ll be sharing with my readers… along with hacks, geek humor, and the whole twisted gonzo-engineering narrative."

To subscribe, grab a free introductory sample copy, or see the contents of current issues, visit:

http://nomadness.com/nomadness-report-subscriptions

If you’re curious about his previous projects, Steve’s "front door" is http://www.microship.com

Thanks to Captain Richard Rodriguez for alerting us to this:

New SPOT Assist for Maritime makes summoning BoatUS towing as easy as pressing a button.

It’s a boater’s nightmare. The engine won’t start after a long day spent at the family’s favorite offshore fishing spot.

You need to get the kids back home, but with dead batteries killing the VHF radio and the cell phone out of range, how will you make the call for a tow?

A new exclusive service from SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger and BoatUS Towing Services could have you safely back home much sooner than think.

The new SPOT Assist for Maritime service mates personal satellite messaging communications and GPS technology with the nation’s largest fleet of towboats for recreational boaters, BoatU.S. Towing Services.

“SPOT Assist for Maritime” gives recreational boaters the ability to summon a towboat for non-emergency assistance by pressing the “help” button on their handheld SPOT Satellite GPS messenger or SPOT Personal Tracker.

By pressing the help button on the SPOT unit, an automatic communication containing the disabled vessel’s make, length, color, home marina, owner details, family contacts, latitude and longitude location information is sent via satellite to the BoatU.S. 24-hour nationwide dispatch centers, alerting them to the request for on-the-water towing.

This GPS location information is critical for a timely towboat response, as the biggest challenge for responding captains is getting accurate location information from a disabled vessel.

In addition, boaters can enjoy the suite of features SPOT offers, including:

“Check-in/OK” that allows family and friends know where you are and that you are okay.

“Track Progress” sends your boat’s location to others while plotting your water adventure on Google Maps.

“Custom Message” for secondary communications is offered with the newer SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger unit

“SOS/911″ function that notifies an emergency rescue coordination center of your GPS location

SPOT units for sale at West Marine start at $149.99, with a $99.99 annual basic satellite service plan.

A BoatU.S. Membership and “Unlimited” towing plan for freshwater lakes and rivers, is only $58 a year. An Unlimited BoatU.S. saltwater towing plan is only $149.

BoatU.S. Members can purchase SPOT Assist for only $10 to get connected in a whole new way to the 24 Hour towing services they enjoy with their Membership.

For more information and to purchase SPOT Assist, visit www.findmespot.com/assist. BoatU.S. Membership is required, so if you’re not a Member click here to join today!

*SPOT Assist for Maritime is available throughout inland waters and coastal North America, however not available in Hawaii. BoatUS considers SPOT units a valuable communication, tracking and locating tool, but encourages equipping your boat with a 406 Mhz EPIRB and VHF/DSC Marine Radio for emergency on the water communication scenarios.

Ever since learning about the new SPOT HUG product at the big NMEA conference last fall, I’ve been looking forward to seeing an operational unit in person.

Right off the bat, though, I had a few questions:

• Is the base unit battery-powered, or powered off the vessel’s 12-Volt system? If battery-powered, what’s the typical lifespan of those batteries in stand-by and active modes?
• Does the HUG system include the SPOT GPS Messenger’s secondary Custom Message in addition to Check-In/OK?
• What’s up with that name? “HUG”?!

See, I’ve been writing about using SPOT for asset management before SPOT even announced HUG in November of 2009: http://www.navagear.com/2009/04/vessel-tracking-system-roundup/

And the reason I’m so concerned about the secondary Custom Message functionality is discussed here: http://www.navagear.com/2010/05/realtime-float-plan-management-with-twitter-and-spot-2-perhaps/

Derek Moore from SPOT responded to my questions:

SPOT HUG includes three components – Key FOB, Wireless Keypad and the Tracker. The Tracker can be either line powered or battery powered.  A line power cable is included and the customer can connect the Tracker to an external DC power source with 12 or 24 volt output.  The Tracker can also be powered by 4 AA lithium batteries.  When using internal batteries, the Tracker has a battery life of up to 1 year when in an idle mode with no vibration and up to 12 days when in SOS mode in a clear line-of-sight environment.

In addition to Unauthorized Movement and Sensor Alerts, SPOT HUG will include four SPOT Messaging functions (SOS, Track Progress, Help and Check-in/OK). The second Custom Message will not be available.

“HUG” stands for Hybrid Universal Guardian. Give your boat a HUG with satellite-based GPS security. That being said, we have some marketing to do in order to communicate its relevance and hopefully create some stickiness with consumers.

The name issue aside, SPOT HUG is nearly perfect for my realtime float plan management needs, plus it has those other great features that a lot of boaters are bound to appreciate. A clever friend of mine even suggested a way to obtain the secondary message behavior I want: Connect one of the auxiliary sensor alerts to a switch and program that “alarm” to generate the secondary message when activated. I’m not at all sure how this would work in reality, but it’s a thought!

BUT WAIT! WHAT’S THIS?!

Just this morning Navagear founder Aaron Tinling sent along an article about a brand new product, the SPOT Connect:

It appears that this is exactly what I need! But after contemplating the HUG for the past few months, I was kind of excited about those other HUG features; the Unauthorized Movement and the Sensor Alerts, for instance. It seems like I need both, or some yet-to-be-invented hybrid combining both feature sets. Yeah…that’s the ticket! On with the press release:

SPOT Unveils Revolutionary New SPOT Connect for Smartphones

SPOT Connect™ turns leading smartphones into a personal one-way satellite communicator capable of sending messages with GPS position to personal contacts, social networks or to summon help in emergencies from remote areas beyond cellular coverage

Las Vegas, NV – (Date to release: January 4, 2011) Spot LLC continues to pioneer innovation in satellite communications, bringing global messaging technology into the hands of millions worldwide. A wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: GSAT), Spot LLC today announced SPOT Connect, a new SPOT satellite communicator capable of sending messages over the Globalstar satellite network from smartphone operating systems. Winner of this year’s CES Innovations Award in Design and Engineering in the Personal Electronics category, SPOT Connect will showcase this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Today’s smartphones provide mobile social connection. But when users go off-grid, their smartphone needs help. SPOT Connect provides connectivity to global communication satellites for sending location-based messages from around town or areas outside of cellular phone coverage. By simply downloading the SPOT Connect app, SPOT Connect wirelessly synchs via Bluetooth with smartphone operating systems like Android. SPOT message features are then initiated using the SPOT Connect app on the smart device.

"For the first time ever, urban professionals, outdoor enthusiasts and world travelers can utilize cost-efficient, personal satellite communications directly from their smartphone." said Peter Dalton, President of Spot LLC and CEO of Globalstar, Inc. "When paired with SPOT Connect your everyday smartphone overcomes traditional limitations associated with cellular coverage, keeping you better connected to your personal contacts and social groups like Facebook and Twitter when you want to be."

Additional Benefits and features:
• Uses the GPS satellite system to determine location and the Globalstar satellite network to transmit that information to personal contacts or an international emergency response center
• Send location-based messages via satellite to others delivered as SMS text or email
• Send custom "Type and Send" 41 character text messages from your location
• Update social networks including Facebook, Twitter and SPOT Adventures from remote locations
• Provide GPS functionality to non-GPS devices
• Utilize proven SPOT messaging features – Send custom or predefined messages, Track Progress on Google Maps™, or transmit an SOS message in an emergency
• Store up to 10 predefined messages for quick reference and sending
• Create and save contact groups to receive your SPOT Connect message. Each contact group can contain multiple contacts consisting of cell phone numbers and or email addresses
• On device SOS button for standalone emergency operation
• Web & Mobile account management
• Bluetooth wireless connection
• Waterproof to IPX7 standard
• Lightweight at 3.7 ounces, SPOT Connect is portable and can be used handheld or attached to a pack or RAM mounting system

The SPOT Connect app can be downloaded anytime and works when SPOT Connect is registered with SPOT Basic Service and paired with the smart device. SPOT Connect is compatible with some of today’s leading smartphone operating systems such as Android. Additional smartphone compatibility is scheduled for release later this year.

Spot LLC is showcasing SPOT Connect and its entire line of award-winning satellite GPS tracking and messaging products at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Trade Show at SPOT booth number 35647 located in the IT Wireless Zone, South Hall 4.

Pricing and Product Availability Information:
SPOT Connect retails $169.99 MSRP plus a required annual subscription service starting at $99.99 per year and is scheduled to begin shipping this January to retail locations and online sites specializing in GPS, outdoor recreation and personal electronics. For more information on SPOT Connect and other SPOT products and location-based satellite service offerings like SPOT Assist Roadside and BoatUS Towing Services, visit www.findmespot.com.

It’s a press release from Shakespeare, about a new color option for its Galaxy and Classic series antennae. In the old days (with apologies to Henry Ford), customers could get Shakespeare antennae “in any color they wanted so long as it was white”.

I don’t know why, but I think black antennae would look pretty dang cool. That’s unusual for me; I’m normally a utilitarian, function-over-form kind of guy. Stuff that works and makes sense has its own aesthetic beauty. Even so, I can’t help thinking that a pair of black Shakespeare Galaxy 8-footers would look sweet on the back of my boat…

On with the press release!

BLACK ANTENNAS UP THE ANTE FOR BOAT OWNERS

            Well-regarded as an industry leader of marine antennas and related accessories, Shakespeare‘s Galaxy and Classic Series Antennas offer the best in both beauty and performance.  To better satisfy individual customer or builder tastes, a number of its popular models are available in a sophisticated black finish.

            Offering a dark elegance compared to their fair-hued counterparts, Shakespeare’s black antennas add distinctive style to any yacht.  This upscale finish is available on select 4′ and 8′ VHF, 4′ AM/FM, and 4′ and 8′ cellular models.

With over 25 years of innovation and craftsmanship, the Galaxy line uses the best material for its internal conductors.  They are soldered, assembled, and finished by hand to the highest standards.

Quality control is paramount with the Galaxy range, which also boasts exclusive fiberglass radomes to seal out moisture, prevent corrosion, and provide years of trouble-free operation.  Selected for their excellent transmission performance, and durable and tough construction, these antennas are likewise universally admired for their beautiful, unique appearance.

Shakespeare is a global leader in marine antenna technology.  They also offer dependable mounts, connectors, and related accessories.

Standard Horizon has a LOT of new products in the pipeline. Ben over at Panbo has the summary, but I wanted to take a moment to look at one of the products in a bit more detail.

This is the Standard Horizon Matrix GX 2150 fixed-mount VHF radio with integrated AIS receiver. Regular readers may recall the piece I wrote ten months ago about this unit’s predecessor: the GX 2100. I was extremely enthusiastic about this product; the rich combination of features and competitive price-point made it a sure winner. But I was also a bit disappointed at the way that unit handled NMEA data. Click through to read my analysis.

In particular, I was thinking about owners of existing boats. Folks unlikely to replace their entire electronics suite, but who would spend a bit on an updated VHF with built-in AIS and PA/foghorn/loudhailer functionality. Especially in the current economy, it makes sense to ensure that new electronics offerings appeal to people who are choosing to maintain and perhaps upgrade the boats they own now rather than buy a new boat. The fact that all the Matrix VHF/AIS models allow you to use the single VHF antenna you’ve already installed to support both VHF and AIS makes them even more attractive for retrofitters.

That’s the market I had in mind, perhaps because that’s the market I happen to occupy! In my particular case, for example, I run a 2004 Raymarine C-80 as my primary chartplotter. This unit, like many multifunction displays more than five years old, has a limited number of NMEA ports. In fact, the old C-series units have just one! Since adding AIS and insisting on two-way NMEA traffic to my VHF to support DSC fully a couple years ago, I’ve jumped through hoop after hoop trying to route NMEA data between components on my boat. Even today, having bitten the bullet and installed a NoLand AM43 multiplexer, my NMEA data routing schematic is still a mess.

The new Standard Horizon GX 2150 improves on last year’s GX 2100 by making the NMEA data routing issue a lot easier for everyone. All the NMEA data between the Matrix unit and whatever chartplotter you might own is aggregated into a single high-speed port. For some potential customers, this is a big deal.

I haven’t had a chance to read the installation manual in detail yet, but this one subtle improvement, perhaps invisible to most customers until they sit down to install the unit, should make upgrading reasonably straightforward on virtually any boat with a chartplotter capable of displaying AIS data. Especially, of course, for those of us with older chartplotters.

The GX2150 offers a lot of great features at an extremely competitive price, and I expect to see a lot more of these popping up on boats over the next year.

Here’s the rest of the press release on this product:

MATRIX AIS GX2150
ITU Class D VHF-Built-in AIS Receiver, RAM3 Compatible
Available: January 2011 – MAP $399.99

New features for 2011:

• GPS in / DSC out 4800 and 38400 baud rate selections (Allows connection to GPS Chart Plotter with 1 NMEA IN/OUT)
• Selectable True and Magnetic readings for AIS target and PA/FOG simultaneous operation with AIS display
• GPS status page

Improving the popular MATRIX AIS, the MATRIX AIS+ includes features customers have requested: 4800 to 38400 NMEA input baud rate selection (for plotters with 1 NMEA port), True and Magnetic selection for AIS targets, simultaneous PA/FOG operation with AIS display and a GPS status display page.

When connected to a GPS with NMEA 0183 the MATRIX AIS+ displays AIS target information (MMSI, Call Sign, Ship Name, BRG, DST, SOG and COG), allows you to contact an AIS Ship directly using DSC, shows your vessel’s position in relation to AIS targets and alerts you when an AIS ship may be approaching too close to your location via the Closest Point of Approach (CPA) Alarm.

One antenna input is all that is needed since the MATRIX AIS+ utilizes the VHF antenna to receive AIS targets from ships class A or B AIS transponders. The MATRIX AIS+ features an 80dB commercial grade receiver with Local/Distance attenuator, ITU Class D DSC, powerful 30 Watt PA/Loud Hailer with listen back, and preprogrammed fog signals. Other great features include; die-cast chassis for durability, user-changeable channel names, optional voice scrambler, ClearVoice noise canceling speaker microphone, 4.5 Watt audio output, NOAA Weather Alert, Programmable Scan, Priority Scan and Dual Watch.

The MATRIX AIS+ is also capable of entering and saving up to 100 waypoints, which may be selected and navigated to by using a unique navigation compass display that shows your vessels SOG, COG, BRG (Bearing) and DST (Distance) to the waypoint. The MATRIX AIS+ is capable of being connected to a RAM3 Remote Access Microphone, allowing control of all VHF, DSC and hailer functions remotely as well as add an intercom between the radio
and second station microphone. Another unique feature is the ability of the MATRIX AIS+ to "poll" (request and send) the GPS LAT/LON of another vessel and show the vessel’s position on the radio’s alphanumeric display or send the data to a compatible GPS chart plotter to be viewed directly on the chart. This is a great feature for maintaining contact with fishing or cruising “buddy” boats. The MATRIX AIS+ also has the capability to send AIS target information to a chart plotter via NMEA. The MATRIX AIS+ is backed by an industry leading 3-year waterproof warranty.

Features:
• Integrated dual channel AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver
• 4800 or 38400 NMEA baud rate selection, for plotters with 1 NMEA port
• Able to use PA or Fog signaling when on AIS display
• True and Magnetic bearing selection on AIS display
• AIS target display: MMSI, Call Sign, Ship Name, BRG, DST, SOG and COG
• Contact Class A or B AIS Ship with DSC*
• Programmable CPA or TCPA collision avoidance alarms*
• ITU Class D DSC (Independent Channel 70 receiver built-in)
• Submersible JIS-7 / IPX7 (3.3 feet for 30 minutes)
• 80dB Commercial grade receiver
• DSC position request and report functions when connected to compatible
GPS chart plotter
• GPS Compass, Waypoint and GPS status pages*
• 30 Watt PA/Loud Hailer with preprogrammed fog signals and listen back
• ClearVoice noise canceling speaker microphone with channel and 16/9 key