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

[It’s a press release, folks. —Tim]

MERRIMACK, N.H. October 19^th 2011 – Raymarine, a world leader in marine electronics, announced today that its e7 multifunction display was selected for the prestigious IBEX Innovation award at the opening of the 2011 International Boat Builders Exhibition and Conference.   The IBEX Innovation Awards are organized by NMMA and judged by BWI (Boating Writers International).

When selecting winning products the BWI recognizes products for innovative distinction, benefits to the marine industry, practicality and benefits to consumer, and overall cost effectiveness.

“This compact navigation solution brings multiple features, including built-in   Wi-Fi connectivity to a marine multifunction device. Where Apple iPad integration, pop culture and intuitive operation meets useful maritime technology,” said BWI Judge Alan Wendt.

In addition to built-in Wi-Fi integration with iPads and iPhones, the e7 is equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology.  Bluetooth connectivity lets boaters control and reconfigure the e7 with the optional RCU-3 wheel-mounted or handheld remote control unit. The RCU-3 remote can also be used to control the audio playback on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod remotely so that these devices can be stowed safely out of the elements.

“Raymarine is honored to win this prestigious award,” said Jim Jones, Director of Southeastern Sales for Raymarine.  “With the e7, Raymarine is very excited to integrate navigation and wireless technologies for boaters.  Mobile computing has changed our everyday lives by providing us with anywhere access to information and now the e7 lets boaters access charts, sonar, radar and thermal night vision from anywhere on board.”

The affordable e7 multifunction display offers options for radar, AIS, marine weather, and thermal night vision.  The e7 is also available with a built in high definition digital sonar, making the e7 a highly affordable yet powerful chartplotter/fishfinder combo.

The e7 is remarkably easy to use, with Raymarine’s HybridTouch™ technology allowing boaters to choose touchscreen or keypad control, and the new LightHouse user interface, which makes customizing the MFD layout and display as easy as dragging and dropping on-screen elements where the user wants them.

Ben Ellison has this over at Panbo, and for my own part I am very interested in learning more! Take it away, Ben…

Yes that’s an Accu-Steer reversing hydraulic pump meant to push a rudder around, but that block on top is a patent-pending sensor co-developed with FurunoUSA, and the whole package leads to the very interesting "Safe Helm" and "Power Steer" features coming to the latter’s NavPilot 700 (which explains why the pilot came out elsewhere earlier).  Safe Helm sounds a lot like the "Shadow Drive" feature so far only seen on the Garmin GHP 10 pilot for hydraulic steering systems; instead of poking a StandBy button, you simply turn the wheel to disengage the pilot and steer around an issue, then let the boat settle on a course again to re-engage. It’s elegantly simple (I’ve tried the Garmin version), and it’s potentially great that it’s is no longer exclusive to one manufacturer. And apparently Furuno’s unique method also means that the pump can be used to power assist a steering system, with numerous controls for how that’s done — like variable assist at different speeds — built into the NavPilot 700…

Read more

I got a chance to sea-trial some newer Simrad tech last month aboard Mad Max, a 36-foot center-console fishing boat sporting 10 (ten) times the horsepower I carry on Two Lucky Fish. Captain Max Dennemeyer (http://pacificcoastcharters.us) was helping Simrad host this event, demonstrating a variety of gear for journalists and dealers. You know…marketing!

And in my case, it worked. Since the Simrad demo, I’ve been out cruising on my own boat for about two weeks, and I’m currently sitting in a coffeehouse in Coos Bay, Oregon, halfway through an offshore delivery from Seattle to San Diego. So with over 700 nautical miles under my keel since the demo, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to consider how Simrad’s gear might serve my needs.

First, let me clarify which Simrad gear I’m focusing on: I’m talking about the NSS Sport MFD with “touch sensible” interface, StructureScan Sonar, and Broadband Radar.

Each of these deserves a separate article, but I’m just going to hit the highlights today:

The “touch sensible” interface really is intuitive. It reminded me of using Rose Point Coastal Explorer on the PC: You virtually never need the manual. Just poke around and guess, and you’ll probably find the function you’re after on the first or second try. I don’t know how many times during the demo I asked a question like this: “Hey, how do you get to the screen where…Oh never mind, I found it.”

Furthermore, there are almost always two ways to accomplish any task: One using the touch screen and another using the knobs and buttons on the unit. After being tossed around in the Pacific Ocean the past few days, where violent motion sometimes precluded using the mouse and keyboard on my laptop at all, I am a firm believer in the necessity of physical buttons and knobs in any offshore navigation interface. That’s necessity, not mere preference. I had to abandon my beloved Rose Point Coastal Explorer the other night in heavy seas because I just wasn’t able to manipulate any of the controls. It sounds stupid, but offshore veterans will know what I’m talking about.

StructureScan Sonar rocks. On my own boat, I like to explore the many “nooks and crannies” in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. I like poking my nose into spots that are poorly charted, with barely enough water to let me in and back out again. Several times I found myself wishing for more than the simple linear sequence of numbers available from my depthsounder. I wanted something like this:

Likewise, on the radar side, I want Broadband Radar! When I was feeling my way back from Port Townsend to Seattle in heavy fog (which had apparently not discouraged the salmon fishermen at all!), I was able to identify targets reasonably well with my old Raymarine radar, but the returns from some boats were very small, and could be lost for several scans in a row sometimes. I doubt I could have seen kayaks or large floating debris at all, had any been present.

Many veterans will respond to that last statement by saying “Radar won’t pick up kayaks and debris, ya dummy!” But those folks haven’t played with Simrad’s Broadband radar. This thing picks up birds, which is one reason fisherman like it: Birds feed on little fish; the same little fish that big fish feed on.

If I’m running in fog, I want to see anything large enough to carry a person, and it appears to me that Simrad’s Broadband radar is one of very few tools that will do this. Check out this screenshot:

That’s 1/8-mile range, with a custom guard zone set up from dead ahead and down the port side. That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout! Seriously, for my needs, this is the kind of detail and range I care about. I’m less concerned with targets five or ten miles away; I want to know about targets—large and small—that are near me, that I need to do something about. In fog, I would probably run the radar at about two miles range. At night, in clear visibility, I would rely on lights from other boats, and run the radar at 1/4 mile or less, with a narrow guard zone set up directly in front of the boat, scanning for junk in the water ahead.

Once again, there is a lot more to say about both of these imaging products, and obviously I haven’t gone into the details here at all. The technologies underlying Simrad’s Broadband Radar and StructureScan Sonar are fascinating in and of themselves, particularly if you’re a geek like me. Perhaps I’ll delve a bit deeper into those in a future article.

Are there any drawbacks? Yes: Range is probably the biggest one. Broadband Radar does not have the range of larger traditional pulse radar. If you want 25-mile+ radar, you’ll need to one of those. StructureScan Sonar won’t give you depth data at high speed or deeper than about 400 feet. But since the NSS MFD is packaged with the Broadband Sounder module anyway, you’ve got deep depth at high speed if you need it; we had Mad Max over 60 mph with a solid depth reading all the way.

Run these powerful imaging technologies through the intuitive hybrid touchscreen interface of the NSS MFDs, and you’ve got an awfully nice navigation package for either fishing or coastal cruising.

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 a press release about an exciting new product from Raymarine. Wait, did I just say “exciting”? Well, yes, if only because it doesn’t look like every other Raymarine chartplotter produced in the last decade! It looks…different. Distinctive. Refreshing, even. Not only does it look new, though…it’s got some new features inside, as well. Like Wi-Fi.

Ben at Panbo discussed some of the distinctions yesterday. I look forward to playing with one of these in person. —Tim]

New e7 MFDs provide expanded networking, wireless connectivity, and all new user interface

MERRIMACK, N.H., July 28th, 2011 – Raymarine announced the launch of its e7 line of affordable, easy-to-use multifunction displays that are packed with powerful, cutting-edge features.   

The new e7 is the first 7” MFD to provide networking with up to six displays, as well as remote system control and music over Bluetooth. The e7’s Wi-Fi connectivity allows boaters to stream live video from the e7 to their iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. This allows anyone on board to see whatever is on the e7’s display – thermal video, navigation charts, radar, sonar, anything that the e7 can display – on their mobile iOS device anywhere on board.

Its Bluetooth connectivity lets you control and reconfigure the e7 with the optional RCU-3 wheel-mounted or handheld remote control unit. You can also use the RCU-3 remote to control the audio playback from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod remotely so that your device is stowed safely out of the elements.

The e7 is remarkably easy to use, with Raymarine’s HybridTouch™ technology allowing boaters to choose touchscreen or keypad control, and the new LightHouse user interface, which makes customizing your MFD layout and display as easy as dragging and dropping on-screen elements where you want them.

But the first thing boaters will notice about the e7 is its all new sleek, low-profile design. Other MFDs can look like boxy appliances that are shoved clumsily into the console, but the e7’s sleek design makes it look like it was made for your vessel. With a low-profile bezel and bright LED backlit display, the e7 gives you excellent visibility from every angle.  The e7 display is also enhanced with a unique Sport Optic friendly coating that enables continuous visibility from virtually every angle while wearing polarized sunglasses. 

Boaters can choose the standard e7 or fisherman can choose e7D with built-in HD Digital sonar.  A 48 channel, high sensitivity internal GPS is also standard on both the e7 and e7D. e7 and e7D models are also available with Navionics ready-to-navigate coastal or inland charts supplied on a microSD cards.

For additional product information please visit www.raymarine.com.

[It’s a press release… —Tim]

Merrimack, NH – July 27th, 2011 – Raymarine, the world leaders in marine electronics is proud to announce the new AIS650 Class B AIS Transceiver, and the AIS350 AIS Receiver. Engineered for seamless integration with Raymarine multifunction navigation systems, the AIS650 and AIS350 bring a new level of situational awareness and safety to sailing, cruising and fishing boats.

Operating in the VHF maritime band, the Automatic Identification System (AIS) enables the wireless exchange of navigation status between vessels and shore-side traffic monitoring centers. When interfaced to a compatible chartplotter or radar display, boaters immediately benefit from being able to see the surrounding vessel traffic plotted and updated automatically.

AIS650 is a Class B transceiver unit, meaning it allows full participation in the AIS network by receiving data from other vessels as well as transmitting data about its own navigational status to other AIS-equipped vessels. This “see and be seen” capability significantly improves navigational safety by making the boat visible on the chart and radar displays of much larger vessels. It also presents the captain with a comprehensive picture of the AIS-equipped vessel traffic around him right on his own chart and radar screens.

AIS650 also has a user selectable “Silent Mode” which can be enabled right from the Raymarine MFD interface, or by connecting an optional toggle switch to the unit’s silent mode circuit control. Silent Mode allows the captain to temporarily suspend broadcast of identifying information on occasions where privacy or security are desired. AIS650’s built-in Secure Digital memory card reader can be used for recording AIS data for later analysis, or for configuring the system’s vessel identification static data. The AIS650 includes a 50-channel GPS receiver with built-in integrity management software, which ensures the GPS positions reported by the system are of the highest accuracy possible.

The AIS350 is a receive-only product designed for small boats wanting the increased situational awareness benefit of AIS, but not wanting the Class B transmitting capability. This low-cost alternative brings many of the safety advantages of AIS to a wider range of vessels than ever before. AIS350 features a new dual-channel receiver design for fast acquisition and download of AIS traffic data.

Both new Raymarine AIS products are built on a new ultra-compact chassis that is at least 50% smaller than previous generation AIS products. Both models feature multiple data interfaces including NMEA0183, SeaTalk-NG and USB (universal serial bus) for easy integration with PC-based navigation solutions. Both AIS products also support the NMEA2000 interface standard making them compatible with a wide array of 3rd party navigation products.

The AIS650 will be available nationwide from Raymarine’s network of authorized dealers and OEM integrators beginning in July 2011 with the AIS350 arriving shortly thereafter. The AIS650 has an MSRP of $999 and the AIS350 has an MSRP of $549.

[A FLIR thermal imager for under $2000? Yup!

The first two questions I had: Does this unit have an output so I can view the image on a laptop or a chartplotter? Does it have a fitting so it can be mounted temporarily, perhaps with a sturdy suction-cup mount such as the SeaSucker? I passed my questions along to FLIR, and got the following answers:

“The unit does have a 1/4-20 screw for tripod mounting. The unit is a viewer only so no image capture.” I’m a bit disappointed, but there you go. On with the press release! —Tim]

NEW, COMPACT HANDHELD THERMAL NIGHT VISION IMAGER

Long Range, High Resolution Thermal Night Vision

Portland, OR – FLIR Systems (NASDAQ: FLIR) is proud to announce the introduction of the latest addition to the First Mate family of handheld thermal night vision cameras, the First Mate MS available for $1,999.

First Mate is the most popular line of handheld marine thermal night vision cameras in the world, giving every boater the power to see clearly whenever it’s hard to see, even in total darkness.

The NEW First Mate MS uses the same thermal imaging technology as FLIR’s best-in-class Navigator II, Voyager II, and M-Series thermal night vision systems, but it’s even smaller, lighter, and more affordable than ever before.

First Mate MS is ultra-compact, easy to use, weighs only 12 ounces, and has a long-life rechargeable Li-Ion battery in a rugged, all-weather design. Available in two resolutions for your choice of image quality (240 × 180 or 320 × 240) First Mate MS also has a 2× digital zoom capability and a host of other features.

First Mate MS provides go-anywhere thermal night vision for everyone on the water. For additional technical information, or to see a demonstration of this revolutionary new handheld thermal night vision camera, contact FLIR today.