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Garmin GPSMAP 4XXX
By Ben Ellison | Posted January 2007 | Add a CommentGarmin chose the huge Marine Electronics Trade Show (METS) in Amsterdam to preview an entirely refreshed marine line that will roll out during the first half of 2007, and I wasn’t the only bowled-over observer. We saw 20-something new products all boasting a sleek, new casing design as well as an intriguing new interface platform. For example, the latest
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TR-1 Gladiator YTS Autopilot
By Ben Ellison | Posted December 2006 | Add a CommentWith its YTS model, Nautamatic is finally offering a conventional control head for its unconventional yet well-proven autopilot technology. In fact, the three buttons and dual-function knob (steering or course setting) are about as simple as it gets and a welcome contrast to its original ten-button wired remote. You still get the remote and its unique facilities
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Raymarine G190
By Ben Ellison | Posted December 2006 | Add a CommentA Lauderdale line that rings true: "19-inch is the new 15-inch." We want bigger displays, and bezels are getting thin enough that we can have bigger in almost the same helm space. Raymarine's elegant G190 monitor is a good example, featuring nine video inputs with direct-access keys and flexible PiP (picture-in-picture) ability. Its front side is waterproof and,
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FLIR Navigator
By Ben Ellison | Posted December 2006 | Add a CommentWhile BMW's optional Night Vision is winning raves for its ability to help drivers see obstacles beyond their headlights, I'd argue that the same thermal technology is even more valuable for negotiating a pitch-black channel or recovering a person overboard. So isn't it nifty that BMW's 70,000 cameras-a-year order is why manufacturer FLIR can now offer marinized
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Nobeltec Admiral 9
By Ben Ellison | Posted November 2006 | Add a CommentThe full name for this high-end $1,200 PC navigation package, Jeppesen Marine's Nobeltec Admiral 9.0, has become a mouthful—and its $490 little brother, Jep...tec Visual Navigator Suite (VNS) 9, even worse—but I dare say that the similarly long list of "choice" new features, and especially new Plus Pack options, will be much appreciated. The left
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Simrad Glass Bridge
By Ben Ellison | Posted November 2006 | Add a CommentAll the new features of Nobeltec Admiral 9.0 may not be built into the Simrad GB60 yet, but I'll bet they will be eventually. Simrad has clearly worked closely with Jeppesen Marine—why reinvent the software wheel?—in creating a complete high-end, PC-based navigation system. The setup shown costs $28,000, including the three specially developed,
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NVTi 6000 Series Night Vision Camera
By Ben Ellison | Posted November 2006 | Add a CommentNVTi has really upped the ante since I trialed its already powerful night- and long-vision, multicamera 4000 series. For one thing—whereas many owners these days appreciate sleek industrial design, even in cabin top gear—obvious care was taken to beautifully sculpt the 6000 series housing. Triple eye candy aside, check this list of new performance
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Humminbird 997c Combo NVB
By Ben Ellison | Posted November 2006 | Add a CommentThe new top of Humminbird's fast-growing electronics line seems capable, as deconstructing its model name suggests. SI means that the 957c, besides doing "normal" dual-frequency fishfinding, can push out a wide, 600-kHz swath whose returns build a photo-like "sonar image" of bottom structure up to "150 feet down and 240 feet to each side." Note the detail on
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VEI DM Series Monitors
By Ben Ellison | Posted October 2006 | Add a CommentVEI’s new DM series monitors show how an assortment of seemingly minor developments can add up to what may well be a breakthrough product line. The visible bezel, for instance, is strictly cosmetic and easily removed, meaning that VEI can stock it in numerous colors, wood grains, and carbonfiber styles. That also means that the real bezel underneath is
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Furuno FCV-620 Fishfinder
By Ben Ellison | Posted October 2006 | Add a CommentFuruno’s claims about the benefits of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) in its new 5.6-inch FCV-620—its ability to suppress noise and maximize automatic fishfinding in varying conditions—sound a lot like Raymarine boasting about its High Definition Digital technology. So I was intrigued to test the 620 side by side—same transducer—with a
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