Fort Lauderdale's annual international boat show, held Oct. 30-Nov. 4 this year out of multiple hubs including the Bahia Mar Hotel and the Broward County Convention Center, comprised an enormous display of all things nautical — from yachts to marine electronics. At this year's event, major electronics manufacturers presented their latest technology, including new and most-recent sonar, chart plotters, radios, radars and more.
Raymarine's new ClearCruise Augmented Reality technology delivers enhanced on-water awareness to the company's Axiom multifunction displays. The system overlays navigational information onto stabilized video from a CAM210 HD marine camera. Nav markers, AIS traffic, objects and waypoints appear in text blocks over the moving video. The camera costs $699.99 and is generally mounted facing forward on a hard-top; the AR200 stabilization module costs $499.99.
Navico, parent company of Simrad, Lowrance and B&G brands, has launched what it calls a brand new category of marine technology — the information display (ID). IDs combine a sleek design with a configurable interface to simplify monitoring and control of onboard systems. Pre-defined modes include System Checks, Cruising, Anchoring and Water Sports. Custom modes can also be easily configured to builder specifications to best accentuate the utility of an individual vessel or to complement any boater’s passions such as tournament or sport fishing.
The ID comprises bonded-glass displays and a powerful integration hub, which will be available with a choice of Simrad, Lowrance, or B&G electronics. Each solution includes one or multiple displays bridged together to function as one integrated system. The centralized hub uses Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity along with Sonar, USB, CAN and NMEA 2000 ports to connect to all onboard systems. The pictured ID shows a remote control element on the vessel's steering wheel. IDs will be available to boat builders in 2019.
Fusion's ARX70 ANT Wireless Stereo Remote gives anglers the freedom to control their ANT-enabled marine entertainment system from anywhere on the boat. The compact, low-profile design, IPX7 water-resistant design allows it to be installed on any flat surface, without cutting holes or running wires. Simply place, pair and play. The ARX70 features a 1-year battery life. Available in January, the remote will cost $59.99.
Available in three sizes (4-, 6.5- and 7.7-inch), the new Fusion XS Series speakers combine optimized drivers with separate tweeters to produce a full range of audio reproduction that consistently delivers high quality audio at all volume levels. The new aesthetic design features an innovative translucent cone to provide bright LED illumination on board in a range of colors. The low-profile grilles offer a sleeker design in Sports style (pictured) or Classic style that let users match the look of their vessel.
SiOnyx, an infrared-imaging-technology company, has launched the Aurora HD action video camera with day and night color imaging. SiOnyx Aurora weighs just under 8 ounces and fits comfortably in one hand. SiOnyx has developed a new semiconductor process that dramatically enhances the infrared sensitivity of silicon-based imaging. Its ultra low-light technology enables richly-defined color images and video during the day and twilight, combined with unmatched high-resolution viewing in near total darkness. Through the free companion apps on iOS and Android systems, you can review your experiences in real-time or control the Aurora directly from your phone. Aurora also carries an IP67 waterproof rating. The camera costs $799.
Furuno's TZtouch2 black-box module (TZT2BB) can drive two separate touchscreen displays such as Furuno's 17-, 19- or 24-inch multitouch screens. It supports full-HD-video input in HDMI format, easily interfacing with high-resolution cameras, sonars or entertainment systems. The TZT2BB networks with Furuno radar, instruments and other sensors. It offers a built-in, dual-frequency fish finder with RezBoost. Add-on options include the DFF3D multibeam sonar and DFF1-UHD Tru-Echo chirp fish finder. The unit costs $5,595.
Garmin has announced the GPSMAP 8600/8600xsv series, an extension of its flagship GPSMAP 8600 series, bringing premium features like built-in sonar and new BlueChart g3 coastal cartography with Navionics integration, and built-in Auto Guidance to smaller, more affordable display options. Available in 10-, 12- and 16-inch units that feature full HD in-plane switching (IPS) screens with multitouch control, the GPSMAP 8600/8600xsv series is Wi-Fi enabled and offers full connectivity and networkability so mariners can completely customize their marine electronics system based on their needs and preferences. Available in 2019, prices range from $2,499.99 to $5,999.99.
The water-resistant Garmin Reactor Autopilot Remote boasts a sunlight-readable color display, a comfortable ergonomic design and programmable presets for quick access to favorite functions. The remote lets users control steering with gesture controls for heading hold and course corrections: Simply point the remote in the desired course direction. Because of the unit's 45-foot range, the captain is free to move about the deck. The remote, which floats if dropped overboard, comes with a cradle and wrist and neck lanyards and is expected to be available late this year. It costs $249.99.
ICOM's tiny IC-M85 measures 2.2-by-3.6-by-1.1 inches and weighs 8.7 ounces. In addition to VHF marine channels, the IC-M85 covers 136 to 174 MHz land mobile channels. It delivers 700 mW of loud audio and has a built-in Voice Scrambler, providing private communication between stations. The IC-M85 features three emergency-related functions: the MOB Alarm, Man Down and Lone Worker functions. If one of these functions is activated, the radio automatically makes an emergency alarm. The radio costs $299.99.
With its palm-sized compact body — 6.2-by-2.6-by-4.3 inches — the IC-M330 can be installed in tight locations. A new speaker design delivers dynamic and clear sound over a wide bass and treble range. The radio monitors channel 70 continuously, even while you're receiving another channel. DSC functions include distress, individual, group, all ships, urgency, safety, position request/report, polling request and DSC test calls. A combination of the directional keypad and soft keys provides simple. Most-used functions are assigned to soft keys for quick one-push function access. The radio costs $159.99; an available built-in-GPS model costs $179.95.
Lowrance has announced its new HDS Live real-time sonar/chart plotters with Active Imaging, available with chirp, side- and down-imaging technologies. The new system enhances FishReveal with higher-level clarity and target separation. The units deliver LiveSight sonar for extra-detailed views in real time. Mount the transducer facing forward to cast toward fish or mount it facing down for vertical jigging. HDS Live also comes with Genesis Live Charting for creating real-time custom maps and LiveCast smartphone integration so anglers can display fishing information and entertainment from their smartphones on Live’s 12- or 16-inch displays (7- and 9-inch screen sizes are also available). HDS Live ranges in price from $949 to $4,499. Active Imaging can be purchased with HDS Live or as an accessory for $299. The LiveSight transducer will cost $999 (available in 2019).
Available as part of Raymarine's LightHouse 3 Operating System, LightHouse Apps brings select Android-compatible mobile apps and third-party marine apps to Raymarine’s Axiom multifunction displays. Raymarine users can now use Axiom to stream onboard entertainment from popular movie and music streaming services. LightHouse Apps also brings access to the Theyr GRIB global weather forecast and tide apps. With this launch, Raymarine is making it easy for marine manufacturers, app developers and technology providers to integrate with Axiom and the LightHouse 3 OS. Current available apps include mazu, Seakeeper, Theyr, Netflix, Spotify and Lumishore.
Simrad's Halo24 combines the company's proven performance and reliability with the advantages of cutting-edge pulse-compression technology, a new profile and lightweight design. Boasting 60 rpm high-speed rotation at distances up to 2 nautical miles, an industry first, this 24-inch dome radar improves safety and performance. The fast refresh rate complements high-speed and short-range tracking. Capable of high-quality short-, mid-, and long-range detection up to 48 nautical miles, Halo24 processes multiple ranges simultaneously. The radar also features Simrad VelocityTrack Doppler technology, which provides visual feedback on the motion of radar targets, color-coding approaching vessels that might become a threat while de-emphasizing diverging targets. Price is $2,699.
FLIR's M232 pan-and-tilt camera is one of the company's smallest and most affordable marine thermal cameras. Featuring a resolution of 320-by-240 pixels, the M232 reveals vessels and obstacles at night. Combine the M232 with a Raymarine Axiom MFD and take advantage of FLIR ClearCruise intelligent thermal analytics. ClearCruise provides audible and visual alerts when "non-water" objects, such as boats, obstacles, or navigation markers, appear in the scene. This enhances boaters’ overall situational awareness, both day and night. The camera costs $3,499.
SIriusXM's fourth-generation BBWX4 weather receiver for Furuno NavNet TZtouch/TZtouch2 units overlays graphical information onto charts so anglers can see weather and information relative to their location. Boaters can also access more than 150 channels of SiriusXM radio with the unit. Coastal and offshore service packages cost $29.99/month or $54.99/month. The weather receiver costs $379; a $100 rebate is available through the end of the year.
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