Marine Electronics
InReach of civilization and rescue
Jan 11, 2012 12:00 amAny at sea emergency can be broken down into these six main phases:
Control phase: You must maintain control of yourself, passengers, situation, and vessel as best you can.
Communication phase: It is vital to alert the authorities to obtain assistance, and report your condition and position.
Abandonment phase: If and when it comes to abandoning ship.
Survival phase: You protect yourself from the harsh environment and wait for rescue.Using online tools to troubleshoot electronic gear
Nov 07, 2011 12:00 amI don't normally recommend trying to repair today's advanced electronic communication/navigation equipment, however, for those of you who are experienced in electronic repair and hold a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) General Radio Operator License with a Radar Endorsement it may be necessary to do some at-sea or in-port emergency repairs.
Communications convergence
Oct 21, 2011 12:00 amMarine electronics functions become available in a smaller number of more-capable devices
Turning a phone into a chartplotter
Oct 21, 2011 12:00 amThere was a time when a phone was just for making voice calls. That has changed with the advent of smartphones. They can be used not only as communication devices but as nav tools given the right software or “app.” One such marine app is Navimatics Corporation’s Charts & Tides. According to Navimatics, this is the first full-resolution, seamless charting iPad app for marine navigation with full compatibility for the iPhone. It supports standard NOAA vector charts and all chart data is built-in and automatically updated.
Cell phone boosters
Sep 12, 2011 12:00 amModern man appears addicted and tied to his electronic leash, otherwise known as a cell phone. This is especially true since the advent of the 4G smartphone which is also good for taking pictures, gaming, watching movies, reading newspapers and magazines, surfing the internet, navigating, and Goggling for instant information on every conceivable subject.
Check your shore power
Jul 11, 2011 12:00 amOne of the pleasures of being a sailor is that occasional shore-side visit in some foreign exotic port. When I was a young sea pup serving aboard the 312-foot destroyer escort USS McMorris DE-1036, I was one of the biggest liberty hounds on board, but was always one of the last sailors to depart due to shore power. I was one of the ship electrician mates and as such it was part of my job to hook up shore power and shift the ship off of ship service generator power and onto shore power.
SpotHug GPS ship security alert system
May 10, 2011 12:00 amI am a private pilot as well as a professional sailor and therefore consider both the sky environment as well as the ocean environment to be inherently dangerous places to do business. Maybe the danger is part of the draw for going down to the sea in ships or for going up in the air in flying machines. We were all recently reminded just how dangerous things can get when Somali pirates murdered in cold blood four Americans aboard their 58-foot-yacht, Quest.
Green solder blowback
Mar 14, 2011 12:00 amBlowback is a CIA term that basically refers to ”unintended consequences” as a result of some previous action! The motivation of said action may have been well intentioned, however the results can be anything but, depending on many and diverse factors. Contrary to popular opinion not all “blowback” is manifested by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. In fact several European agencies have caused some severe blowback in the realm of technical electronics that has potential to indirectly affect marine electronics.
Bumps in the night
Jan 07, 2011 12:00 amFor a mariner I suppose that the ultimate "bump in the night" was when RMS Titanic collided with that infamous iceberg way back on April 14, 1912 with the ensuing loss of 1,500 souls. This was especially tragic because it could have been prevented by a good pair of binoculars that would have allowed the lookouts to spot the berg sooner, thus enabling Titanic to steer clear of its deadly encounter that night.
The pocket satellite communicator
Nov 16, 2010 12:00 amModern cruise ships carry Electronic/Communications Officers and racks of communications equipment in order to keep the ship’s crew and its passengers in touch with the folks back home. Most of this traffic is passed through the use of the C-band satellite system. All of the passengers’ two-way telephone calls with family and friends ashore go through the C-band system as well as the computer Internet traffic. So when you call your kids from sea or when you’re surfing the World Wide Web or exchanging e-mails with friends, it is via the ship’s satellite dishes.
Winter rebates from Furuno
Feb 12, 2010 12:00 am
With Spring coming up soon, boat owners are musing about new gear for their vessels. It might be web-browsing for a radar, or flipping catalog pages looking AIS units or even mosying along the dock looking at what other owners have on their boats. Well, if you need something to push you toward a decision, Furuno is offering rebates ranging from $50 to $300 on a variety of its products.
GPS plus loran
Dec 14, 2009 12:00 am
'' National Oceanic and Atmopheric Administration nautical charts carry this note; "WARNING ” The prudent mariner will not rely solely on any single aid to navigation, particularly on floating aids. See U.S. Coast Guard Light List and U.S.
