Tech advances at a bright rate, including those who work in sea technology. A slew of new products was released to the public at the recent National Marine Electronics Conference & Expo in Providence, Rhode Island. Here’s the lowdown on three cool products that set the bar for Product of Excellence awards, since we’re guessing you did n’t make it all the way up there for the event.
- Fishfinder – Furuno took the award with its DFF3D Multi-Beam Sonar. It is blend the various sonar beam views to create a 3D image of what lies beneath the water’s surface by providing side-views up to 600 feet and down-looking up to 900 feet. The majority of another 3D models are only capable of traveling 200 feet or so. The DFF3D is available for use with NavNet TZtouch, TZtouch2, or TZtouch 3 networks and even works with Furuno’s Personal Bathymetric Generator so you can create your own high-res color-shaded figures as you fish.
- The Icom M510 EVO, a sea Radio television, impressed judges because it was able to use a smartphone to access your VHF radio. The RS-M500 app for iOS or Android lets you use your phone as a mobile controller for the radio, a cordless microphone, and an intercom. Additionally, it has an integrated AIS that appears right on the network’s show and a 15-watt water-resistant speech.
- Best New Product – This some went to the BRNKL Blue, a tracking, stability, and video system. The Fish On! feature allows you to start a video recording that is automatically started and shared via social media, giving you some excitement with security features like live-streaming picture when you’re not on the boat and setting up alerts for unusual activity. BRNKL Blue even collects website information via NMEA2000 and supports remote electric switching power for CZone, EmpirBus, and Maretron systems.
