Gear NEW MARINE ELECTRONICS

NEW MARINE ELECTRONICS

Our ongoing collection of the latest electronics

By Staff

April 13, 2015

Well in Hand

Icom’s M25 Handheld Marine VHF Radio is not only compact, it’s waterproof and it floats. It features Icom’s automatic Float ’n Flash LED to help you locate the radio if it goes overboard in the dark. The internal battery offers up to 11 hours of operation and recharges with a micro-USB connection. Weighing 7.8 ounces, the M25 is only 1.2 inches deep. The 550 mW speaker offers plenty of volume, and the large backlit LCD is easy to read. Three color combinations are available: black/metallic gray, black/pearl white and black/marine blue. $245; icomamerica.com

Airmar’s single-frequency band CHIRP-ready transducers boost the performance of the growing number of single-band fish-finder systems. With nine through-hull models and three transom-mount versions, the new line of transducers is available in a wide range of frequency bands to accommodate the various single-frequency band sonar systems on the market. These transducers offer medium-frequency bands of 95 to 155 kHz, 80 to 130 kHz or 85 to 135 kHz, and a high-frequency wide-beam model with 150 to 250 kHz. $1,000 to $1,500; airmar.com

3-D Scanner

StructureScan 3D from Lowrance and Simrad shows objects on the seafloor in more vivid, three-dimensional imagery than the shadows depicted in previous StructureScan technology. It differentiates bottom from other objects and fish using different colors, and reads out to 600 feet on either side of the boat, a twofold increase over the previous range. A new multi-element transducer is combined with a black-box module that’s plug-and-play compatible with the Lowrance HDS Gen3 and Simrad NSS and NSO evo2 multifunction displays. $999; lowrance.com, simrad-yachting.com

MAP TO SUCCESS

C-Map’s new MAX-N+ 2015 charts for Lowrance HDS displays High-Resolution Bathymetric (HRB) bottom-contour data, exclusive Sport Fishing Data with information on wrecks and reefs, and Dynamic Tides & Currents to take advantage of the best tides. MAX-N+ 2015 charts also show the latest boundaries and details for California’s network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Lowrance HDS Gen2, Gen2 Touch and Gen3 units require a free software upgrade (at lowrance.com) to run the new charts. Starting at $199; c-map.jeppesen.com Manufacturer

FISHING REMOTE

Control your Onix Series display from anywhere on the boat with the new Humminbird Bluetooth remote. The compact, wireless remote lets you set waypoints, adjust zoom, set sonar sensitivity, call up custom views and more. You can also customize the remote’s capabilities; for instance, you can enable it to deploy a 360 Imaging transducer or activate an i-Pilot Link Spot-Lock function. The remote comes standard with a wireless dongle that plugs into the back of a Humminbird Onix display to receive the Bluetooth signal. $119.99; humminbird.com Manufacturer

TUNING IN

Lots of saltwater anglers enjoy music while fishing, and a new app lets you pick music, adjust sound levels and select speaker zones on select Fusion Electronics marine stereo systems using a Bluetooth-enabled iPhone or iPad. The Fusion-Link Remote Control app offers control from anywhere on your boat for Fusion’s MS-UD650, MS-AV650, MS-UD750 and MS-AV750 systems. The downloadable app is available at no charge on the Apple Store. An Android version of the app is in development and will be available shortly. Free; fusionentertainment.com Manufacturer

DISPLAY OF POWER

Raymarine’s new eS-Series of HybridTouch multifunction displays offers touch-screen as well as keypad/rotary control of on-screen functions. Featuring Raymarine’s LightHouse II user interface and an internal 10 kHz GPS receiver, the series includes 7-, 9- and 12-inch display models. It can be optioned with CHIRP DownVision sonar in addition to vector and raster chart support for C-Map, Navionics and Raymarine’s LightHouse charts. You can also access displays with your Wi-Fi-enabled mobile device and Raymarine mobile apps. $1,099.99; $2,299.99; and $3,499.99, flir.com Courtesy of Raymarine

LIFE LIGHT

ACR Electronics Hemi-Light 3 is not only brighter than its predecessors, it’s also more compact and affordable. Designed to help rescuers locate survivors in the water at night, the 2.44-inch-long by 1.19-inch-wide LED unit weighs less than an ounce and attaches to a life jacket. It begins flashing a high-intensity strobe when it comes in contact with water. The rugged light provides more than five years of battery life and 10 hours of continuous operation, exceeding the IMO SOLAS regulations for such devices. $12, acrartex.com Courtesy of ACR

WIRELESS WONDER

Navico’s new GoFree service lets you shop, purchase, download and immediately use electronic charts, apps and software updates with a current-model multifunction display from Navico brands such as Lowrance and Simrad. Wireless onboard connectivity to GoFreeShop.com makes this possible. All purchases automatically synchronize with the navigation systems. Accessing Insight Genesis Social Map features lets you upload sonar logs to create more detailed charts. Creating a GoFree account is, well, free. gofreeshop.com Courtesy of Navico

Ocean Scout handheld thermal imagers from FLIR offer the power to see boats, buoys, debris and human targets up to 600 yards away in total darkness. Available in 240-by-180 resolution and 320-by-240 resolution, the 320 features extended range and video output for multifunction display viewing across popular platforms. $1,999, $2,999 Manufacturer

Furuno’s NavNet TZtouch2 produces CHIRP-like sonar images four to eight times sharper than conventional fish finders, thanks to a 56-channel GPS receiver and dual-frequency fish finder with RezBoost, with the 50/200 kHz transducer you already have. Available in 12.1- and 15.6-inch displays, both NMEA 2000 compatible. $3,995, $5,995 Manufacturer

Garmin’s new Panoptix sonar shows what’s around your boat in real time, thanks to a multibeam, phased-array transducer and a continually refreshing display. Options with Panoptix Forward or Panoptix Down transducer include LiveVu Forward; RealVu 3D for a 3-D model of the bottom; LiveVu Down, RealVu 3D Historical or RealVu Down. $1,499.99 Manufacturer

Vesper Marine updates on the WatchMate Vision display and XB-8000 black-box AIS transponders include high-speed 5 Hz GPS receivers, for smoother movement, making these Class-B AIS products suitable as primary position sources for NMEA 2000 plotters and autopilots. This is in addition to transmitting and receiving course, speed and vessel details. $1,249 for WatchMate Vision, $799 for XB-8000; vespermarine.com

The Aquatic AV BlueCube Media Player installs out of sight, such as under the console, and it controls music played from a Bluetooth-enabled mobile device. It’s also waterproof, mounts with only four bolts, and it features a 288-watt amplifier to power up to eight speakers and subwoofers. RCA pre-outs allow connection to an external amplifier or powered subwoofer. $159.99; aquaticav.com

Control Furuno’s NavNet TZtouch system wirelessly via Android mobile devices with the NavNet Controller app. On-screen cursor control, chart planning and chart zoom let you just sit back and navigate. Furuno’s NavNet Remote and NavNet Viewer apps are also available for Android devices from the Google Play Store. Expect an iOS version of the NavNet Controller soon. Free; furunousa.com