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Written by Ben Ellison on Jan 23, 2017 for Panbo, The Marine Electronics Hub Does it make sense to use smartphones and tablets for a man overboard alarm and recovery system? I can testify that the first reaction of Sail magazine's...

The multiple layers of Garmin wireless communications going on above may seem crazy, but they all work well and have endless practical and/or fun applications around a boat.

While I did not actually enjoy being first on the scene of the grounding, it is way too rich in interesting detail and possible lessons to leave undocumented.

The latest multifunction displays (MFDs) look smashing on Gizmo's flybridge, I like to think. And it's not just Raymarine, Simrad, Furuno, and Garmin -- that's the lineup.

After many hours testing a NXT radome on Gizmo in often busy Maine waters, I believe that Furuno's bold "Radar Redefined" claim is completely justified. This radar is so smart that it makes sense to run it in broad daylight.

Have we reached the era when "special ops" makes sense as a superyacht style? I joke, but RH3 would be pretty imposing even if it weren't cruising Maine in company with the all-black, dual jet drive, 40-foot-plus RH4.

Did you know that some areas of the U.S. coastal chart you're using may only show land and bottom features accurate in position to +/- 1,600 feet, and you shouldn't be confident about the depth soundings either?

To understand what's going on here -- and to avoid confusion about Garmin's various current gWind offerings -- note all the hardware needed for the original gWind Wireless transducer that came out in 2013.

The easy-to-install NMEA 2000 WiFi gateway will cost about $360 and will neatly put all G2 gauges, calibrations, and fault codes into otherwise free E-Link Android and iOS (Apple) apps.

There are many reasons for Gizmo's late launch last week -- travel, getting old, boatyard miscommunications, etc. -- but perhaps the most interesting one is what it took to properly retest Pettit Hydrocoat Eco bottom paint.

I've long felt that the DeLorme inReach is a valuable safety and communications tool for boats that sometimes go beyond reliable cellular (and/or VHF) contact with friends, families and rescue centers.

Let's take a closer look at the training needed to use some of the gear on SAR 1, along with how and why it is used on a search and rescue mission.

Now here's a truly different boating app screen. Tapping Boat Beacon's eye-like Live View button starts Flir One live video with the selected AIS target's name and bearing overlaid for positive identification.

Jaguar Land Rover made the case that their support of Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) in America's Cup 35 is not just about marketing. It's also a technology partnership that may be critical to finally bringing the Cup back to England.

In this part 2 entry, I'll share my experiences with the new Navionics SonarChart Live display and Dock-to-dock Autorouting, and also discuss R17's new NMEA 2000 Audio app and other improvements.

If you have a Raymarine a, c, e, eS or gS Series MFD, you recently got an astonishing array of free new features thanks to the just announced and available LightHouse Release 17 software update.

I was already inclined to try Firefly Oasis AGMs, and the switch from two conventional 8D AGMs to a four Firefly bank naturally led me to rethink Gizmo's battery storage, cabling, charging, and monitoring systems.

A clean single-brand helm electronics setup is now available under three different brands, and seems reasonably priced even for a relatively small boat.

If I was once again in New Bern, North Carolina, about to cruise north with spring -- instead of watching late April freaking snow fall in Maine -- I'd certainly have the new Cruisers' Net app loaded on my iPad.

The Rokk Mini system is exceptionally well made and can solidly mount phones, tablets, smallish marine displays and more.

At this moment in time, the Garmin GPSMAP 8600 multifunction display announced in February may be the most powerful premium MFD available, and they had plenty more to show during their recent press event.

While Ben suggested some topics to cover, the story I must tell largely involves kites and sailfish, though the electronics could not be ignored.

The Iris255 NightPilot looks like an accessory from Star Wars and includes some pretty hi-tech wizardry considering its $4,895 suggested retail price.

Five years ago when I told a friend that I was purchasing an attitude control system he said "does it bolt to your head?" Perhaps it should but I'm happy it didn't!

Adam Hyde looks forward to West Marine's first ever Marine Electronics Expo, which will kick off in four states (NY, FL, CA, CT) on April 8th.

I skim a lot of email newsletters but this recent Stephens Waring Yacht Design creation brought the process to a quiet halt.

In today's world of always-connected systems, I am surprised that there are not more vendors in the space of vessel monitoring. My adventures with remote monitoring systems started in the late 80's.

Panbo's contributing editor, Adam Hyde, brings you a slew of updates from the ever-expanding world of marine electronics.

The time has come. I'd already sensed that Gizmo's AGM batteries were on borrowed time; But the real issue is what to do next.

Here's some big news in the small world of marine electronics: Boeing company Jeppesen just sold its marine cartography division to a formerly unknown entity named Digital Marine Solutions.

Shipping the first week of April for US$400 is a new heads-up display called the Garmin Nautix. A 1.1 oz "hands-free in-view display," Nautix attaches to your sunglasses and shows NMEA 2000 data.

My unit of the RCMSAR had 87 calls in 2015, making it the busiest volunteer marine SAR station in Canada. It's a situation that motivates a tech enthusiast and advanced crew member like myself to think about better tools and procedures.

Being able to use your helm's bright waterproof color screen to run your stereo system has to be one of the most appreciated benefits of multifunction display evolution.

While Doppler effect is a seasoned and fairly well known concept, I suspect that its sudden and intriguing arrival to marine electronics is going to effect change.

While we've barely begun 2016, the state of recreational marine radar is entirely different than it was in 2015. Thanks to a wide variety of fixed and moving targets, the Miami area is a pretty good place to test radars.

Whatever you call it, this is a cool boat, and not just for fishing (though it must be a blast to play a big one from that low throne).

Furuno and Garmin are both announcing new solid state radars here at the Miami Boat Show and boy are they great products.... I mean, can I get a HOLY MACKEREL!?!

New this morning and shipping soon is the FLIR Ocean Scout TK thermal camera. It looks a lot like the existing and beautifully made Ocean Scout series, except that it is about two-thirds the size and half the weight.

When I wrote about the StructureScan 3D announcement last July, I recall feeling a bit skeptical. But I was wrong. On-water demos have taught me that SS3D is much more than a visual gimmick.

If you'd like better monitoring and control of your boat's electric refrigeration system, and/or automated defrosting (fridge only, not freezer), and/or improved battery time at anchor, read on.

The first U.S. Electric and Hybrid Marine Expo was wonderfully educational, though I hardly knew any of the companies involved and could only understand a fraction of some seminars.

I still think that many boaters don't realize the added safety, tracking, and navigation capabilities possible when GPS is integrated with portable VHF, though the Standard Horizon HX870 has been earning great reviews for a while.

I'd been following this boat project for years, knew that it motivated Kees's valuable CANboat work, and given that CANboat helped birth Signal K, I figure that Merrimac may earn a special spot in marine electronics history.