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• 4 November 2008
  IC-F61M Onboard Handheld Radio
  

  Designed for the commercial maritime market place, the Icom IC-F61M UHF handheld transceiver is the first purpose designed onboard UHF radio which satisfies all the legal requirements of the onboard UHF specification, ETS 300 720-1. Normal PMR radios are not compliant with this strict protocol.

  Some of this models key functions are as follows:

  Waterproof to IPX-7; the IC-F61M meets the same waterproofing standards as many Icom marine VHF handhelds, and brings a new durability to tough working environments. This makes it ideal for anyone whose communication needs place them both below or above deck.

  Vibration alert function; especially useful in noisy environments such as an engine room.

  Built-in voice recorder; records incoming calls. Up to a maximum of 8 minutes can be recorded meaning you can receive messages even when you are temporarily away from the radio. Alternatively, you can manually start recording incoming calls or when transmitting your message.

  Lone worker function; this works in a very simple way. When the radio is not operated for a preset period (1 to 255 minutes), the radio sounds a beep and requires the user to push the emergency button. If the emergency button is not pushed for a preset time, an emergency signal is automatically transmitted and informs co-workers or a controller that the radio is currently unused. This feature is integrated into the radio requiring no additional cost for the operator.

  The IC-F61M features a compact body that is small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. It is extra-durable and shockproof, whilst weighing less than most professional radios on the market. Because of the waterproof construction of this radio, this radio is highly corrosion resistant and dust proof, making it ideal for the harsh maritime environment.

  The IC-F61M is supplied with a rechargeable 1700mAh Lithium-Ion battery providing a practical 10 hours of operating time. An 8 character 14-segment alphanumeric LCD offers easily recognisable status and performance information and ease of operation in low-light environments. Built-in signalling capabilities and a built-in inversion type voice scrambler enable secure group communication without compromising the waterproof integrity of the radio.

  Marketing: marketing@icomuk.co.uk

• 18 October 2008
  GME Digital Beacon activation crucial to South Pacific rescue
  

  SM Group (Europe) Ltd., the United Kingdoms exclusive distributor for Australia’s leading marine electronic equipment manufacturer GME, have heard how a GME MT400 406 Mhz was activated in Northern Australia to alert the rescue authorities.

  A full scale international rescue effort in the South Pacific Ocean was the last thing the Robinsons, a Queensland based Australian couple anticipated when they set sail in their 12 metre luxury yacht Illusion from Bundaberg bound for a leisurely cruise to Noumea in New Caledonia.

  Unhappily disaster struck early on the morning of July 15 when the skipper severely injured his leg whilst deploying a sea anchor in rough weather. Fortunately his wife, a qualified nurse was able to free his leg from the anchor rope apply first aid and make him as comfortable as possible in the circumstances.
   
  Drifting approximately 390 nautical miles east of the North Queensland coast, and being unable to sail Illusion single handed whilst tending her seriously injured partner, the decision was made to activate their GME Accusat™ 406MHz EPIRB.

  Shortly after 0900 hours The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in Canberra detected Illusion’s distress signal. AMSA were quickly able to identify the location and identity of the vessel. A search and rescue Dornier aircraft based in Cairns was then immediately dispatched to the location.

  The crew of the Dornier established communications with the couple on the yacht and maintained a watch whilst the AMSA rescue coordination centre diverted the bulk carrier Dayahai en route to the USA, to attend the yacht and assist with the rescue.   Dayahai arrived at the location during the night, but due to poor sea conditions and in the interests of safety, waited until first light before attempting to come alongside the drifting yacht.

  The couple were transferred to Dayahai which diverted to Noumea where the Robinsons disembarked and received medical attention before returning to Australia.

  AMSA’s on call media officer commented that it would have been a frightening ordeal for the couple, and it was fortunate they had the foresight to carry a GME MT400 406MHz beacon which provides a vessel identity and gives a 5km search area as opposed to 25km search area with the older anonymous  analogue beacons.

  Web:    www.smgeurope.com

• 17 October 2008
  BMEA Conference Winners Announced
  

  Icom (UK) Ltd and Greenham Regis were recipients at the recent BMEA Conference awards, which were voted by the general public online this year.

  The winner of the BMEA Product of the Year, sponsored by Boating Business was the Icom IC-M71, a 6-Watt top spec. VHF handheld radio, which has found its home both in the commercial and marine market places. On winning the award on behalf of Icom UK, its Sales Manager, Sam Taylor Nobbs said, ‘We are really delighted that the public have voted for the IC-M71 and that it has won another prestigious award.

  The winner of the BMEA Dealer of the Year Award, sponsored by Garmin was Greenham Regis. This was special for the company as it was the third year in a row that Greenham Regis had won this award. 

  Andy Haines, Managing Director of GREENHAM REGIS marine electronics said, ‘Greenham Regis is delighted to have won the BMEA Dealer of the Year, for the third year running. We strive to provide our customers with the complete ‘marine electronics package,’ starting good advice before they purchase, an installation service from our experienced BMET qualified engineers, together with service, repairs and general customer after care. Our customers come back time after time, because we are committed to delivering a quality service.

  Garmin’s UK Senior Sales Manager, Dawn Ramsay commented, “We are delighted that Greenham Regis has been announced as the winner of the Waterside Dealer of the Year Award. As one of our longest standing, and very loyal dealers, we are delighted for them. Congratulations to all the team for an outstanding performance.”

  Ian Lockyer of BMEA Marketing said, ‘this was the first year that the BMEA has opened the voting up to the general public. The response was very good and we hope that next year, more customers vote for their favourite product and dealer of the year.’

  The 2008 British Marine Electronics Association Conference took place on 8th October at the Novotel Hotel, Southampton. The event sponsored by Victron Energy had over 80 delegates from all over the marine electronic and electrical sectors of the marine industry. The conference included a number of presentations by distinguished speakers as well as by several members of the BMEA committee.

• 16 October 2008
  New compact, technology-packed units ideal for open cockpits and centre consoles
  

  Raymarine’s new A Series range of chartplotter/fishfinders combine all the technology and performance of the company’s top of the range multi function displays in a brand new compact unit.  The five new models, on public preview at this year’s Autumn boat shows and available early November, have been well received by boat owners keen to harness the latest developments in technology migration.

  Features arousing the most interest include the strikingly clear high-resolution screen, embedded* Navionics cartography and brand new engine interface.   The integral high-sensitivity GPS antenna makes for a neat and compact profile, and the innovative quick-release swivel-mount bracket means that the unit can be quickly fitted and easily removed for security.  Keen fisherman have found that patented HD Digital fishfinding technology is easily accessible on the D–suffixed units; the data unit is enclosed within the product itself leaving only the power cable and the depth transducer to be plugged in to be up and running.

  Available in 3 screen sizes and a range comprising 2 chartplotters and 3 chartplotter/fishfinder combinations, the A50, A50D, A57D, A70 and A70D offer more than just navigation.
  Users selecting the A Series can choose multiple screen options based around the core fishfinder and chartplotter system to accept input from communication and safety products including AIS, Navtex, DSC, engine monitoring and data, and autopilot interface using Raymarine’s SeaTalk NG and SeaTalk2/NMEA2000 inputs.

  The compact A Series units are built for strength and durability.   The waterproof construction (to IPX6 standard) makes these multifunction displays the perfect choice for centre consoles and open cockpits.  A one-size, quick release, tilt and swivel bracket enables easy installation, with units easily removable for portability and security. 

  The bracket provides cable management to ensure a professional looking, fully water-tight installation, or users can choose the optional flush mount kit.

  Designed to be used in open cockpits or in the full glare of the sun, the high visibility, low profile A Series LCD displays are available in a choice of 5”, 5.7” and 6.4” sizes and come with fully customisable pages and window configurations for ease of operation.

  Raymarine’s TFT high clarity colour display uses 256 colours for paper chart-like clarity and adjustable backlighting optimises performance in any lighting condition. An integrated anti-reflective screen filter offers the best visibility and unrivalled detail, even in bright sunlight, ensuring a clear image of the chartplotter or fishfinder details, from a distance or at an angle.

  Screens can be split in two, three or four window combinations and a choice of displays can be paged through with an active key providing easy navigation between window applications. Each display has direct access hot keys on the front enabling the user to move quickly and easily between inputs and displays.

  Using the same technology available through Raymarine’s top of the range E and G Series, the patented HD Digital™ fishfinder technology in the A Series provides Auto Adaptive control of sensitivity, ping rate and transmit power with fully automatic ‘hands off’ operation. 
  By constant automatic adjustment of transmitter and receiver parameters, HD Digital analyses and synthesizes fish echoes, adapting to all bottom and sea conditions to produce a crystal clear display, in shallow water, at high speeds or in choppy seas. Individual fish can be distinguished and the structure and contours of detailed bottom structures such as wrecks are clearly visible. Clutter is reduced to an absolute minimum.

  The A Series comes pre-loaded with standard navigation safe cartography from Navionics with highly accurate position input from the built-in high sensitivity GPS sensor. This can be upgraded to Gold and Platinum cartography showing detailed mapping on navigation charts, 3D topography, aerial photographic views of ports, port data, animated tides and currents.

  Easy to operate, the compact, stand alone and affordable A Series will enhance the safety, success and enjoyment of many sport and leisure fishermen and boaters.

  The A Series is available through Raymarine’s global network of dealers and distributors and the price for the A50 excluding cartography is £599 ex VAT and £699 ex VAT including the Navionics cartography.

  * For complete flexibility, three models in the A Series (A50 part number E62184; A57D E62188; A70 E62190) come without embedded cartography. This is so that users who already have Gold or Platinum cartridges can utilise their existing cartography, or purchase localised area cartography from Navionics for use in limited areas.

• 16 October 2008
  New DSM400 technology gives top of the range sonar performance
  

  Raymarine’s High Definition Digital Sounder Modules have already caused a stir amongst fishermen, who are using this new technology to actively target specific fish thanks to the high clarity underwater and sea bed vision available. 

  Now the company has launched its top of the range product – the DSM400.  Aimed at the professional fisherman and commercial user, as well as those who want the best on the market for their leisure sport and hobby, Raymarine’s DSM400 delivers even more power and performance than other digital fishfinders.

  The DSM400 uses four independent digital sonar transceivers supporting simultaneous multi-frequency operation.  It will transmit up to three kilowatts of power on 28, 38, 50 kHz, and two kilowatts on 185 and 200 kHz.  This exceptionally high power output and range of frequencies takes Raymarine’s patented HD Digital technology to a new level by utilizing true digital signal processing to display highly accurate underwater images.

  The DSM400 offers hands-free operation.  Adaptive HD Digital technology automatically adjusts sonar parameters to changing sea conditions, virtually eliminating clutter and precisely targeting fish and bottom structure with unprecedented clarity.  The DSM400 also provides auto adaptive control of sensitivity, ping rate and transmit power.  This means the DSM400 automatically makes the types of adjustments normally made manually on non-digital sonars.

  Thanks to HD Digital Technology, experienced anglers can easily identify individual species of fish and their habitat at a glance.  The DSM400’s adaptive digital receiver enables anglers to easily distinguish bait fish from larger species. 

  When combined with the G and E Series multifunction colour displays, the bottom structure and target detail are delivered with exceptional high clarity, up to 1280 x 1024 pixels.  In addition on the multifunction displays, the high quality underwater images from the DSM400 can be shown on a split screen allowing navigational or instrument data such as depth, and chartplotter or radar information to be shown at the same time. 

  For maximum performance, Raymarine has also launched a wide range of professional grade transducers now available for the DSM400.  Users can choose between external mount or high-performance in-hull transducers, and optional speed and temperature sensors are also available.

  The DSM400 retails at £1535.00 exc VAT (£1803.62 inc VAT).

• 13 October 2008
  New appointments and promotions at Raymarine
  

  Raymarine, has appointed Nigel Hampson as its International Business
  Manager; and promoted Fiona Pankhurst to Head of Corporate Marketing & PR, and
  Chloe Bartle to the new position of UK Marketing Manager.  All are based at the
  company’s headquarters at Anchorage Park, Portsmouth.

  Nigel Hampson’s appointment as International Business Manager reflects the changing
  needs of the business, following the company’s acquisition of some of its distributorships
  and the formation of the new Raymarine subsidiaries. In his new role Hampson will be
  responsible for managing the relationship between Raymarine plc and its subsidiaries, in
  particular driving revenue, sharing best practice, managing central support and controls,
  and ensuring growth of the business.

  Hampson joins Raymarine from Cooper (Avon) Tyres, where he was European
  Subsidiary Manager.  His wealth of experience in managing European channels to
  market will further strengthen the Raymarine sales team.  Fluent in several European
  languages, he holds a Masters degree in Business Administration.

  Fiona Pankhurst’s promotion to Head of Corporate Marketing & PR shows Raymarine’s
  commitment to strengthen the company’s central marketing function, now required with
  the advent of more subsidiaries and an expanding distributor network. Pankhurst’s move
  follows 6 years at Raymarine as Marketing Communications Manager where she had
  already made inroads into much of this new role.

  Following a successful period in central marketing, Chloe Bartle has been promoted to
  the new position of UK Marketing Manager, reporting to UK Sales Manager Andy Davies. 
  She will be responsible for marketing Raymarine’s business in the UK.  The creation of
  the new role within the UK team recognises the growing globalisation of the business
  and will allow the UK domestic team to evolve into a subsidiary in its own right.

• 2 October 2008
  Voting Extended
  

  We are giving the general public a little more time to vote for the BMEA Dealer and Product of the Year Award.  Voting has been extended to Midday on 6th October 2008….so get your votes in now.

• 28 September 2008
  New WIB2D Portbale NAVTEX Available From MES
  

  Marine Electronic Services Ltd has introduced the new WIB2D portable Navtex.  Smaller than a pack of cigarettes, it incorporates a sophisticated dual channel Navtex receiver and built-in LCD display to show weather and navigation information available from the free of charge Navtex system.  There is no need for an external antenna and it has a built-in rechargeable battery which can last up to three days.  It can also be connected to a PC, and the data viewed on screen or even printed out onto hard copy.

  Both the 490KHz (for inshore forecasts) and the 518KHz frequencies are monitored simultaneously so you will never miss a message.  Its portable format is ideal for charterers or for grabbing the latest weather and nav information whilst at home or in the office prior to setting sail.  It is priced at £399 including VAT and is available from Marine Electronic Services Ltd.

• 25 September 2008
  New AIS Splitter, the SPL250, from Digital Yacht
  

  Digital Yacht, maker of the popular AIT250 AIS transponder, has added an optional VHF antenna splitter to its system.  This allows the transponder to connect to an existing VHF antenna so that there is no need for a second antenna for the AIS transponder.  Splitters have been available for some time for AIS receivers, but this is one of the first available for a transponder.  The unit also uses some sophisticated technology to ensure that the main ship’s VHF always has priority. 

  Called the SPL250, it comes complete with pre-made cables to allow easy fitting into an existing VHF installation.  The unit has an additional output for a car radio allowing the main VHF antenna to also be used for an AM/FM reception.  The unit is designed to work with any AIS transponder or AIS receiver.  It is priced competitively at £159.95 including VAT and is available now from Digital Yacht.

• 25 September 2008
  Garmin introduces touchscreen multi-use nüvi 500 series – great for boating, and a whole host of other activities
  

  Garmin announces its first touchscreen multi-use nüvi portable navigation device (PND) dedicated to boating, walking, cycling, motorbiking and driving, in one rugged easy-to-use unit. The nüvi 500 series comes equipped with the latest technology from Garmin including NavTeq sophisticated mapping data and the ability to accept different types of mapping including BlueChart cartography for marine use and TOPO for outdoor navigation.

  Clive Taylor, Garmin’s UK Director of Product, said, “The nüvi 500 series is a true chameleon in the gadget world, it extends the use of GPS across the range, from boating to driving, walking to cycling. It’s ideal for individuals or families who want to go and explore the great outdoors in every way they can. With the built-in compass and integrated Wherigo™ and Geocaching player, the sat-nav’s use is extended beyond just navigating: users can enjoy the fun of the many family treasure hunts and adventures available online.”

  The new waterproof nüvi 500 series combines the latest Garmin navigation technology including Hotfix™, detailed NavTeq mapping, millions of points of interest (POIs) and traffic avoidance compatibility for the times when sitting in a traffic jam is not an option. In addition, the nüvi 500 series comes standard with Garmin’s popular “Where am I?” safety feature. At any time, with a single tap of the car icon, drivers can display their exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations and recovery service telephone number.  In addition, with Garmin Connect Photos, users can choose from millions of geo-located images provided by Google’s Panoramio to photo-navigate on land or water.

  With one touch, the nüvi 500 transitions between boating, walking, biking, or driving mode.

  Boating
  When loaded with optional BlueChart® g2 Vision marine cartography, the nüvi 500 series is great on the water, providing detailed chart-specific information, spot soundings, inter tidal zones, wrecks, port plans, restricted areas and more. The nüvi 500 is ideal for the occasional boating enthusiast who wants one navigational device for foot, car, bike or boat.

  Walking and outdoor pursuits
  Ready for the great outdoors, the nüvi 500 models display shaded digital elevation mapping on the 3.5” waterproof touchscreen.  This series comes standard with a compass page, track log and a removable, rechargeable battery for extended outdoor use. The integrated Wherigo™ and Geocaching player means the nüvi 500 series is ideal for getting the family to enjoy the great outdoors with the many downloadable ‘adventures and treasure hunts’ available online.  Optional TOPO mapping will give additional detailed maps.

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