It’s hard to make out until you view the bigger image, but this screen is a Google Map demo of an interesting utility that can guesstimate an ETA for a boat that’s tacking into the wind. It was originally developed as SailTimer, but is now going to be incorporated into a new SailBoat Edition of NavSim’s BoatCruiser. I think that full-on routing modules, like RayTech’s and MaxSea’s, can provide this same sort of real life ETA, based on weather forecasting and a boat’s performance data, but maybe I’m confused? Starting yesterday at the WorkBoat Show in New Orleans, NavSim is also previewing a new version of NavCruiser Pro that uses C-Map Max Pro charts. Prior to this product, the Pro format—which looked very powerful in a presentation I attended at the NMEA conference—was only available on the Northstar 8000i, a system I gushed about last year, but is only now coming to market (there were some problems). At any rate, I flew down to New Orleans today, mostly for a Charles Industries product introduction, but plan to visit the Show tomorrow (anything particular I should check out?). Which is why there’ll likely be no Panbo on Friday, but I may get to see NavSim’s latest.
Here’s a useful and inexpensive gadget that was just introduced by the good folks at SetSail.com. Just a little bigger than a pack of gum, it will apparently “record and store high and low temperature for 100 days, 100 hours, or 100 minutes”, thus helping a boater “optimize box temperature for best trade-off in food longevity vs. temperature” (not to mention power consumption).
It’s worth checking out this screen shot in all its colorful pixels. Tiki Navigator is slowly gaining a devoted following, largely for its clean and attractive interface. I made this screen show some interesting options like the context sensitive help windows and the function key map, but they disappear completely if you want them to. Tiki only shows raster charts, but otherwise seems to have a lot of features, depending on the version you choose, all reasonably priced.
At METS it was announced that Nexus Marine, once a part of Silva, is now an independent operation. This won’t matter much in the U.S. where the gear has been marketed under the Nexus brand for some time (it’s a long story). What will matter is the two new instrument systems that Nexus previewed: the NXR, “unashamedly aimed at the international racing circuit and superyacht sector”, and the NX, “high-quality, compact instrumentation for the cruising sailor using technology usually associated with high-end racing systems”. The NX features a wireless connection to a (rather wild-looking) masthead wind sensor, which Nexus terms “wireless where it makes sense” (take that, TackTick!). Details should be revealed at the Miami Boat Show. In the meantime, I thought Nexus’s Web explanation of wind shear and its T.R.U.E. calibration system interesting (click on “Read more” at bottom right of main page).
Here’s a report from a Panbo reader (thanks Ron!):
“I've been evaluating Xenarc's 10" touchscreen monitor for the past two months, having purchased it from Xenarc Direct thus taking advantage of their reasonable return policy {ed: Captn. Jack also has a decent policy}. Unfortunately, the first monitor proved defective but Xenarc replaced it quickly. It's connected to a laptop below decks running a Nobeltec navigation program. Also, Milltech's AIS unit is connected and displayed.
It's mounted at the helm of a sailboat and the screen's 500 nits is quite visible under all conditions, but keep in mind the bimini is always kept up. The monitor isn't waterproof as it has an open grill but the substantial aluminium case and 8 watt power demands make sealing the unit possible. A mouse GPS makes the system independent of the existent Raymarine radar/plotter system. The best part is that its $600 price makes it quite reasonable to be used as a redundant navigation system.”
Big trouble in the Southern Ocean, but the electronics work
Nov 24, 2006
While doing 18 knots 1,000 miles south of Cape Town yesterday, Alex Thomson’s Hugo Boss experienced canting keel failure, nearly capsizing. At the crack of dawn this morning another racer, Mike Golding, pulled off a remarkable single-handed rescue, then hours later, lost his own mast! Despite all this, both skippers seem to be in regular sattellite phone contact. The story is unfolding here.
Pentax Optio W20, another waterproof digital camera
Nov 24, 2006
The family’s giddy after the Thanksgiving feast, and so yours truly is showing off his new (birthday present!) Pentax Optio W20 by making it take pictures while dipped in a glass of water. I’ve been fooling with this “ultracompact” camera for a couple of weeks now and think this review from down under is on the mark. And the W20 suits my tastes better than the Olympus Stylus 720 I tested last spring; the USB port is a standard ‘mini’ style, the LCD seems brighter, and at least I can see what speed/F-stop the thing is using. It also takes amazing VGA 30fps QuickTime movies, using some sort of digital stabilization. But I am curious about Canon’s new PowerShot SD800 IS, which has real image stabilization (I like taking snapshots in natural low light), and quite possibly better image quality. Below—and cropped, but full pixels, here—is a shot taken in Amsterdam overcast (F3.3/1/400th/ISO 64/auto everything). Nice canal-side digs, what?
At METS, the DAME awards electronics category was deservedly won by KVH’s M3 satellite TV system, a product that impressed me big time when tested last summer. But the little M3 now has a competitor worth noting, the King Control Sea-King 15” Saltwater Dish at right. It’s the same size, claims the same tracking abilities, but, unlike the M3, can receive HD and local DirectTV, even work with other service providers. It also has dual LNBs making it easier to feed two TVs, and it’s significantly less expensive. On the other hand, the M3 comes complete with a 12v combined controller/receiver (you provide the receiver in a Sea-King system), and a Panbo reader reported today that a KVH tech assured him that they’re working on a retrofitable HD/local M3 upgrade. Game on!
By the way, KVH did a great job blogging METS, which I got a particular kick out of as it was a certain KVH exec who—years ago, at a big Miami trade party, in almost classic “plastics!” fashion—advised me that blogging might be a great way to capitalize on my marine electronics obsession. I’m grateful for his encouragement (I think). Here’s wishing everyone here in the States a fine and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday.
Here’s a novel idea seen at METS: a marinized, 9–28v digital projector (front or back) meant to show multifunction nav data in the cockpit or—just swing it around—a big screen movie in the salon. The potential simplicity, not to mention lack of wires and weight, is intriguing, but I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering if any projector can overcome direct sunlight. (Plus, you know the kids are going to make wolf & bunny shadows on your plotter). My sense was that Optea has not yet put the XLMulti into full production, possibly awaiting investors or partners. Your move!
Due to a spam attack and a resulting warning from Panbo’s server host, I had to cut off all but TypeKey validated commenting today. I have a guy working on this and other site issues, but the spammers worked faster. Your comments add a lot to Panbo, so please consider TypeKey, which is easy, free, and ‘pseudonymous’ (“meaning that no personally identifying information is required”). And, while I’m tossing out Mea Culpas, here’s a big one for everyone patiently waiting to see their product discussed on Panbo, products I’ve borrowed, or asked endless pesky questions about. Got backed up; sorry! Then there’s my last State of Panbo, nearly two months ago, in which—just before flitting off around the world—I solicited possible sponsers for a redesigned site, and then didn’t even respond to some of the interested parties. What a sorry bonehead!
I think that at least three AIS Class B transponders are now fully approved and shipping in Europe, or darn close to it. And I believe that all three are based on Software Radio’s PCB (below). Interestingly the Comar CSB200 has changed since first pictured here. Note the “TX off” LED; two contacts on the back let the user rig an optional switch that will put this unit in Silent mode. Comar, unlike SevenStar, has not chosen to utilize the optional Safety Related Message (SRM), arguing that even some Class A AIS units can’t read it yet, let alone the shoreside authorities. These are some of the differences possible while still using the same core SRT transceiver. Hopefully, the good people at Trueheading, Y-tronic, Shine Micro, and elsewhere will fill us in on others. The Comar, by the way, was selling at METS for about 600 Euros, plus another 100 for an active GPS antenna, and you’ll need a VHF antenna too (hopefully tuned for AIS). Meanwhile, here in the States I’m told that USCG and FCC approval is still pending, subject to issues concerning “MMSI assignment, full transponder ‘Activation’, exclusive use of AIS I and 2, inland waters, and satellite monitoring, just to name a few.” Sigh.
I may seem hung up on Garmin and NMEA 2000, but actually METS was worth months of future Panbo entries. For instance, the world introduction to the B&G H3000 system and also to Navico, the new “papa” brand over arching Simrad, Lowrance, etc., was wonderfully prefaced by extreme racing sailor Knut Forstad. Besides showing some stunning video of Volvo 70’s (100% B&G equipped), he had this slide illustrating an automatic sheet release system on a trimaran. Those Harkin cam cleats can be pneumatically opened by a Hercules processor based on any parameters in the system, like heel, pitch, wind speed, etc. Nice for a single hander trying to rest at 30 knots plus! After the press conference I asked Knut if offshore racers are using AIS. He told me that the Volvo Brazil picked up a receiver in Baltimore, loved it, and that many of the open 60 tris are now carrying full transponders. He was adamant about how valuable a technology it is, and how every offshore race boat should be carrying one. I learned a lot about AIS Class B at METS, but it will have to wait.
I believe the hip hop expression is “baby’s got back!” I like this rear view, bigger here, of the new Garmin 4xxx for both its industrial design sleekness and the implied power of all those connections. The three MarineNet (Ethernet) ports, for instance, are a new feature which means that simpler systems—say sounder box, radar, and XM weather/audio—won’t need a hub (though note that one is still possible, and advantageous in multi display setups). But what’s truly lovely is this standard plug—NMEA 2000 straight up, no patch cables, no “GarBus” or “GarNet” nonsense to confuse everyone. I also learned today that the rumor I repeated in that same “nonsense” entry was wrong: Lowrance is soon going to put standard N2K connectors on its LowranceNet displays and cables. Yo!
Unfortunately, a worse rumor is surfacing. Twice in the last week someone has asked me something like, “Is it true that theU.S. Coast Guard has some objection to NMEA 2000.” Well, I have more research to do but I very strongly doubt that the USCG has a problem (in fact, it was actually one of the earliest and strongest proponents of the standard , because it’s more reliable and hence safer). While there may be a little bureaucratic nonsense going on behind the regulatory scenes, I’m confident that it will not become a true problem. Especially so as today I attended the first ever European Connect Fest, where some 17 manufacturers with 42 different physical devices all shared data on the same backbone, and a lot of trade folks got down with it. Yo!
That’s a hand built prototype and not all the software is done yet, but there’s no question that Garmin’s totally refreshed marine line is major news for boaters everywhere. Notes on the image above, bigger here: * The casing is now aluminum and looks far better than this funky photo indicates, and the 12” screen seems very bright and color rich, even though the suggested retail on the 4212 version—with all U.S. charts, and now Bahamas Explorer charts too, built in—is about $2,670. * A lot of 3000 series buttons are gone (there really were too many), replaced by eight vertical soft keys. So many potentially wide soft keys mean that labels can be thorough (and easily multi lingual) and menu trees simplified. Note on this specific screen how panning onto a POI automatically suggested the info you access under it (that’s what I’m talking about!), and how there’s a “Stop Panning” soft key instead of the old Quit button that confuses so many new users. * The optional, now SD card based, g2 Vision charting shown seems to nicely mimic or improve on many of the features pioneered by Navionics Platinum and the Raymarine E-Series, like variable blend photo overlays (land only or land&sea), street overlay, 3D etc. Garmin adds a 2nd lower resolution world photographic base map (as does C-Map’s Max Pro), and an underwater 3D view that incorporates sonar. * While not ready for demo yet, Garmin’s new “Auto Guidance” sounds like a smart compromise. You simply choose your destination and the unit will search for all ‘safe’ passages based on your parameters. It will mark those boundary fashion but it will not create waypoints, which might be just too automatic.
I need to get back to the show where there’s something like a 1,500 other exhibitors, but there’s lots more to this story, even more new products than Garmin mentioned yesterday. For instance, how about this first ever 18” 4kw radar—which, like their others, does all its processing within and outputs via Ethernet, and which will retail for only $1,000. Hot damn!
Garmin 2007, feast of features, including NMEA 2000
Nov 14, 2006
Well, Garmin (having quite a week) didn’t mess around, releasing marine 2007 preview dope before METS opens its doors. Even an elaborate Flash presentation. Key features at the new 4000 series high end: 12” XGA screen, NMEA 2000 compliance (big news for the protocol!), support for new g2 Vision charts with worldwide satellite imagery and under/over-water 3D, and a brand new interface, including simplified “navigation with Auto Guidance.” A hands on look later, hopefully.
OK, watch me spin Vincent Van Gogh’s Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saintes-Maries into an electronics entry. You see I spent the afternoon getting to know the neighborhood around my B&B, which included a inspiring visit to the Van Gogh Museum. Later I was a bit surprised to find that the Museum’s fine site does not have images of his paintings, but instead links to the work of a passionate Van Gogh enthusiast. That’s what I’m talking about in regard to boating POIs; there’s got to be better ways to electronically share the exploratory work of enthusiastic cruisers. And, by the way, the placard that goes with the painting—which, of course, is much more vivid in reality—notes that Van Gogh thought these boats as beautiful as flowers, and that’s saying something. On a totally different note, though equally abstract, are Amsterdam’s pedestrian walk lights. When you push the button, you hear a clicking noise, not obnoxious, but loud enough that you know the thing is working. Then, when the walk sign goes green, the clicking increases, terrific for vision disabled folks like my mom (trying to get around NYC). It goes into my file of interface nuances that really work.
If Garmin's like Apple, will the next Capt. Cook be a geocacher?
Nov 12, 2006
Speaking about how terrestrial navigation, at least in some ways, is now informing marine navigation, the big kahuna of non-marine GPS yesterday opened a fantastic looking flagship store on Michigan Ave in Chicago. It looks like Garmin took a cue from Apple—not a bad idea—creating many thousand elegant square feet where you can try all their gizmos, ask questions, take seminars, etc. Shoppers as passionate about GPSs as they are about iPods? Yeah, man! Which is interesting. When I bought my Garmin 45 in, what, 1993 (when did that beauty arrive?), I already knew a lot about navigation, like most every other fool who’d ventured over the horizon. Boaters broke GPS! There were years there where I was proselytizing handheld plotters first to my hiking friends, then to my long distance driving friends. But the shoe may soon change feet. I’m not sure that our children—weaned on geocaching, location-aware cell phones, arm bands that plot their jogs on Google Earth, who knows what—are going to sit on our knee for a nav lesson. “Hey, pops, do you mean to say that box you paid so much for won’t figure out your route, show hi res photo maps, or connect to the Web for user dock’n’dine recommendations?”
At any rate, I was honored to be invited by Garmin to the store opening—as a representative of old guard, I guess—but I already had other plans. I just arrived in Amsterdam for METS (starts Tuesday). In fact, I’m looking forward to seeing some new marine machines that Garmin is supposed to preview, but am also hoping to check out the POI advances on their car navigators and PNDs (Personal Navigation Device). I too just recently heard the term “PND”, but I’ll bet it’s not the last time.
I’m working on a column about the “Points of Interest” we get on electronic charts these days. I think they have wonderful potential, but these days are often inaccurate, plus hard to use. Above, and full screen here
, is an example of an interface that seems to work pretty well, Fugawi ENC’s new ability to work with Navionics Gold+ (Platinum too, but many features aren’t supported yet). Note on the inset how you can easily search for harbors and marinas by distance from your present position, or (inset) narrow your search by multiple service criteria. Some other charting programs, and particularly plotters, are clumsy to search, lead you to empty data screens, etc. Plus, like every other electronic chart I’ve seen (all available, I believe), there are numerous errors/ommisions in the POI location and details presented here. Where, for instance, is info on the Camden Public Landing, possibly the POI of highest interest to visiting boats? So I have some questions for you all:
* Do you use electronic POIs when boating, or do you prefer printed guides, or both, or do you just ask around? * Which electronic charts have you tried and what’s good or bad about each’s POI data and the particular interface used? * What’s the future of POIs. I see a lot happening on land—like automated (Bluetooth) POI calling, user generated POIs and georeference photos, sites dedicated to sharing such info, etc. Not to mention Google Earth, Microsoft Live Local, etc. How and when will these advancements come to boating?
The screens above, bigger here , show Maretron’s prototype for N2KView, an engine (and more) monitoring program. Of course it handles most any raw NMEA 2000 data in a boat’s backbone, including J1939 engines via Maretron’s gateway. But an extra neat feature is that N2KView is actually a server, able to deliver the goods to all sorts of Flash clients, including that WiFi enabled phone. Perhaps even happier N2K–wise is the news that Carling Technologies—the substantial old line manufacturer of switches, breakers, etc (and owner of Moritz Aerospace, i.e. Octoplex)—has just invested in Maretron. And soon I’ll be able to tell you about another big brand that is adopting NMEA 2000. Could we be reaching a tipping point? Heck, even some of the habitues of Google Groups are having an intelligent conversation about its costs (for a change). But I also just finished up an N2K feature for Sail, and this morning took this plug picture below. Left to right they are NMEA 2000 standard Micro size, SeaTalk2, LowranceNet, and SimNet. They all do the same thing with those 5 pins, and all could have the same name! (I also heard that Lowrance may not change plugs to the standard as promised {a rumor later shot down, thankfully}). Patch cables work but this confusing nonsense has really set a good multi-manufacturer data standard back. If you too want to see the tipping sooner than later, complain!
I’d bet there are 100’s of blogs like these out there—wonderful for tapping into boat passion, and wells of useful info—but Jeff Siegel is a man apart. For years now he has been collecting and sharing valuable information on cruising communications (mostly via Trawlers-and-trawling). Last summer, for instance, he posted a thorough entry on his cell amp testing, and now has just posted his cell and WiFi experience during that 1,000 mile coastal trip. I recommend reading the full posts, but here are some highlights:
“My general finding is that WiFi isn't worth the effort of all the special hardware any longer. This is a sad conclusion. I've been using much of this WiFi hardware over the last three years with stellar success in the beginning. …My story isn't all bad. In fact, my "connected boat" experience during the last five weeks has been the best experience that I've ever had with being connected on the water. Where WiFi has fallen off, cellular has picked up the ball with amazing results. I maintained a continuous Internet connection WHILE UNDERWAY from Maine to North Carolina except in one 25 mile spot. This included sections where I was offshore: Maine (3-10 miles), Boston (12 miles), Long Island (10 miles), New Jersey (4-5 miles). The only dead zone that I experienced was along most of the Alligator-Pungo Canal in North Carolina.”
Good news, eh? Jeff will do more testing in a few months during leg two to the Bahamas (plus he continues to work on the next, very interesting, iteration of Activemap). His cell set up, by the way, is:
PS And how about V.I.V.A., the online log of a Vinalhaven voc ed teacher sailing to Florida and back with some of his students, and some comms gear Jeff helped spec out (small world).
Though possibly a bit self serving, I’m pleased to find out that the corporation I largely work for—Primedia, owner of both Sail and PMY—has introduced a program whereby anyone can buy inexpensive subscriptions to many of its “enthusiast” magazines for active duty U.S. soldiers who would like to spend a little time immersed in boats, or hot rods, or fishing, or whatever. Whereas things aren’t going so well for them, some enthusiastic words and pictures must be a welcome diversion. I once went to a PMY staff conference where Primedia’s head creative guy deconstructed our magazine, and others, looking for how they actually affect users. He saw our role in high fallutin terms—giving nutrition to a reader’s passion, saying ‘yes’ in a ‘no’ world—that challenged us to do better, even if only fractionally true. Of course another way to support the troops is to vote. So, for goodness sake, vote!
Argonaut 15" monitor under $1,000, and other good new$
Nov 7, 2006
In a way, this photo, bigger here, doesn’t do Argonaut’s new Tflex-G615 monitor justice, but then again I took it at the NMEA Conference with a Canon XT flash aimed directly into the poor thing’s LCD. Try that with a conventional lap– or desktop screen! It is indeed noteworthy that Argonaut has come up with a “waterproof sunlight readable” monitor under a grand, but do note that its claimed 2,000 NITS transflective equivalency is figured in direct sunlight. I’m going to test one soon and will be interested to see how it does in bright situations without direct light. Note, too, all the added features—optical bonding, multiple inputs, wider range dimming, PiP, etc.—that you get with the Tflex-G515, the same underlying LCD, I think, but costing nearly three times the money.
More good pricing news: * Apparently due mostly to lowered memory card costs (all the data for an XL3 size region usually requires two Gigs of space), Navionics has dropped the price of Platinum cards from $499 to $299. Plus there are more Platinum regions available, like in Europe, and US cards still include the right to a free Fish’n Chip (which, by the way, deserves better Panbo coverage). * And, get this, Captn. Jack’s is now offering Maptech’s U.S. Boating Chart DVD for $19.50, still with free ground shipping, money back guarantee, and technical support. And here I thought this a great value at $50. But this special holiday price may not last long; I guess ‘Jack’ wants to get noticed.
Honestly, I have no idea why I snapped this boat show self portrait outside the elevators at my FLIBS hotel, but isn’t it funny how the ceiling fan accidently suggests my propeller-head nature? I’m 60 years old today, friends, and I’m taking the day off.
IBEX, a great show I’m missing (it’s OK), announced its innovation awards today. One winner is Paneltronics’ PowerSign, which is:
“a multiplexed system for intelligent power distribution and management for any vessel using DC loads — meaning you can control and monitor all onboard electrical systems from one location, even remotely. The system comprises four main units: switches; power distribution units; graphical user interfaces; and communications cables.”
Sounds good but will it also handle AC eventually, or offer a NMEA 2000 interface, like OctoPlex? And how does it compare to DNA’s digital switching system, which just got a NMEA 2000 gateway. No answers yet at Paneltronics’ Web site.
Another interesting winner is Torqeedo’s folding electric outboard, which looks like it might be terrific for a cruising boat’s tender, though pricey I fear (made in Germany in small quantities). Meanwhile, here are the nominees for the METS DAME award this year; I look forward to seeing all the products, and who wins.
I hadn’t noticed this in my first pass through photos of the Cape Town trip, but now it’s got extra meaning. That big sculpted helm belongs to a Stealth 540, in fact hull #1. While most South African boatbuilders seemed just a tad behind the curve electronics-wise, Stealth plans to fill in that white space with fairly cutting edge systems—MAN electronic diesel monitoring, an OctoPlex power distribution system, and Raymarine E-120s (given the size of this salon helm, maybe they should consider an E on the fly bridge and the new G monitor here?). If I understood the project manager correctly, all three can be interfaced via NMEA 2000, but the plan is to run them separately at first. The electronics, though, are minor compared to the 540’s hull design and hydrofoil assist, which Stealth claims will result in a 55 mph top end, a soft ride, and good fuel efficiency. Plus it seems pretty good looking for a power cat (much more info and art at StealthYachts.com). Of course all this is conjecture until the 540 is actually in the water, and that’s what tickles me about the picture, just confirmed: Hull #1 will be at the Miami show in February, where a PMY team, myself included, is scheduled to test it.
Another intro at FLIBS, this is the new YTS model of the Nautamatic TR-1 Gladiator autopilot I wrote about a few years ago. The new control head is a nice simple alternative to the somewhat daunting 10–button wired remote that is the primary control on other models. As I understand it, you still get the remote and need it to make the pilot do all the customizable maneuvers that get fishermen excited (I’ve also seen it perform a perfect Williamson man overboard circle). YTS, by the way, stands for “yachts, trawlers, and (big) sportfishers”, who are the new customers Nautamatic is trying to attract. The head will help, but perhaps more important is the performance reputation the Gladiator has earned in the last few years, confirmed pretty emphatically by a recent Powerboat Reports shoot-out. Of course you have to pay for that report, but I have and think it’s one of the most well done product comparisons I’ve seen there. Here’s some detail on why they thought the TR-1 performed the best when compared to a Furuno Navpilot 511OB, Raymarine ST6002+G, and Simrad AP16VF:
“We were blown away by every aspect of the product’s performance. There was nothing that we could do to the boat to throw this unit off course. At 2 knots with one motor in gear, we actually had to verify that the sea anchor had opened properly—the boat’s heading didn’t change even a degree. At 15 knots, when we dropped out an engine, there was again no change. It appeared as if the TR-1 program algorithms are monitoring the engine RPM’s very closely and knew what to expect when we abruptly killed an engine. Even Nautamatic’s GPS interface exceeded our expectations. At 15 knots, when we engaged a waypoint 180 degrees behind us, the TR-1 immediately put us into an aggressive, but controlled, turn. Nautamatic calls this a G-limited turn. All we can say is that within two seconds, we were spun around and tracking back toward the waypoint before the GPS plotter had time to calculate any cross-track error.”
Nautamatic doesn’t have YTS on its Web site yet, but these feisty folks—who are, um, very confidant about their technology—weren’t entirely pleased with the shoot-out and have their say here.
I've been evaluating Xenarc's 10" touchscreen monitor for the past two months, having purchased it from 
At METS, the 
hose Harkin cam cleats can be pneumatically opened by a Hercules processor based on any parameters in the system, like heel, pitch, wind speed, etc. Nice for a single hander trying to rest at 30 knots plus!
d XM weather/audio—won’t need a hub (though note that one is still possible, and 
Where WiFi has fallen off, cellular has picked up the ball with amazing results.
AC eventually, or offer a NMEA 2000 interface, like 
imple alternative to the somewhat daunting 10–button wired remote that is the primary control on other models. As I understand it, you still get the remote and need it to make the pilot do all the customizable maneuvers that get fishermen excited (I’ve also seen it perform a perfect Williamson man overboard circle). YTS, by the way, stands for “yachts, trawlers, and (big) sportfishers”, who are the new customers Nautamatic is trying to attract. The head will help, but perhaps more important is the performance reputation the Gladiator has earned in the last few years, confirmed pretty emphatically by a recent Powerboat Reports shoot-out. Of course you have to