Want more LED light at less cost to illuminate your deck or the water beyond? Rigid Industries may be new to the marine industry but the company claims patented optic systems that have already made it "the pioneer of forward projecting high intensity LED light bars" for uses like long-distance racing in souped-up dune buggies (on a course that may be booby-trapped). You can glimpse the unusual reflectors (for LED fixtures) in this photo from IBEX and I can tell you that even those small and relatively inexpensive "four bulb" cubes closest to the camera are blindingly bright...
Winter will not be slow on Panbo largely because I still have lots to cover from my summer cruising and fall travels, and more time to do it in. At IBEX, for instance, I learned about a couple of neat ways that Dometic is using sophisticated modern electronic controls to make existing marine appliances work better. And I even got a little (goofy) face time in a video about the Bypassable Variable Frequency Drive (select HD at your own risk)...
Daylight today was at the minimum, at least in my hemisphere, and I was also fiddling with various holiday lights (which might be related phenomenon). So it seems like a good time to write about these SolLight solar-powered LED fixtures that have been lighting up my life for years. I started testing that LightShip model in early 2007 and when Gizmo came along in the spring of 2009 I stuck it to the hatch in the head, where it's served well for three seasons. It's left so that the dim red LED comes on at night and then we often switch to the brighter white when using the facilities...
The Dorcy Cyber Light (model 41-4750), list price $29, or $18.50 on Amazon is an ideal flashlight for boating, deserving of a best flashlight award from the crew of my Wednesday night racing team who assisted with this article by comparing six flashlights under a variety of nighttime conditions above and below deck on my 39 foot sailboat.
It may be a bit early to discuss this Scanstrut iPad case because it's not scheduled to ship until February, but I know a lot of boaters are wondering what's possible in this realm, and besides it goes with yesterday's iPads-on-yachts-of-the-future entry. Plus, as noted in this Scanstrut blog, the case is "short listed" for a DAME award in two weeks. And I got Scanstrut to share some information on the optional mount that can go with it...
The Cheoy Lee Shipyard hasn't been building ships and yachts since 1870 by resting on its laurels, and that young man -- who apparently represents generation five of the yard's continuous Lo family ownership -- is obviously pleasing some prospective clients with his demo of the first Alpha 76's unique "SmartGlass" system. I was impressed too. A slider on his iPad (or a wall switch) made those huge side windows go from crystal clear to deeply tinted to somewhat translucent but completely private. Even if there was a way to fit curtains without messing up the Alpha's clean interior design, the SPD-SmartGlass technology seems cooler. And let's further note that the iPad app in Lo's hands controls much, much more than the windows...
Vetus already had wireless remotes for its thrusters and windlasses, so why not develop a Bluetooth hardware interface and an app that can do more than even a wired control head using the smart phone many skippers already have in their pocket? I can't find anything about this Remote Monitoring and Command app online but Vetus was showing it off at IBEX and it will probably be officially launched next month at METS. I understand that they'll also have a new rim drive thruster there, and at Newport they were demoing a 4- and 5-cylinder diesel design that can supposedly benefit from its turbo at any rpm...
I got such a kick out of these guys. Not only did they come to IBEX with an exceptionally innovative new product, but they seemed to confirm a couple of my pet theories. One is that even a tiny startup company still has a chance in the marine electronics industry. And the other -- which is definitely related -- is that NMEA 2000 can make it easier to develop new products which are usefully unique while still leveraging off and/or integrating with, existing systems...
I think mounts are a big deal. There are all sorts of electronics (and hardware) that I'd like to move around my boat (and beyond) some times, but other times I want them firmly fixed (though hopefully with possible adjustments for glare and so forth). And though I've yet to try any, I'm impressed with how Tallon is extending its already interesting mount system. Check how neatly that new Tallon Lowrance Elite Socket makes both the adjustable RAM arm and the power/transducer cable easy to dismount, and how it includes an extra 12v socket too...
How neat would it be to launch an HD-video-camera-equipped underwater ROV off your boat to check out running gear, your mooring, or just whatever the heck is down there? And wouldn't it make sense to view the results on an iPad, and even control the ROV's movements largely by tilting and turning the pad? Yes, it sounds like a megayacht toy -- and it might make a good one -- but a brand new Massachusetts company called Aquabotix is hoping for a wider market...
