Monthly Archive: December 2017

Doppler radar: Simrad VelocityTrack & Furuno DRS6A-NXT 24

Doppler radar: Simrad VelocityTrack & Furuno DRS6A-NXT

Simrad_Halo_VelocityTrack_Doppler_opening_screen_aPanbo.jpg

Simrad has now officially joined Furuno and Garmin with a solid-state radar feature using the Doppler effect to instantly highlight targets moving relative to your vessel. “VelocityTrack” can be added to any existing open array Halo radar with the purchase of an unlock code, and it appears to be the most sophisticated version of the feature yet. Simrad also created a thorough VelocityTrack presentation that even explains technical subtleties common to all such Doppler radar features. Meanwhile, Furuno is now challenging the Simrad and Garmin solid-state Doppler open arrays with its new DRS6A-NXT…

Computer-assisted groundings? Bad Navionics charts? 32

Computer-assisted groundings? Bad Navionics charts?

Potts_Harbor_grounding_aPanbo.jpg

Despite incredible advances in chart availability and chart plotting, keels keep banging on reasonably well charted ledges and reefs all over the planet. Why? I’ve made far too many navigation errors to play the righteous scold, but I am taken aback by the tendency of boaters to blame technology and especially the recent trend toward castigating chart manufacturers like Navionics as if perfect data is a possibility or even an entitlement…