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Electronics goes boating Sanctuary Cove, south-east Queensland’s millionaire’s playground, comes alive for four days each year to host one of the world’s most luxurious boat shows. As we marvelled at the jaw-dropping opulence of the craft on display at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, what really stood out was the level of advanced electronics now included in just about every one of siliconchip.com.au those boats. Here Kevin Poulter takes us through just some ofJuly it .2010  11 .. Gone are the days of limited instrumentation with hard-to-read dials and gauges. Now it’s all glass, with multi-function LCD panels giving everything from engine parameters, fuel usage, boat speed and electrics through to radar, sonar, navigation (including GPS) and even computer graphics and TV programs if you wish! V isitors from around Australia, indeed the world jet in to see a mouth-watering array of motor yachts and accessories from 424 exhibitors. Anything the mind can conceive for marine is presented to everyone with ‘salt in their veins’. The show’s general manager, Barry Jenkins, said there were close to 200 boats on the water: multi-million dollar super-yachts, sail boats, luxury cruisers and sport fishing boats. If placed bow to stern, these boats would stretch close to 3km. ‘On land, we estimate there were hundreds more boats, mainly trailerable,’ said Mr Jenkins. It’s difficult to describe the atmosphere, with thousands of visitors and small plus large boats many can only dream of, huge temporary halls dominated by electronic gizmos, helicopters ferrying visitors every few minutes – the whole area abuzz with excitement. Thanks to innovative control and harnessing of electrons, life on the water is becoming immensely safer, more relaxed and more fun. Remember when you went fishing and eventually found a great spot or reef where the best size fish were abundant? If close enough to shore, a few landmarks would be noted and visually triangulated for future fishing expeditions. In reality, the ‘guessing landmarks’ location method could be a kilometre or more inaccurate. Now for under $200, a hand-held GPS will locate the position any time within a few metres! And if you are unlucky enough to get into difficulties out at sea, then affordable equipment (EPIRBs, etc) will enable 12  Silicon Chip the Australian authorities to know where you are, again within metres, and the ‘cavalry’ will come to the rescue. At the show, a myriad of brands displayed lighting based on highly efficient LEDs, proven now to be so successful. I looked directly at one bank of LEDs and was so dazzled by their extraordinary lumens, I saw ‘spots’ in my eyes for quite a while afterwards. Electronic gear for marine use has one major difference to land – it must be able to withstand the highly corrosive elements, for example, marine entertainment cannot simply be a car stereo painted white. If you love electronics, the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show is the CES on water. There is a feast of all things electronic, such as: • A huge diversity of navigation and depth-sounders – some with the ability to display the engine’s instruments, selectable through a menu and/or via touchscreens • Broadband radar (that the US Military would not approve for sale to private boaties until a detection system was devised) • Autopilots • Thermal-imaging cameras for night vision • Pure sinewave inverters • LED lamps for above and below the waterline • Desalination systems • Cooking systems – full kitchens • BUS / CAN technology • Communications and on-board audio/video entertainment gear siliconchip.com.au Today’s power and sailing boats are the epitome of luxury and comfort, with equipment only dreamed of until a few years ago. And thanks to competition between (mainly) Chinese manufacturers forcing prices down, all this is becoming more and more affordable for even the average boat owner. • • • • Electronic anti-fouling and anti-corrosion All manner of instrumentation and fly-by-wire control Joystick control of stern-drive engines and side-thrusters Winches that raise and lower anchors at a flick of a switch (no longer the domain of motor yachts but expected by many trailer boat owners too) • Zoned air-conditioning and • Advanced refrigeration In today’s supersonic-pace world, nothing should surprise electronics users. While one company is saying ‘it can’t be done’, another is releasing the technology. iPad marine mount low as US$50 each. Given that the iPad was not released in Australia at the time, how was this Aussie coup achieved? An iPad was purchased in USA and the holder ‘mould’ machined on an Australian CNC machine. As a specialised product, demand will be a relatively small, so for around $250, every one sold will be custommachined on the CNC! When these holders are seen, consumers will adapt them for many other uses, in the home and other non-marine applications. The holder offers security and convenience – removing the iPad is a breeze, just unclip it and take it with you. www.shopoma.com.au For example, during the show, Apple’s iPad was a week away from arriving in Australia, yet a ‘world’s first’ iPad mount was displayed by a talented Queensland engineer, Gary Pacey. The Outback Marine Australia holder enables the iPad to be mounted on the boat’s bridge or bulkhead, as a back-up navigation aid plus access to all the features iPad offers, like messages, weather updates, video, music source and OMA’s custom holder for the new iPad which surfing the web. Maps can be as is individually CNC-machined to order. siliconchip.com.au Chinese value Most of all, the quality and finish of boat electronic installations often surpasses those in fabulous homes. If there is something you need to make your boat more attractive or functional – it’s available – and prices have plummeted. Traditional high-quality electronics manufacturers are finding strong competition from Chinese production, with prices as low as ten percent of similar European products. One boater I met related how he purchased a number of LED lamps July 2010  13 from China and one didn’t to say their iPod connection and work. He contacted them and VHF marine reception features are they sent TWO replacements, also of great interest to boaters. with a profuse apology! www.fusionelectronics.com I inspected a seventy-five Joystick control foot motor yacht made in Shanghai, for sale at over A$4 Cummins MerCruiser Diesel has million and it was nothing the Zeus Pod propulsion system, short of impossible-to-fathom which is now available with 715 luxury. hp engines in triple and quadruple Dominating the eye-candy installations up to a whopping was sumptuously deep gel2860 hp. CMD’s innovative Zeus coated wood-grain in styles pod-drive system offers joystick and finish far superior to the control at slow speeds. most stunning house. Beyond The joystick controls the drivewords. The electronics were by-wire steering, throttle and discretely hidden (stealth inshifting in an intuitive manner, stallation) but electrons were so simple hand movements are harnessed as the heart and soul translated into vectored thrust and of the vessel’s operation. complex boat manoeuvres that This was a dazzling certifiwere hitherto impossible. cation of what China can do, Now, a novice boater can move however we all know not all even a 30m (100ft) yacht dead their products are in the same sideways or diagonally, or spin it league. So where does this in the boat’s own length, making leave Australian electronics docking dramatically easier, even manufacturers, if they are when strong winds and currents overwhelmed by low prices? Fusion Electronics marine entertainment systems are are present. The system also offers The best opportunities for somewhat surprisingly designed in New Zealand and integrated autopilot functions, fast becoming a world market-leader. Aussies are found when we such as waypoint tracking and don’t compete against international giants ‘head-on’, rather auto-heading as standard features. Skyhook, which mainprovide innovation, unique specialised technology, plus tains boat position and heading with the touch of a button, ‘local-need’ products. Also if the product is large, we don’t is also a standard part of the Zeus package. have the burden of sea-freight cost. www.cummins.com Entertainment Volts and amps There are some exceptions, like Fusion Electronics. Need some power on board? Welling and Crossley’s Their marine entertainment systems are designed in New Paguro 5000 marine generator delivers. The Italian-manuZealand for world-wide release, especially in Australia, factured generator is compact, lightweight and powerful, UK and USA and are so advanced, they gain market-share delivering up to 4kW (5kVA) of continuous, clean 230V AC against other long-standing international giants. power and can peak up to 48 amps to cope with switching For example, they harnessed multi-layer PC boards and surges, all in a unit weighing only 83kg. Operated via an class-D amplifiers to easy-to-use remote conproduce a unit that is trol panel with hourprobably the smallest meter and unique profootprint in the market portional load-meter, for the features, yet dethe Paguro 5000 comes livers 200 watts max. with an automatic shutthroughout a large down safety feature vessel or trailer-boat. when low oil pressure Obviously the entire or high temperature is case is a heat-sink! detected. This much power is www.wellcross.com.au not always needed but Green power too in a noisy environment and with multi-zone Yachtsmen like clean speaker systems, it’s green energy and this is good to have a reserve available from Applied of power. Fusion’s SolarWind Solutions’ technical expertise range of solar and wind will be discussed fur- Solar power was a big feature, with many craft displaying not only products. Originally ther in the next edi- large panels but also the electronic “smarts” to control them and their established to provide tion, however suffice batteries. Inverters were also big news at the Sanctuary Cove show. photovoltaic applica14  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au tions to industry on a large scale, the comgrated GPS and information system means precise, pany also provides products specifically real-time information on battery charge status. designed for the recreation and marine The battery recharge time from empty to industries. ASWS disfull is around seven hours. played its Flexcell www.torqeedoaustralia.com ‘Sunslick’ range of World’s best? solar chargers, designed for the marine Coursemaster Autopilots market, offering a sevreleased their Ultrascan en-watt portable/ PC90, a new Multi-beam, flexible panel Forward-Looking, Sonar for smaller technology from Interphase craft with a Technologies. Coursemasrequirement ter Autopilots describes the to trickle charge unit as the world’s fastest a single battery. forward scanning sonar that Larger craft can updates instantly at the speed use the 14W or 27W of sound. panels. The 27W panel The unit demonstrates will charge a 12V lead acid its ability to ‘see’ the water battery in four to five hours column and sea floor ahead of a in full sun. Two other Flexcell solar vessel, detecting dangerous obstacles chargers are offered including Sunpack, a and shallowing. It offers capabilities flexible roll-up version for personal use including the ability to be as much when camping and trekking, which can as 200 times faster than mechanical be used to charge mobile phones and scanning sonars and 20 times faster GPS devices. than other ‘real time’ sonar systems. The Their Forgen Vertical Mercury’s new 8.2 litre “Big Block” V8 stern-drive engine has Ultrascan PC90 captures the Axis Wind Generator multi-point EFI, delivers 380 hp and weighs in at 490kg. entire field of view in a single has no propeller blades ping, puts it in a memory and and operates silently. then simultaneously creates The Forgen is designed to trickle charge batteries in ma- all the beams from the memory at once. At a 30m range, rine craft without disturbing the boat occupants or their for example, it can provide the navigator with up to 24 full neighbours. In late 2010, the company will manufacture 90° scans per second. in Australia Sun Tracking Solar Concentrators and the Wireless data Australian branch is looking for distributors. www.appliedsolarwindsolutions.com.au Tacktick Ltd’s new wireless speed and depth instruments are perfect for yachts Saving fuel 35ft and under and offer simple instalMarine ‘petrol-heads’ will be imlation and easy set up calibration. pressed by Mercury MerCruiser’s There’s no need for complex 8.2-litre, naturally aspirated big wiring as the data is wireblock motor. Plus, Mercury’s lessly transmitted around the electronic technology, like boat. The displays can be their ECO-Screen. The ECOself-installed, saving labour Screen tells drivers how to costs. The Tacktick Entry obtain the very best fuel Level displays offer 38mm economy for every trip. readouts, backlighting for w w w. m e r c u r y m a r i n e . night sailing and are comcom.au pletely waterproof to 10m ensuring no condensation. Electric too. . . www.coursemaster.com Torqeedo’s Electric OutBreathe easy board opens new power options. Their Travel 1003 is Dometic Group displayed recommended for vessels up to three new products for the 1.5 tonnrs – but don’t expect to Australian market. The portbreak speed records. able Breathe Easy air purifier It’s waterproof to IP67, so all comeliminates unpleasant cabin odours ponents can be submerged for and airborne contaminants, such one hour at one meter below This Mercury economy gauge on a US boat is as mould spores, bacteria and the surface without damage. showing 3.6 miles per US gallon at 29.2 MPH <at> fumes. According to Torqeedo, the inte- 3160 RPM (65l/100km and 47km/h!). The manufacturer says it resiliconchip.com.au July 2010  15 duces volatile organic compounds by 57% and formaldehyde levels by 41% within a six-hour period. It uses photocatalytic nano-mesh technology to transform airborne contaminants, providing fresher and healthier air onboard. The purifier is powered by 12V DC or 115V/230V AC via a transformer that’s included with the product. www.dometic.com widescreen display offers both touch screen and hard button control. Touch screen operation has the advantage of being quick and easy, but it can be challenging to use in rough weather or when moving at speed. www.raymarine.com.au AIS and radio antennas R Electronics launched the Seafari Versatile by US manufacturer HRO systems. This desalination water-maker unit has a remote mounted control cube, which allows for greater flexibility during installation of the unit. www.relectronics.com.au Australian communications company GME has increased their antenna whip range with new whips of four foot length, compatible with AIS, 27MHz, broadcast and VHF devices. The new whips are interchangeable with any of the bases. Replacement of broken or damaged whips is simply a case of unscrewing the old whip and screwing in the new one. www.gme.net.au Desalination Remote monitoring Smart1Marine debuted its new boat monitoring device, the Yacht Even the humble winch has now gone hi-tech with Sentinel. This is a comprehensive wireless remote control, assisting solo or shortonboard monitoring system, which handed sailing from the cockpit. allows a boat owner to make essential checks on the boat simply via a mobile phone. ‘There are a myriad of problems that can arise when we are sitStay in touch with fleet broadband ting at home leaving a boat unprotected, like theft, storms, Furuno’s Inmarsat fleet broadband Felcom 250 offers flooding or power outage’, said spokesperson Dee Jones. simultaneous access to voice and high-speed data com- www.smart1marine.com.au munications with global coverage, provided through three Sonar too! Inmarsat-4 satellites. TMQ released several new products at Sanctuary Cove Fleet Broadband brings ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship operational and social communications into the broad- including the Echopilot three-dimensional Forward Sonar, which displays a threeband era. dimensional representation Intellian, the T-110 and of the underwater scene T-130 3-axis stabilised satahead of a vessel. ellite TV antenna systems According to TMQ, the provides a rock-steady seabed terrain and potential satellite signal reception hazards are shown with even in the harshest condiunparalleled realism. Twin tions at sea. It has a built-in retractable-transducers englobal satellite library and sure complete forward can receive TV service from coverage whatever the hull multiple satellites around form. the globe. The view ahead is 60° in And a further launch the horizontal plane over was FLIR’s M-series multi90° in the vertical plane. sensor maritime night viForward range is up to sion system. FLIR thermal 200m. imagers allow the user to www.tmq.com.au see in total darkness. www.furuno.com.au Touch screens And so much more! See the next issue of SILIRaymarine showcased Raymarine’s E-series touch screen display here showing both CON CHIP for a closer look at some of the amazing technolthe E Series Widescreen radar and GPS images. But it’s capable of a wide range of ogy invented for marine. SC with HybridTouch. The inputs to display just about anything you want. 16  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au