Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
The boats are the main draw every year at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, but our editors are just as excited about electronics options that are also expected to be on display.
For starters, there are the Evolution autopilots from Raymarine. These nifty little units have an intelligent, nine-axis EV sensor core that automatically evolves and adapts to your boat’s steering characteristics — so you don’t have to do any calibrating or make any adjustments. The sensor core can be mounted pretty much anywhere, as it is fully sealed and built to IPX6 and IPX7 waterproofing and submersion standards. Three control units are available, depending on your type of steering system. More details are at www.raymarine.com.
Next on our list of must-sees this year is Digital Yacht’s new GPS150 DualNav GPS Sensor. It combines a 50-channel GPS with GLONASS, the Russian-funded satellite system that is now online. The smart sensor inside the GPS150 will automatically switch between the systems, depending on which is available, or you can make a manual choice. When the European-funded Galileo positioning system comes online in 2018, the GPS150 will work with that, too. Learn more at www.dualnav.com.
Last but not least, we’re looking forward to seeing the new VIRB cameras from Garmin. These babies are built specifically for on-the-water adventures, with a battery that will record for up to three hours at 1080p, that will survive for as long as a half-hour when submerged in a few feet of water and that can be used at depths of more than 150 feet with an optional protective case. Check out the camera’s cool looks at www.garmin.com.
