Page 38: of Marine News Magazine (April 2016)

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TECHNOLOGY: NAVIGATION

Automatic Clutter Elimination (ACE)

Courtesy: Furuno USA

OFF ON get information, it takes from 30 seconds to a minute to get nected as well as a USB mouse.

good data,” says Haynes. “If a coastal vessel is amongst a Furuno suggests for best all-round situational awareness, lot of marine traf? c and small boats without AIS on them, two accessories can be combined with the FAR-15X8 se- operators need to be able to tell the direction the boats are ries. The RD50 high contrast remote display unit can be headed and they can immediately get a vector with FTT.” attached to the top of the 15X8. The RD50 displays a wide variety of data from onboard sensors such as speed, head- ing, course, depth, wind direction and RPMs, as well as

Nuts & Bolts: Setting Up

The FAR-15X8 series comes in either a 12kW or 25kW the rate of turn and rudder angles. The unit has an 8.4” con? guration. The data displays can be customized to the color LCD which can display information in digital, ana- user’s preference – up to four TT targets can be displayed log and graph formats. Additionally, up to 10 displays can as well as two AIS targets. The zoom function allows for be connected with a daisy chain cable.

“You can create different screens of the data sets, but the enlarging incoming targets for increased situational aware- rate of turn is really accurate,” says Haynes. Capt. Taylor ness. The unit works on a scalable Ethernet Network Sys- tem; the data link offers high-speed and stable navigational found the rate of turn function extremely useful. “It’s more precise than the analog type and faster. The increments are data sharing for interswitching as well as sharing data be- smaller,” he says. “Each trip you go out on, you have a tween ECDIS and GPS plotters.

The 15X8 is available in a “black box” con? guration but chance to learn a little more about what the unit can do.”

The GS100 Satellite Speed Log is unique and new to is also available with SOLAS compliant 19” LCD (Cat.2,

Furuno’s line up as well. The 5.7” color LCD unit can be 500-10,000GT) and 15” (Cat.3, <500GT) LCD moni- attached to the bottom of the RD50, atop the 15X8. “It tors. The radar is tested to IEC62388 and IEC62288 stan- uses two GPSs and quickly performs a phase correlation dards, which meet requirements for IMO / SOLAS. Ad- ditionally, Furuno has improved overall unit operations by for true heading information, not magnetic,” says Haynes. employing a touchpad on the standard control unit. For “You don’t need any gyroscopes. The unique thing is that it puts out three axis speed; fore/aft speed, transverse speed single hand operation, an optional track ball can be con-

Furuno GS100

Satellite Speed Log

Courtesy: Furuno USA

April 2016

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