In June 2022, I helped some friends deliver a high-performance sailboat from Ketchikan, Alaska, to Seattle. Our crew was experienced, so we opted to sail west of Vancouver Island. Those waters are frigid, and the shorelines are desolate, so I carried two personal locator beacons.

The first PLB, an Ocean Signal MOB1, was rigged inside my Spinlock Deckvest 6D life jacket, ready to self-activate and transmit my position via the automatic identification system if the jacket inflated. The second PLB, a McMurdo FastFind 220, resided in a case on my jacket. If manually activated, it would transmit 406-megahertz satellite signals to the international Cospas-Sarsat program, for routing to search-and-rescue authorities.

Back then, this two-PLB setup was the gold standard, but it used only GPS (not the entire global navigation satellite system) to determine position information, and it provided zero reassurance that the signals had been received.

Now there’s a better option. ACR’s ResQLink AIS PLB-450 and Ocean Signal’s PLB3 are multifrequency beacons that operate on AIS and 406 MHz frequencies. The two brands have the same parent company, and the PLBs are identical, aside from their styling. They both can leverage the full GNSS to fix their location, which they broadcast. They can be paired with life jackets, and they come with built-in Return Link Service, which illuminates an LED once Cospas-Sarsat has received the signals. Also, both beacons employ near-field communication, which lets them share a wealth of battery and test-result information via ACR’s companion app.

The PLB-450 and PLB3 are, as of this writing, the world’s most sophisticated PLBs, but the technology to build multifrequency beacons has existed for years. Two things changed that allowed these devices to go live.

First, Return Link Service came online in January 2020. It’s provided by the European Union’s Galileo satellite network, and it lets mariners receive a simple LED-based confirmation that their distress signals have been received. The importance of this technology cannot be overstated; documented cases exist of lives lost to information voids.

Second, in February 2023, the US Federal Communications Commission authorized a single PLB that can transmit both AIS and 406 MHz frequencies. This is one of the most important marine-specific changes that the FCC has made in decades. It created a regulatory opportunity for manufacturers to build multisignal PLBs.

Prototypes had existed for at least a year before that FCC change, so ACR and Ocean Signal soon began shipping the new beacons. I was excited to receive a PLB-450 to review.

My first move was to register the beacon with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This simple process involves inputting information, such as the PLB’s identification and serial numbers. Next, I downloaded ACR’s app, and I placed my iPhone next to the beacon. The devices connected, an iOS pop-up appeared, and I tapped it to launch the ACR app. I was presented with a wealth of PLB-specific data, including battery condition (high) and “total time on” (10 minutes).

ACR’s instructions make clear that it’s important to self-test the PLB, which also broadcasts on the 121.5 MHz frequency. Rescuing authorities sometimes use this frequency for final-mile recovery work. The catch is that commercial aircraft carry 121.5 MHz receivers, so it’s important to self-test any 121.5 MHz-enabled PLB only during the first five minutes of each hour.

I waited my turn, and then headed to the driveway, where I have a semiclear south-facing sky view. The first self-test, called a function test, involved pressing and holding a slider-protected key. The LED flashed blue once, indicating that the beacon had passed its exam. I confirmed this with the app.

Next came the GNSS Test. Here, I ran into some trouble, as the PLB flashes its results in red or green, and I suffer from red-green colorblindness. So, I reran the test with my wife standing next to me. She saw a single long red flash, followed by a number of shorter green flashes. Again, the beacon passed, and the app confirmed the results. It also showed me how many satellites were in view (three), how long it took to acquire its first fix (35 seconds), its fix type (2D fix) and its position accuracy (greater than 215 feet).

Like the MOB1, the PLB-450 (and PLB3) can be paired with a life jacket so that if the jacket inflates, the PLB activates. ACR and Ocean Signal achieve this via an activation slider, a safety cover and some ribbon that loops around the jacket’s air bladder. Should the jacket inflate, the ribbon pulls tight, the activation slider and safety cover pop off, and the beacon lights up. This autoinflation system is clever, but it must be carefully rigged (imagine packing a parachute). A seven-minute video on ACR’s website explains it.

I donned my life jacket in the driveway to see how it felt to wear the devices. There’s no escaping the fact that a PLB-450 is larger than a MOB1; however, I found this bulk was offset because I no longer had to carry the FastFind 220. Overall, a PLB-450 (or PLB3) is cost-competitive with a two-beacon setup, it weighs less, and it offers the same operational life of 24-plus hours.

There’s no question that I would have preferred to carry a PLB-450 or PLB3 on my delivery from Ketchikan to Seattle. The downsides are nonexistent, and it’s spectacular to be able to broadcast your emergency and position with great accuracy to both local traffic and rescuing authorities, and to receive Return Link Service confirmation.

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ACR’s ResQLink AIS Personal Locator Beacon is the first to leverage the automatic identification system (AIS), the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), and the 406 MHz and 121.5 MHz frequencies. This multi-signal beacon gets position information from its GNSS receiver, and then bundles and transmits that information to a Cospas-Sarsat satellite via its 406 MHz transceiver. The beacon also shares its position information via AIS frequencies with nearby AIS-equipped vessels; it alternates its AIS bursts with 121.5 MHz transmissions that can be received by rescuing authorities.

“The real challenge of this product was trying to design an all-in-one product that meets our customers’ expectations,” says Mikele D’Arcangelo, ACR’s vice president of global marketing and product management. The solution, he says, involved miniaturizing circuit boards, bundling previously discrete componentry, and ensuring that the beacon satisfied AIS MOB and personal-locator-beacon regulatory requirements.

The ResQLink AIS Personal Locator Beacon measures 7.87 by 1.41 by 1.18 inches, weighs 0.42 pounds, has a 24-hour operational life, is waterproof down to 33 feet for up to one hour and comes with a five-year warranty.

How It Works

ResQLink AIS Personal Locator Beacons have near-field communications antennas. This tech lets ACR store all a beacon’s technical information in the antenna, which can be interrogated by a smartphone that’s running ACR’s Beacon App without draining the beacon’s internal battery. ResQLink AIS beacons are compatible with the Cospas-Sarsat Return Link Service, meaning an on-device LED illuminates when a beacon’s signal is received. The beacon also has infrared- and white-light strobes and can be fitted into a PFD to activate automatically if the PFD inflates.

Take the next step: acrartex.com

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ACR Electronics has introduced what it says is the world’s first mobile-connected AIS EPIRB with Return Link Service, designed for faster rescue in emergencies on the water.

The ACR GlobalFix V5 EPIRB has received Cospas-Sarsat approval. It has a 10-year battery life and features that include GNSS positioning.

“The next-generation EPIRBs will undoubtedly save more lives in the years ahead,” Mikele D’Arcangelo, vice president of global marketing and product management for ACR Electronics, stated in a press release. “The new mobile app has raised the bar for what consumers want and expect from their lifesaving equipment, making it easier for them to understand and interact with their beacon.”

The company is also introducing a version without AIS, called the ACR GlobalFix V6 EPIRB.

AIS being incorporated into the beacons means yacht owners have an additional method of communicating their location to nearby vessels in an emergency. A distress signal will be received by all ships, boats and aircraft equipped with AIS in the vicinity.

The Return Link Service provides a confirmation back to the EPIRB, letting the boater know the international satellite system has received the distress message and location.

By holding a mobile phone over the beacon’s designated area, the latest beacon information is automatically transferred into the ACR mobile app on the phone to review.

Does this new technology meet the regulations that the International Maritime Organization Maritime Safety Committee EPIRB put into force in July 2022? ACR Electronics says the new model exceeds those regulations. It’s still awaiting authorization from the Federal Communications Commission in the United States.

Where to learn more: go to acrartex.com

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ACR Electronics’ ResQLink personal locator beacons with Return Link Service are now approved in the United States.

The ResQLink View RLS is reportedly the world’s first personal-locator beacon (PLB) that gives users a clear confirmation message via a digital display screen, verifying that the international satellite system Cospas-Sarsat has received their distress message and location. The ResQLink 410 RLS has a confirmation light to indicate that a signal has been received.

“Offering two-way confirmation between 406 MHz beacon owners and search-and-rescue for the first time, the new technology can only be included in the latest distress beacons that are able to receive Galileo signals,” Mikele D’Arcangelo, vice president of global marketing and product management for ACR Electronics, stated in a press release. “We are excited to offer one of the first RLS-equipped PLBs to boaters, hikers, pilots, hunters and all outdoor enthusiasts.”

The PLBs incorporate a multiconstellation receiver using the Galileo GNSS and the GPS Satellite network for faster location and improved accuracy. They also operate on the three Cospas-Sarsat satellite systems, including the new MEOSAR. This ensures they will offer near-instantaneous signal detection and transmission, according to ACR Electronics.

How good are these PLBs for helping rescuers find people? ACR Electronics says anyone activating a ResQLink PLB can expect their beacon to be located within 328 feet, 95 percent of the time, within five minutes of the distress signal.

Take the next step: go to acrartex.com

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The past few years have been challenging. The good news, however, is that a nautical sabbatical can help. Whether it’s for a few days or a trip around the sun, some recently launched communications, navigation and networking equipment can boost situational awareness, lower stress and improve the onboard experience. 

Communications

VHF radios have long been the go-to technology for marine communications. But sometimes their user interfaces can feel clumsy when compared with touchscreens. Enter Icom’s M510 series (from $600). These fixed-mount VHF radios are the first from a mainstream manufacturer to give users command and control over systems using smartphones and a dedicated app. All M510 radios have built-in digital selective calling and NMEA 0183 compatibility; users can upgrade to NMEA 2000 compatibility with a CT-M500 black box. The IC-M510 AIS has a built-in AIS receiver.

The Intellian v45C is a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) antenna that employs an open contract. The v45C ($18,000) has a compact 45-centimeter antenna, making it Intellian’s smallest VSAT system. However, it offers data-transfer speeds typically found aboard a system with a 60-centimeter antenna. This smaller size (a v45C’s radome measures 24-by-24.6 inches) allows it to be fitted aboard yachts as small as 45 feet length overall. A single radio-frequency coaxial cable connects the v45C’s antenna with its belowdecks rack-mounted antenna control unit. A rack-mounted modem is also required, but this is supplied by one’s airtime provider. Each v45C uses three-axis stabilization to stay locked onto the right satellite in rough waters, and the open-contract structure lets owners choose airtime providers based on itineraries. As for speeds, a v45C that’s connected to, for example, an IntelsatOne Flex plan should deliver download speeds of 6 megabits per second and uplink speeds of 2 Mbps. Each v45C can support two or three cruisers and their paired devices.

KVH’s TracPhone V30 ($12,000) is a small, lightweight VSAT antenna that operates on an end-to-end network. The TracPhone V30’s radome measures 15.5-by-17.6 inches and contains a 37-centimeter antenna dish, with a ruggedized modem. The TracPhone V30’s radome weighs 23.4 pounds and uses 10 to 36 volts of DC power, making it suited for all-electric or DC-powered yachts (AC-to-DC converters are available). The TracPhone V30 is designed to operate exclusively on the company’s mini-VSAT BroadbandSM network, giving owners access to simultaneous tech support for hardware and network problems. The TracPhone V30 offers speeds up to 6 Mbps for downloads and 2 Mbps for uploads, and users can choose metered or unlimited airtime plans. Metered plans charge users only for the data they use at 50 cents per megabyte. Unlimited plans give owners a set amount of data at or near the network’s highest data-transfer speeds for a monthly fee (about $150 for 200 megabytes). Unlimited users aren’t charged for additional data use, but once they burn their monthly allotment, speeds are downthrottled.

Satcom systems work great, but the same ones and zeros can be transmitted for less cost via an onshore cellular network. KVH’s TracPhone LTE-1 Global ($1,700) allows users to connect to the internet in more than 150 countries from 20 nautical miles offshore, depending on their cellular coverage. The TracPhone LTE-1 Global’s high-gain dual LTE-A antenna arrays come bundled in a radome that measures 13.5-by-13.3 inches and weighs 6.5 pounds. As with all KVH products, customers buy airtime directly from KVH, providing one-call tech support.

While onboard Wi-Fi networks allow crewmembers and guests to connect to the internet with their personal devices, each connected smartphone, tablet and laptop represents a point of possible intrusion for a hacker. Firewalla Gold ($430) is a combination firewall, virtual private network, multi-gigabit router and network-monitoring tool for protecting data. It can also be used to block advertisements, provide network segmentation, and leverage administrative or parental controls.

Navigation

It’s always wise to pack ample lumens when navigating at night. ACR’s fixed-mount RCL-50 LED Searchlight (from $1,110) has a six-LED array that generates more than 100,000 candelas at peak luminosity. The RCL-50 has a 10-degree beam angle, and it can rotate through 360 degrees of azimuth and plus or minus 20 degrees of elevation. The searchlight measures 8.4 by 6 by 8 inches, weighs 7.72 pounds, and comes packaged in a marine-grade aluminum housing that’s triple-primed and sealed, making it ideal for tenders or for smaller to medium-size rides. Operators can control the searchlight via its remote control Point Pad.

For cruisers planning on wending through tightly packed archipelagos or rocky passages, confidence in positional accuracy is key. Garmin’s GPS 24xd ($300) has a multiband receiver that lets the sensor leverage the full global navigation satellite system, including the US-built GPS, the Russian-built GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo constellations. The GPS 24xd reportedly provides positional accuracy to 3.28 feet, as well as azimuth information accurate to 3 degrees. The sensor is NMEA 2000-compatible and built to IPX7 standards. It updates at 10 Hertz and has multi-SBAS (satellite-based augmentation system) compatibility that allows the sensor to automatically correct for signal-measurement errors while giving users real-time insight into the accuracy and availability of incoming signals.

Vessels ranging from 35 to 120 feet length overall that are equipped with a Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System can add the company’s Assisted Docking system. Assisted Docking doesn’t require any external sensors. It instead uses Volvo Penta’s GPS-based dynamic positioning system antenna; the vessel’s IPS drive, steering, transmission and networked engine data; and a navigation system that supports Volvo Penta’s Glass Cockpit system. A human operator dictates the yacht’s speed and direction via the IPS joystick, and the system moves the yacht in a straight line as commanded. If a user releases the joystick, Assisted Docking holds the yacht in situ. Assisted Docking accounts for externalities such as wind, current and tide by updating the yacht’s position and heading several times per second. This information is fed to Volvo Penta’s electronic vessel control system, which fine-tunes the IPS direction and thrust. A banner on the yacht’s Glass Cockpit gives operators real-time information, including GPS signal strength, how much assisted power is being applied and a digital compass that displays direction lines. The system’s Side Push feature lets operators apply lateral force when docking side-to.

Operations

BEP’s Smart Battery Hub (starting at $2,000) monitors individual batteries’ real-time voltages and the full house bank’s state of charge, then shares this data with other networked instrumentation via NMEA 2000 connectivity. BEP makes the Smart Battery Hub for twin- and triple-engine rides. Both versions are compatible with 12- and 24-volt systems, and come with IPX7 water-ingress ratings and the ability to network with and be controlled by CZone digital-switching systems.

Few weather-forecasting apps are as powerful as those offered by PredictWind. These include PredictWind’s standard and Offshore apps, the latter of which works with satellite or SSB connections. Both apps give users access to different global and regional weather models, as well as PredictWind’s proprietary forecasts, rain and isobar maps, and weather-routing and departure-planning tools.

SiriusXM’s Fish Mapping can help anglers get on the fish faster and with less fuel expenditure. This subscription service requires a vessel to have a satellite-communications receiver and a compatible multifunction display. The system then provides a wealth of angling information, including fishing recommendations, sea-surface-temperature contours, plankton-concentration contours and plankton-front strengths.

Backup Navigation

Garmin’s GPSMap 79s ($300) comes with a global base map, while the GPSMap 79sc ($350) carries Garmin’s BlueChart g3 cartography. Both have screens that are 1.5 by 2.5 inches (200-by-400 resolution) and use AA batteries for up to 19 hours of navigation time.

Snorkeling with Smartphones

SeaLife’s underwater SportDiver housing ($300) allows Apple and Android smartphones to capture imagery down to 130 feet below the waterline. The housing has large buttons, and its built-in moisture sensor and companion app let users test the integrity of the housing’s seal.

The post Tech Talk: Electronics That Will Improve Onboard Experience appeared first on Yachting.

ACR Electronics has dropped the price on its Bivy Stick two-way satellite communication device. The Bivy Stick’s pricing is now $199.

“Bivy Stick is the lightest and most efficient way to send a message, share a location, get a weather report, or initiate an SOS while adventuring off-grid,” the company stated in a press release.

Bivy and ACR Electronics also revised pricing on their data plans. New users of the Bivy Stick can access the device’s features with a four-month required period of Plus or Unlimited plans starting at $29.99 per month. After four months, users can keep their current plan, change to a Basic plan or suspend the service.

Where does the Bivy Stick work? Anywhere that users can see the sky, because of 100 percent global satellite coverage, according to ACR Electronics.

Take the next step: go to acrartex.com

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National Safe Boating Week starts on May 16 this year, with a goal of encouraging all boaters to be more responsible and wear a life jacket out on the water. And because the event happens in spring, right before the summer boating season in much of the country, it’s a great time to take an inventory of gear that can help keep everyone safe in an emergency—or, even better, help to avoid emergencies altogether.

An often-overlooked piece of gear that can need upgrading is binoculars. Often, boaters will buy a pair and use them for a decade or longer, not realizing that newer models can be a better tool. Bushnell, for instance, has the Forge line that includes a model with 15×56 magnification ($799). “The 15×56 could be very popular to the marine community, as it provides additional magnification and field of view to help scan the horizon, view wildlife, or to help identify nautical markers or maritime signal flags on commercial or military vessels,” says Bushnell communications coordinator Vic Ziliani.

Also worth a look for an upgrade are the life jackets stowed on any boat. Designs have come a long way in terms of comfort, making newer life jackets more likely to be worn, especially by people who want freedom to move around.

Spinlock’s Deckvest 6D life jacket (about $295), which became available in March, is intended to be “as much a piece of sportswear as a piece of safety equipment,” according to the company. Its features include automatic inflation and an optional harness-release system that lets the boater disconnect from a safety line by releasing a lever. The idea is to give a man overboard a way to disconnect from the boat if he’s being dragged through the water.

And in the digital-safety-device category, ACR Electronics has the ResQLink 400 personal locator beacon ($309). It’s buoyant, has a strobe light, and uses GPS and satellite technology to relay the boater’s position to search-and-rescue teams. The multifunction clip is designed to let boaters wear the PLB however they’re most comfortable.

As with life jackets, when safety and comfort meet, every boater wins.

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Just as nature abhors a vacuum, mankind abhors ­informational silence. Take the tragic story of four mariners who were stranded, years ago, in a life raft off the Scottish coast. The quartet activated their 406 MHz emergency beacon, which notified the ­International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme via satellite ­communications—but paranoia struck. The group questioned whether their signals had been received at all.

Three of the four ultimately swam for shore; only the mariner who trusted the technology survived.

While properly registered EPIRBs are the most important piece of electronic safety equipment available to mariners, advances in personal locator beacons and other individually carried man-overboard equipment add an extra layer of safety.

Satellites have been relaying 406 MHz signals from EPIRBs and PLBs for decades. In recent years, some manufacturers began adding multichannel global navigation satellite system receivers that allow the beacons to bundle their location information with their 406 MHz signals.

Better still, as part of the Meosar project, a new ­constellation of ­medium-Earth-­orbiting, ­search-and-rescue satellites and ground antennas recently came online, offering faster service. The arrival of this MEO constellation has facilitated EPIRBs and PLBs that are compatible with multiple sources of GNSS, including the ­European Union’s Galileo ­global-positioning ­network. This compatibility delivers significantly faster, more-precise signal reception and tracking (read: smaller haystacks) to GNSS-compatible EPIRBs and PLBs.

Also, starting in late 2020, a new generation of PLBs (and EPIRBs) is expected to be available, allowing ­COSPAS-SARSAT to send a return link service confirmation to the beacon.

“Imagine floating in the ocean—your boat 200 feet below the water’s surface—wearing a life jacket, trying to stay warm, and mentally fighting the demons in your head,” says Mikele D’Arcangelo, ACR Electronics’ vice president of global marketing and product development. “[Return link service is] really valuable peace of mind for the survivor.”

Sean McCrystal, senior maritime ­marketing manager at Orolia Maritime—the ­manufacturer of McMurdo, Kannad and Netwave brands—agrees: “Research has shown that by simply letting a person know that professional rescuers are aware of their situation and location, those in a life-and-death situation are less likely to make life-endangering ­decisions.”

While older-generation PLBs aren’t Galileo- or RLS-compatible, D’Arcangelo says, they will continue work once the next-generation PLBs go live. “The design specifications and certifications are still the same, the satellites still work exactly the same; it’s just the newer, RLS-compatible beacons [that] will give you [RLS] confirmation,” he says.

One inherent drawback to PLBs is that their 406 MHz signals go to satellites, not to local traffic. Automatic Identification System MOB beacons with GPS receivers were created to fill this informational vacuum. Once activated, AIS MOBs transmit “MOB active” alerts to nearby Class A and Class B AIS users over VHF radio frequencies. These alerts include the AIS MOB’s GPS coordinates, and the alerts transmit once per minute for (typically) 24-plus hours.

Once an AIS MOB’s signal is received by an AIS-equipped vessel, the latter’s AIS screen or multifunction display depicts an active AIS icon (sometimes a red circle with a cross) and the AIS MOB’s location information.

Some yacht-installed AIS equipment can trigger auditory and visual alarms when an AIS MOB signal is received, which is critical if the MOB’s own crew is belowdecks, asleep or otherwise unaware. Likewise, ACR’s AIS engine kill switch and alarm offers an additional layer of security.

“We’ve modified our previous AIS alarm to incorporate the ability to kill the boat’s engine should one of the programmed AIS MOBs be activated,” D’Arcangelo explains.

While PLBs and AIS MOBs can collectively work to notify rescuing authorities (PLBs) and local traffic (AIS MOBs), as of this writing, attaining this dual-audience capability requires two discrete devices.

“I believe the combined PLB with AIS is closer than ever,” McCrystal says, adding that “the issue remains legality and approvals rather than engineering know-how.”

Bluetooth-enabled rescue devices represent an interesting and recent innovation in electronic MOB equipment. These devices—including ACR’s OLAS trackers and Weems and Plath’s CrewWatcher—work by establishing a radio-frequency link with a paired smart device that’s running a dedicated app. Should the Bluetooth device skip its geofence, the link breaks and the app immediately marks the device’s location. System depending, the app can also trigger other external alarms, and ACR’s OLAS app provides an emergency script that users can read into their VHF radio.

Critically, Bluetooth MOB ­devices don’t provide real-time homing back to the MOB but instead direct the crew back to the device’s location at the time of the incident.

While an all-in-one beacon delivering 406 MHz and AIS MOB protections is still the stuff of unicorns, mariners are already pairing PLBs with Bluetooth MOB devices. “We have created a new safety kit that includes our ResQLink PLBs with OLAS tag as a new way for mariners to have the benefit of a 406 MHz beacon, [while] also having the MOB functionality to alert [their] own vessel,” D’Arcangelo says.

Additionally, ACR’s OLAS Core and OLAS Guardian are USB-powered portable base stations that can track every paired OLAS tag, sans a phone (read: a potential weak link), with the Guardian serving double-watch duty as an engine-kill system. Finally, ACR’s OLAS Extender delivers signal-repeater capabilities and can monitor up to 15 OLAS tags.

While today’s market abounds with electronic safety equipment, all vessels should ­carry a properly registered, RLS-enabled EPIRB. Moreover, until a unicorn emerges, prudent mariners should carry a PLB and either an AIS MOB or a Bluetooth MOB device. The frugal are politely reminded that parachutes are also optional if one only plans on skydiving once.

The post Saving Lives appeared first on Yachting.

The ResQLink View Personal Locator Beacon from ACR Electronics earned a special mention in the DAME Design Awards in the category of Lifesaving and Safety, at Metstrade in Amsterdam.

ResQLink View incorporates ACR’s optical display technology, showing all the beacon’s operational activities, including GPS coordinates, operating instructions, usage tips, transmission bursts, and battery power.

“We are delighted that the DAME jury has recognized the innovations and technology incorporated in our new ResQLink View PLB,” Mikele D’Arcangelo, vice president of global marketing and product management for ACR Electronics, stated in a press release. “Most importantly, we are proud that this advanced solution is available to more of our customers, so that it can save more lives and aid the rescue services in locating and helping casualties.”

The ResQLink beacon has a protected activation button located away from the test button, multiple wearable mounting options including a belt clip and oral inflation clip, and an easier-to-release antenna enclosure. There’s also a new infrared strobe light in addition to the ultra-bright strobe light, to assist rescue crews using night vision goggles.

Where did ACR Electronics get the ideas for new features? From its SurvivorClub members.

For more information, visit: acrartex.com

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AISLink

ACR Electronics has entered the AIS market with two rugged AIS transceivers: the ACR AISLink CA1 ($2,800), which is a Class A AIS unit, and the ACR AISLink CB1 ($900), which is a Class B AIS device. The CA1 is aimed at the commercial marine market, but those who regularly run their yacht at 20-plus knots will appreciate the frequent reporting rate and higher transmitting power. The CA1 can be networked to a vessel’s navigation system, and it has an easy-to-read monochrome display. The black-box CB1 can also be networked with a yacht’s navigation system.

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