Satellite Compass

[Four Suns]

When I was at BOE Marine the other day, Jim gave me a brochure on all the Furuno stuff out there for 2008 (including the NavNet stuff). In looking at the book, they have a satellite compass that uses several GPS sensors to determine heading data. I couldn't find the information on the Furuno site maybe because it is a new product line. Anyway, here's the link to the PDF file on the smaller one for recreational boats:

http://www.furunousa.com/Furuno/Doc/0/JFM9TDHLTIPKVAPI58G2CFI2C9/sc50_usa.pdf

The antenna looks to be a little bigger than a Glomex frisbee. The neat thing about this is there is NO interference from the boat systems. On my 480 with mid engines and a lazarette area crammed full of crap, that's a big deal.

Anyone have experience with these things? Jim says all CSR members can buy one for $99... not a bad deal. Right Jim? Hello?

Not that I'm looking to spend money right now after emptying my pockets for diesel fuel, but it looks like a great product.

 

[mawyatt]

When I was at BOE Marine the other day, Jim gave me a brochure on all the Furuno stuff out there for 2008 (including the NavNet stuff). In looking at the book, they have a satellite compass that uses several GPS sensors to determine heading data. I couldn't find the information on the Furuno site maybe because it is a new product line. Anyway, here's the link to the PDF file on the smaller one for recreational boats:

http://www.furunousa.com/Furuno/Doc/0/JFM9TDHLTIPKVAPI58G2CFI2C9/sc50_usa.pdf

The antenna looks to be a little bigger than a Glomex frisbee. The neat thing about this is there is NO interference from the boat systems. On my 480 with mid engines and a lazarette area crammed full of crap, that's a big deal.

Anyone have experience with these things? Jim says all CSR members can buy one for $99... not a bad deal. Right Jim? Hello?

Not that I'm looking to spend money right now after emptying my pockets for diesel fuel, but it looks like a great product.

Gary,

This looks interesting. I'm suprised they can get accurate headings with such a small GPS antenna spacing, but apparantly they do. Wonder if this would interface (NEMA 0183) with the Raymarine systems? Like you I'm interested in anyone using this.

Mike

 

[CSR_Admin]

It will interface with any system that a regular heading sensor interfaces with. They are incredibly accurate. Systems like this have been in commercial use for years, they are just starting to get affordable. Gary, what I told you was that if you sold 20 of these for us I would sell you one at $99. That offer is now off the table :grin:

We all know that a certain amount of inaccuracy is built into the recreational GPS signal. From what I can figure that inaccuracy should be consistently inaccurate so while the actual position of one antenna might be made 20' off to the south, it will be exactly that for both antennas in this system making heading calculations perfectly accurate. Sitex makes a system too.

 

[fc3]

Very nice. Very impressive. Well thought out algorithms. Not worth $3,500 to me. Just Ducky doesn't have an autopilot. I don't care about the dangling thingy that is the bane of Gary's Four Suns heading data.

Best regards,
Frank

 

[tmhudson2]

Jim, How does this compare to the accuracy and cost of a fluxgate heading sensor?

 

[tobnpr]

Wow-
I like gadgets as much as the next guy, but I'm fine with a fluxgate compass. Hell, I was fine with the plain old Ritchie, but since everything else on my helm was electronic...

I can't see what market Furuno thinks exists for this; except in rare cases compass error can be compensated out (even if an expert is needed). And I really don't care if my compass is off by a degree- when was the last time anyone here tried to cross the gulf stream by dead reckoning?

 

[Nehalennia]

...........I can't see what market Furuno thinks exists for this............

Lot's and lot's of Commercial boats. More than likely some of the big boy recreational ones too, but moreover Commercial boats will be integrating these into their Electronic portfolios

 

[CSR_Admin]

Commercial boats need them because of the metal hulls. Hard to avoid metal when the whole boat is metal.

 

[Four Suns]

The most expensive stuff I own is stuff that doesn't work as advertised or in the environment it's supposed to. The Raymarine fluxgate stuff is cheap trash that doesn't belong on boats. My Raymarine fluxgate is off about +12 depending on the boat orientation. After my run to Block Island from Newport, the thing got all stupid on me... oh yeah.. right after the RayNav 300 display went blank.

I do have a KVH Autocomp sitting here I have not installed and I'm hoping that helps/solves my problem. The problem as I see it is newer boats are getting more and more stuff on them that gets in the way of a proper mounting location. For example, when I turn on my Clarion stereo on the bridge, my Ritchie compass changes about 5 degrees. The amp is mounted under the helm... oh yeah... the Raymarine fluxgate is mounted in a starboard locker in the cockpit which is about 2 feet from the TV and Audio/Video cabinet. How do you compensate for that?! You can't! I can not set my autopilot to go to a waypoint 30 miles away without constantly futzing with it along the way.

I didn't really post that link because of the price. It is pricey... no doubt. They have a smaller one targeting recreational boaters:

http://www.furuno.jp/en/product/marine/document/sc30.pdf

But it is still $2500. However, I believe this stuff will come down in price as it makes a lot more sense than trying to use magnets on boats that have 8 audio amplifiers, 5 air conditioners, 5 TVs, and other motors/gizmos out the butt. The earth's magnetic field isn't getting better... it's getting worse... and I'll bet in 5 years this type of technology is the "common" way to do it.

Now let's see... How much was that RN 300 I have back in 2003? A little shy of $1000... How about that first calculator? $500... First cell phone? First chartplotter? First VHF RADIO?!

I'm not running out to buy one now... but it does more than just provide heading data and if one was putting in a new Furuno-based system, I think it would be a nice addition.

Now go back and watch that $5000 LCD TV in your cockpit you paid Sea Ray for.

 

[fc3]

I'm sure it'll get cheaper. The GPS chipsets that they need to use are all custom in order to calculate the doppler. But once they start being made in huge quantities, these things will be sub-$500. I can wait.

Best regards,
Frank C