The Stainless Lobster Fridge Optimizer still remains one of my favorite additions, mainly because of the massive power savings and visibility. Recently, the folks at Stainless Lobster released new firmware that supports output of stats via the USB port and is compatible with SignalK.
SignalK has become the primary way I gather data about my sailboat, and it was time to move it to a smaller, less power hungry platform.
Examining NMEA 2000 data on my large sailboat network, and looking at SignalK along the way.
There has been a lot going on lately, and I wanted to provide an update on what I am working on and testing. My primary focus has been on internet connectivity aboard which has become even more important with the current world situation. I have spent a lot of time helping folks get better connected, and stay connected in more remote places which has caused some delays in my writing.
Getting real-time weather data from the boat is now possible using SignalK and some plugins, plus beautiful dashboards in Grafana, with the data stored in Influx
WiFiRanger has been around a long time providing connectivity solutions for RVs and boats. Their new platform is called Converge, and is a mix of different components that can provide a whole solution for internet aboard.
I’m always on the lookout for new LTE antennas that could help improve my signal while on the water. Poynting has a couple of interesting marine antennas that I’ve been using for a while.
Servers are more common on boats today than ever before. Having some sort of system to run SignalK, a dedicated alerting system, or some other service has become just as integral as having a chart plotter or VHF radio.
I switched from sail to power a year ago and haven’t looked back. There are pros and cons, but I am glad I made the switch!
Furuno released the FM-4800 VHF radio in late 2018, and I have been using it since then, and really like it as my primary boat radio.
