Reviews Furuno SCX-20 Satellite Compass I've been using the Furuno SCX-20 Satellite Compass and am impressed. It has a super accurate GPS, compass, roll/pitch/yaw, and all in a tiny package.
Internet Rendezvous Internet Setup for 2020 This is my Peplink and Poynting based internet system for 2020 aboard Rendezvous using LTE and WiFi sources, and marine grade components
Projects Engine and power dashboards I have discussed my weather dashboard before in Real-time weather from the boat, but I have always wanted more visibility into other areas. I have a couple of new dashboards for engine performance and the electrical system.
Projects Isolating AC power You may notice that this article is quite short. After a few comments (scroll down) and a number of email discussions on the side, I decided to remove the content of this article and replace it with this info.
Internet Problems with T-Mobile voice+data plans and Peplink CAT18 T-Mobile have apparently blocked the T-Mobile One lines that have both data and voice from using a Peplink CAT18 router with the Telit LM960 modem.
Internet Peplink MAX HD1 Dome I am testing the CAT18 version of the Peplink MAX HD1 Dome and SIM Injector against the MAX Transit with Poynting OMNI-402 antennas, and recorded an overview video as well.
Internet More router testing and initial results on the OMNI-496 I have been testing a lot of different LTE router and antenna combinations this year from Peplink, MikroTik, Teltonika, Poynting and more.
Internet GL-X1200 Amarok Dual LTE router The GL.iNet GL-X1200 Amarok router is a great dual-LTE device with lots of hardware, dual-band WiFi, and OpenWRT-inspired software.
Reviews New routers & antennas under test 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.
Trips Virtual Happy Hour & Tech Talk I think we are all missing the social aspect of owning a boat – chatting with other boat owners about projects, harrowing adventures, and everything in between. While we can’t
Projects Real-time weather from the boat 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
Projects Docking and engine room cameras Docking my boat is much easier with a camera looking at the dock, and visible from all driving locations. Finding one proved to be easier than I thought.
Internet WiFiRanger Converge 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.
Reviews Wakespeed WS-500 regulator review The Wakespeed WS-500 regulator is super programmable, has a ton of features, and can be used for dual engine, LiFePO4 banks, and smaller engines very effectively.
Projects Upgrading VHF and AIS antennas I have wanted to update my VHF antennas for a while, specifically to get a dedicated AIS antenna for my Class B transponder.
Reviews Victron GX now sends NMEA 2000 Victron has had a lot of impressive connectivity products, but one area they have had challenges with is in getting all of that data onto NMEA 2000. In their recent v2.40 release, that has changed for the better.
Internet Poynting OMNI LTE antennas 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...
Reviews NMEA 2000 network troubleshooting tools NMEA 2000 networks are part of any connected boat, and can be problematic by nature of their design. Troubleshooting an N2K network can be done very easily.
Projects What's on your boat server? 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.
Trips One year after switching to power 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!
Reviews Furuno FM-4800 VHF Radio 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.
Internet Low Data Mode helps boat WiFi use in iOS 13 As of iOS 13, there is a Low Data mode for WiFi! For many years, you've been able to limit cellular bandwidth usage, but iOS has not had a way to control the same thing for a WiFi network, until now.
Internet weBoost Drive Reach cellular amplifier installation and testing weBoost released the Drive Reach recently which is a more powerful and refined version of the venerable Drive 4G-X, the gold standard for cellular amplifiers since 2014. I have been using mine for a few months, and have some observations
Projects Victron + Wakespeed + Battle Born power system I upgrade my power system with Battle Born batteries, Balmar alternators, and Wakespeed regulators to give me way more power and longer time at anchor.
Internet Best boat Internet systems These are my recommended system designs for getting high quality Internet on your boat. There are several different choices depending on your budget.
