The Watercooler-What's New, Hot Items, Advice, Tips, & More

Garmin is continually working to improve the performance of their marine electronics via routine software updates. Software updates allow for compatibility with new features, products and can resolve previous software issues.

The Garmin September 2022 Marine Software Update includes:

Chart Orientation feature allowing users to use a combo screen with two navigation charts each with a different chart orientation. This feature allows for an enhanced user experience designed specifically for your boating needs. The new Chart Orientation feature is compatible with current Garmin GPSMAP series MFD’s.

Mercury Engine Overlay Bar adds advanced engine detail monitoring for Oil and Transmission fluid levels. A new Mercury Engine Overlay Bar will display when a Mercury gateway is detected. This bar allows for easy viewing of important engine data. Feature available on all current GPSMAP and ECHOMAP series displays.

Third Party MFD Input Support via EmpirBus Connect 50. Third party inputs, keypads, steering wheels and button keypads can be programmed as remote input devices. Feature available on all current GPSMAP series MFD’s.

Improved On-Screen Radar Control for Rain and Sea Clutter is now available on current model GPSMAP series displays. Rain Clutter and Sea Clutter icons are now easier to recognize!

Fusion Media Combos Support and Group Global Zone makes it easier than ever to enable the Fusion PartyBus feature on 2 or more stereos. Compatible radios include MS RA770, MS RA670, MS WB670, MS SRX400 and MS ERX400.

New Voice Control Commands include over a dozen new commands allowing for quick access to vital information. The USB Voice Control Dongle is required. This new feature is available for current Garmin GPSMAP 8600 and GPSMAP 7×3,9×3,12×3 MFD’s.

Download the software here!

Temperatures are dropping here in North Carolina. With the summer now behind us, boat show season is upon us. We will be exhibiting at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD next week. Show dates are October 13-17, 2022. Our booth will be located in Tent B 8 at City Dock in downtown historic Annapolis. Digital tickets are now available for purchase. Read more about the show here.

Once we return from the United States Sailboat Show, we will begin preparing for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The Fort Lauderdale show will run from October 26-30/ We will be located in Booth 653 in the Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Navy Zone. Read more about the show here.

Boat Show season is an exciting time for us. We enjoy the opportunity to interact with our customers in person and catch up with old industry friends. Our boat show sales team will be available to help put together marine packages, answer questions and make recommendations on the right products to suit your needs.

Today Garmin announced their newest product within the inReach product line. The Garmin inReach Messenger is a satellite communicator that seamlessly switches from Wi-Fi wireless networking and cellular/satellite networks resulting in a cost-efficient communication solution. Two-way messaging and interactive SOS location sharing is a breeze with the inReach Messenger. The small, on-device display will give you peace of mind knowing that your SOS has been sent. Draft detailed messages through the Garmin Messenger Smartphone app, or send preset messages and GPS location directly from the Messenger. The inReach messenger has an internal, rechargeable battery that provides up to 28 days of battery life in the 10-minute tracking mode and can even provide safety charging to help recover a phone with a low battery life.

So how does the inReach Messenger differ from the inReach Mini 2?

The inReach Mini 2 allows users to send waypoints to MapShare during a trip, or send route selections to MapShare. The inreach Mini 2 allows for the creation of breadcrumb trails, while the Messenger does not. The inreach Mini 2 features a digital compass, while the Messenger does not. The inReach Mini 2 pairs with the Garmin Explore app for trip planning, access to mapping and more! The Garmin inreach Messenger uses the Garmin Messenger app.

Learn more about the Garmin inReach Messenger. inReach Subscription required and sold separately.

 

The Garmin Approach R10 Launch Monitor is now compatible with Titleist RCT Golf Balls. When paired with the Garmin Approach R10, Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls with Radar Capture Technology provide a 30x improvement in spin rate accuracy and a 50% improvement in carry distance accuracy. *Titleist Golf Balls not included, sold separately.

Raymarine has released their all new Raymarine Mobile app for iOS devices. This new app is free and available for download through the App Store.

The app features the ability to stream and control your Axiom, eS or gS series display remotely from anywhere onboard. This feature is provided using the built-in WiFi within the display. This new feature practically allows your iPad or compatible smartphone to serve as a secondary display.

Backup and share waypoints, routes, tracks and screenshots from your Raymarine Axiom to your smartphone or tablet. The app also allows users to manage LightHouse Charts directly from the mobile device to your Raymarine Axiom. Redeem Lighthouse Charts vouchers, manage your charting experience and more.

Upgrade your app to Premium to enjoy remote monitoring by combining the Raymarine YachtSense Link Marine Cloud Router with the new Raymarine app. Monitor your boat remotely and view real-time nav data while onboard. The Raymarine app supports the entire YachtSense Series, allowing for control of your YachtSense Digital elements.

While the app is currently only available for iOS devices, Raymarine plans to release an app compatible with Andriod devices. The Raymarine app can control a single display and is best supported by iOS 13.2 and later.

Want to learn more? Give us a call at 1-800-477-2611.

Garmin just released their newest line of smartwatches. The Garmin Venu SQ 2 has a number of health and wellness tracking features including Body Battery energy levels, sleep score, respiration and women’s health. Over 25 preloaded sports apps for indoor and outdoor activities makes it easy to accurately track any activity. Fitness features also include HIIT sports apps and workouts, tips to improve based on fitness age and Garmin Coach.

The Venu SQ 2 is more accurate than ever. Built-in GPS includes GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS satellites. The AMOLED display has an always on feature which provides a classic watch look ideal for daily wear.

Another improvement made to the Venu SQ 2 is an extended battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 26 hours in GPS mode.

The Venu SQ 2 is available in 2 editions- standard or Music Edition. The Music Edition allows for music storage direct to device. Store up to 500 songs on the Venu SQ 2 Music Edition. Each edition is available in 3 colors from neutrals to metallic mint.

Shop the Venu SQ 2 now. Want direct to device music storage? Shop the Venu SQ 2 Music Edition.

Our annual Warehouse Clearance sale is under way. We have dozens of deals including electronics from Garmin, Lowrance, Simrad, Raymarine, Icom, Standard Horizon, Shakespeare, Furuno and more! The sale ends Monday, August 29th so you have plenty of time to peruse the sale. Now is a great time to prepare and plan for winter projects and to gather the necessary equipment. If you have questions about any of our product assortment, please reach out to our expert sales team 1 (800) 477-2611. We are standing by Monday-Friday 9am-5pm ET to help put together custom packages, review product features and make recommendations based on your unique needs.

We’ve had some exciting price reductions and new product releases over the last week!

Lowrance and Simrad have reduced prices on their popular HDS LIVE and NSSevo3S network systems. Also included in the price drop are Lowrance ActiveTarget Live sonar systems- Now reduced by $400. If you’ve been on the fence- now may be the time to buy.

Last week Furuno released their all new Side-Scan Thru-Hull Transducer providing Side Scan functionality to TZTouch3 12,16 and 19-inch displays. CHIRP Side-Scan provides images of structure offshore and along coastlines, enhancing your fishing experience! Simply update the software in your compatible TZ3, add the new Side-Scan transducer, and you are ready to go! The new Furuno Side-Scan transducer is a single thru hull design, appropriate for vessels with a deadrise under 5-degrees. Thru-hull pairs and transom mount options are expected to be released late this year.

One final, and exciting announcement is ACR’s all new PLB RLS series. ACR has released 2 new personal locator beacons that provide Return Link Service (RLS). RLS provides confirmation that your signal has been received by the Cospas Sarsat satellite network. The ResQLink View RLS provides confirmation on the digital display and the ResQLink RLS provides confirmation through a light. Both are great options that increase peace of mind while doing any activity outdoors!

We received a visit from the Raymarine Mobile Van today. Take a look at some visit highlights below!

Augmented Reality with the Raymarine AR200 Stabilization Module

Raymarine Mobile Van allows the team to get hands-on experience.

Raymarine Axiom Pro Displays with Hybrid Touch controls. 

Raymarine FLIR M232 Thermal Camera

Raymarine Transducers and Raymarine Axiom displayed on third party touch display.

We recently had a chance to get on the water with Simrad’s NSX series. This is their newest series of multifunction displays with Simrad radar support and 1kW CHIRP sonar support. Operation of the NSX is simple and straightforward with drag and drop screen customizations and the step by step Setup Wizard. Add a CMAP Reveal X Chart, designed exclusively for the NSX series in order to get shaded relief and satellite imagery!

Take a look at the chart imagery below to see what you can expect from CMAP Reveal X Cartography.

Take a look at our on the water demo of the Simrad NSX series…