Panbo News and Reviews

LiFePO4 / Cabin & deck gear / Network & control / Electrical & Engines / The future / Green Boating

July 20, 2022

by Ben Stein · Published July 20, 2022

A cool and quiet sailboat thanks to efficient air conditioning, LiFePO4 batteries, and Integrel

I work around boats pretty much every day of my life. So, what would cause me to jump in my car and drive 28 hours round trip to go see a boat? The answer: A brand new, luxury 44-foot sailboat ordered with no generator and no air conditioning. But fear not, although it was delivered without systems many regard as required, it’s now been outfitted with arguably the best air conditioning and power systems available.

Network & control / Communications / The future

July 13, 2022

by Ben Stein · Published July 13, 2022 · Last modified July 14, 2022

Starlink offers new services aimed at RV and marine use

It’s been a busy couple of months for Starlink since they rolled out portability. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s happened with the service since then: they’ve rolled out RV service, Dish network has filed a complaint against them, their mobile license was approved by the FCC, and they’ve introduced a maritime service offering. If you’re a boater looking to get internet connectivity on board your boat, that can be a lot to wade through. So, let me help you understand the developments and what it means for us as boaters.

Navigation / Safety & SAR / Charts / AIS / The future

June 22, 2022

by Ben Stein · Published June 22, 2022 · Last modified July 12, 2022

Simrad NSX, an impressive debut of Navico’s next-generation platform

The Simrad NSX may be a value-oriented chart plotter in Simrad’s lineup but “value model” doesn’t tell the story of how important NSX is to Simrad’s, and Navico’s, future. NSX is the first MFD running on Navico’s Neon operating system. I’ve been using an NSX in Panbo(at) for the last several months and I’m pleased to report NSX is an upgrade from the Simrad Go it replaced in nearly every dimension. If this is Navico’s future, the future is bright.

Wireless & Apps / Network & control / Handheld / Gadgets

June 8, 2022

by Ben Stein · Published June 8, 2022

Garmin Quatix 7 SmartWatch, a refined wearable

Garmin recently released the Quatix 7 and I’ve been wearing the Saphire model since just after the release. I’m pleased to report that in my testing it’s proved to be a refined, visually pleasing, and useful accessory. With excellent battery life, a bright, easy-to-read display, and integration with Garmin marine products like the GPSMap MFDs and Fusion stereos there’s plenty of reasons to give the Quatix line a careful look.

LiFePO4 / Electrical & Engines

May 3, 2022

by Ben Stein · Published May 3, 2022

KiloVault HLX+ batteries, serious quality and value

KiloVault might be a relatively new name in lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, but I’d expect to hear a lot more about them based on what I’ve seen so far. The HLX+ series of batteries are well-made, drop-in-style batteries with lots of capabilities at an affordable price point. I’ll be installing a pair of the 300 amp hour batteries in my RV, but first, let’s get to know the batteries better.

Network & control / Communications

April 8, 2022

by Ben Stein · Published April 8, 2022 · Last modified April 11, 2022

Glomex WebBoat 4G Lite EVO, compact internet access with a hitch

There’s a lot to like about Glomex’s WebBoat 4G Lite Evo. It’s a small device with easy mounting, a 4G LTE cellular modem, an easy user interface, and app configuration. These features make the WebBoat 4G Lite Evo easy to install and easy to use. But, like so many other marine-specific internet access equipment I see, it lacks 5ghz WiFi, limiting its performance out of the box.

Sailing & Racing / Navigation / How-to / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

March 21, 2022

by Ben Ellison · Published March 21, 2022

Airmar DST810 Multisensor, really smart

Airmar trail blazed the NMEA 2000 “smart” sensor about fifteen years ago, building a microprocessor right into a transducer so that a single rugged N2K cable can both power the sensor and deliver Depth, Speed, and Water Temperature to almost any display, regardless of brand. And while the company deservedly dominates the world of water-related smart sensors today, they were a tad slow to adopt the now-common technique of including a Bluetooth app for the detailed calibration that many of the display manufacturers fail to provide. But after initial testing, I think that the relatively new DST810 Smart Multisensor is a thoroughly modern N2K device…

Navigation / Safety & SAR

March 8, 2022

by Ben Stein · Published March 8, 2022

Omnisense Ulysses Micro meets the FLIR M232, thermal cameras compared

When you think of a thermal night vision camera you might not think of Omnisense, but you probably do think of FLIR. Omnisense hopes to change that with their Ulysses line of thermal cameras. With a strong feature set, broad MFD support, and competitive features, it looks like an interesting comparison. I’ve been testing both the Omnisense Ulysses Micro and the FLIR M232. It’s been fun comparing the two and I see strengths and weaknesses to both but read on to see if there’s a clear winner.

Navigation / Charts

February 14, 2022

by Ben Stein · Published February 14, 2022

Garmin MFDs get Navionics cartography and an updated UI

For the last several years there’s been an unusual situation with Garmin MFDs. They haven’t used Navionics chart presentation or auto-routing. Considering Garmin owns Navionics and has since 2017, that’s left many scratching their heads. Well, scratch no more. Current Garmin MFDs can now use Navionics’ charts, auto-routing, and daily updates. Plus, the ability to display the new Navionics charts is part of an upgrade to Garmin MFDs that includes an updated user interface.

Electrical & Engines / When things go wrong... / The Trade

February 1, 2022

by Ben Stein · Published February 1, 2022

FLIR C5 thermal inspection camera, finding issues before they’re big trouble

If you’re like me, at some point in your boating career you’ve probably found an electrical problem on your boat only after things got a little scary. Perhaps the problem was one of your making or maybe, like my example linked above, the boat came that way. Now that I’m doing more work on the DC systems aboard my own boats and others, I went looking for a way to ensure the quality of my work and the health of the systems aboard. For the last few jobs, I’ve been verifying my work with a FLIR C5 thermal inspection camera. I think it delivers real peace of mind.