Boat-show season is the time when new-product announcements drop faster than daylight hours. This is great news for anyone looking to upgrade a boat’s electronics, and it’s also a chance to see all the fascinating ideas that have been percolating in companies’ R&D departments.

As you’re touring the docks and tents, keep an eye out for these products, which are all worth a closer look.

Fusion

While achieving playlist consensus can be tricky, all ears can agree that high-quality speakers outperform the low-end alternatives. Fusion’s Apollo speakers ($550 to $800) and subwoofers ($450 to $950) use redesigned motors and composite materials for everyone’s listening pleasure at higher volumes. Embedded dual-hue LED lighting, hexagonal-shaped tweeters and interchangeable grills enhance the onboard aesthetics. The coaxial speakers come in three sizes—6.5, 7.7 and 8.8 inches—and the subwoofers are available in 10- and 12-inch models. Apollo speakers and subwoofers have IP66/IP67 environmental ratings as well as marinized connectors, and are optimized to work with Fusion-built stereos.

Garmin

Seeing is believing, and Garmin’s GC 255 Flush Mount Camera makes it easier to believe that an approach to the dock will be successful. The GC 255 ($1,000) comes bundled in a stainless-steel body and delivers up to 1080p high-resolution imagery across a 160-by-90-degree field of view. It can present bird’s-eye, fish-eye or standard views, along with vessel-specific distance markers and customizable guidance lines that help to defang docking and close-quarters maneuvers. The GC 255 has an IPX7 rating, weighs 22.9 ounces, measures 3.2-by-3.2-by-3.3 inches, and has a plug-and-play setup with compatible Garmin-built multifunction displays.

JL Audio

This brand arrived at the fall shows with two new options for generating good times afloat. The MM55 ($400) provides full stereo control via its eight hard buttons, volume-control knob and 2.8-inch color screen, while the white-box MM55-HR ($350) networks with a compatible multifunction display or JL Audio-built controller for its user interface to provide a clean-looking helm. Both stereos support three audio zones, each with dedicated subwoofer outputs and independent or unified volume controls. They also sport built-in 100-watt amplifiers and digital AM/FM tuners. Additionally, both stereos have Bluetooth, USB 2.0 and NMEA 2000 connectivity, and come with auxiliary inputs for connecting external analog devices.

Lumitec

Visibility is paramount for safe anchoring and nocturnal operations. Lumitec’s Contour Masthead Combo Light is designed to ensure that a vessel can be seen from at least 3 nautical miles. The slim, lightweight light is available with an antenna mount ($250) or an Angler motorized base ($1,050) that raises and lowers the light as needed. Both versions have a 225-degree masthead light, a 360-degree anchor light and a 135-degree stern light that sit atop a 39-inch shaft. (Custom lengths are available.) Both are certified to US Coast Guard and National Marine Manufacturers Association standards.

Maretron

The WSV200 MConnect Web Server lets users take deep dives into their NMEA 2000 networks. Users can view graphically rich custom-built or pre-built user-interface screens for a wealth of vessel and systems data. Boaters also can access the MConnect Web Server ($600) while aboard using a compatible networked multifunction display, or from afar using embedded virtual private networks and any third-party device that has a web browser. Each MConnect can pair to two NMEA 2000 networks and more than 400 N2K data points. MConnect black boxes can also connect with digital-switching systems (third-party and Maretron-built systems), giving owners and three other users the ability to control and monitor systems and real-time information via a single platform. Additionally, each MConnect has an RJ45 Ethernet port, a USB 3.0 port and built-in Wi-Fi connectivity.

Sea.AI

Optical-based systems for collision avoidance are one of the most exciting instruments in years, but adding a full system can be redundant for boaters who already cruise with thermal-imaging cameras. Sea.AI’s Brain ($8,990) is a black-box system that processes imagery from a compatible thermal-imaging camera (one that conforms with the Open Network Video Interface Forum’s Profile S standards) and applies its embedded AI to detect nonwater objects in the video feed to provide warnings and alarms. Sea.AI’s Brain has three operating modes (collision avoidance, 360-degree surveillance and manual), and it’s compatible with Android, Apple iOS and Windows operating systems. Sea.AI’s Brain connects to a thermal-imaging camera via Ethernet, and it connects to a third-party device via Wi-Fi. Boaters use third-party software to display their camera’s video feed—plus Brain-detected targets and alarms—on their device.

Siren Marine

For years, connected-boat technology was mostly reserved for vessels with lengthy waterlines. This changed when Siren Marine introduced the Siren 3 for tenders and outboard-powered side rides. Each Siren 3 ($300) can network with six Siren-built wireless sensors (including bilge, high-water, entry and temperature sensors) via SirenWave, which is Siren Marine’s proprietary communications protocol. Additionally, each Siren 3 system can monitor one hard-wired battery, network with the boat’s NMEA 2000 backbone, and network with Yamaha’s Command Link network. Users can monitor all the information using a smartphone or smartwatch, and via the Siren Connected Boat app. Siren 3 is designed to be DIY or builder-installed, and it has a new internal antenna that makes it fit aboard smaller rides easier than its big brother, the Siren 3 Pro.

Tocaro Blue

Radars may be powerful sensors, but they can be challenging to read, especially for occasional users. Tocaro Blue’s Proteus Hub ($2,950) simplifies this task by connecting to a vessel’s NMEA 2000 data backbone and accessing networked radar and sensor data (depth, automatic identification system, heading and location information). Tocaro Blue’s ProteusCore software then applies AI machine learning to remove radar clutter and determine the nature of each target, such as buoys, markers and vessels. The system communicates with the radar to help optimize target detection, and it leverages the radar feed along with data from other networked sensors to predict the movement of its own vessel and all gathered targets over a 30-second horizon. This information is presented on a compatible multifunction display as a two-dimensional top-down map or a 3D view. Users can jump between views to find their best presentational fit.

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Welcome to the second-annual Best Elex Awards, which honors standout marine electronics products that have been reviewed and approved by the editorial team behind the four leading titles in marine media: Boating, Yachting, Cruising World and Salt Water Sportsman. Over the course of two months, the nominees were evaluated by our team of seven judges, including the editors-in-chief and electronics editors of the aforementioned brands. In the end, six products set themselves apart. And the winners are:

• Editors’ Choice: Raymarine Cyclone
• Leading Edge Technology: Garmin SurroundView
• Best Integrated System: Raymarine YachtSense
• Most Innovative for Sailing: Balmar Battery Monitoring
• Most Innovative for Power: Yamaha Battery Management System
• Best in Entertainment: Garmin Apollo

Editors’ Choice: Raymarine Cyclone

What the judges said: “While the open-array grabs your attention first, the Raymarine Cyclone radar backs up its stylish design with a high level of functionality that includes excellent target definition, great power, Doppler target tracking, an advanced dual-range feature, highly effective bird mode, a high-RPM setting and more.” 

The next-level design and the ability to weather the toughest conditions stood out to the judges as premier features of Raymarine’s Cyclone. This radar series sports a radical look that resembles an aircraft wing, a relatively thin array design made possible by using dielectric radar technology. But there’s much more to highlight. Advanced post-processing removes sea and rain clutter and replicates chart-like radar images. Anglers should appreciate the enhanced bird mode, which is surprisingly effective since Cyclone is a chirp-pulse-compression, solid-state radar versus a high-powered magnetron. The Cyclone also fits a wider range of vessels because of its size. The smallest version — a 3-foot open array — measures only 13.2 inches tall and weighs 51 pounds. Because of Cyclone’s low-profile, it can perform at wind speeds up to 100 knots, compared with 70 knots for competitors — important for 70 mph offshore boats. Cyclone is also available in 4- or 6-foot arrays and with a 55-watt (equivalent to a 6 kW magnetron) or 110-watt (12 kW-equivalent) pedestal. The array spins at variable speeds from 6 to 60 rpm; at its fastest, the radar gives captains immediate awareness of their surroundings. Cyclones also come with three-color Doppler technology, a 96-mile range, and RangeFusion, which combines short- and long-range pulses into a single image. Prices range from $6,999.99 to $9,749.99. 

Leading Edge Technology: Garmin Surround View

What the judges said: “Surround View allows the captain more confidence while docking, even if there’s no second crew member (and, maybe, even if there is) to eyeball the blind distance between the swim platform and the bulkhead or between the anchor chute and the boat tied up just ahead.”

Docking can be a harrowing experience, but Garmin’s Surround View Camera System minimizes that anxiety and boosts boater confidence. The judging panel agreed that this product is a game-changer when it comes to giving captains a clear view of their surroundings in crowded marinas and harbors. One look at Surround View’s 360-degree bird’s-eye imagery shows you the innovation. The judges applauded Garmin for taking docking awareness to a new level. How does it do this? The system uses six flush-mounted 1080p cameras mounted at the bow, aft, and amidships port and starboard. Surround View then creates a full overhead stitched image with 360-degree, real-time video, and feeds it directly to compatible Garmin chart plotters or multifunction displays. Captains can view one or two cameras simultaneously with the bird’s-eye image, and even zoom in and pan around with individual camera views. Surround View also provides a number of augmented-reality features, including a visual bumper and distance markers. Available as an OEM option on new boats only.

Best Integrated System: Raymarine YachtSense

What the judges said: “Raymarine has come up with a system of electric control Legos, if you will, that allows builders to jump into the digital-switching era using off-the-shelf modules that can be expanded as necessary.”

Simple. Easy. Redundancy. Scalable and customizable: All of the judges characterized Raymarine’s YachtSense digital-switching system as a remarkably common-sense approach to cleanly managing ship’s systems such as lighting, pumps, windlasses, entertainment systems, generators and air conditioning. Each YachtSense system begins with master and power-supply modules; additional multichannel signal modules can be added based on needs — like colored-coded Legos. In addition, YachtSense delivers electrical redundancy. The master module features an integrated keypad for manual override, as well as an LCD screen for system diagnostics. And perhaps best yet: YachtSense offers a scalable and customizable design that’s suitable for boats as small as 35 feet. Captains monitor and control YachtSense with a Raymarine Axiom touchscreen multifunction display. Pricing varies depending on the number of integrated systems and scope of the installation.

Most Innovative for Sailing: Balmar SG230/235 Battery Monitor

What the judges said: “Balmar’s SC230/235 battery monitors give boaters significant insight into the real-time health and state of charge of their battery banks from a variety of dedicated or wireless displays.”

The fact that captains can access battery information with Balmar’s monitors by using an app on a smartphone creates tremendous appeal for sailors who don’t always want to run a chart plotter to check their power supply. The judges also liked the products’ ability to monitor lithium batteries, which is unique to the market. But don’t consider this just a sailboat win; powerboaters also appreciate the SG230 and SG235. With NMEA 2000 networking capability, the monitors can push accurate information on a deep-cycle house bank—such as state of charge and voltage—to any multifunction display. Over time, these smart monitors actually learn from the batteries, allowing the SG230/235 to examine a broader parameter called state of health. Captains can then see how their battery bank ages over time. The SG230 comes with a color display and costs $329; the SG235, without display, costs $239.

Most Innovative for Power: Yamaha Battery Management System

What the judges said: “Yamaha’s new battery management system simplifies rigging, saves money, reduces weight and facilitates easier service of multi-outboard-powered boats, proving once again that less is more.”

Yes, the judges noted a theme throughout this year’s new products: a focus on making everyone’s life—from the boater to the builder—easier. Yamaha even has a philosophy tied to this trend called CommandBlue, designed to deliver products that are easier to use and create greater satisfaction and confidence on the water. The judges felt that Yamaha’s Battery Management System delivered. The most impressive feature they noted was the system’s ability to start up to five outboards with just two starter batteries (without the system, each engine would need a starter battery). The BMS constantly monitors and charges all batteries but it prioritizes the starting batteries, ensuring their readiness. Boaters can then add more house batteries to power their ever-growing list of accessories. Captains can also turn on or off the batteries from up to 15 feet away using a key fob or they can use a console-mounted switch. The estimated retail price for the system is $2,200. Note that BMS is only compatible with Yamaha’s digital-electronic-control outboards on vessels that employ Yamaha’s Helm Master EX.

Read Next: More Marine Electronics

Best in Entertainment: Fusion Apollo Series Amplifiers

What the judges said: “More impressive than a moonshot, Apollo amps ease installation and setup of marine audio amplifiers.”

Most amplifiers must be manually tuned, often by a dealer or technician, so that they can produce clear, quality sound. But Fusion’s new Apollo Series Amplifiers eliminate all that. The judges felt that tune-free functionality was ground-breaking. Here’s how it works: Captains wirelessly connect to their mobile device and open the Fusion-Link app. There, they select the relevant audio profile for their vessel. The amps, enclosed in white, powder-coated-aluminum casings, exclusively pair with Fusion Digital Signal Processing enabled stereos. They feature 150 W RMS per channel and a high-power mode, and come in 1-, 4-, 6- and 8-channel options. Prices range from $179.99 to $949.99.

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Wouldn’t it be nice if someone came up with a stereo that had a 4.3-inch color touchscreen interface, a potent 280-watt maximum power rating and the flexibility to get your tunes via everything from Apple AirPlay 2 to Wi-Fi? It exists—the Apollo MS-RA770 has all of the above. It also features digital signal processing for the cleanest, crispest tunes everywhere in your boat.

Price: $649.99

Contact: fusionentertainment.com

See the complete 2020 Marine Electronics Guide

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Fusion Entertainment, just a few years ago, had tons of ideas but not enough money. Enter the powerhouse Garmin, which bought the New Zealand-based marine entertainment company and spent the past few years injecting capital and technology into the mix.

“It’s like we have rocket fuel behind us,” says Marcus Hamilton, Fusion’s marketing director. “Now it’s all coming quickly to fruition.”

The biggest debut has been the Apollo RA770, which earned awards at the IBEX trade show and from the National Marine Electronics Association. The idea behind Apollo, Hamilton says, was to get quality audio “from the kick drum of the musician to the eardrum of the consumer,” with every component built to withstand wind and water.

While a lot of entertainment systems installed on boats let listeners stream music over Bluetooth, the Apollo uses Wi-Fi — even if there is no Wi-Fi router on board.

“It’s not that you’re still able to stream high-quality audio; it’s that you are able to stream high-quality audio,” says Andrew Golden of the Rushton Gregory public-relations firm. “Bluetooth is not high-quality audio.”

The Apollo also solves another problem that Bluetooth-streaming boaters encounter: music cutting in and out as the linked device, say, a smartphone, moves around the boat.

“Bluetooth originally was designed for in-car use, so that you would have your phone in your pocket and you’d Bluetooth to a radio that’s one yard away in the car,” says Fusion CEO Chris Baird. “But on a boat, it’s a totally different scenario. We walk all over the boat, and it’s 30 feet long, and say you’re at the bow, now you’re 30 feet away from where that stereo is. With Wi-Fi, you can get great access 80 or 90 feet away.”

Fusion also had two ­engineers spend 18 months creating audio profiles for every product the company makes. Now, no matter whether a stereo is installed in a small stateroom or an open flybridge, the sound can be more easily tuned to eliminate distortion, including at top volume.

Achieving that quality of sound on a boat is impossible, they say, with components built for land.

“When you come from a car audio background, the easiest market you could hit was the wakeboard market,” Baird says. “It was loud and in your face. Then it was the big saltwater fishing boats that wanted the big, brassy sound. But the majority of people who cruise and sail want to have a beer or wine on the back of the boat and watch the sun go down with really great music — those are the customers our products are for. It’s taken us a long time, but we’re really getting there now.”

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Designed specifically for marine use, the RA770 starts the party with built-in Wi-Fi, a full-color 4.3-inch LCD display, digital signal processing and epic PartyBus capabilities — giving users their own musical freedom, opting to join party mode throughout the vessel or personal mode for listening in the comfort of their own cabin. High-quality audio is enhanced with pairing through Bluetooth, optical audio (TV), advanced SiriusXM, AM/FM radio, aux and USB compatibilities.

Price: $649.99

Contact: fusionentertainment.com/marine

See the complete 2019 Marine Electronics Guide

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With a 2.3-inch dust- and waterproof display, the SRX400 is engineered for life on the water. The unit ­includes Wi-Fi streaming, digital signal processing features and Fusion’s powerful technology for audio sharing, PartyBus — ­allowing for listening in your own zone of choice, through party mode or personal mode. The device can adapt to support multiple languages, and provides one Ethernet port and one Motorola antenna connector port.

Price: $349.99

Contact: fusionentertainment.com/marine

See the complete 2019 Marine Electronics Guide

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Stylish Sounds

For some yachtsmen, music is almost as intrinsic as water is to the boating experience. Fusion Entertainment’s revamped Signature Series speakers have CURV composite construction that pairs silk tweeter domes with an upgraded woofer magnet system in a True-Marine package for the spray and salt of the oceangoing environment. Fusion’s Signature Series speakers are available in 6.5- ($399 to $419), 7.7- ($449 to $479) and 8.8-inch ($529 to $559) models and can be ordered with newly redesigned white or silver/chrome sport grills for a more modern onboard look.

Skinny-Data Comms

Looking to stay connected at sea? RedPort Global’s Glow ($1,795) operates on Iridium’s satellite network, providing access to low-bandwidth data communications, anywhere. Modest-size satellite systems don’t deliver the speed or bandwidth of a VSAT or FleetBroadband terminal, but they allow users to send and receive compressed email and images, and get weather data or PredictWind forecasts. Glow can also keep users connected on social media while enabling texting and providing a user-configurable firewall that determines which devices can send and receive data.

Steady Talker

Ocean Signal’s ATB100 AIS Class B device is built to help boaters avoid collisions. The ATB100 (call for pricing) is NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, USB and Wi-Fi compatible. It uses an external GPS antenna (included) that delivers 99 acquisition channels and 33 tracking channels. Critically, the 5-watt ATB100 broadcasts once every five seconds, rather than the once-every-30-seconds reporting scheme used by more common 2-watt AIS Class B units. This repetition matters for fast-moving vessels, and it helps to ensure that a signal doesn’t get lost or delayed in heavily trafficked waters.

MOB Saver

While no electronic man-overboard solution is as safe as carrying a personal locator beacon and an AIS beacon, some boaters prefer less pocket heft. Weems & Plath’s CrewWatcher ($89) relies on a compact crewmember-carried beacon and an app that plays nicely with most smartphones and tablets. Should a crewmember fall overboard, the app detects that the beacon has skipped its geofence and triggers an alarm. The app then provides position information on where — and at what time — the MOB incident unfurled, as well as a virtual compass that helps rescuers find their mate.

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Offering superior playback of DVDs, CDs, USB, Apple iOS and MTP Android/Windows media devices, the MS-AV755 marine entertainment system features new Garmin smart watch control via FUSION-Link Lite.

Features

• Fusion-Link Wireless Control
• Multi-zone Control
• Designed specifically for the marine environment

MSRP

$599.49

More Information

Website: Fusion

See the complete 2018 Marine Electronics Guide

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For most portable stereos, a boat is a great place to die. They simply can’t handle the marine environment. Enter Fusion, which purpose-built the StereoActive with an IPX7 water-resistance rating. Heck, this thing even floats. You choose the music with Bluetooth audio streaming, USB, or AM/FM radio. Large scalloped buttons make it ideal for use on a kayak or SUP because they can be manipulated with a paddle.

MSRP

$249

More Information

Website: Fusion

See the complete 2018 Marine Electronics Guide

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This stereo has a pliable, polycarbonate chassis that is impact- and heat-resistant. Fusion’s StereoActive ($299) also has an IPX7 waterproof rating; it should survive for half an hour in a few feet of water. The ActiveSafe watertight case is ideal if the stereo might endure more than a few minutes in the drink.

Even with the ActiveSafe case, the StereoActive’s total weight is just 4.1 pounds, making it viable for kayaking, canoeing or paddleboarding. The unit is secured with heavy-duty adhesive and a puck mount.

Based on our test, the stereo’s rubberized buttons are easy to press while holding a paddle, and the system’s overall sound quality is solid whether you’re playing the radio or using the Bluetooth function by connecting your iPhone or Android device via the Fusion-Link app.

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