- Blog
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by Pete Green
In today’s post, we take a look at some of the best new marine electronics that you can buy for your yacht in 2022.
Raymarine Cyclone radar
Following its acquisition by Teledyne FLIR in mid-2021, Raymarine has continued its strong growth with the recent launch of its Raymarine Cyclone radar system.
According to Raymarine, the Cyclone is a solid-state, open-array radar that delivers ‘superior target separation and long-range resolution’. It utilises CHIRP pulse compression with Raymarine’s ‘beam sharpening’ technology to produce an image that is so sensitive that it can even detect birds.
The unit rotates at 60rpm and the company says this allows the system to track up to 50 distinct targets in real-time, even with the vessel it’s mounted on, traveling at full speed.
Bonus: The system is much better looking than competing radar units, and that’s by design. The company says it intentionally avoided the more angular, boxy shape of traditional radars. The Cyclone’s new aerodynamic design was apparently influenced by the sleek lines of modern yachts. Raymarine’s efforts were recognised with the Cyclone receiving the ‘Good Design Award’ for 2021.
The Cyclone is available in three different sizes: 3 foot, 4 foot and 6 foot and each size is available in either a standard 55-watts power rating or the Cyclone Pro version which offers 110 watts of power.
The Cyclone system is designed to integrate seamlessly with all Raymarine Axiom multifunction displays. Pricing ranges from $6,999 to $9,749.99 and all models come with a three-year warranty.
New Fusion Marine stereo and speaker kits
Garmin’s marine audio brand, Fusion Entertainment, has introduced two new stereo and speaker kits for 2022.
The first is the Fusion MS-RA60 marine stereo and EL Series speaker kit, while the second kit is the Fusion MS-RA210 premium marine stereo and XS Series speaker kit.
Both kits include speaker wire, an antenna and a sun cover, which should ensure that you have everything you need to install and enjoy the system right out of the box.
The EL and XS speaker sets both feature injection-moulded polypropylene speaker cones, but the XS series features aluminium dome tweeters for superior upper-frequency reproduction. Buyers will also have the choice of two different grille styles for their speakers – either ‘classic’ or ‘sport’ – to ensure that the speakers look good in whatever style of boat they’ll be installed in.
The speakers come with a three-year consumer warranty and are said to be specifically engineered to withstand the perils and harshness of the marine environment, including salt, dust and UV damage.
An especially impressive feature of Fusion head units is that they include a built-in Class D amplifier. This is quite unusual but what it means is that you can listen to your audio at higher volumes, with little or no distortion versus non-amplified systems.
The MS-RA60 head unit is the company’s more budget-orientated offering, while the MS-RA210 is one level below the top of the range. Both units boast Bluetooth connectivity, which is especially convenient in a marine environment. Both are also IPX rated for water resistance. The MS-RA210 offers additional connectivity in the form of SiriusXM, Auxiliary and USB connections, all displayed via a full-colour screen, whereas the MS-RA60 only has a black and white display.
Garmin, meanwhile, won ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ from the National Marine Electronics Association in 2021, so they must be doing something right.
The recommended retail prices for these two new kits range from $329 to $549.
New Simrad App with premium features
Simrad has revealed an updated version of its free Simrad App in celebration of the company’s 75th anniversary.
The app, which is free to download, includes various maps, weather services, personalisation options and the ability to store personal waypoints.
The company will now also offer a premium version of the app which it says, offers global charts and offline maps, AIS, weather overlays, GPS navigation data and various other features.
For fishermen, the app includes ‘detailed fishing information’ to suit those enthusiasts.
The app can be downloaded on both the Apple and Google app stores.
Raymarine Yachtsense
Brand new for 2022, Raymarine’s Yachtsense system is effectively a modular digital control system that allows owners to have complete oversight and control of every system onboard, at a glance.
The system’s building block is the Yachtsense Master Module which offers several core functions. Customers are then able to expand the system’s functionality through the addition of one or more extra modules, each of which adds more control options and interfaces.
The ‘Low Power’ module controls smaller electrical systems such as wipers, lights and smaller motorised devices. Next up, the ‘High Power’ module drives items with high electrical loads like pumps, fans, heaters, fridges and audio equipment. The ‘Signal’ module controls various sensors, switches and battery interfaces.
Raymarine says that the system has three levels of redundancy that ensure that devices attached to YachtSense can still be controlled even in the case of multiple failures or other disruptions.
Yachtsense was developed to allow boat and yacht owners the ability to remain constantly connected to their vessel, so even when you’re away from the boat, you’ll still be able to check on its status via the Raymarine smartphone app, for example. The company says that this level of remote control will allow boat owners to begin planning voyages even before they arrive at the boat.
And if internet connectivity on board is important to you, you can opt for Raymarine’s ‘Yachtsense Link’ marine mobile router. Link utilises connections from both mobile broadband and dockside wifi to feed your boat’s own wifi system. To ensure that you’re always connected on the water, it has dual global SIM card slots.
This kind of remote connectivity is without a doubt a major trend that we are likely to see a lot of growth in. Yamaha recently announced the acquisition of Siren Marine, which offers a similar system to the Raymarine system – albeit not quite as comprehensive. Meanwhile, Garmin has acquired Vesper marine which also owns a remote management system. It’s also not as high-tech as Raymarine’s system but with Garmin’s ownership, we are likely to see rapid advances in the company’s product range.
Conclusion:
We hope you’ve enjoyed our roundup of the best new marine electronics so far announced for 2022!
Remember that even the best onboard electronics systems are no replacement for great skippering skills. The next time you need to relocate a yacht by sea, contact Halcyon Yachts. Our yacht delivery crews will ensure that your yacht is professionally cared for and carefully sailed.
To book a yacht delivery with us, please reach out to us. We welcome your enquiry.
