Another step forward for the American company: Raymarine Quantum 2 radar uses Coast Guard’s technology to improve safety during navigation. More integration for Axiom screens.
As long as technology improves, it becomes easier to make it available to ever more people. So, some features move down from professional use to leisure one. It’s been the case of GPS, just to name the most famous. In this case, Miami International Boat Show has been the stage for FLIR Systems to announce their most advanced solid-state marine radar. Named Raymarine Quantum 2, it uses doppler technology for target identification, enhancing boater’s situational awareness by identifying moving and static targets at long and short ranges.
The ambulance effect
Using advanced doppler processing, Raymarine Quantum radar 2 is tuned to detect the echo frequency shift returned by moving versus stationary targets. You don’t get the sentence? Think of an ambulance passing by with the siren on: when it comes towards you the pitch is higher, when it goes away it’s lower. The frequency of the original sound is the same, but the movement makes that frequency shift when your ear detects it.
Back to us, Quantum 2 color codes moving targets to indicate whether they are getting closer (red) or moving away (green). In addition, it brings a Safety Sector feature that highlights and color codes any potentially dangerous static targets within 200 meters in front of the vessel, making it easier to recognize immediate hazards to navigation.
Advanced or professional users will appreciate another technology, called MARPA: a 25-target mini-automatic radar plotting aid. Developed originally for the United States Coast Guard and other fast response craft, MARPA feature is doppler-assisted, meaning inbound contacts can be acquired automatically by the radar display. This eliminates the need to manually acquire targets or define guard zones, thus reducing the workload on captains and making it easier to navigate congested waterways.
Of course Quantum 2 is compatible with Raymarine Axiom multifunction displays, and at 5.6 Kg it weighs up to 50 percent less than traditional magnetron radars. Among the other features, the CHIRP Pulse Compression technology uses compressed radar pulses to display targets like boats, landmarks, rocks, and weather cells with very good resolution and separation quality. And, its design allows for Wi-Fi networking to Raymarine multifunction displays (MFDs) or via traditional wired configuration.
Raymarine Quantum 2 radar will be available worldwide in the second quarter of 2018 through Raymarine’s authorised dealers, starting at $1,949.99 / € 2,095.00 / £1,870.83.
News for Axiom displays
In Miami FLIR announced also a series of new technologies for Raymarine Axiom line of multifunction navigation displays:
LightHouse Apps brings select Android-compatible mobile apps and third-party marine apps to Axiom MFDs. With LightHouse Apps, users can use Axiom to stream onboard entertainment from movie and music streaming services. It also brings access to the Theyr GRIB global weather forecast and tide apps. The first LightHouse Apps on display at the Boat Show are the Seakeeper gyro stabilizer control, and mazu mSeries global satellite communications, which allows users to send messages, receive weather forecasts, and monitor their vessel from anywhere in the world.
Raymarine LINK mobile platform for iOS and Android allows users to plan, sync, and control their Axiom display from a mobile device. For example, LINK allows users to plan waypoints and routes while away from the boat. Once onboard, it synchronizes waypoint and route plans automatically. Users can also access trip logs, screen shots, and video recordings from the Raymarine LINK mobile app. Review trip logs at home and share trips, screenshots and video captures with friends. LINK also provides backup for all MFD settings.
Axiom UAV Integration is a marine electronics industry first which allows boaters to connect to their UAV, then control and view images directly from the Axiom display. This patent pending technology now brings a hands-free, aerial view to the water, ushering new possibilities for anglers and boaters. Currently compatible with DJI Spark and Mavic UAV drones, features include single button launch/track/record functions, GPS link for different “follow” modes, and real-time video streaming on the Axiom MFD.
