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"Reviews" Precision Navigation would like to introduce you to the review page of our web site were we intend to keep you up to date with the very latest electronic and traditional navigation developments. With both product reviews and tests.
So please watch this space!
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"New Thuraya DSL Satellite Communication On Test" Precision Navigation have been under the Press spotlight recently, with Garth Cooper of Sailing Today and Norfolk Afloat joining forces with John Hatfield to test the latest electronics to enter the market. One that impressed him the most was a new satellite communications unit, now supplied and installed by Precision Navigation Ltd. Here are just a few comments and pictures from Garth on how it went. |
 | 'While on a trip to Sweden this summer I used a wireless card with my laptop to keep the flow of work coming in, it cost me £80 in air charges. Wish I'd had this new satellite communications unit with me, because when we did take it to sea and try it out on John Hatfield's Nicholson 43 'Dark Horse' it cost a mere 65p per 1MB of data to send or receive, you can stay on-line for as long as you like and it only costs you while you are sending or receiving. And the speed, it was breathless - although rated at 1.44Kbps we actually sent a picture file from out in the North Sea at a staggering speed! Either way you measure it, that's tonnes faster than my mobile phone connection will ever attain'. |
(Pictured, the kit in operation. The two-tone blue unit is the modem, which would almost certainly be fixed away, out of sight. All the work is done via the laptop. Because we were running it as a test there were wires all over the place, normally these would be hidden in conduits or behind panels.) The external antenna is a comparatively compact 12" dome.
'The system operates through a satellite giving coverage of all Northern Europe as far down as southern-Africa and as far East as the borders with China - 110 countries in all. The system is not exclusively for marine use as the equipment can be installed in road vehicles or even a house.'
'The package consists of a modem about the size of a small laptop. For marine use it is recommended that the omni-directional aerial is used, so that the controller can be installed in the back of a locker or under a chart table. All the work is then done on a laptop in the normal way - it's compatible with Windows 98 thru XP or Mac OS 10.1 and later'.
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'We do get to test our equipment on some stunning boats. Dark Horse was the 29th of 33 Nicholson 43's built during the late sixties and early seventies. John bought her four years ago on her return from a round-the-world trip and she has undergone a complete refurbishment '. |
'This is no gimmicky toy. For the serious sailor planning a long cruise round Europe, the Med, North Africa or the Black Sea then it's probably a must have piece of kit. For someone like me who works afloat or whose work disrupts their sailing too much, then this is as good a tool as any in combining work and play - and, I certainly want one and I'm no Ethernet junky'.
John Hatfield comments 'The Thuraya DSL is a leap forward in fast affordable data communications with the ability to easily maintain contact via e-mail and the easy access to the Internet for weather information etc, the only limiting factor is the coverage, which makes it unsuitable for transatlantic sailors' |
"The invaluable Plotter" Precision Navigation Ltd recently lent a Yeoman Plotter to Bill and Anita Miller on their Yacht "Marika" when they circum navigated round Great Britain to raise money for Stroke Research.
"We got back after 1950 miles most of which were stress free and have raised £13500 to date with more to come from talks etc.
The loan of the plotter was invaluable and made life much easier - particularly with large scale British Admiralty charts off NW Scotland. Thank you very much indeed. Here is a photo of us with your flag leading the parade at Peterhead."
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