Ritchie MagTronic Brings Gyro Performance To Various Boats
MagTronic Interface Modules, made by E.S. Ritchie & Sons, now make it possible for every skipper to have the gyro features enjoyed by larger vessels with simpler operation at reportedly a fraction of the cost. The Ritchie system sends a single precise heading from the MagTronic sensor to an auto-pilot and all navigational instruments, including Loran, GPS, Sat/Nav and radar.
The helmsperson then sets the bearing into the digital display memory and piloting is simplified by steering to the center of the offcourse indicator, using the digital readout as a check. The heading is automatically adjusted for deviation and the readout is dampened for sea state, making holding a course easier in rough conditions.
The MagTronic Interface modules receive the sensor data and distribute it in NMEA-0183, N+l, Furuno and sine/cosine formats. Dip switches are used to set sea state filtering and fine tune output for each navigational instrument.
Multiple modules can be used to network with a vessel's complete navigation system.
For more information on the MagTronic Interface Module, contact Ritchie Navigation, P.O. Box 548, Pembroke, Mass. 02359, tel: (617) 826-5131; fax: (617) 826-7336.
