Safety: Monitoring & Control Products

Ros Inc. of San Diego, Calif. recently delivered four Anchor Bolster Deployment TV Systems to R&B Falcon of Houston, Texas. The systems will be installed on the semi-submersible drilling rig MG Hulme, presently operating off Western Africa. This system incorporates video inspection equipment mounted on a deployment frame which is raised and lowered to the rig's four anchor bolster mounts located at the base of the vessel's four main columns.

EMI Announces U.S.-Designed I-DPS

Engine Monitor Inc. (EMI) has introduced what is being touted as the first totally U.S.-designed and manufactured Integrated Dynamic Positioning System (I-DPS). In development for the past two years, it will reportedly be the first DPS marketed as a complete system to include steering and engine controls in a single package. With 25 years of experience in the design and manufacture of steering systems and the marketing of engine controls systems, EMI will provide the I-DPS as a fully integrated single vendor product.

Luxury Yacht Uses Electronic Engine Controls

Relying on state-of -the art electronics from Advanced Control Technologies (ACT) to handle its engines, the 105-ft. luxury yacht Sensation operates in some of the worlds best cruising grounds. ACT's Electro-Helm II electronic engine control system, operates the yacht's twin 1,050 hp Caterpillar 3412 engines operating through ZF reduction gears. The Electro-Helm II's control heads provide smooth and reliable single-lever operation for each engine.

Stewart Fontaine, Capt. of Sensation, said, "We have the engine controls stations permanently mounted in the pilothouse, flybridge and wing areas. We also have ACT's remote handheld unit with plug-in stations on the bow and in the cockpit. This allows us to control steering and bow thruster functions from these areas, in addition to the normal engine controls. The remote unit is a great help when fishing or anchoring." Safety is critical aboard Sensation. ACT's microprocessor-based servo control automatically switches to a backup mechanical system if electrical power fails.

In addition, all components in the Electro-Helm II system are constructed of metal to eliminate the possibility of interference. Sensation is a custom motor yacht that provides elegant cruising for discriminating clients. With a crew of five and three luxurious staterooms, the yacht has a cruising range of 1,500 nautical miles at 13 knots. Equipment onboard includes a full complement of fishing gear, 15-ft. tender, two PWC, diving equipment and compressor.

Remote Cameras Add Options

Interphase Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of scanning sonars, depthsounders and navigation electronics, has introduced the Chart master 7CV, a color GPS/chart plotter that can be used with remote cameras to display live video feeds from above or below water.

When interfaced with the Interphase View Cam, this feature as a variety of uses for the power or sailboat operator, including remote monitoring of the engine compartment, deck areas, salon, aft owner's suite and other areas of a vessel. Additionally, Interphase waterproof Fish Cam can be mounted to view underwater using a standard Airmar plastic through-hull speed/temp transducer housing.

Interphase's intuitive design makes it easy to switch the high-definition (320 x 240 pixel) six-in. color LCD display between the GPS/chart plotter or the camera input. In the chart plotter mode, the Chart Master displays a wealth of important navigation data using the most advanced C-MAPNT digital cartography, including spot soundings, depth contours, nav aids, natural features and more.

In its Ports and Services mode, the Chart Master 7CV will provide important information and point the way to marinas, fuel docks, restaurants and hospitals in the area.

The Chart Master 7CV can be interfaced with separate GPS instruments with NMEA output or used Interphase's optional GPS sensor. Either way, on screen menus and Interphase's exclusive context sensitive interface makes navigation easy. The operator just needs to place the cursor on any waypoint or chart object and the display immediately guides the user through possible courses of action.

The product lets the user select North Up or Course Up display modes boat's position in either Lat/Lon or TD's, or a variety of alarms including arrival, cross track error or anchor. This versatile instrument can store up to 600 waypoints and 25 routes with up to 50 waypoints per route. It can also be interfaced with autopilot using NMEA 0810/0183 or other marine electronics using NMEA 0182/0183.

SI-TEX Offers Nav/Info Center

SI-TEX has announced its new Genesis, an all in one navigation/information unit.

Genesis is an expandable state-of-the- art C-MAP NT charting system with a large 10.4-in. active matrix color LCD display and lightning quick CPU for fast tracking and instant cartographic redraws. In addition, the Genesis accepts input from a variety of navigation and video sources to become a fully integrated navigation information center. It has a convenient and space saving display for radar, cameras, TV, GPS/DGPS, electronic compass, weather fax, fish and depth finding, Sensors that easily plug into the Genesis are readily available from SI-TEX, including the RADARpc, GPS-10A, GPS-10C, DGPS-11, DGPS-12 and NAV-FAX 200.

With the optional RADARpc, you get detailed color and radar images. Additionally with Genesis unique internal software, you get overlays of radar images directly on C-MAP NT cartography. With optional video cameras, you can use Genesis to monitor important areas or your vessel such as the engine room. It can also be used to provide "real time" views to aid while docking, helping to eliminate blind spots from the bow and stern. The unit features an optional audio/video adapter allowing it to screen TV, movies and FM stereo. The Genesis also accepts SSB receiver to display satellite imagery, isobar maps and more. In addition, this product has high quality construction and performance plus a two-year limited warranty.

Fluorescence Measurement System Provides Immediate Results

The Model FM120 fluorescence measurement system from Fluorosense Inc. is a fully self contained, non-contact, measurement system that provides immediate fluorescence measurements in real-time without the need for complex solvent extractions or elaborate sample preparation.

The Model FM120's internal microcontroller and backlit, menu-driven LCD display simplify the measurement of oil content within bilge water discharges thus providing a secondary level of protection against possible regulatory infraction. A standard RS232 serial output allows the FM120 to be connected to laptop PC's for data logging and report generation. Applications for the Model FM120 include: Bilge Water Monitoring, Oil in Water Measurement, Environmental & Pollution Control and more.