Raymarine launches new A series

Best technology now available to entry level boaters

Raymarine is launching a new range of entry-level marine electronics and navigation equipment designed for owners of powerboats and sailboats from 10 feet (3 metres) upwards. This affordable range benefits from Raymarine’s advanced technology, ensuring feature rich products, but remaining intuitively easy to use.

The A series is comprised of a range of stylish stand-alone products, designed to integrate neatly into the console.

Designed for worldwide markets, the A series include specific US/Canada and European approved products. Products designed with an ‘E’ or ‘e’ after the brand name and number, are approved to ETSI standards for use in European countries.

The range comprises:

• A fixed mount VHF radio; the Ray54/Ray54e
• A hand held VHF radio; the Ray101/Ray101E
• A portable colour GPS chartplotter; the RC400
• A fixed mount colour GPS chartplotter with integral GPS antenna; the RC435i
• A choice of 3 High Definition Fish Imaging (HDFI) Colour Digital Fishfinders; the DS400X, the DS500X, and the DS600X.

The RC400 Portable GPS Chartplotter

Designed to suit owners of power or sailboats from around 10 feet (3 m), Raymarine’s new generation RC400 Portable Colour GPS Chartplotter features a 3.5 inch (88.9 mm) daylight viewable colour LCD screen. This 12 channel DGPS (WAAS enabled) receiver has a colour chart-like display using Navionics Gold Chart cartography, and comes complete with a built in coastline map. The RC400 sits neatly in an adjustable tilt cradle, enabling easy installation, and there is also a protective soft pouch for portable use. The RC400 is water resistant to IPX7 submersible standard.

The RC400 is designed to operate using either NiMH (nickel metal hydride) or alkaline AA size batteries, or can work from the boat’s power supply using its12V DC power/mounting bracket. This also provides the NMEA output connections for integration into other electronics on board.

The compact RC400 is feature packed. Its flexible, convenient compact flash memory supports the cartography, and provides unlimited waypoint, route and track storage. User-friendly software includes Raymarine SmartRoute that automatically builds routes and waypoints from previous tracks, while Autozoom and Screen Amplifier functions intelligently maintain the vessel symbol, waypoint destination and appropriate chart range in clear view while the vessel is underway. The RC400 is designed to be intuitive and easy to use. Its advanced transflective TFT colour display, with 4 levels of adjustable display lighting, outshines other hand held GPS chartplotters on the market.

Ray101/Ray101E Handheld VHF

Raymarine’s Ray 101 (specific to US/Canadian markets) and Ray101E (for Europe where ETSI approval is required) are 5 watt, submersible hand held VHFs. The Ray 101/101E use the latest Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery technology to provide the best class battery capacity of 1.300mA. Raymarine launches new A series The Ray101/101E will also use standard alkaline batteries, and the waterproof battery tray is designed for both NiMH and alkaline cells.

Ensuring clear, crisp communications for longer periods, the Ray101/Ray101E has a high clarity backlit display and keypad. The high styled industrial design includes useful features such as key lock, and convenient size buttons and knobs for ease of use.

The Ray101/Ray101E has a 12V DC charger base, and comes complete with 6 x AA size 1,300 mA NiMH cells, a 220V (Europe)110V (USA) AC 500 mA 3 hour quick charger, cigarette lighter adapter, wrist strap and cell phone style belt clip.

DS400X, DS500X and DS600X Digital Fishfinders

There are three screen sizes available – 3.5 inch (101mm) DS400X, 5 inch (127 mm)DS500X, and 6 inch (152mm)DS600X. Representing the next generation in echo sounder technology, the DS400X, DS500X and DS600X digital fishfinders combine state of the art transflective advanced TFT LCD colour displays with Raymarine’s award winning* High Definition Fish Imaging (HDFI). Together, it provides unmatched fishfinder performance.

The DS400X, DS500X and DS600X use Raymarine’s exclusive digitally adaptive transmitter/receiver, to target fish and bottom structure with amazing clarity and colour separation. This unique technology enables users to see fish in difficult conditions, where other fishfinders see little or nothing at all.

Raymarine’s new HDFI technology provides an infinite number of bandwidth settings for optimal performance in all depth ranges. Using Raymarine’s digital technology, ‘hands off’ operation automatically adjusts more than 220 parameters every second. This means the user does not need to fiddle with controls even in difficult sea conditions to get the best fish clarity.

*High Definition Fish Imaging Technology won the ‘Best in Show’ category at the US National Marine Electronics Association awards, November 2003.

Ray54/Ray54e Fixed Mount VHF radios

The Ray54/Ray54e VHF is a compact, submersible Class D DSC VHF radio. With an impressive array of features, the Ray54 Class D DSC capability enables users to transmit vital emergency information including the boat’s ID, position, and the time that the distress call was sent using NMEA data from the boat’s GPS.

The fully featured Ray54 includes a DSC phone directory for quick contact with frequently contacted vessels or locations, and a four-line GPS data display. There is quick access to emergency channels, or a preset priority channel. The Ray54 provides all channel scanning, and a tri-watch feature scans working channel, priority channel and weather channel. The large backlit LCD display and on-mic controls make the Ray54 easy to use.

The Ray54 has a choice of 1 or 25-watt power output, external speaker jack and is waterproof to IPX7 standards, enabling it to withstand submersion to 3 feet (1m) for 30 minutes. The Ray54 can be flush mounted.

Both the Ray54 and Ray54e are also available in white, which is particularly requested by OEM customers.

RC435i GPS chartplotter

The RC435i is a new generation Colour GPS chartplotter with built-in GPS antenna. Designed specifically for power and sailboats from 10 feet (3m), the RC435i provide crystal clear, daylight vision from its sunlight viewable display. The Navionics Gold colour chart cartography provides paper like presentation, while the integral 12 channel Satellite Differential GPS receiver provides fast and accurate position information.

The RC435i provides speed access to a wealth of navigational data from the Navionics Gold cartography, while Raymarine’s software provides key functions such as Autozoom, SmartRoute and Screen Amplifier.

More Information:

• Raymarine Website