Water Ski - July 01, 2018

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ELECTRONICS

E

86 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2018

UAV INTEGRATION

Launch and control your drone from the helm

PHOTOS: (COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT) CRAIG HASHIMOTO, COURTESY DJI, COURTESY RAYMARINE

This marine-electronics

fi rst allows boaters to connect

to a UAV, then control the

drone and view images from its

camera using the Axiom dis-

play. The patent-pending tech-

nology is currently compatible

with DJI Spark and DJI Mavic

series UAV video drones (see

“Compatible UAV Models”).

Features include single-button

With marine multifunction displays, you can

look underwater with sonar, all around the

boat with radar, and even peer through the

dark with a thermal camera. Now you can also

look down from above on your boat, thanks

to the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control

feature built into the Raymarine Axiom and

Axiom Pro MFDs.

launch/track/record func-

tions, GPS link for various

follow modes, and real-time

video streaming to the MFD.

It works like this: First you

need to update your Axiom or

Axiom Pro with the latest Ray-

marine Lighthouse software —

version 3.5 — a free download

directly to the MFD. Then pair

a drone such as the DJI Mavic

Pro (shown left, $1,299, store

.dji.com) with the MFD. Press

Take O to launch the UAV

and track it with a live-chart

display on one side of the

Axiom split-screen display,

which will show the drone’s

location, along with the di-

rection in which the camera

is pointed, the direction the

drone is headed, and the

course back to the boat.

The other side of the split

screen shows a live feed from

the UAV’s video camera with

data overlays that include

the drone’s distance from the

boat, as well as its speed and

altitude.

A Fish- On button is

designed to automatically

capture fi shing action. As soon

as you hook up (for example,

while trolling for tuna or drift-

ing for tarpon), you press the

Hook-Up button. The drone

instantly launches, acquires

and tracks the boat, and starts

recording aerial footage of

the action. You can also view

the action live on the Axiom

display to see, for instance, if

any mahi are following the one

you just hooked.

To check out our video of the

system in action, visit boating

mag.com/raymarine-uav.

HOW CAN I BE

ELECTRONICALLY

UNNOTICEABLE

WHEN FISHING?

ASK KEN ONLINE

For more exclusive

electronics content, visit

boatingmag.com/askken.

DJI SPARK

The affordably priced Spark

mini-drone (not shown) includes

ActiveTrack, which can automati-

cally recognize and track objects.

PalmControl mode allows you to

control the Spark’s movements and

take pictures with hand gestures,

with a stabilized two-axis gimbal

for smooth video footage. You can

choose from pano or shallow-focus

modes to get the shots you want.

Return-to-home mode ensures you

won’t lose your Spark when the

battery runs low. With fl ight speeds

up to 31 mph, it offers 16 minutes

of maximum fl ying time on a single

battery charge. $399; store.dji.com

DJI MAVIC AIR

Among the Mavic series is the

Mavic Air (shown left). Designed to

fold for easy transport, it features

top-of-the-line fl ight and video

performance. The three-axis gim-

bal, three-directional environment

sensing, and 4K camera offer the

capability of 32-megapixel sphere

panoramas and 100 Mbps video

capture. Gimbal dampeners create

steady shots. It includes a remote,

but you can also use hand gestures

to launch and control this drone in

SmartCapture mode. With fl ight

speeds up to 42.5 mph, it offers 21

minutes of maximum fl ying time on

a single charge. $799; store.dji.com

Communicate and navigate

like a spy. For example, voice

scramblers are optional with

some models of VHF radios,

including handheld portables.

These can be installed and

used when talking on the air

with fishing buddies.

With practical ranges of 1

to 6 miles, FRS (Family Radio

Service) and GMRS (General

Mobile Radio Service) are

inexpensive (less than $50

to $120). These can be used

to communicate in semipri-

vacy, and some sets have

voice-scrambling ability.

Garmin’s InReach portable

radios ($400 to $450 plus

subscription) let you send

and receive text messages in

privacy with other InReach

devices and mobile phones.

Mobile phones can also prove

useful when fishing within

cell coverage.

Also, don’t advertise your

location. Did you know that

you can turn off your AIS

broadcasts that show your

position yet at the same time

still receive AIS data from

other vessels? Ask your

dealer or installer how to

install a switch to silence

your AIS’s transmitter.

—Ken Englert

COMPATIBLE

UAV MODELS

The new UAV control function

of Raymarine’s Axiom and

Axiom Pro MFDs is compatible

with these video drones.