Digital Yacht

Digital Yacht’s SmarterTrack Express offers laptop navigation with Navionic’s charting and DualNav positioning

Digital Yacht’s SmarterTrack Express offers laptop navigation with Navionic’s charting and DualNav positioning

SmarterTrack Express is a new navigation package designed to turn a Windows notebook into a full function electronic charting system for marine navigation.  It ships with a high performance DualNav (GPS & GLONASS) positioning sensor which is self powered from the PC’s USB port.  Install the software and the notebook is transformed into an easy to use yet very powerful chart plotter.

DualNav positioning technology uses both GPS and the Russian GLONASS system for ultra precise (typically sub 1m) accuracy as well as fast 10Hz updates allowing much smoother track and heading information to be displayed.  You’ll also benefit from redundancy with positioning from two independent satellite systems.  The sensor can also be permanently mounted on board the vessel if required.

All the normal navigation functions are available from the SmarterTrack application including waypoints, routes and tracks.  It supports weather and sophisticated AIS target overlays and alarms with a connection to an AIS.  The user interface has been designed for either touch screen operation or more traditional mouse/trackpad control.  It works on PCs using any version of Windows from XP forward to the latest Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 systems.

SmarterTrack can utilise Navionic’s charts for worldwide, detailed charting.  Charts can be copied from their normal SD format onto the PC hard drive and then also used in compatible chart plotters from brands like Raymarine, Lowrance, B&G, Humminbird and Simrad allowing for a combination package of plotter and PC to be installed on-board.

As the system is completely portable, it’s ideal for use by charter skippers who can effectively turn their laptop into a large screen format plotter at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated device.  It’s also popular with commercial users, superyacht captains and delivery crew as well as boaters looking for a good value, big screen navigation solution.

SmarterTrack Express is priced at £275 ex vat (US$440/€395).  Further details from www.digitalyachtamerica.com or call +1179 55 44 74 (US 978 277 1234)