Leading electronics manufacturer Standard Horizon is delighted to announce the launch of its latest fixed DSC VHF set, the GX1300E Eclipse.
As an evolution of the hugely popular GX1200E, the new set takes the intuitive GX concept a whole step forward with an increased display screen size that allows information to be seen easily and clearly.
The depth of the rugged die-cast chassis has also been reduced, which greatly increases the mounting options, especially on flush mount dashboards. As such, the GX1300E remains one of the smallest fixed DSC VHF transceivers available today, at a highly compact 2.4”H x 6.1”D x 5.9”D (61mm x 155mm x 150mm).
New too, are specific icons, or pictorial representations for quick and easy menu viewing, such as ‘GPS’, ‘DSC’ and ‘Set Up’. Standard Horizon’s legendary waterproofing has also been taken to a new level, quite literally, from IPX7 (1 metre submersion for 30 mins) to IPX8, a full half-metre deeper. This makes it ideal for open, high-powered craft where the spray will be flying, such as RIBs, sports and fishing boats. To aid transmission in these boisterous conditions, the microphone features Clear Voice Technology, which cleverly filters out any unwanted background noise.
Despite its compact size, this remarkable set offers every feature needed for emergency, safety and routine DSC communication. Rated as a full ITU-R M493-13 Class D marine DSC, the GX1300E uses soft keys to make efficient use of the dedicated Channel 70.
When the DSC is connected to an external GPS receiver via an NMEA cable, your boat’s current position and other navigational data is displayed on the oversized backlit screen. The brightness and contrast are all fully adjustable, and the set can be programmed to poll the position of up to 4 other DSC-equipped vessels.
With the E suffix denoting the set’s EU configuration, the mandatory ATIS (Automatic Transmitter Identification System) can be activated via the front panel for use on the inland waterways of Europe.
Ideal for use on smaller craft with limited power, the current draw from a 12-volt supply is just 0.3A in standby mode, rising to 1.0A when receiving, and only 5.5A when transmitting at full power (25W).
Apart from its comprehensive DSC ability, the GX1300E has all the usual VHF functions, such as low and high power (1W-25W) settings, dual watch, priority scan and one-button Channel 16 selection. Some functions, such as the most commonly used channels, can be customized by the soft keys.
For emergencies, there is a clearly labelled DSC distress button, which will also automatically transmit your position when the GPS is connected. Alternatively, your position can be entered manually, and there is also a DSC test call facility.
The set is supplied with everything required to get it up and running out of the box, such as a power lead, a standard cradle mounting bracket and a comprehensive handbook. A flush mounting bracket and an external speaker are both available as optional extras.
The recommended retail price for Standard Horizon’s GX1300E is £99.95 excluding VAT (€123.95 excluding VAT) and comes with a 3-year waterproof warranty.