Satellite Compass Systems

Fremantle Marine Electronics have been installing and commissioning satellite compass systems on vessels for many years for use in survey, fishing, and recreation vessels. Satellite compass systems offer the benefits of stable, accurate heading & vessel motion data regardless of vessel type (steel, aluminium, fibreglass). The motion data is mostly used to remove 'waves'  from the echosounder picture - some manufacturers call this 'stabilisation' or heave compensation. Many WASSP multibeam systems, and single beam sounders like the FURUNO FCV-1150/1900 or KODEN CVS-FX2/70X benefit from a high accuracy satellite compass to remove any heave and pitch/roll from the echo-sounder picture.

A satellite compass can also be connected to a RADAR to give a 'stabilised' radar image, and to allow radar/chart overlay functions. It can also be used to provide a relaible, high accuracy heading for an autopilot.

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Integrated all in one designs like the FURUNO SC30/70 offer relative high heading accuracy (1.0 / 0.4 degrees accuracy) for a small size antenna. These cannot offer different GPS constellations, and cannot offer DGPS (RTK). For most fishing vessels these are a perfect fit.

Separated antenna design like the FURUNO SC-130 are generally used on larger vessels as they have a much larger footprint, as a result this model also offers much higher heading accuracy but cannot offer high accuracy DGPS.

High accuracy separated antenna design like the TRIMBLE SPS 461, or the FUGRO V113 or similar offer high position accuracy of approx 0.5mtr RMS without corrections. With RTK corrections applied, real life position accuracy of 0.8CM is possible!

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Fremantle Marine Electronics can offer satellite compass systems to interface new or existing Furuno, KODEN, GARMIN installations, WASSP Multibeam, sounders, autopilots, and radars. These are available in either NMEA2K, CAN-BUS, ETHERNET, or NMEA0183 versions with very competitive prices.