The
Ultimate Boater's Gadget
MAR-30-2000
The
KVH Marine Navigation Datascope
While GPS units are today essential equipment for the fully
equipped boater, there are still times when you need accurate
ranges and bearings to derive a precise location or distance
to a closing object.
KVH
Industries' Marine Navigation DataScope is exactly the instrument
to have in the charthouse or cockpit to address this need.
More stable and versatile than a standard set of binoculars,
the DataScope combines a 5x30 monocular, a highly accurate
digital compass, an electronic rangefinder and a chronometer
all within one watertight, handheld device. You never have
to take your eyes off of your target because the digital information
is superimposed on the scope's field of view. Just locate
a target through the crosshair, point and shoot! The digital
compass is internally gimbaled through ±20° for a phenomenal
0.5° accuracy in all conditions.
The DataScope stores 9 bearings in memory, so there is no
longer the need to fumble for paper and pencil to copy down
bearings. Bearings can be displayed in either True or Magnetic
compass reading, and the instrument can calculate any change
between bearings taken.
A patented electronic rangefinder, which uses known heights
and relative size to compute the range of an object, allows
for the virtually instantaneous display of distance. Also
incorporated in the device is a quartz crystal chronometer
that displays time of day and stores the time at which each
bearing has been taken. This, in turn, allows the instrument
to compute time differences between consecutive bearings.
The DataScope takes 3 lithium batteries (included in the kit)
which should last 12 to 18 months under normal use. A backlit
LCD display allows the user to read measurement units, time,
and other displayed data under darkened conditions. At present,
the DataScope is not manufactured with a night vision capability.
Suggested retail price is $445.
Further information on the DataScope can be found at www.kvh.com.
