Article by Capt. Steve Katz
Updates – Good or Bad?
Modern marine navigation electronics are like our personal electronics, smart phones, computers, tablets, and other computer driven equipment we use every day, the software that runs the equipment is constantly evolving, usually for the better but not always. As most technology users have learned by now, a software update, firmware update or patch can be a breath of fresh air that solves a nagging problem or could introduce a new glitch that was not there a few minutes earlier. The same holds true for marine electronics, especially the multifunction displays that are often the primary focus of navigation and boat operations.
Update or not- if it is not broken, don’t fix it?
Many boaters have never updated the software on their multifunction display (chartplotters), yet everything works, and they are happy, at least until something does not work. Manufacturers are constantly fine-tuning software for their products for several reasons:
Fixing “Issues”
Software bugs, issues, and problems sometimes are not known until lots of users have an opportunity to use a new version and “discover” a problem where something does not work correctly, such as displaying inaccurate information, compatibility issues with other products or worse the chartplotters becomes unusable.
- Adding new features
Often something so simple as the re-arrangement of menu items, new data fields, compatibility with third party devices can quickly modernize any age chartplotter.
Allowing for compatibility for new products
Software can extend the life of a chartplotter by allowing new products to connect and interface with existing hardware. These type of software updates allow a manufacturer to sell new products to an existing customer base with varying vintage hardware so that a new chartplotter is not needed to use a new product.
The big four, Garmin, Furuno Navico (Simrad, Lowrance & B&G) and Raymarine all issue periodic software updates. Garmin seems to issue the most updates through the year, followed by Navico, Raymarine and Furuno. One issue with frequent software updates is the perception that there is not enough time to fully field test the software before it is released to the public. Though on the other side of the coin, if you have a nagging problem with your current system, any new software update is worth the risk, in the hopes that the system is better after the update.
When to update?
Most boaters will update their system at the beginning of the season or when a new device is added requiring new software for compatibility. If you are having a problem with your system, often the manufacturer or dealer will need to update the software as part of the troubleshooting processes.
How to learn about updates?
You should locate the current version of the software you now have on your device so you can compare it to the most recent version. Most of the big four MFD manufacturers websites list the current software on the MFD products page. The manufacturers should have a “change history” or a similar document that lists all the elements inside the new software. This is important to read and understand, it will let you know what to expect after the software update.
Examples of software updates change history this season:
Garmin’s 24.10 software includes the ability to display up to 5 Yamaha engines and fixed an issue where heading line options weren't displaying on navigation charts, amongst 14+ other updates and fixes.
Simard’s Version: 20.2 includes new symbology for AIS targets and a Fix for the Radar EBL when set to True/Mag, amongst 47 other updates and fixes.
Furuno’s V2.01 latest software update for the TZT3 is a major update accompanied by a 34-page document reviewing the changes, such as Seakeeper integration, refined fish finder operation, improved radar overlay color on plotter and much more.
Raymarine’s Lighthouse 3 Fremantle - v3.14 update includes Mercury VesselView Engine Monitoring App, improvements to sonar bottom tracking and corrects an issue where the MFD could crash when using RealBathy and 16 other significant changes.
If you decide to update your software, here are a few tips that apply to all brands of marine electronics:
- back-up! Before you start pressing too many buttons, make a backup of your data, generally your waypoints, though some newer systems allow for backing up settings and configurations. This way, if something goes wrong, you will at least have your prized waypoints!
- A software update on a large system could take an hour or more, be sure the boat's batteries are fully charged, and the battery charger (if equipped) is operational. Supervise the update - be sure no one on board can accidentally disrupt power during the update and that no one is operating any of the equipment on the network during the software update – otherwise you could end up with an expensive paperweight!
- Many of the software updates are not reversible, once updated, you may not be able to go backwards to the previous version.
- If you have more than one multifunction display or device it is best that they all are updated at the same time, so they are all on the same software revision level – it provides stability and compatibility for the whole system. Some manufacturers' software updates can travel through your marine network and automatically update each connected piece of hardware while others require updates at each device.
- The manufactures now offer software updates wirelessly for compatible equipment, the multifunction display connects to an internet Wi-Fi access point, smartphone etc. and often automatically connects to the manufacturers servers and transfers the update to your marine device. As a service provider – most marine electronics dealers update customers' software using a memory card and skip the Wi-Fi for consistency and reliability.
Software updates can keep your marine electronics feeling like new for years after their installation, though software updates should be performed methodically for best results and BACKUP regularly.
Until next time....
Stay Grounded
