Furuno calls new VHF radio a marine ‘multi-tool’

Aug 30, 2018 by Triton Staff

The Furuno FM4800 is a new all-in-one marine VHF radiotelephone with built-in Class D DSC, GPS receiver, AIS receiver, and simplified loud hailer with intercom.

According to Furuno, the unit is waterproof to an IP68 standard, which means it can withstand the IP’s laboratory testing of full immersion for over 30 minutes, making the unit an ideal candidate for vessels with an exposed bridge, where it can be bracket or flush mounted, or even mounted overhead.

The FM4800 has high safety and reliability ratings, as well as a number of built-in features that make it versatile, according to a Furuno press release. With the unit’s built-in GPS receiver, it does not require an external GPS source to enable its DSC functionality, and it can be used as a backup source of GPS positioning for other onboard electronics.

Its built-in AIS receiver can be used to overlay AIS targets with networked GPS plotters or MFDs, and GPS, DSC and AIS information can be shared via NMEA0183 or NMEA2000. When connected via NMEA2000 to any NavNet TZtouch2 MFD, DSC calling can be initiated directly from the TZtouch2 display by tapping on the AIS/DSC target and selecting “DSC Call.” Additionally, when MOB (man overboard) is activated on a TZtouch2 MFD, the FM4800 enters a special mode that allows initiation of a distress call by simply pushing the rotary knob.

Loud hailer, fog horn and warning signal features are available, with eight patterns of alert sounds. When connected with the second-station handset, the unit’s intercom feature is available, allowing communications between the two devices.

For more information, visit furuno.com.

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