July 9, 2018

For years, Furuno’s SC30 Satellite Compass has provided highly accurate and stable heading, as well as pitch and roll, rate of turn, and vertical motion data to a vast array of navigation equipment. While the SC30 has delivered precise information to thousands of vessels worldwide, Furuno has still found room for improvement and is announcing a significant upgrade to their original groundbreaking design with the release of the SC33. While maintaining a compact Satellite Compass design that allows for simplified installation, the SC33 now leverages Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology to deliver enhanced accuracy and performance.

While sharing the same footprint as the original SC30, the SC33 is capable of utilizing multiple GNSS systems, such as GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and QZSS. Using parallel GNSS signal processing, the SC33 is even more accurate and reliable than its predecessor. The ability to handle multiple GNSS systems allows the SC33 to provide unprecedented accuracy of ±0.4° for Heading/Roll/Pitch and 3 meters for position. The unit also has built-in temperature and pressure sensors, which can output that data to the NMEA2000 network, packing even more useful features into a sharp looking, streamlined antenna.

The SC33 is perfect for installation on sport fishing boats with towers or center consoles, cruising boats, coastal tugboats, high-speed craft such as SAR and patrol vessels, and other workboats. Its robust hardware and rugged dome structure provide substantial resistance to shock and vibration, and its design is highly resistant to problems stemming from multi-path of satellite signals, which can be challenging for even the most seasoned installers, when often faced with complex vessel configurations.

As marine electronics technology has evolved so rapidly, having highly accurate heading data has become more critical than ever. If you have a Radar, Chart Plotter, Autopilot, AIS, Fish Finder or Sonar on your vessel, the SC33 can improve the accuracy of those units. If you have a Furuno Radar with the True Motion echo trail feature, the SC33’s heading accuracy and speed ensures echo trails are displayed with smooth lines so you can take full advantage of those “at-a-glance” features. Furuno Fish Finders with Heaving Compensation capability will find the SC33 an essential component to having a stable presentation. As the sea moves your vessel vertically, the change in distance between your Fish Finder and the seafloor can be dramatic, making the presentation on your Fish Finder screen unreliable (referred to as the ‘sawtooth’ effect). The SC33’s Heaving Compensation adjusts for vertical motion and delivers an unwavering presentation on your Fish Finder screen. Heaving Compensation also removes the need to invoke Fish Finder “Bottom Lock” display modes that can mask important bottom details and cause distorted fish target echoes.

Finally, if you have a Furuno Sonar, the SC33’s pitch and roll compensation is invaluable, facilitating stable detection and allowing your Sonar to display a rock-solid presentation, even in foul weather conditions.

The SC33 Satellite Compass delivers a very quick start-up/first fix time of about 60 seconds, an excellent follow-up rate of 45-degrees/second for high-speed craft, and the ability to connect to NMEA2000 or NMEA0183/AD10 format. Unlike traditional compasses, the SC33 is entirely free from regular maintenance, as it has no moving parts to wear out. If you’re looking for a way to get even more out of your MFDs, Fish Finder, Sonar or Radar, the Furuno SC33 is a simple and important addition to getting the most from those critical systems.

To learn more about Furuno’s new SC33 Satellite Compass, or the complete line of Furuno marine electronics visit https://www.furunousa.com/en/products/