Mar 19, 2019
Marine electronics pioneer Darrell Lowrance, 80, passed away Saturday morning after suffering a stroke.
Lowrance, a pilot, conceived the idea for his first consumer fish finder after flying an airplane over a lake in the 1950s and seeing schools of fish in the clear water. He wondered if military sonar developed to locate submarines could be used to locate schools of fish for anglers, and set about developing what became known as the Lowrance Fish-Lo-K-Tor. More commonly known as the “little green box,” the unit became the world’s first commercially-viable consumer sonar unit when it was introduced in 1959.
“Not only was Darrell instrumental in developing, manufacturing and marketing the world’s first recreational sonar, the Fish-Lo-K-Tor, Darrell was also responsible for hundreds of fish finding and navigational innovations that have influenced and helped millions of anglers around the world for more than 60 years,” said a company statement. “His dedication, love and contributions to the marine industry, the fishing world and most of all his fellow employees will forever be remembered.”
Initially located in Joplin, Missouri and later based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Lowrance company once employed more than 3,000 people and produced more than 1.0m devices per year. Lowrance merged with Simrad and B&G in 2006 to form Navico.
Corporate Profile - Dometic Outdoor Global Marine Division
Dometic Outdoor Global Marine Division is one organization that has set the bar high globally on quality standards in all aspects of its operation. From its human resources practices to its product development and manufacturing standards, the company strives for 110% in all it does. Dometic’s Vancouver, British Columbia design and manufacturing facility is the largest marine focused company in Canada. Its global standards are admirable, and our entire industry can learn from its leadership and positive practices.
In 1962, Dometic (then under the name Teleflex) developed, launched, and marketed a mechanical steering system and with its success came the first hydraulic steering in 1983 and No FeedBack Steering in ’91.
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The 10th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (MEBC) has wrapped up at the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) and it gives a compelling look at the future of electric boating.
The MEBC was started in 2014 as a competition between university teams who built and raced boats powered only by solar power and batteries. To encourage more participation from institutions that may not have naval architecture or boat construction expertise, the YCM introduced the Energy Class competition. The club supplies the student teams with the same one-design catamaran hull, and each team adds their own cockpit and propulsion system that can be powered by any renewable alternative energy sources, not just solar.
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Questus Marine patented, Self-Leveling Radar Mounts automatically keep radar antennas level with the horizon, eliminating target loss.
Regardless of the angle of heel, with a Questus mount, a radar antenna will pick up targets to either side of a vessel, rather than aiming to the sky and water (for planes and fish). The Questus Marine Self-Leveling Radar Mount can be installed in three basic configurations: backstay mount, mast mount or Stern Pole mount.
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