Designed to last

We have designed our hardware to be simple to handle, with as few moving parts as possible.

Our antenna cable is wound by hand - which only takes a few seconds - rather than by winder or pulley. 
Our connectors are heavy-duty and waterproof.  The last thing a pilot needs is for a
PPU to fail at sea due to something as small as a broken part.

In our PPUs, all the sophistication is on the inside.  The outside is designed with one very plain
purpose in mind - to last the distance in an extreme environment.

 

HarbourPilot Lightweight

HarbourPilot Lightweight is made of very lightweight, but super-tough polycarbonate.  It is
completely waterproof and very stable on the rail.  All our units are a perfect fit on a flat rail and are
held firmly in place by strong magnets. A simple strap system secures the HPL on a round rail,
and keeps the gear extremely secure.

The tether ensures the sensor box is not lost overboard when setting up in rough conditions. 
Setup takes just one minute.

 

Although we recommend you follow the safety practices of your region, we have taken care to
choose a backpack that will stay snug if you have no choice but to carry it up a ladder.  For
this reason the backpack is as small as possible.  Although there is some room for a pilot's
own gear in the standard bag. 

The canvas backpack is able to be hauled aboard using the carry loop.  The equipment will
be well protected inside its foam compartments.  The foam compartment can be removed
and carried inside your own backpack if you prefer.

 

HarbourPilot Ruggedised

HarbourPilot Ruggedised is fully waterproof, and simply keeping the lid shut while in operation will
keep your unit well protected and working perfectly for years.  The antennas are extremely secure
on both flat and round rails, and very quick to set up.  Like HarbourPilot Lightweight, it operates
automatically at the press of a single button.

 

Laptops

Laptops these days are extremely rugged.  There is no reason you cannot be right out by the action,
in any weather or conditions.  We recommend the Panasonic CF-19 Toughbook (pictured above
and below), which is drop, water and shock proof.  It can be used in regular laptop or tablet form.

For pilots who want a lighter option, the semi-rugged Panasonic W7 is a popular choice.  It is just 1.3kg
and is designed to withstand quite a lot of wear and tear. We also have extremely weight-conscious
customers who have chosen the Toshiba Portege R500, which weighs less than 500g, and they are
very happy with it. 

Even though it's a simple matter to carry your wireless laptop anywhere, we can provide both regular
wireless and intrinsincally safe PDAs for use on the bridge wing while berthing.

 

AISPilot

AISPilot couldn't be simpler to use... just plug it into the pilot plug and switch on.  Wireless AIS data
will be instantly received on your laptop - even if the pilot plug has been incorrectly wired (a common
problem).  The rubber boot stops the unit from moving due to vibration, and a canvas carry case houses
the unit, a charger and a quickguide.

 

Back to In Operation