In 2012, FURUNO set a new standard for touch screen technology with the introduction of the marine industry’s first multi touch navigation system. FURUNO continue to leverage the latest hardware and software technology with their newest MFD (Multi Function Display) introduction, NavNet TZtouch2.
This “next step” in the NavNet series takes the feature set of the award-winning TZtouch and refines it to make these new MFD units even more intuitive, while also adding new features, making this a must-have piece of electronics on any helm.
The first thing you will notice on TZtouch2 is the updated and refined, but also familiar user interface. FURUNO designers used bright, bold colors, with easy to identify icons for the display selection of Radar, Fish Finder, Chart Plotter, Weather, Camera, Instruments and Nav Data. Creating custom display pages is as easy as dragging and dropping the icon onto the display creator.
Accessing different displays is done by tapping on the Home icon, or utilizing the new “Edge Swipe” motion. Just swipe down from the top of the screen and display page options drop down for quick and easy access. You can “Edge Swipe” from all four sides to access various options.
Swipe the right side to view contextually appropriate menus, swipe the left side and you get navigation data, swipe from the bottom for chart and data layer options. Rather than digging through menus, all of the important options are now just a swipe away.
A next great step for FURUNO is a 56-channel GPS Receiver built right into the display. You can still connect an external antenna for redundancy, but the primary GPS receiver is built-in, saving you money on additional equipment and installation cost. Amazingly, they took it a step further by including their award-winning Fish Finder technology into every TZtouch2 display.
The built-in Fish Finder is a dual-frequency (50/200kHz), 600W/1kW power output sounder. It includes FURUNO’s unique Bottom Discrimination and ACCU-FISH™ modes, but it also incorporates another new Furuno proprietary Fish Finder technology, called RezBoost™. RezBoost™ is a revolutionary new feature that utilizes FURUNO’s exclusive digital signal processing protocol to produce fantastic target resolution and separation, without the need to change out your transducer, or purchase expensive broadband transducers. With RezBoost™, you can now achieve target separation and resolution that was previously limited to FURUNO commercial-grade Fish Finders.
NavNet TZtouch2 is a component-based system that utilizes FURUNO’s award winning network products. You can choose from a 12.1-inch WXGA or 15.6-inch FWXGA multi touch display that utilize raster and vector charts in MapMedia format based on Jeppesen, Navionics and NOAA data. From there, you can add a variety of UHD Radars, from their 2.2kW Dome to a 25kW Open Array.
For smaller vessels FURUNO has added a new 19-inch, 4kW Radar Dome, called the DRS4DL to their lineup. As with NavNet TZtouch, you can integrate, display, and control the NavPilot Autopilot. You can also share settings with FURUNO’s new FI-70 Instrument. Both of these products have displays that match TZtouch2, giving your helm a beautiful all-glass finish. Additional sensors that can be added to the network include AIS, Weather Fax, Sirius/XM Satellite Weather, Fusion Marine Stereo, Cameras, as well as NMEA2000 and FURUNO CAN bus devices. It even includes one NMEA0183 output port to send data to legacy systems.
NavNet TZtouch introduced the capability to access tablets and smartphones via Wireless LAN and TZtouch2 continues that ability. You can download and utilize several FREE apps for both Apple and Android devices for use with your TZtouch2 display, or there’s a physical remote keypad that can be connected, as well. More wireless capabilities are planned, including connection to the ActiveCaptain service that delivers crowd-sourced points of interest, Community Charts that allow users to report changes such as depth, obstructions, etc., and finally a TimeZero™ Cloud Data Service that will allow you to back up and synchronize your data across your TimeZero™ devices.
Whether choosing equipment for a new boat build, or looking to retrofit and existing helm, NavNet TZtouch2 is the perfect solution for you. With its easy to use interface, built-in GPS and RezBoost™ Fish Finder, and an easy retrofit path from existing NavNet 3D or TZtouch systems, NavNet TZtouch2 is the perfect way to get the latest technology at the perfect price.
NavNet TZtouch2 and the FI-70 Instrument were officially introduced at the 2015 Miami International Boat Show and are expected to start delivering this spring.
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