Furuno pulls down four NMEA awards

When Furuno came out with its NavNet 3D networking product recently, many observers thought the company had made an impressive leap forward. And the voters at this year’s National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) convention obviously agree. Furuno won four NMEA awards this year at the conclave in San Diego.

From the press release: Furuno, world-renowned manufacturer of marine electronics, was honored with four awards at the prestigious 2008 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) Convention in San Diego, CA. This year’s event, held October 1st – 4th, celebrated the 37th anniversary of the NMEA awards.
    For the third straight year, Furuno received the prestigious award for Manufacturer of the Year – Support. In fact, Furuno has secured this award every year the category has been included on the ballot. The award clearly illustrates what an important role customer service plays within Furuno USA and with our technical marine electronics dealer network. “We are extremely pleased to be honored with this award again in 2008,” stated Jim Atteridge, President of Furuno USA. “There is no way a company can win without the Team Effort of its employees, who consistently support our products and technical dealers. Furuno is proud to be supported by an excellent NMEA technical dealer network.”
    NavNet 3D met with extreme popularity by winning NMEA Awards in the three major categories; Radar, Navigation and Fish Finding. Furuno took top honors in the Radar Category for the thirty-third consecutive year with the NavNet 3D DRS Ultra Hi-Definition Radar Series. The NavNet 3D DRS Radars come in a variety of sizes, from the 2.2 kW, 19-inch Radome to the powerful 25 kW, 6 ft. Open Array. Each sensor incorporates Furuno’s UHD Digital Radar processing for the ultimate in target detection and performance.
    In the Navigation Category, Furuno took home the NMEA award for the NavNet 3D MFD12. This unit sports a vivid 12.1-inch LCD that displays your choice of preloaded NOAA Raster and Vector charts. Enhanced by TimeZeroTM technology, this chart plotter has incredible redraw speed. With its native 3D architecture, you can display your charts in 3D or traditional 2D, while further enhancing the charts with high-resolution satellite photography that can be downloaded at no charge from Furuno’s web site.
    The DFF1, NavNet 3D’s Network Sounder, received the award for Best Fish Finder, bringing Furuno’s Best Fish Finder award total to an unprecedented 37 years in a row. The DFF1 is a 600W/1kW digital Fish Finder that incorporates Furuno’s award winning FDF (Furuno Digital Filter) technology.  FDF technology helps adjust gain, STC “clutter” and output power, as well as suppress main bang (the echoes just below the transducer.) It also makes the picture clearer and easier to decipher.
“Winning all three major award categories for NavNet 3D demonstrates that it is truly the complete package. When you are looking for the best Radar, Chart Plotter and Fish Finder rolled into one unit, NavNet 3D sets the standard,” commented Atteridge. Furuno was the only manufacturer to win multiple awards and keeping with tradition, Furuno was recognized by the NMEA more than any three manufacturers combined. Furuno has received a total of 171 such awards since 1971.
 For more information on Furuno’s full line of award winning marine electronics, contact: Furuno U.S.A., 4400 N.W. Pacific Rim Blvd., Camas, WA 98607.  Phone: (360) 834-9300.  Fax: (360) 834-9400.  Online boaters can also check out Furuno U.S.A.’s Internet Web site (www.FurunoUSA.com).

By Ocean Navigator