Monitoring the performance and location of marine Aids to Navigation can be a challenge for asset managers. Marine assets are normally positioned in remote locations and can be difficult or costly to access. During extreme weather conditions, marine lanterns and buoys are at risk of coming adrift or can be damaged if inadvertently hit by a vessel. Theft and vandalism are additional challenges faced in some regions of the world.
For maritime authorities, ensuring assets are in operation and in their expected position is of utmost importance. Gaining full visibility of assets from a central location supports planning, operational decisions, and their ability to respond quickly.
Up until recently, GSM has been the preferred choice for the control and monitoring of marine assets. GSM performs well in strong mobile coverage areas on land; however, it does have its drawbacks. GSM can be time-consuming to set up, and coverage can be poor for monitoring AtoN positioned at sea.
Where coverage is patchy or non-existent, satellite connectivity provides authorities with a much more reliable alternative.
Why choose Satcom?
Satcom offers a range of infrastructure and asset intelligence benefits. Sealite has chosen to partner with Iridium®, the Low Earth Orbit Global Satellite service company who offers assured pole-to-pole coverage.
The benefits that Satcom offers over GSM are:
Marine assets that have been classified as critical to maritime safety, require close monitoring and management. Monitoring triggers a quick response to help reduce the chances of a maritime incident.
Sealite offers monitoring and control through our proprietary Star2M portal that provides:
Coming soon is an update to our hugely popular SL-75 self-contained marine lantern and our SL-155 long-range marine lanterns with the addition of an internal satellite communications module as an option.
These models extend Sealite’s offering to cover light ranges from 3-13NM.
Released in 2017 the SL-75 was the most innovative marine lantern of its time. Our customers have appreciated its enhanced features of Bluetooth, GSM connectivity and GPS synchronisation with tilted solar modules for maximum sunlight capture. We are now pleased to add satellite connectivity to its long list of product options, and connection to our Star2M portal for advanced monitoring and control.
The SL-155 is a versatile marine lantern available in 2.5-degree, 5-degree and 10-degree options. The SL-155 will be offered in six product configurations including stand-alone models, coupled with two power supply options, or supplied with external solar panels.
These models join a long list of Sealite’s satellite-enabled marine products including; the SL-C310, SL-C510, SL-510-SA, the Universal Gateway, and the Remote Monitoring Unit.
Stay tuned for the official product releases of the SL-75 and SL-155, now packed with even more features and options.