METSTRADE 2018 | 13-15 November 2018 | Stand 02.407
Shakespeare® Marine, world leader in marine antenna design, announces it has been nominated for the highly prestigious DAME Design Award in the lifesaving and safety equipment category. The Shakespeare Marine GALAXY-INFL8 is the world’s first inflatable emergency VHF antenna and is launching at METSTRADE 2018.
The DAME Design Award is a hotly contested marine equipment competition, which for 28 years has focused attention on the art and science of marine equipment design, from styling, functionality and innovation, through to ease of implementation and practicality of use. The judging panel comprises of top naval architects, boat, interior and industrial designers along with marine electronics and accessory experts, and a nomination is recognition of a product being the cream of the crop of design practice in the marine industry.
Shakespeare Marine’s GALAXY-INFL8 is the first emergency antenna with the performance to carry the GALAXY name. It can be rapidly deployed via an embedded canister or manual tube and inflates to 1.6 meters (5 feet) to offer a full 3dB functioning unit and a range of up to three times greater than any existing helical emergency antenna. The GALAXY-INFL8 is also supplied with a unique splice connector, enabling fast and efficient connection to existing radio cables, which further improves the radio transmission range – another industry first.
The GALAXY-INFL8 has been designed with multiple features to enhance users’ safety at sea, including contrasting colors to allow it to be seen mounted on the vessel day and night and built-in reflective strips for extra visibility. The antenna is mounted with included hook and loop straps allowing for quick and easy installation in any weather, as well as grommets top and bottom to facilitate securing to masts, stanchions, outriggers or other vertical structures on board. Thanks to its inflatable design and manual valve it is reusable, so it can be deflated and stowed away safely until it is needed.
In addition to being an emergency replacement for the primary vessel antenna, the packable and storable GALAXY-INFL8 can also be adapted to improve the range of handheld VHFs, making it an ideal addition to ditch bag and even non-emergency applications where extending the range of portable VHFs is desirable.
European Sales Manager at Shakespeare® Marine, Dave Manasseh, comments, “In the past, emergency antenna have sacrificed length and range to be stowed easily. We wanted to change that. The GALAXY-INFL8 is the culmination of years of hard work from our engineering and design specialists to produce a full 3dB emergency antenna that is 1.6m in length and can be stored in a small pouch. It’s a game-changer for emergency communications that we are proud to introduce to the industry in November at METSTRADE 2018 – STAND 02.407.”
Established in 1897, Shakespeare® Marine is a global antenna brand with a reputation for superior quality. Find out more on the website, www.shakespeare-marine.com or contact the main offices at EU 00 44(0) 1253 858 787 or USA 1 803 227 1590.