Hardware: B&G's new Zeus S chartplotter

Proven chartplotter with new features

B&G has been pleasing its customers with high-quality electronics for yachting for several years now. The new Zeus S chartplotter was no exception - announced back in January, the chartplotter is already available for purchase. 

B&G Product Director Matt Eales says: “More and more people are sailing alone or with only one buddy these days. We would like to develop a system that could help such small teams and solo sailors.” 

One of the main requirements for a chartplotter that should make cruising easier, not harder, is ease of use. The key factor of the software part of Zeus S, which should help yachtsmen to quickly master the device, can be called its operating system. B&G specialists have worked and brought to mind the old versions of their system. Now the new operating system looks simple and unencumbered with unnecessary elements. 

According to Matt, the team made efforts so that the crew did not spend a lot of time on the initial setup. The chartplotter has two preset modes that will let you get started right away. The first mode is more suitable for sailing and racing fans, and the second one is more suitable for cruising fans.

Each of these modes provides the most up-to-date data and features for your current swimming style. As a result of such innovations, the interface is simple and understandable even for less experienced crew members. 

A little more about Zeus S chips

The B&G chartplotter is compatible with C-MAP DISCOVER X and REVEAL X charts, which already gives you a certain amount of choice. In addition, Zeus S also supports the Safety Alerts feature. By the way, a very useful feature - based on the data from the maps loaded into the chartplotter, the system monitors potentially dangerous objects, grounding risks, etc. 

The Safety Alerts feature will especially come to the rescue if you zoomed out a lot and study the map in detail. Thanks to Safety Alerts, without even seeing the entire map, you will be notified of potential danger in advance.

Going a little deeper into C-MAP features, these charts also offer tide information, current forecasts, waypoints, channels, and more. The chartplotter is fully compatible with C-MAP charts.

A few words about the operating system and Zeus S control systems

One of the features of the Zeus S operating system, thanks to which navigation in it becomes really intuitive, is the similarity with the outer shell of your smartphone. The interface of the device largely repeats the best finds of modern phones, which will allow you to easily deal with it.

Reviewers from SailMagazine were also interested in the implementation of the racing mode. Of particular interest was how exactly this mode will be implemented on a device that is sharpened for simplicity. As a result, the invited journalists were pleased with what they saw, noting that despite the successful decisions, the racing mode still has room to grow. 

Matt Eales says it's only a matter of time before improving the racing mode, as the company is going to release continuous software updates to improve performance. In the future, new options will be available for both racing and cruise modes.

Interestingly, Zeus S can be synchronized with the B&G App. This makes it easier to plan trips, view routes, share routes between devices, manage waypoints, and more. In addition, thanks to NMEA 2000, the chartplotter can be easily integrated into your yacht's system, according to the company. NMEA 2000 will make it easy to connect to autopilot, other instruments, radar, engines, audio systems... In short, there's room to roam!

The Zeus S chartplotter is available in 7-, 9-, and 12-inch versions.

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14.04.2023