Blowing the horn

The military can improve safety and coordination with FogMate, a device that automatically sounds a ship's or boat's horn.

The military can improve safety and coordination with FogMate, a device that automatically sounds a ship's or boat's horn in correct cadence during fog and emergencies according to David Vogel of TSX Products.

TSX is now offering FogMate, an electronic horn controller, to the military after two years of successful use by commercial operators such as ferries and fishing boats.

Coast Guard and international regulations require a ship to sound its horn every two minutes during conditions of limited visibility, but it's difficult for a pilot manoeuvring through fog to remember to do that manually - especially during a military operation.

"FogMate relieves the captain and crew from the tedium of timing fog signals when they should be doing more important things," Vogel said. "It can be used on anything from a small Coast Guard or Marine boat to an aircraft carrier."

The unit can be installed in about 15 minutes and operates with the vessel's existing horn and navigation light switches, requiring no new switches or holes in the helm. Some installation options also support dedicated switches.

The FogMate controller measures 3" by 1.5" by 1" and weighs 3.5 ounces. The product also includes a wiring harness, colour-coded wiring, mounting screws, owner's manual and helm decal with concise instructions.