Blowing the 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."