NMEA names 2020 Product of Excellence Award winners
Product of Excellence Awards were presented in 17 categories, and Manufacturer of the Year went to Garmin, as the National Marine Electronics Association held its annual meeting on 26 September.
“On behalf of the NMEA Board of Directors, staff, and membership, we congratulate all 2020 award winners,” says Mark Reedenauer, NMEA president and executive director. “The member voting count exceeded our expectations. This certainly sends the message to the market that manufacturers have focused on producing top quality products for the boating public, even during a pandemic. NMEA members, installers, and manufacturers have surely kept their eye on the ball.”
The 2020 Product of Excellence Awards bring global recognition to NMEA manufacturer members, and this year’s Awards included one new category: Marine Specialty.
NMEA members selected the winners of the annual Product of Excellence Awards through an online voting process.
See below the 2020 recipients:
- Marine VHF – ICOM M605
- Radar – Furuno DRS4DNXT Solid-State Doppler
- Satellite Communications Antenna – KVH TracPhone V3-HTS
- Multi-Function Display – Garmin GPSMAP 8616xsv
- Multimedia Entertainment – Fusion Apollo RA770
- NMEA 2000 Sensor – Furuno SCX20 High Precision Satellite Compass
- Autopilot – Garmin Reactor 40 with SmartPump v2
- Satellite TV Antenna – KVH TracVision UHD7
- Fishfinder – Furuno DFF3D Multi-Beam 3D
- Marine Camera – FLIR M364C
- AIS – Vesper XB8000 smartAIS
- Marine PC Software – Nobeltec TZ Professional V 4.1
- Remote Monitoring – GOST Apparition SM GPS XVR
- Wi-Fi/Cellular Device – KVH TracPhone LTE-1 (tie)
- Wi-Fi/Cellular Device – Wave Wi-Fi Tidal Wave AC + Cellular (tie)
- Marine Apps-Utility – Garmin ActiveCaptain
- Commercial – Furuno FAR2228BB 25kW IMO Radar
- Marine Specialty – Maretron N2KBuilder – NMEA2000® Network Design Software (tie)
- Marine Specialty – Furuno “Deep Impact” DI-FFAMP High-Power CHIRP Amplifier (tie)
Manufacturer of the Year Award
NMEA members also voted on a particular manufacturer who had demonstrated superior support of their products to all who install and service them in the field. NMEA and the membership congratulate Garmin on winning this award.
NMEA normally awards a Best New Product Award and an NMEA Technology Award based on in-person judging at the Annual NMEA Conference and Expo. “Because of the pandemic these awards could not be awarded this year,” says Reedenauer. “NMEA plans to reinstate these awards in 2021 when the NMEA Conference and Expo is scheduled to be held as a live, in-person event in Anaheim, California.”
