Suzuki 300hp V6 outboard

Shimano Calais 200DC

Shimano’s Calais 200DC recently won the Baitcaster of the Year Award at the annual Australian Fishing Tackle Association’s trade show.

In addition to its one-piece aluminium frame, Magnumlite aluminium spool (with turn-key spool access), ten shielded anti-rust bearings and one roller bearing, this reel’s most notable feature is its digitally-controlled brake.

The brake has a self-energising electronic circuit that assesses spool speed at .001 of a second intervals, and applies the required amount of resistance to prevent an overrun as the lure lands.

The Calais 200DC has a gear ratio of 7:1 and holds 120 metres of six-kilo monofilament.

Enquiries: Dunphy Sports/Fishing Imports, tel: (02) 9526 2144.
Website: www.shimanofish.com.au

OptiMax – the next generation

Mercury Marine has introduced the next generation of its OptiMax outboard engines.

The upgrades to the line-up include improved sound level and quality, new styling, plus a new gearcase, adapted from the supercharged Verado range, on the 3-litre family units.

The OptiMax models are grouped in families of 1.5-, 2.5-, and 3-litres, ranging from 75 to 300 horsepower.

While each of the OptiMax engine families underwent changes, the most dramatic were to the 3-litre models, which range from 200 to 250hp.

According to Mercury OptiMax Platform manager, Mark Klossner, the company was able to achieve up to a six-decibel sound reduction on the updated models.

The next generation of OptiMax engines also comes with a new cowling for the 2.5 and 3-litre families, with the option of Mercury’s Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) system on the 200 and 225 models.

Enquiries: Mercury Marine,
tel: 1800 114 500.
Website: www.mercurymarine.com.au

Burke quick-dry sailing hats

Burke has released its new range of quick-dry hats and caps, designed especially for sailing. The hats and caps are made from non-corroding materials and a quick-dry fabric that has a UPF50-plus rating.

The hats have wide, stiff brims for sun protection and feature large brass ventilation eyelets, adjustable chin straps with a nylon toggle and come in navy only. The sailing cap has an easy-to-adjust Velcro band.

The Burke Quick Dry Sailing hat is $26.00 and the cap is $18.00.
Enquiries: Burke Marine, tel: (02) 9638 4333.
Website: www.burkemarine.com.au

Magellan maps anywhere

The new Magellan-compatible GPS-to-PC viewing software is now available for free download at: www.nextdestination.com.au. MapSend Lite V2 allows users to view their Magellan-certified preloaded SD card maps on the screen of a PC.

Maps such as DiscoverAus Streets & Tracks Topo, or MapSend BlueNav XL3 Oceania charts, can be viewed in formats such as 2D, 3D, 3D shaded or in-car view (3D with topo only). MapSend Lite V2 enables users to pre-plan their route, replay their track history downloaded from the GPS, plot their position and view the map in either latitude/longitude or UTM coordinates.

MapSend Lite V2 can be used with Magellan eXplorist units that have a USB connector cable, such as the eXplorist 400, 500, 600 and XL.

Enquiries: Next Destination, tel: 1800 644 033.
Website: www.nextdestination.com.au

Yamaha’s digital network

Yamaha has launched a digital network system featuring the new Yamaha 6Y8 Digital Network Gauge for all 2007 Yamaha EFI four-stroke and HPDI outboards.

The Yamaha EFI four-stroke range covers models from 50hp through to 250hp, while the HPDI range of VMAX outboards includes V-6 models from 150hp to 300hp.

The Yamaha digital network is a Controller Area Network (CAN) system, which interconnects associated peripheral devices such as engines, electronics and transducers to share resources and information.

The newly-developed Yamaha 6Y8 Digital Network Gauges are the first link in the Digital Network System and, according to Yamaha, deliver information such as fuel flow management, engine water temperature, battery and trim levels.

The gauges come in larger square format for improved visibility and offer between 6 and 36 display options.

Enquiries: Yamaha Motor Australia, tel: (07) 3906 7000.
Website: www.yamaha-motor.com.au

FishStrike 2000C

Eagle’s new FishStrike 2000C is a large display sonar with fishing applications. The 17.7cm (diagonal) 256-colour enhanced TFT sunlight-readable display allows wide angle viewing, while the 480 x 640 pixel resolution, high-speed screen updates and Eagle’s Colourline function allow for target detail and separation.

A split-screen data/sonar graph display feature is also standard. The unit’s 1500 watts peak-to-peak (187 watts RMS) power output gives positive depth sounding and fish finding down to 305 metres and the 200kHz high-speed skimmer transducer (with built-in temperature sensor) allows readability while underway and fish detection coverage out to 60 degrees.

Among the list of standard features are the FishReveal and HyperScroll functions. The FishStrike 2000C has an internal back-up memory for key sonar settings, is completely sealed and waterproof and comes with a two-year warranty.

Enquiries: Eagle Australia, tel: (07) 5523 6500.
Website: www.eaglesonar.com.au

Know your bearings

Do you know the condition and state of your trailer’s wheel bearings and seal? Durahub’s new Bearing Protectors allow trailer owners to check the state of their bearings through a quick visual inspection.

Durahub Bearing Protectors continually lubricate the rubber of the seal in oil and have a clear polycarbonate lens for monitoring.

The Durahub kit is Australian-made and comes with fitting instructions, two stainless steel Durahub caps, two Holden oil seals, two Ford oil seals, a tube of Loctite 51517 and some emery tape.

Enquiries: Durahub, tel: (07) 5570 3057.
Website: www.durahub.com