Directors’ Reports
Manufacturer Director
Tom Burke, Navico Norway Inc. (Simrad)
( tom.burke@navico.com)
The NMEA is constantly striving to raise the recogni- tion of our organization within the boating public and to improve relationships with complementary
organizations. At the same time, we seek to grow our
membership and provide value to all our members.
Recently, we sent a survey to our manufacturer members seeking their opinion on a variety of issues. One
question asked of the manufacturer members was if they
would be interested in reintroducing manufacturer training sessions at the convention.
Manufacturer training sessions, if offered, would
need to be allocated in a fashion that would be fair to the
manufacturers, beneficial to the dealer/attendees, and
scheduled so as to not interfere with the exhibition times.
turer, while at the same time saving our members money
and exploring new paths to market, this could be a
win/win for all involved.
If we elected to hold a combined convention/exhibi-tion, it could be on a one-time trial basis. After the convention we could determine if it makes sense to repeat
the process or simply return to the traditional convention
format.
These are a couple of the ideas we are exploring, and
feedback from you to the directors would be appreciated.
In difficult times it becomes all the more important that we
get our money’s worth, however possible, and to explore
new opportunities.
DSTS-4A
The Industry’s Standard
for Test and Calibration
of Echosounders
New England Regional Director
David Frank, Hinckley Yacht Services
( dfrank@hinckleyyachts.com)
Frequency • Width • Period
Power • Receiver Sensitivity
Feet • Meters • Fathoms
Features:
• 2. 9 to 999.9 kHz
• 100 Hz accuracy
• Automatic operation
• Trigger output
• RS-232 option
• External load jacks
Electronic
Devices, Inc.
P.O.B. 15037 • Chesapeake VA 23328
Ph: 800-421-2968 • Fax: 757-421-0518
www.dsts.com • www.gemeco.com
New!
DSTS-5A
production
test set
Iwill start with the usual “it’s been a long winter, and we had a bunch of snow”, blah, blah, blah bit. As I write this report, the always-accurate weather man tells us to expect 50 degrees tomorrow. Fin- gers crossed that this spring is not the washout last year’s was and we kick things off earlier. If we
have favorable weather and the boats get used more than last year, we will have a stronger spring.
There has been much going on in the association and here in the Northeast. Since my last report
we had a very successful annual convention in Florida and are going to once again visit the West Coast in September, converging on Seattle. Mark your calendars and do your best to attend. This is the most concentrated marine electronic gathering you can imagine. The NMEA is working hard to make the convention valuable to all members. We know that this
type of expense is tough in today’s economy and want to make it as valuable as possible. There will be many seminars,
certifications and face time with all our industry has to offer. If you have never attended, it will be well worth your time
and money. If you have attended you already know this.
Don’t forget to see the new website. NMEA has worked long and hard to update the look and function of the site.
Content is being added constantly. It is a valuable resource that should not be overlooked.
Back in November, NMEA held three days of training/certifications in Newport, RI. Thank you KVH for offering your
state-of-the-art classroom facility. We followed those three days with a regional meeting. Again, thank you KVH and FLIR
for co-sponsoring the dinner along with the NMEA. Once again the turnout was very strong—we had 35 members attend.
Stories were traded, good food was eaten and presentations by Wx Worx, FLIR, KVH, Airmar and KEP loaded everyone’s
head with good information. There was much technical conversation and I think a few problems were solved. I am very
happy with the industry response to our regional meetings and feel very good when I see a room full of experience that
is being shared.
By the time you read this report we will have held another three days’ worth of training/certification, this time up
north in Portland, ME, in conjunction with the Maine Boatbuilders show. I hope to pull our northern dealers out of their
snow caves for a good spring kickoff. This is the same venue where I held my first meeting, having just been elected to
this post back in March 2008.
