Shakespeare Marine makes waves with the world’s first inflatable emergency VHF antenna at the DAME Design Awards 2018
World leader in marine antenna design, Shakespeare® Marine, was this morning announced as the winner of the lifesaving and safety equipment category for its GALAXY-INFL8 at the highly prestigious DAME Design Awards. The brand new GALAXY-INFL8 is the world’s first inflatable emergency VHF antenna and is launching at METSTRADE 2018.
Shakespeare Marine’s GALAXY-INFL8 is the first emergency antenna with the performance to carry the GALAXY name. It can be rapidly deployed via an embedded canister or manual tube and inflates to 1.6 meters (5 feet) to offer a full 3dB functioning unit and a range of up to three times greater than any existing helical emergency antenna. The GALAXY-INFL8 is also supplied with a unique splice connector, enabling fast and efficient connection to existing radio cables, which further improves the radio transmission range – another industry first.
European Sales Manager at Shakespeare® Marine, Dave Manasseh, comments, “We’re incredibly proud to be announced as the winner of the lifesaving and safety equipment category and would like to thank the judges for this recognition. The GALAXY-INFL8 is the culmination of years of hard work from our engineering and design specialists and a game-changer for emergency communications.”
The GALAXY-INFL8 has been designed with multiple features to enhance users’ safety at sea, including contrasting colors to allow it to be seen mounted on the vessel day and night and built-in reflective strips for extra visibility. The antenna is mounted with included hook and loop straps allowing for quick and easy installation in any weather, as well as grommets top and bottom to facilitate securing to masts, stanchions, outriggers or other vertical structures on board. Thanks to its inflatable design and manual valve it is reusable, so it can be deflated and stowed away safely until it is needed.
In addition to being an emergency replacement for the primary vessel antenna, the packable and storable GALAXY-INFL8 can also be adapted to improve the range of handheld VHFs, making it an ideal addition to ditch bag and even non-emergency applications where extending the range of portable VHFs is desirable.
Visitors to METSTRADE this year can find out more about this award-winning innovation on stand 02.407 and at the Innovation Showcase.
Now in its 28th year, the DAME Design Award is the most prestigious international design competition for new marine equipment and accessories. The independently appointed judging panel comprises of top naval architects, boat, interior and industrial designers along with marine electronics and accessory experts. With a focus on the art and science of marine equipment design, from styling, functionality and innovation, through to ease of implementation and practicality of use, the awards recognize the cream of the crop in the marine industry.
Established in 1897, Shakespeare® Marine is a global antenna brand with a reputation for superior quality. Find out more on the website, www.shakespeare-marine.com or contact the main offices at EU 00 44(0) 1253 858 787 or USA 1 803 227 1590.