While most of us take an asphalt path to our jobsites, some professional crews travel across water to get there. Whether you’re leaving before the sun comes up or getting back after it’s gone down, the SiOnyx Nightwave marine navigation camera can be a key safety component to avoid collisions with other vessels and debris.
SiOnyx Nightwave Ultra Low-Light Operation
The system is built around SiOnyx’s Black Silicon CMOS sensor that can pick up enough light to display an image with just starlight, even when there’s no moon out. Its sub-1mlx sensitivity is far more capable than human eyesight on its own, and it picks up 400 – 1200NM, running from the visible into the near IR part of the spectrum.
With just a 1/4-moon, you can see a man-sized object from 150 yards away without any additional lighting from your boat at a 44° field of view in full color. To put that in perspective, if you’re cruising at 20 MPH, that gives you 15 seconds to see and react to something like a broken off channel marker or capsized vessel. As you’re slowing down to low wake or idle speed entering anchorages and no wake zones, you’ll be able to easily see crab pot floats and other small obstacles, or navigate breakwater entries and jetties.
SiOnyx Nightwave Design Notes
Unlike the Aurora Pro handheld camera, the SiOnyx Nightwave takes advantage of two hard installation options. One is a permanent install. The other is a 1/4-inch mount, which is great if you’re going to remove the camera when your boat isn’t in use. Either way, it can mount ball up or down, it has a manual vertical tilt to point the camera right where you need it, and you can use 5V USB or 12V hardwire for power.
Once you install the camera, you’ll need a display device. It’s compatible with several brands of multifunction displays (MFDs) that have an analog inputs. If you don’t have one, pairing the SiOnyx app to a smartphone is another way to go, but a larger tablet is much better. Built-in Wi-Fi makes streaming the video a wireless application. Available mounts can help you avoid permanently installing a tablet into your console.
While a marine environment is a cause for concern any time you involve technology, don’t let it cause an ulcer. SiOnyx specifically designed the Nightwave for harsh salt water conditions. It has an IP67 ingress rating (submersible up to 3 feet for 30 minutes), and the camera is dry nitrogen-purged to prevent fogging.
Additional Highlights
- Easy firmware and software updates via Wi-Fi
- 1280 x 1024 resolution
- 10-meter to infinity focus range
- 16mm, F/1.4 lens
- NTSC analog video out
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connections
- -4° to 122° F operating temperature
SiOnyx Nightwave Marine Navigation Camera Price
What seals the deal is the price. If you’ve considered thermal or other night-vision cameras, there’s some serious sticker shock. However, you can add the Nightwave to your boat for $1995, plus any installation costs. It’s available in white, black, or gray.
The Bottom Line
If you’re running a flats boat, bass boat, or small center console, the Nightwave is not the right solution. It’s best installed on larger center consoles above the T-top, yachts, ferries, and other boats with a high structure to mount the camera.
Whether you’re sliming the deck as a charter fishing captain, ferrying crews out to the rigs, running law enforcement/SAR operations, or making the trip from the Florida coast to the Bahamas, the SiOnyx Nightwave aids in safe nighttime navigation without the expense of a high-priced thermal or traditional night vision camera.
