What happened to Fogmate?

[rgano]

I have installed and used the very useful horn timer made by Fogmate on my boats and was recommending it to some friends when one of them pointed out that Fogmate no longer has an internet presence. Looking about for alternatives has yielded nothing comparable in price, size or ease of use. Most want to mount some excessively costly item to your helm console when Fogmate was a small cube of electronic hidden away which was operated by turning on your nav lights and pumping the whistle/horn button a specified number of times within 3 seconds to initiate the desired foghorn mode.

 

[rslifkin]

It does look like FogMate is gone. I put one on my boat about 3 years ago.

It looks like the closest equivalent now is the better featured, but larger (and more expensive) controller from Signal Mate.

 

[O C Diver]

I'm sure you're aware that many VHF radios now have provisions for an external speaker, can be used for hailing, and have automated fog signals built in. My guess would be that people who use fog signals, go that route. I have an old Raytheon hailer with all the different fog signals in the options. Definitely beats doing it manually.

Ted

 

[Comodave]

I'm sure you're aware that many VHF radios now have provisions for an external speaker, can be used for hailing, and have automated fog signals built in. My guess would be that people who use fog signals, go that route. I have an old Raytheon hailer with all the different fog signals in the options. Definitely beats doing it manually.

Ted

+1.

 

[CaptTom]

We went through this once before. Fogmate disappeared, but came back some time (years, IIRC) later.

It's a shame these didn't become more widely used. Convenience and safety at low cost. How often do you see that in marine equipment?

 

[rslifkin]

I'm sure you're aware that many VHF radios now have provisions for an external speaker, can be used for hailing, and have automated fog signals built in. My guess would be that people who use fog signals, go that route. I have an old Raytheon hailer with all the different fog signals in the options. Definitely beats doing it manually.

Ted

On many boats the horns are louder than the hailer (if there's a hailer installed). So using the horns for a fog signal is preferable.

 

[O C Diver]

On many boats the horns are louder than the hailer (if there's a hailer installed). So using the horns for a fog signal is preferable.

That's generally fixable with a larger speaker.

The other part of the equation is that the hailer speaker becomes a microphone when not giving a signal. Between the directional microphone and adjustable volume, the hailer does a much better job listening for other fog horns, than the naked ear alone (especially for us old geezers).

Ted