Advanced Customizations that only Dockmate Can Offer
The advanced DockControl 2 programming software gives the installer the capability of customizing the remote control to your boat and conditions, as well as to your exact needs and specifications during a sea trial.
• Turning on your axis:
DockControl can give the reversing engine more throttle than the forward engine so that when you twist the joystick, the boat turns on its axis vs. turning and continuing to move forward.
• Moving at a 45 degree angle:
When pointing the TWIST joystick in a 45 degree angle, the DockControl software can give an engine more throttle so the boat moves with authority in that direction. This software can also include the use of the bow thruster when moving at a 45 degree angle.
• Stopping quickly:
Idle speed in reverse is simply not enough to stop a boat quickly. When trying to stop your way, you need more throttle in reverse than forward. In the DockControl software, we can give the joystick more throttle in reverse so that if someone pulls out in front of you, you have the ability to stop quickly. This is a major safety feature and could be the difference between having an accident or not.
• Close quarter maneuvering - SoftDocking:
When maneuvering close to the dock, the operator will move each gear lever in and out of gear for just a second to bump the transmission forward or back.
DockControl’s proprietary solution SoftDocking does the bumping for you. A simply push on the joystick in either direction will gently bump the transmission in gear. The timing of how long the transmission stays in gear is set to the owners specific request at the time of installation.
A push on the joystick will give the transmission a little bump and have the same result every time. SoftDocking is included with all SINGLE, TWIN and TWIST remotes.
DockLink™
The most reliable and secure two-way radio transmission system.
Dockmate® uses its proprietary DockLink™ communication protocol. DockLink™ is an infinitely superior, state-of-the-art 2-way Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) communication with handshake, and GFSK (FM) modulation on the 433 MHz frequency band that provides superior range of 165 feet (50 meters).
Dockmate® operates in the 433 MHz FM frequency band that has 72 communication channels. FHSS means every Dockmate® uses a unique set of 6 channels in the entire band of 72 channels, and then hops from one frequency to another. This FHSS rolling code changes 6x per second over 6 different channels, resulting in over 5 million code combinations and virtually eliminating any possible chance of interference.
Three alarms in each handheld remote control Transmitter in the unlikely event that the two-way communication signal with the Receiver is ever lost: Audio (beeping), Vibration, and Visual (flashing LED light).
“I think that the two-way communications between the remote and control unit and the configurability of the system are the two best things Dockmate offers.”
– Ben Stein
Dockmate owner & Publisher
Panbo - the Marine Electronics Hub
Electronics Editor - Power & MotorYacht, PassageMaker and Soundings magazines
SoftDocking
One thing that every boater understands is that docking is made more complex by the delay between engaging the control head lever(s) and the moment the boat begins to move.
With our newly-patented SoftDocking technology, a short push of the joystick or button will consistently result in a pre-programmed customizable fraction-of-a-second burst of the propeller.
With SoftDocking you can easily and consistently "bump“ the engine(s), enabling you to softly dock a boat.
Throttle+
Offers predetermined throttle:
This means that every Dockmate can have 2 levels of engine/motor control: idle forward/reverse and calibrated throttle forward/reverse.
With Throttle+, extra throttle can be used at any moment, immediately, just by the push of a button or joystick.
Stern Thruster Simulator:
Walk the boat sideways to the dock even
if you don't have a stern thruster!
Check out this video showing a boat with two engines and a bow thruster walking the boat sideways to the dock, even though the boat does not have a stern thruster!
This feature is one of the many amazing ways that Dockmate's advanced DockControl 2 software can be programmed to help you have a better, more enjoyable, and safer boating experience.