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Dead Reckoning Improvements in TZ Professional v5.4 for GPS Spoofing and GNSS Disruption

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GPS spoofing, GNSS interference, and other positioning anomalies mean the on-screen position can’t always be trusted. TZ Professional v5.4 strengthens Dead Reckoning—an independent, motion-based backup—to help mariners keep navigating and spot suspicious GPS behavior sooner.

What’s improved in v5.4

Easier to access and manage: Dead Reckoning settings are now grouped in a dedicated Options section, making core controls quicker to find.

  • Enabling Dead Reckoning
  • Displaying the Ghost Ship
  • Monitoring GPS deviation

Ghost Ship (spoofing detection)

  • Ghost Ship runs a Dead Reckoning track alongside GNSS, using heading and Speed Through Water (instead of GPS) as an independent reference.
  • Use it to compare the GPS position to a motion-based estimate.
  • If the separation grows beyond your threshold, an alarm can warn that the displayed GNSS position may be unreliable.

Radar-assisted position verification

  • Works with Furuno radar so you can cross-check position using radar overlay and known references (e.g., coastline, buoys).
  • In Dead Reckoning mode, you can manually shift the vessel position to match the radar picture; the corrected point becomes the new reference for ongoing estimates.

More accurate position estimation

Dead Reckoning can now incorporate transverse water speed from sensors such as the Furuno DS 60 or Airmar DX900+ in addition to Speed Through Water, improving estimates when the vessel is pushed sideways by wind, sea state, or current.

More flexibility when data is incomplete

In degraded conditions v5.4 extends Dead Reckoning so it can keep running with whatever data is available.

  • Automatic mode when heading and speed are available
  • Manual entry when either heading or speed is missing
  • Expanded manual mode for very limited data
  • Estimated position input through LOP tool

This ensures that users can maintain navigation continuity even in degraded conditions, instead of losing the benefit of Dead Reckoning when it is needed most.

Why this matters

With these updates, Dead Reckoning helps users:

  • Maintain an estimated position without relying on GPS
  • Detect GPS spoofing and suspicious GNSS behavior
  • Compare GNSS data with an independent motion-based reference
  • Continue navigating when onboard data is incomplete
  • Verify and correct position using radar

Conclusion

GPS spoofing and GNSS disruption while rare are becoming increasingly more common. Safe operations require tools that verify and cross-check position—not just display it.

Dead Reckoning in TZ Professional v5.4 is built to maintain navigation continuity and help confirm whether GNSS data is trustworthy.

Furuno Norway AS joins MaxSea’s distribution network

TIMEZERO2 Comments

Furuno technicianFuruno Norway AS becomes the Norwegian distributor of MaxSea navigation and fishery systems developed by the French company MaxSea International.

As of May 22, the distribution rights for all products have been transferred from the until now distributor MaxSea Norway AS to Furuno Norway AS. At the same time, two of MaxSea Norway’s three employees are transferred to Furuno Norway, while the third will continue to develop MaxSea Norway for other products and markets under a new name.

MaxSea has recently launched a new version of its navigation system called MaxSea TimeZero, which offers full integration with Furuno’s existing products (radar, fish finders). The rapprochement is therefore quite natural, and will provide clear synergies that will benefit both customers and MaxSea/Furuno partners.

MaxSea TimeZero Plot PBG Seabed
MaxSea TimeZero built-in 3D mapping database of the seabed

Customers will have access to complete high-tech systems from one supplier integrating all together fishing plotter, weather data, sounder, radar, AIS, engine information, etc. In addition to new features and a very user-friendly interface, the new MaxSea TimeZero also has a built-in 3D mapping database of the seabed in all relevant areas of fishing activity, based on an extensive database that users have collected and shared over several years. All products will be distributed through the established network of dealers all along the Norwegian coast.

Furuno Norway AS is a sales and service organization that provides navigation, communication and fish finding equipment to the Norwegian, Russian and Brazilian shipyards and shipowners. Furuno Norway AS has office in Ålesund, and branch offices in Bergen and Oslo. Furuno Norway currently has 31 employees. 

Furuno dealers in Norway
Click on the map to locate a dealer

MaxSea International is the world’s largest supplier of PC-based marine charting systems with more than 50.000 systems delivered worldwide. In Norway, MaxSea mapping systems are installed on board more than 2.200 vessels. MaxSea International is headquartered in France with offices in Spain and the United States and national distributors worldwide. MaxSea International presently has 60 employees.

MaxSea International warmly welcomes its new distributor!

Remembering the Titanic: major improvements in marine safety

TIMEZERO3 Comments

Titanic Ad PosterOn the night of April 14th 1912, after a successful sea trial, the RMS Titanic sank during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The ship hit an iceberg right before midnight and was engulfed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean by 2.20 on April 15, becoming the deadliest maritime disaster of all time.

Nowadays, onboard electronic equipments make this kind of accident almost impossible. New radars, such as Furuno FAR 2xx7 series, offer an ultra-high definition of surroundings. MaxSea TimeZero paired to a Furuno FAR Radar offers a great overlay feature which allows easily displaying and understanding of radar information.

If Titanic was equipped with MaxSea TimeZero and a Furuno FAR radar, the iceberg would have appeared on screen for sure.

Radar Overlay - Furuno FAR 2xx7 series Radar and MaxSea TimeZero

Here is the display of the exact sinking position, according to coordinates found on the internet:

Titanic sinking in the North Atlantic Ocean on MaxSea TimeZero

After the death of more than 1500 people, some safety practices were modified or adopted such as:

  • Free Guide: 10-point safety checklist before sailingEnough lifeboats for everyone: Many of the recommendations pronounced by both the British and American Boards of Inquiry were included into the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) passed in 1914. They stated that ships had to carry enough lifeboats for those aboard, mandated lifeboat drills would be implemented and lifeboat inspections would be conducted.
  • Radio watch 24/7: the US Radio Act of 1912, along with the SOLAS, required ships to maintain contact with close vessels and coastal onshore radio stations, and that radio communications on passenger ships would be operated 24 hours along with a secondary power supply.
  • Unequivocal Distress Rockets: the SOLAS stated that the firing of red rockets at sea must be interpreted as distress signal only.
  • International Ice Patrol’s threat monitoring: the SOLAS led to the creation of an US Coast Guard agency in charge of monitoring and reporting on the location of North Atlantic Ocean icebergs that could be threatening to transatlantic sea traffic.
  • Safer Ship design: double hulls and higher bulkheads were among the changes implemented in ship design for increased safety.

If you want to know more about MaxSea TimeZero’s radar overlay and radar compatibility please refer to our MaxSea TimeZero range page.