By Andrew Serenyi
Digital technology for boats is becoming more sophisticated, and owners have a wide selection of manufacturers and devices to choose from within the GPS, depth finder and fish finder categories. Most of these have interactive software installed and use a touch screen interface to access information.
However, all this information is rendered useless when sun glare is overwhelming the display and the captain can’t read the screen. The glare bouncing off the display into the eyes also causes headaches. Even when there is a canopy to shade the display there is always sunlight bouncing off the chrome or other materials to make it hard to read.
Wearing polarized sunglasses is not an option because the polarization of the sunglasses cancels out the light from the display screen. Since most devices are built in into the dashboard, they cannot be tilted physically to provide shading. And as the sun moves during the day the reflections can come from different angles, making it impossible to see the screen at times.
Another problem that is the bane of electronic devices is the salt air and sea spray. It hits the LCD display and can eat away the antireflective coating on the screen. This not only makes the display look ugly, it also makes reading the display more difficult.
This is why equipment manufacturers and boat captains turned to NuShield™ and its high-grade screen protection films to provide a solution to these issues. NuShield has been one of the leading manufacturers of anti-reflective and anti-glare screen protectors. They’ve been protecting LCD displays since 1998.
NuShield recently introduced the DayVue™ antireflective screen protection film, the ideal solution to glare and scratch protection. DayVue™ has been proven effective in practice on the water and on land. The DayVue™ is placed over the surface of the LCD display and virtually eliminates indirect sun glare. The properties of this screen protection film also eliminate 99% of the UV-B rays bouncing back off the screen, thereby reducing eye strain and headaches.
To test the quality of the DayVue™ film we took a 32 foot Cruiser, Inc. 3275 boat out on the Hudson River with a built in Garmin 2006C GPS. Over the years, the screen on the left hand side has the protective coating worn off. We took a picture of the display without any screen protection and it was impossible to view the display, even with the canopy overhead. Then we placed a DayVue™ screen protection film on the right half of the display and it drastically cut down the glare on that side of the screen. Finally, we placed a DayVue film over the whole display area. This eliminated the glare almost completely and the film was also able to hide the coating erosion on the left side when viewed from certain angles. It is important to note that even the DayVue™ film was overwhelmed when sunshine directly hit the display.
The DayVue™ screen protection film is made of a super thin, durable plastic manufactured using a patented technology that provides extended protection against dust, scratches and gouges. It is the only screen protector film of its kind that combines antireflective technology and superior scratch resistance. Dust and dirt and smudges can be easily cleaned off the DayVue™ film’s oil resistant coating. The film has a very low tack adhesive rubber backing which holds it on the screen. This allows for easy installation on flat LCD surfaces and easy adjustment if necessary. It usually takes less than 5 minutes to install the film and push out the larger bubbles. Smaller bubbles usually dissipate within 24 hours.
The technology of the DayVue™ screen protector also provides brightness enhancement, high contrast, high durability and high visibility that improve viewing angles. The superb antireflective effect makes the LCD screen easy to see and can be wiped clean with a damp cloth without degrading the film’s properties. DayVue™ has been tested in the harshest environments without losing its protective and antireflective qualities.
NuShield protective films are available in sizes up to 50 inch diagonal. NuShield currently has standard films available for most devices currently on the market and the company will custom cut films without additional charge. NuShield screen protectors can be purchased through the company website: nushield.com.