Voted as the Best safety Device for 2012 by “Outdoor Canada” Magazine.
With a readership of 1,548,000, Autotether is rated #11 out of 40 MUST-HAVES. Per the editor, “Of all the new fishing equipment that comes out every year, which items make the most sense for Canadian anglers? That’s the overriding question I always to answer when selecting the winners of Outdoor Canada’s annual Best New Gear Awards. Not only must the product have value for the money and be made of quality materials, they must also suit angling conditions here in Canada.” Mr.Gord Pyzer is also a Canadian Angler Hall of Famer, is a Field Editor for In-Fisherman Magazine and Television, a Co-Host on The Real Fishing Radio Show, a Host of Fish Talk With "The Doc" Outdoor Journal Radio, and is President of the Canadian Angling Adventures Ltd. You don’t have to take our word for it!
1/31/12: Mystic, Conn. (WTNH) - They say necessity is the mother of invention and for a Connecticut man his invention may just be a life saver as well. "There's a radio signal going back and forth between this," Anthony Viggiano explained, "which goes on your body and this which goes on the boat." Viggiano says you no longer need to be tethered to your boat's kill switch. His Autotether device, a wireless man-overboard system, makes that connection wireless and triggers the shut off if it gets wet or extends beyond a certain distance from the boat........
CHESTER, CONNECTICUT (USA) – In a ceremony in New Haven, Connecticut on October 27, the wireless lanyard system manufactured by Autotether™ received the Connecticut Technology Council 2011 Innovation Pipeline Award as the most promising new technology product of the year.
“We’re honored to be recognized by our home state Technology Council. With the U.S. Coast Guard currently developing a regulation to require the installation and use of engine cut-off switches, this award couldn’t come at a better time for our company,” said Autotether CEO Anthony Viggiano.
The new Coast Guard regulation would require the installation and use of engine cut-off switches (lanyards) for boats less than 26 feet. Lanyards turn off a boat's engine if the operator is ejected from the boat, preventing boating injuries and casualties caused when people are struck by the boat or its propeller.
While cut-off switches are already standard equipment on many small powerboats, the factory-installed systems require the operator to be tethered to the boat. As a result, these systems limit mobility on board and boaters generally don’t use them. The patented Autotether Wireless Lanyard System is an easy-to-install, unobtrusive wireless unit.
No wiring or tools are required – the system clips to the existing kill switch and is self-powered with AAA batteries. A small personal sensor sends radio waves to a receiver connected to a boat’s engine and Autotether shuts off the engine if the boat operator falls into the water. It also sets off an alarm if passengers on the boat wearing the Autotether sensors (including children and pets) fall into the water. The passenger sensors can also shut off the boat’s engine when the red alert button is pushed in the event that you have a runaway boat. Some insurance companies offer a discount on boat insurance for boats equipped with an Autotether Wireless Lanyard System.
AUTOTETHER™ Wireless Lanyard for Fishermen and Recreational Boaters!
Equip yourself with an AUTOTETHER™, a revolutionary new wireless lanyard that shuts off your motor within 1 1/2 seconds. The Autotether™ uses cutting edge RF technology and is the only wireless lanyard on the market that connects directly to the engine ignition kill switch, requires no hard wiring, is fail safe and works in both salt and freshwater. The Autotether™ protects the boat operator and up to 3 passengers including pets and kids, allowing unrestricted movement about the boat by just wearing a small, wireless sensor. If the operator falls overboard it shuts off the motor and sounds an alarm and if a passenger falls overboard the alarm will sound.
