Chartplotter

[brokesailor]

Great tip Rain Dog.
I haven't mentioned radar because I already have a Furono 821 Radar with display at the Nav. Station.
Good suggestion regarding the drawbacks of the swing arm.
Rain Dog, BTW Skalliwag arrives at her new home tomorrow AM, Tuesday.

[ralopata]

Congrats on the homecoming for your new boat, Brokesailor. And perfect timing. Spring weather finally made it to the Chesapeake...hoping to splash JUNO this week in Rock Hall!

Roger Lopata
JUNO
PSC 40 -- #46

[night0wl]

If you're considering the iPad, for a bit more money, ASUS has the EEE tablet ($1000) which is a *FULL* windows 7 tablet. Much more flexibility when it comes to networking your device to other instruments.

HOWEVER - Radar will always be a problem. I dont know of any non-proprietary radar format that allows overlay of the full sweep image over charts....I know some that put their radar MARPA "targets" on the wire so to speak...but sometimes, you want to have a larger overall view (storms and such).

Also, the problem with ipad and or laptop/tablet is readibilty in sunlight as well as toughness.

I like my boat instruments/toys and have toyed with upgrading my only 4 year old instruments, but looking at a $10,000 bill to do that (Plotter, Radome, Cabling, Wind, Tri-data, Autopilot Head Unit, new navpod to fit new gen of raymarine plotters)...so holding off on that for now. Althouhg, I could probably get $2000-$3000 for the existing equipment I have now.

[teejayevans]

If you want sunlight readable monitor for you PC, search for transflective lcd monitors.
Tom

[BirdBrain333]

Originally Posted by brokesailor

Bird Brain: Is the IPAD 2 GPS a true GPS or is it locating via WIFI/phone signals?

I spent WAY too many hours trying to figure this out and came to the conclusion that the iPad contains a regular GPS AND that it uses information from WIFI/Phone signals IF they are available to augment the GPS signal for even greater accuracy. When no WIFI/Phone signals are available then it functions as a standard GPS. I think Apple did us all a huge disservice calling it "assisted GPS" rather than a more accurate terms such as "enhnaced GPS."

Jay, PSC 37 Kenlanu, watching 12" of April Fools snow melt.

[karlinD]

I have just finished updating Windflower's electronics and selected Garmin's faster 5208 featuring the Vision photo images. After discussing options with some respected elder sea dogs, and, after hearing the phrase redundancy, redundancy, redundancy, the second 5208 was installed at the nav desk. The 5208 is a great size for the nav desk below and since Windflower is fitted with a tiller and the 5208 is touch screen and water tight, the second unit fits nicely outside on the starboard bulkhead. The XM weather (and audio) option was also selected tied to the Clarion CMV1. The 18 inch Garmin radar fit nicely on the mast and has way more bells and whistles than I can operate. On the bulkhead between the head and starboard settee, a 27 inch LED/LCD by LG TV was installed. It turned out fantastic especially when the radar image is directed to the TV monitor. The total cost was in the range of $15K. I'm certain it will all be out of date by tomorrow but that can't be avoided.

Karlin
Windflower
PSC 37 - 198

[BMLipiec]

Apple's literature is very confusing/misleading. There are two different models of the IPAD and only one has true GPS capability. The IPAD wifi only version does not have a GPS (picks up wifi signals to calculate position). The wifi + 3G IPAD does have GPS.
I found this out after I bought the wifi only model. I didn't believe it until I pitted my buddy's 3G model against mine, side-by-side. Afterward there was no debate - the wifi only model didn't come close to matching the 3G's accuracy. I would have spent the extra $$ if I had known before hand.
I believe IPAD 2 models are configured similarly.

[PCSSailor]

I have a swing arm mounted radar/chart plotter. It's mounted on the port bulkhead and swings into the companionway. It works but I wouldn't do it again.

1. I used a small three arm...hard to find. I have seen but can't find small four arms which would be much more convenient and possibly change my mind about doing it again. In the bay chop it's difficult to keep the swing arms from swinging.
2. I have a 9 inch screen and depth measurements are hard to see from a 5 foot distance. The bay is crowded and while not blessed with New England fog, it helps to see the radar from the wheel...closer is better.
3. Radars and chartplotter buttons have to be pushed every so often. If it's located out of helman's reach you have to leave the wheel when you may not want to.
4. Strongly consider a fully functioning repeating unit (or at lease a PC connection) at the nav station. It's a luxury but you probably don't want to key in way points etc. while at anchor....out side...at night...in the rain.
5. And finally, not being able to completely close the companionway during inconvenient weather is a pia.

For all these reasons, I would locate a relatively small unit on my pedestal.

[brokesailor]

Thanks PCS. All good points. I jusst got back from a passage from St. Martin to bermuda. On this boat the chart plotter is mounted underneath the dodger on the coach roof. Offshore it's a great place to have since a lot of times you are tucked in behind the dodger to get out of the way of the wind and spray with the boat on auto pilot. But when we got to Bermuda I could not see the chartplotter from the helm so I had to depend on a person at the plotter telling me where to turn. In the Bay definitely needs to be at the helm.