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Charts and Chartplotters

9K views 71 replies 16 participants last post by  SanderO 
#1 ·
I have two forms of chartplotting navigation. One is a very old, rugged, and reliable Garmin 376C but there are no longer recent charts available and it's not compatible with NOAA Raster or Vector. So, a perfectly good piece of hardware is good for the trash bin because it has been thrown under the bus by the company that made it....what else is new? The other is a Toughbook CF31 and a couple of different programs (Sailcruiser and Open CPN). Along with NOAA charts, both of these programs work very well. I am wondering if there are any systems such as Navionics which might be better alternatives as the backup nav system. I would not buy another Garmin because of the proprietary restrictions and Garmin map only approach. We only do USA sailing now so NOAA charts are really all we need. Would like to have the most accurate system on board whether it be Windows, Android or other. Thoughts?
 
#48 ·
My Alpha 3000 AP has an no remote. The control head is located where I need it to be.... where the nav instruments are, the helm is, engine controls and sail control lines... all in arms length.

I suppose some people want to stand at the bow and thread their boat through coral heads. Not me.
 
#54 ·
As I work the boat from forward in the cockpit all controls are a close reach. When it gets snotty I sit in the companionway protected by the dodger (except blowing from the stern) and can use and reach all controls. If I have to hand steer... I would be drenched. But I rarely use foulies.
 
#55 ·
We steer for the most part from behind the wheel. My wife has made a nice enclose to protect us should it be a drenching or bad weather conditions. However we have robust foulies also and use them when necessary.

Our seat behind the helm allow us to look way forward past the bow and in all directions of 270 degrees by just turning our head. The MFD is in front of us and displays radar as well as AIS. Backup data is seen on both the IPads and I phones we Carry. A backup for the radar is at the nav station run independently from the MFD radar which is overlaid in most instances over the chart. There are times though we split screen the radar and chart.
Especially occurring on a long view 36 miles on the radar with the chart in a 12 or 18 mile view.

Since most of our sailing occurs in the Chessie, those who sail there frequently know how important it is to have a look at the MFD as well as visual when entering the myriad of creeks for anchoring. This is far different than say the LI Sound where most anchorages occur in areas behind “inlet “ entrances. Another difference from say the LI Sound is the ability to anchor in thousands of choices along River bends, sheltered by high creek banks from the wind. Even though we have sailed for many years, every time we anchor may be a different place. An example is that we frequent the Chester River. There are over 300 different anchorage spots we have utilized.

We have found our MFD to be very accurate in most cases.
 
#59 ·
Have three MFds. Under hard dodger, helm and nav station. When cold or snotty stand on first step of companionway under the dodger. all working lines are there except primaries. If heats on it’s warm as well. Don’t use the remote. Was the first to put a hard dodger on a Outbound. But I’m done with cold and wet. Breaks my heart there aren’t many true A ocean rated 40-50’ monos with true pilot houses.
Friend is buildIng Razor Cats. They have a true indoor station where all controls and lines are usable inside. Brilliant design.
Shame about nauticat. Would just change the doors to get that A.
 
#60 ·
I’ve got a six year old Garmin GPS Map 546 at the helm which I’ve been happy with for the past two years I’ve had my boat. I brought her up from Oriental to sail the Chesapeake with no trouble using the Garmin and the SeaNav US app on my iPhone and IPad as backup (plus paper charts). The SeaNav US app is pretty limited, but was cheap and had ActiveCaptain integrated before they sold out to Garmin so was good for planning and backup in a pinch. The pinch being when I had a power glitch that took out my Garmin while I was powering into a narrow, winding channel. I switched to my phone app and all was good.

The app used to offer free map updates which is another reason I bought it, but now they’ve moved to a subscription model. I’ve used Navionics on the iPad and it is considerably better in performance than SeaNav US, but again there is that pesky subscription fee. I’ll probably end up going there in the spring.

So here is a question for the group. Has anyone used a Bluetooth GPS receiver and, if so, which one(s) and how well did they work? I’m thinking something like the Garmin GLO 2. I’d like to get position info on my wifi only iPad and that seems like a good way to do it.
 
#61 · (Edited)
No need to buy an expensive Bluetooth GPS transmitter. I know there are free apps for Android that do this, and I would hope that there are iOS ones too.

I keep an old Nexus 4 phone on the boat. It's not activated on any cellular network, but works fine as a Wifi device. On that phone I have some critical boating apps, such as a very good anchor alarm, a Bluetooth GPS app, and a Wifi diagnostic tool that I can be used to find an unused Wifi channel at the dock for my own marine router.

So if you have an old phone lying around (or your current active phone, if you prefer), I'd suggest getting an app to send the phone's GPS information out by Bluetooth.

If you want to buy a dedicated BT transmitter, the Globalsat ones get some decent reviews, though you should check for yourself because models change over time. I'm sure Garmin is fine, but you'll pay a lot more. If it has special proprietary features it may be worth it, but sending GPS NMEA sentences over Bluetooth SPP is pretty mundane and common, so not a whole lot of reason to spend big bucks for it.
 
#67 ·
Predicted tides and currents are built into the program at all the NOAA/USCG stations. Click the button and you'll see arrows that show the present level/speed/direction prediction. Click/tap on the arrows and you'll see a forecast for other times/days. There's also an included plugin, OTcurrent, that will show current vectors for future dates on the chart - very nice for planning your timing through the C&D canal and through the Delaware Bay. This is all built into the program - you just need to learn how to do it.

AIS display does not need another program. You do need to connect the signal wires from your AIS receiver, but you also need to do that for a dedicated chartplotter. A small level of complication is added since computers no longer have serial ports. Best way is generally a serial-USB adapter or serial-Bluetooth adapter. On OpenCPN you do need to set up a connection with

I've never worked with radar, but I understand that there are free plugins available for the various brands/models of radar that will overlay the display on the chart.

I agree, and have stated on this thread, that many people walk away from OpenCPN because they can't configure it. It's a global program for displaying information. That information varies for different people, especially for charts in different regions. In the US NOAA provides easily downloadable charts that are 100% free, and the Chart Downloader plugin has made that even easier. Still, many don't want to hassle with this and will just buy a freestanding chartplotter and be done with it. That's fine for those who don't want the hassle.

A "computer at the helm" is not really needed. I have an 8" Windows tablet (less than 1/4" thick) mounted which works great. I've been tempted to just velcro it onto my chartplotter cover, but I like the rotating RAM mount so I can view it sitting in my transom seats, which is where I usually sit while underway.
 
#69 ·
Interfacing radar with OpenCPN will require some wiring and setting of communication parameters, just as it would for any MFD.

https://opencpn.org/OpenCPN/plugins/radarPI.html

Note: Radar PI replaces GRradar, GXRadar, and Navico Radar plugins for OpenCPN ver 5.0 and up.
This plugin overlays the radar picture on OpenCPN. A versatile plugin that can be easily adapted to most broadband radars.

Support for OpenCPN V 5.0 and multi canvas with simultaneous overlay of two different radars.
Revised multi radar type architecture.
Adding a new radar only requires radar knowledge and can reuse the existing display technology.
Support for four simultaneously active radars. Multiple brands can be mixed.

Display and UI:
Real time true motion image
Multi canvas support with simultaneous overlay of two different radars
Look forward and look aft in radar windows
Dragging and zooming in radar windows
Performance and stability improvements
Radar support
Garmin HD and xHD radar support. Navico "new" 3G support.
Older 3G radars are still supported via the BR24 type.
Navico HALO-3, HALO-4, HALO-6 and HALO24 support
 
#70 ·
Given the expense of a MFD versus a tablet or laptop believe vendors are becoming more sensitive to allow heritage models a longer effective functional life. As time goes on they realize their market share will decrease faster if they don’t so they are incentivized to do so.
Personally find having radar, AIS, current depths (i. e community edits) most helpful at landfalls in new to me places. Find most coastal can be done line of sight with very little resorting to a screen. Have sailed whole seasons both in the BVIs and Massachusetts Bay without looking at any screen. Would turn stuff on periodically to make sure it still worked but didn’t feel the need to use it. Same old-same old. Of course offshore you can look at the screen(s) less often.
So any navigational aid is there to lower your stress, make you safer and get you where you want to go. Don’t see the updates (other than charts) as serving those functions. Would wish commercial and government interests would continue to allow heritage software and hardware to have access to up to date charts
 
#71 ·
I have been playing with OpenCPN for the past couple of weeks. It is still clunky and slow compared to PolarView NS, but the price is good and it really is flexible. Chart downloads and updating in OpenCPN has been VASTLY improved from what it used to be, but it still does not match PolarView's interface for selecting charts, or the granularity with which they can be selected. I am updating ny NOAA charts in PolarView as I type.

It is a shame that Polar Navy is closing down in 2 days from now. It was a GREAT chart plotter program - fantastic for route planning. I will continue to use it until it breaks. I am glad that my PolarView 2.7 license on my Windows XP PC is still good, and the 3.0.8 license on this Windows 10 PC is working well and allows me to download chart updates. I had been using this PC to update the charts, and then I would transfer the updated charts to the XP PC. Once PolarNavy chart updates are no longer available I will either update my charts using OpenCPN, or simply download from the NOAA site, and load into PolarView NS.

Here (for my own reference) is how to update charts in PolarViewNS WITHOUT using the Charts Manager (perhaps someone else will benefit):
Within PolarView you have defined a chart location. Go to the Download Manager to see where this is.
1. Create a TEMP directory to download .zip files into.
2. Go to https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ and pick either ENC (Electronic) or Raster (printed format) charts (or both).
3. Go to the ENC/Raster "Listing" link, and select the charts that you want to download (ALL, by CG Districts, by State, by Region, or individually). Download of a .zip will start when you make your selection. Download to your TEMP directory.
4. Open the .zip file, and you will see that it contains directories.
5. Copy the directories into the defined chart location that PolarView is using.
6. (Re)Start PolarView and the charts and chart database will update automatically.
 
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