chart plotter

Discussions regarding electronics, gear and other equipment of maintenance issues that ARE NOT SPECIFIC to a certain PDQ model yacht
Bob
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chart plotter

Post by Bob »

What are you using for a chart plotter? Are you satisfied? Inquiring minds want to know :!:
Bob Johnson
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amytom
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Re: chart plotter

Post by amytom »

Raymarine C70 Very happy; no major problems.
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eepstein
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Re: chart plotter

Post by eepstein »

We have the Garmin 545. Its very nice and fun to use. The SD cards for davanced charts and features are a bit pricey though. Also have a Garmin 478 which has too small of a screen and less features, but has a rechargeable battery.
Hope that helps..
Eric & Bonnie Epstein
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Page 83
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Re: chart plotter

Post by Page 83 »

[Ahem.]

"Unaccustomed as I am to discussing the virtues of electronics, I am forced to admit to some familiarity with the subject." he said with feigned modesty. "Since there are a number of options, I suggest you narrow your search with a few parameters."

"Like what" you said, not realizing you had proferred an unlimited invitation to hours of pontification on a very dull issue.

First, what are you used to? have you had experience with a particular manufacturer's user interface?
Second, where are you going to use it? Some chart systems are better than others in different parts of the World.
Three, what is your budget? That affects the size of the screen for the most part, then the number of bells and whistles.
Fourth, are there sensors or transducers on the vessel now? In a limited number of cases they can be used on newer electronics, but don't get your hopes up.
If you have a place on the boat to put it, how big is it, and how deep is it. Does it have an easy route to your circuit panel and to likely antenna locations?
and Fifth; Do you really read the book when you get a new toy, or do you just poke around for a long while and get frustrated? This is NOT an idle question!
Sandy Daugherty "Page 83" PDQ 36026
Marc Gershel
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Re: chart plotter

Post by Marc Gershel »

I don't know if this classifies as a chart plotter. Being an old paper chart dinasour, last summer I installed Tiki Navigator Pro on my laptop with free NOAA charts, and I feel as though I now have a large screen chart plotter that even a dummy like me can understand and use.
Marc
Bob
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Re: chart plotter

Post by Bob »

Presently the boat is equipped with an old Garmin 75 at the helm. I'm running The Capn with a choice of either a Deluo cube gps or my Garmin 12XL on my laptop. I was contemplating replacing the 75 but looking at prices for chartplotters I think I'd be better off buying a second laptop for 1/2 the price and loading Open Cpn (http://www.bigdumboat.com/cpnindex.html ) that handles the NOAA downloaded charts. I tried the program at the end of last season and seems to work OK. My original thought was power consumption would be less but at the price of these units maybe the money would be better spent on solar panels and/or wind. Sandy, to answer your question I'm slightly more right brain than left so tend to start pushing buttons before reading. Also area of navigation would be East Coast and hopefully Bahamas in a year or two.
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Page 83
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Re: chart plotter

Post by Page 83 »

The virtue of a chartplotter is that it can be used at the helm, for immediate information about where the boat is on the chart in the plotter, where it goes next, and what's in between.

All of Garmin's chart plotters (and many others) can show you current real time weather on that chart and when the kitty can stand it, radar. These screens are sunlight readable and weather proof. Laptops are not.

Chartplotters are built to a higher standard than laptops, which are not likely to be called upon to save out ship.
but they are fun and useful, if a little disappointing without a network connection. Even cell phones can provide some very entertaining functions as long as you stay within range of cell towers for updates, and keep them dry and charged.

I think you should have both, or all three, but first have a good chartplotter with current cartography that you can depend on, that you can see when the sun shines, and that will keep working when you run into that storm cell because you didn't have satellite weather!
Sandy Daugherty "Page 83" PDQ 36026
Marc Gershel
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Re: chart plotter

Post by Marc Gershel »

AW SHUCKS! And I thought I was being so smart, comin' into the 21st century, and all that. That being said, I still feel good about my simple, and fairly cheap set-up. I've kept the laptop on the salon table, where it's been viewable most of the time. As far as viewing from the helm, I don't find that to be all that important, since I haven't needed it to steer in close quarters. For that ,I find radar, or eyeball, more useful. The weather part sounds nice though. The thing I've enjoyed most I think, is the big color screen, and the large easy to read graphics. Old eyes I guess.
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Re: chart plotter

Post by Page 83 »

I too was very computer centric when I got into bigger boats, but that was at a time when I needed a whole mare's nest of wires to get a feeble position on a map. I was personally offended that some company expected me to shell out big bucks for a little screen on a computer that couldn't do anything else! That was then.

If you still feel that way, do not let yourself near a modern chart plotter at the helm of a boat entering a strange harbor in limited visibility. You will not be able to resist the overwhelming attraction of a screen right in front of you that shows a chart zoomed in to a comfortable scale that clearly tells you where you want to go, where you don't want to go, and where you are to within the space between the bows! The superimposed radar confirms the accuracy of your position by showing targets right where the chart says a bouy should be, or a boat right where there isn't a bouy to confuse matters.
when you call a buddy for his position, it pops up on that same screen.

when there's a tug with a 200' tow behind, it shows up there too, via AIS, with a data tag that tells you his name when you click on it. You will come to wonder why God let Mariners struggle through the night for centuries without MARPA.

I think I would be compromising the safety of my vessel and crew if I had to leave the helm to check a chart.

Look at that laptop sitting on the dinette, and tell me why no one will trip over a power cable, necessitating a reboot in the middle of a shipping lane. Convince me it will never slide off onto the bridgedeck floor and acquire a few unwanted creases. Assure me it has no virus, malware, or iffy memory chip that could leave you lost when you don't want to be, and I'll agree that chartplotters are just too damned expensive and you can do without them!

But you cound have an absolutely bullet-proof system with chartplotter, XM weather, DSC and AIS that will let you pick out and selectively call a target on your VHF with a couple clicks, all in a water-proof, easy to read setup for less than the price of a remote screen for your laptop!

I wouldn't be preaching to you like this if I didn't suspect that you want to be convinced.

Ask me and I'll give you a shopping list to get all the above, but tell me what kind of radar you have now.
Sandy Daugherty "Page 83" PDQ 36026
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I do use a GPS, but...

Post by thinwater »

On my delivery trip I actually threw a towel over the instruments. Too much information. I just sailed home 100 miles.

I have gotten used to selectively ignoring instruments now. They are handy. But if someone offered me $1500 and a down -grade to a simple hand held GPS I would take it, I think.

I use computers at work; that is enough of that. My lap top has never been on my boat. I plot, when needed, with a pencil.

I'm a fossil, but I try to keep needs in proportion.

Sorry Sandy. Just teasing!
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Re: chart plotter

Post by Bargain Bill »

I too need to upgrade my 2003 5" Navman plotter that uses NT+ chips. My chips go from New York south and around to Ft. Myers - - only Bimini displays for the Bahamas. Its OK in these areas, but I want the most accurate (i.e.; detailed) charts for the near and mid-Bahamas. ANY SUGGESTIONS??

Bill & Fran Carlson
Easy Riders MV34 #029
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SecondWind
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Re: chart plotter

Post by SecondWind »

We have a Navman and use NT+ chips.

From Go2Marine.com: Part#114934, Mfr#NA-C503, C-MAP Electronic Charts, Cuba and the Bahamas NT+ Wide coverage by C-Map. These chips DO include the Explorer Charts.
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Re: chart plotter

Post by duetto »

c-map charts based on explorer charts are VERY accurate, at least in the northern bahamas.
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Re: chart plotter

Post by Bargain Bill »

Thanks, ordered it today - - FYI, the new mfg # is NA-C306 and their part # is 198304.

Bill & Fran Carlson
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amytom
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Re: chart plotter

Post by amytom »

What's the consensus on the Navionics Gold chart 16? Does it cover the northern islands very well? If not, are there any other options for the Raymarine?
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