Budget chartplotter systems?

[Seagreen]

Suggestions please?

I'm looking for an inexpensive colour chartplotter which will happily match with a new DSC VHF unit, yet also integrate nicely with old existing Autohelm Tridata (now Raymarine). I'm not thinking of radar compatibility but this may well come along in due course. I've found small radar fo collision avoidance a bit useless in small boats, hence my ambivalence to it.

So, do any of you have your favourites and why? I've been scouring sites and mag articles and I'm still very confused.

 

[Channel Ribs]

You can't get better than the Standard Horizon CP-180 for value, they do a range of sizes but that is the smaller and cheaper model. It is very capable and accepts C-Map Max cards.

The bad news, as a few forumites will testify, is that they are in short supply and S/H cannot give an ETA for new stocks. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

A cracking unit and well worth getting an order for one in, so long as you can wait.

If you are in a rush look at the Garmin range.

Let me know if I can help more specifically.

 

[ditchcrawler]

Have a loook at www.jkmax.co.uk for eagle & lowrance.I have an Eagle Fishstrike 2000 with sonar,7" screen ,nmea,& I am really pleased with it.It is not really budget at £549 or £599 with Nautic Path europe chart,but there are alot of cheaper 5" models that you may wish to consider.They do good deals with the Navionics chart as well.Hope this helps.

 

[gjgm]

much the same question was asked yesterday...try a search

 

[TiggerToo]

Do you mean something like this?

 

[Channel Ribs]

Something very much like that, only at a sensible price. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Not sure where he gets his chart prices from either. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Seagreen]

Yes, similar but not the same. Still adds a bit to the confusion.

 

[Seagreen]

OK now I'm interested, provided I can fit one in the small space for it. (Doing the dimensions thing now.) What brand of DSC VHF would sir suggest to accompany this model of chartplotter?

And I assume it interfaces with NMEA standard from the old autohelm kit? Talking to myself now.

 

[Caer Urfa]

Bought a Northstar 550 (5" colour chartplotter) from Marine electronics for £299.95 in May, made by Navman and Identical except for grey instead of blue buttons.
Works great with my Navman 7100 radio

Mike

 

[Robin2]

I bought a CP180 recently and I'm very pleased with it. It can display AIS targets if you connect an AIS receiver to it. Some of the other budget priced plotters cannot show AIS. If this is an important feature for you, do check before you buy.

 

[Channel Ribs]

[ QUOTE ]
... very pleased with it. It can display AIS targets ...

[/ QUOTE ]

Not only that, but interfaced with a Horizon VHF it will show DSC polling too. Both very nice functions.

 

[Pinnacle]

Have you considered a Lowrance 5150C?

Available from here for £369 incl Nautic Path Chart.

As recommended by Morgana.....and me! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[angelsson]

Have just purchased a Lowrance H20c colour handheld, from Marine Scene, Cardiff, also comes with Nauticpath UK chart.
I wanted Navionics as Nauticpath as others here have found has some areas missing, especially in the Med where I am.
I spoke to Navionics who offered me the Med chart, less £40 as a trade-in for the Nauticpath.
MarineScene did me a better deal for the H20c plus Navionics Med chart than the trade-in would have, found them very willing to helpfull, (no interest in them other than as an end user customer.)
Opinion gathered both here and elswhere gives Lowrance products a very good name, at a competitive cost, and in addition the Navionics charts can be readily interchanged from handheld to fixed plotter if so required without having to imput codes etc as I understand other charts require, making it very flexible.
Hope this helps.

 

[Seagreen]

I'm chasing up all the suggestions here, but then this is where the confusion comes in.

I just don't know what I'm after, but i'll list some features:

I need a chartplotter and DSC VHF and AIS, with good coverage of UK, Ireland and France (so i'm looking for package deals - all you chandlers out there come and flirt with me... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

And all these things need to patch in with an old Autohelm Tridata unit (fluxgate compass, depth, speed) so that means NMEA compatible, and be compatible with the new european gps system. It would be nice if I could plan stuff at home on the laptop and export it on a small usb device or card to the unit.

I don't want radar as I've never found them that much use or accurate enough. And it'll ruin the look of the boat.

The unit has to be small enough to fit within a small 30 cm square box, flush-mounted, waterproof (only needs to be splashproof ) and have an external antenna mounted in all probability just above it on the coachroof.

So while I go cross-eyed looking over specifications and dimensions, if you think you know the right combination of kit and maybe want to get my trade, you can PM me. As for delivery, about 3 weeks is what I'm aiming for.

Cheers all.


/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Channel Ribs]

[ QUOTE ]
...chartplotter and DSC VHF and AIS, with good coverage of UK, Ireland and France ... old Autohelm Tridata unit (fluxgate compass, depth, speed) so that means NMEA compatible...

[/ QUOTE ]

Most of your requirements point to a Standard Horizon setup, the plotter handles NMEA very well (more than one forumite has problems that would not have arrisen if they had a plotter with more ports) and the mega wide C-Map covers all of europe.

I shall PM you with a suggested bundle. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

>>>
Most of your requirements point to a Standard Horizon setup, the plotter handles NMEA very well (more than one forumite has problems that would not have arrisen if they had a plotter with more ports) and the mega wide C-Map covers all of europe.

I shall PM you with a suggested bundle.
>>>
Me too please, sounds like the sport of setup I'm after. There seems to be creeping in an element of "our kit is more compatible than mix 'n match".

 

[jsl]

Me too, please.

 

[Bilgediver]

The Standard Horison does all you ask and intuitively. It links to the DSC and if a STandard DSC links bidirectionally so shows the location on the plotter of the SOS vessel. also it has a high speed MNEA link to connect to AIS and display AIS vessels on the plotter.

Go for the larger screen model if you can afford it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif


John

 

[pvb]

Look seriously at the CP300...

If you're looking at Standard Horizon plotters, you should certainly take a serious look at the CP300 rather than the CP180. With plotters, screen definition is an important contributor to user satisfaction, and the CP300 has an 800x480 pixel screen - 5 times the definition of the CP180. And it's still only about 250mm wide, so it'll fit your space.

 

[Guest]

Let's be honest and ignore hype and bias ... so I will not quote "I like Lowrance / Eagle range" ... I do but will refrain ...

Near all - in fact I don't know any of hand that do not connect to other makes / models etc. - even the Raymarine stuff that has Seatalk etc. - as ALL have NMEA as standard - it would be daft of any manufacturer to ignore the NMEA market.

You can even feed a GPS Plotter that has lost it's antenna with a HandHeld GPS NMEA data ... eg my Lowrance 3500C has a LGC 2000 active GPS antena - but I can still connect my little eTrex Handheld to the NMEA cable and tell plotter to accept that data instead of the LGC2000 ...

People advise this model and others advise other models often based on what THEY bought / use. Human nature.

The trick is - as the market is so full of good gear at budget prices now - gear that only a few years ago were mega expensive ... you can go to a supplier and oggle them ... weighing up which you like best.

One consideration that I don't see mentioned often - is menu system. Some are down right awful ... some are reasonable - but none are really good ! But you learn to live with it and that leads to bias as well - as soon as you touch another machine - you instantly reject it - human nature of what you are used to.

So my advice ? Trawl the online chandlers / GPS traders ... and don't forget that Chandlers are only a fraction of the market now ... GPS Warehouse and other companys are right up there with good deals ... Google GPS Plotter ... and see the listings. Check out what you need ... then start to section down into proce bands and spec's you get ... display resolution is a very big factor now ... stay away from 1/4VGA and mono now ... there are far better out there ...
Narrow it down ... also look to see if bundle deals are done including chart cards of YOUR area / choice etc. Is it a chart system that is superceded - beware of older Garmin for example - this is a problem.

Good luck ... you could even join GPS Navigator over on Yahoo groups to ask a few questions !! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

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