Can you see your chartplotter?

boatmike

boatmike

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Recently fitted my Standard Horizon 500 chartplotter to a helm pod. on my moody 35 cc. Yes it's a few years old but works fine still. Unfortunately in bright sunshine with brightness and contrast on maximum I can hardly read it. I also have a Raymarine C120 W mounted below and I am thinking to swap them around as the C120W seems to have a very visible screen. Alternatively some form of sunscreen over it? Any thoughts anyone?
 
boatmike said:
Recently fitted my Standard Horizon 500 chartplotter to a helm pod. on my moody 35 cc. Yes it's a few years old but works fine still. Unfortunately in bright sunshine with brightness and contrast on maximum I can hardly read it. I also have a Raymarine C120 W mounted below and I am thinking to swap them around as the C120W seems to have a very visible screen. Alternatively some form of sunscreen over it? Any thoughts anyone?
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My Raymarine plotter is perfectly useable in bright sunlight, unlike a Tablet which I sometimes want to use.
 
I assume your SH plotter is a 300, not 500. Both these SH and the C-series Raymarines are quite old designs and IMHO not really bright enough for use with full bright sunlight on the screen. Newer plotters are better, but still sometimes struggle.
 
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e tablet, which has a "super AMOLED" screen - supposedly amongst the brightest for daytime viewing.

I've seen others here complain that it isn't bright enough for using on a yacht, but I have used it to read comics and PDF articles in the cockpit, without a bimini, on August afternoons. I find it perfectly bright and clear.

My B&G Vulcan chartplotter is a bit brighter, and can be read from a meter or two away.
 
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I’ve never had a problem with seeing my c90w other than the day after night sailing for the first time in a while (when I have to remember how to reset to the “day” palette). But then I do sail in Britain and not sure I can recall this “bright sunshine” of which you speak.
 
My Simrad NSS7 (equivalent to the original B&G Zeus) is perfectly viewable in direct sunlight although it’s a c. 2015 model. Standard horizon haven’t made plotters for years and suggest it doesn’t owe you anything. If it works and you like it live with it, if it’s not up to scratch swap the plotters or better replace it as both are long in the tooth.
 
I have a garmin 556 mounted either at the chart table, where I can't see it from the helm, or on a removable mount in the companionway where I can see it and operate all its functions from the helm (one advantage of tiller steering).

Never had a problem seeing the screen except when it gets a bit grimey. A wipe usually cures all.
 
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laika said:
I’ve never had a problem with seeing my c90w other than the day after night sailing for the first time in a while (when I have to remember how to reset to the “day” palette). But then I do sail in Britain and not sure I can recall this “bright sunshine” of which you speak.
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I’ve stopped going from day to night palette and just turn down the brightness (quick press on ‘on/off’ button and then use rotary to decrease/increase) at night.

This was after a night sail when I couldn’t even see the plotter screen to change it back the next day!!!
 
I don’t know the SH but we used to have a Garmin 635 or such like at the helm on a Bav 34 which had replaced a 2001 vintage raymarine and never any issues with Garmin re sunlight . I don’t know if your SH pairs with a tablet but for distance sailing an ability to sit under spray hood with an iPad etc is brilliant for keeping warm at nightand avoiding glare by day plus you can also track on navionics plus the plotter software.
 
Reading through - it seems its a problem based on older gear ... much like smartphones / tablets etc.

My Lowrance plotter - I was going to bulkhead mount in cockpit ... but after sailing on another guys boat with a similar unit ... found it hard to read as soon as sun got near it. I therefore put the pivot mount on the engine box just inside companionway. This allowed me to shade the screen .... swivel to work on unit while in cabin ...
I have now replaced with an Onwa - brighter screen etc. and again I considered cockpit bulkhead mount ..... where it was 70 - 30 against it before .. its now ~50 - 50 ..... but then I lose the working with it in cabin ...

I have to also admit there are other factors ......... winter here drops to serious low temps ... and having a through bulkhead mounted plotter is not a good idea - so it would need the clip mount ... bringing it significantly distance from the bulkhead

I'm a tiller steered boat - so no binnacle.
 
Refueler said:
Is that short for TransGENDER ....

Sorry - I'll get me coat !
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Possibly, nothing is simple nowadays, you now may have to refer to it as ‘them’ rather than it, to avoid offence!
To answer the thread, I have never relied upon my chart to the extent that it is not set up to be viewed in the cockpit, it is fixed beside the chart table down below.
 
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