Chart plotter test in PBO

[jwilson]

PBO has just published a comparative test of chartplotters in just the size I am looking for. The one thing that got me about the test is that it appeared to test them all in the shade under a wheelhouse. The last 5" one I bought is excellent in shade, but near-as-dammit invisible in bright sunlight where it is right in front of the wheel. I am contemplating replacing it with a 7"

Now I know that a nice sunny day is the least critical time, but the one time in 45-odd years I unexpectedly hit an isolated but charted rock was a lovely sunny day about 40 years ago - I'd just done the tricky bit over a nasty bar and through a narrow channel and had relaxed in calmer water.

Did anyone test brightness/visibilty in sunlight ?

 

[Trop Cher]

I bought a Garmin 750 last year and installed it at the helm. I had no visibility issues with it when used in sunlight.
Very easy to use touchscreen, rarely had to refer to the manual!

 

[jwilson]

I bought a Garmin 750 last year and installed it at the helm. I had no visibility issues with it when used in sunlight.
Very easy to use touchscreen, rarely had to refer to the manual!

Thanks, useful information: my present chartplotter at the helm is a 5/6 year old Garmin 3005C, which is rubbish in sunlight. Not just the one example, as it has been factory replaced once.

 

[johnphilip]

I bought a Garmin 750 last year and installed it at the helm. I had no visibility issues with it when used in sunlight.
Very easy to use touchscreen, rarely had to refer to the manual!

Another endorsement here, only time I couldn't see it I realised I was wearing shades, which is asking a lot of any screen.

 

[superheat6k]

I bought a Garmin 750 last year and installed it at the helm. I had no visibility issues with it when used in sunlight.
Very easy to use touchscreen, rarely had to refer to the manual!

+1 for the Garmin 750 in bright sunlight - damn good plotter IMHO. Only drawback for me is it doesn't accept video inputs. Screen does get warm indeed almost hot to touch, but I am told this is normal.

 

[trapezeartist]

The other burning question that the tests didn't answer was, can you operate the touch screen with gloves on?

 

[prv]

Screen does get warm indeed almost hot to touch, but I am told this is normal.

Sounds like a waste of power, even if it is normal.

Pete

 

[duncan99210]

The other burning question that the tests didn't answer was, can you operate the touch screen with gloves on?

There are gloves out there that are designed to work with touch screens...

 

[Buck Turgidson]

There are gloves out there that are designed to work with touch screens...

Yes, my teenage daughter described them as "the best invention ever in the history of mankind".

 

[Norman_E]

The B&G and Simrad models are very bright, but although they look the same the software is completely different. The B&G one is particularly good for a sailing yacht and can be used as both chart plotter and to reduce the need for ordinary instruments. As an aside my B&G Triton displays are brighter and have a better viewing angle than the Garmin GMI 10 displays. My Advansea T56 plotter was bought to fit a small space, but is not really bright enough for sunlight viewing; its just a pity that I don't have enough room to fit a B&G Zeus 7 inch plotter to replace it.