Chartplotter demos in shops?

[Richard_Peevor]

Just wondering if anyone in the South/South East has been into any shops with chartplotters on display running demos?

I am particularly interested in the Lowrance budget plotters 3300 and 3500 to use the Navionics Gold charts. ideally spending under £400 for the plotter that is why I was looking at the Lowrance ones..

Any help much appreciated

Richard

 

[FWB]

I have just bought the Lowrance 3500C. Before choosing it I went to the Lowrance site and downloaded the manual and the simulator/product emulator. This is really good and it works just like the real thing. Havent had a good play with the real thing yet but so far it is great. The resolution is astounding.

 

[meddite]

Try Aladdins Cave at Bursledon on the Hamble. Went there a couple of months back and tried several different manufacturers sets/electronic chart types, including Lowrance (can't remember which model though). Might be worth a phone call to make sure the set up is still there. I believe it was part of a Boat Show display. The staff there were very helpful.

 

[jonjo]

[ QUOTE ]
Aladdins Cave... The staff there were very helpful.

[/ QUOTE ]
And keen to sell Garmin plotters. To this end they will demonstrate how a Navionics chart in a Lowrance will put you aground due to colour confusion arising from the same colour being used for the deep channel upto Fareham and the tidal shallows in the creek.

Aladdins Cave use this demo to claim that Navionics charts are second rate but I blame the plotter because a handheld Raymarine RC400 does not exhibit the same colour confusion with a Navionics chart.

 

[meddite]

Aladdins Cave also showed us the problem of the changing depth colours, which altered on zooming in. Was this perhaps just a fault on the demo software, or is it a problem with the Lowrance plotter?
Does anyone out there have experience of this anomaly in the real world when using Navionics in a Lowrance box?

 

[FWB]

I havent noticed this on my 3500C but not on boat at present so cant check. Could it be to do with screen resolution, if true?
The new 3500C has 480x480 res on 5inch screen, the clarity is amazing.