charles_reed
Active member
Rationalisation
at it's best.
Why not choose something that has a lower faiure rate?
at it's best.
Why not choose something that has a lower faiure rate?
Chartplotter or PC based Nav
- Thread starter georgeo
- Start date
charles_reed
Active member
[ QUOTE ]
Being a PC geek, I really like PC bAsed navigation software. I use SeaPro which now provides full UK coverage with their program. As I have a small yacht (27' Vega) I have found a chartplotter to be of more use with waterproof, power consumption, no crashes of software etc. More reliable hardware and built for the job. Only problem I find with chartplotters are the size of teh screen.
[/ QUOTE ]
I use the 2 plotters, one on 16/32 mile scale for orientation (it's a 7" greyscale) and the other on 4/8 mile scale.
Unless it's very calm, and I'm motoring so have plenty of power, the PC is tucked away in its case.
Being a PC geek, I really like PC bAsed navigation software. I use SeaPro which now provides full UK coverage with their program. As I have a small yacht (27' Vega) I have found a chartplotter to be of more use with waterproof, power consumption, no crashes of software etc. More reliable hardware and built for the job. Only problem I find with chartplotters are the size of teh screen.
[/ QUOTE ]
I use the 2 plotters, one on 16/32 mile scale for orientation (it's a 7" greyscale) and the other on 4/8 mile scale.
Unless it's very calm, and I'm motoring so have plenty of power, the PC is tucked away in its case.
georgeo
New member
Re: Rationalisation
I would like to thank the forum for their very informed discussion. I think i might have a look at Yeomans again. positive feedback on this forum and I do have experience with the 'sports' model, although found with this that the necessary folding and refolding of the map always hid the next bit that you are interested in and the reconfiguring was a pain. But, on the new craft, I have the luxury of a full sized chart table. So no refolding etc! Will check it out at SBS methinks. Will still go for plotter viewable from helm as well. And as back up, I have my current raymarine handheld 400, that is until it dies which seems inevitable. my last 2 did, but were replaced under warranty.
I would like to thank the forum for their very informed discussion. I think i might have a look at Yeomans again. positive feedback on this forum and I do have experience with the 'sports' model, although found with this that the necessary folding and refolding of the map always hid the next bit that you are interested in and the reconfiguring was a pain. But, on the new craft, I have the luxury of a full sized chart table. So no refolding etc! Will check it out at SBS methinks. Will still go for plotter viewable from helm as well. And as back up, I have my current raymarine handheld 400, that is until it dies which seems inevitable. my last 2 did, but were replaced under warranty.
DeeGee
Active member
Re: Rationalisation
What a sensible fella you are... I have the Yeoman plotter with an old 800MHz Toshiba dedicated to running CMap NT/PC charts and TotalTide, runs on ships supply, and has NEVER failed (dedicated and not running god-knows-what on top of MS XP). The Toshiba is excellent for planning, and is nice to watch along the way. But the Yeoman plotter is the best thing since using dividers and parallels. If the YP fails (along with the PC), one just continues with said dividers and parallels. NB I have 3 GPS's so I dont count failure of the GPS in the scenario.
Just one point, it is only Yeoman-ready small chart folios which do not need folding on the 'proper' pro Yeoman. One has to fold them if they are regular charts. I make a note of the fold positions, calibration points and enter them into the memory before the trip, so that I can go from fold to fold and chart to chart en route, even in a big sea when you dont want to be fussing too much.
Hooray for Yeoman. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
What a sensible fella you are... I have the Yeoman plotter with an old 800MHz Toshiba dedicated to running CMap NT/PC charts and TotalTide, runs on ships supply, and has NEVER failed (dedicated and not running god-knows-what on top of MS XP). The Toshiba is excellent for planning, and is nice to watch along the way. But the Yeoman plotter is the best thing since using dividers and parallels. If the YP fails (along with the PC), one just continues with said dividers and parallels. NB I have 3 GPS's so I dont count failure of the GPS in the scenario.
Just one point, it is only Yeoman-ready small chart folios which do not need folding on the 'proper' pro Yeoman. One has to fold them if they are regular charts. I make a note of the fold positions, calibration points and enter them into the memory before the trip, so that I can go from fold to fold and chart to chart en route, even in a big sea when you dont want to be fussing too much.
Hooray for Yeoman. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
CPD
Well-known member
Re: Rationalisation
I use maptech on a PDA at the moment on my 26ft centaur and when I get the bigger boat, I will have a laptop down below also. The problem though is the updates. Once you have ownned the charts I think it is 3 months, the for update, read buy a new one. Not very good really, and I cant imagine it does much for their customer loyalty.
I use maptech on a PDA at the moment on my 26ft centaur and when I get the bigger boat, I will have a laptop down below also. The problem though is the updates. Once you have ownned the charts I think it is 3 months, the for update, read buy a new one. Not very good really, and I cant imagine it does much for their customer loyalty.
DeeGee
Active member
Re: Rationalisation
[ QUOTE ]
The problem though is the updates. Once you have ownned the charts I think it is 3 months, the for update, read buy a new one. Not very good really, and I cant imagine it does much for their customer loyalty.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, if you look back to my first, I couldn't agree with you more. I have CMap NT/PC charts and am still on my 2003 version. When I enquired for updates, I found that they do not have an update service, that the chart groups I originally bought are no longer covered as such, and that the coverage now requires purchase of twice as many packs. Customer loyalty... yeeeeah. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
[ QUOTE ]
The problem though is the updates. Once you have ownned the charts I think it is 3 months, the for update, read buy a new one. Not very good really, and I cant imagine it does much for their customer loyalty.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, if you look back to my first, I couldn't agree with you more. I have CMap NT/PC charts and am still on my 2003 version. When I enquired for updates, I found that they do not have an update service, that the chart groups I originally bought are no longer covered as such, and that the coverage now requires purchase of twice as many packs. Customer loyalty... yeeeeah. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
bluedragon
Active member
OK let's cut through the pros and cons. For the second time in two years I've just been out in conditions so rough that doing any nav down below was out of the question on a small boat...this includes PCs, conventional chart work, etc. A small deck-mounted plotter is the only way I got safely into harbour except for eye-balling it and the risk that entails. Wouldn't be without it. If you have the cash, get a PC system as well...great for planning or when it's calm...or if you have a monster boat that doesn't buck and roll at all when the going gets tough.
georgeo
New member
point taken.