Electronic Charting advice sought

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Adonnante

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My old C-Map freeby nav program has become very flakey and the laptop it runs on is even worse, its time for an update to the 21st centuary. I will still mainly rely on my trusty Garmin GPS and paper charts but I can see the virtue in a nav display showing my position and AIS would be an asset. The boat in question is a 40 foot cat with tiller steering making an ondeck display a non-starter, the display would be at the chart table inside the bridgedeck saloon.

What do the assembled experts reckon would be the most cost effective solution; a laptop (notebook) or chartplotter and what charts for the western channel and S Ireland. Or am I asking all the wrong questions

Cheers,

Peter.
 
Have used Raymarine C & E series with Navionics charts, one of which would cover your area. Found them both easy and intuitive to use with no problems. Can be used with NMEA inputs and handle AIS very well.
 
Adonnante said:
My old C-Map freeby nav program has become very flakey and the laptop it runs on is even worse, its time for an update to the 21st centuary. I will still mainly rely on my trusty Garmin GPS and paper charts but I can see the virtue in a nav display showing my position and AIS would be an asset. The boat in question is a 40 foot cat with tiller steering making an ondeck display a non-starter, the display would be at the chart table inside the bridgedeck saloon.

What do the assembled experts reckon would be the most cost effective solution; a laptop (notebook) or chartplotter and what charts for the western channel and S Ireland. Or am I asking all the wrong questions

Cheers,

Peter.
Click to expand...

I think you placed an interesting question. I will advice to have a Navionics chart for its easiness of use and accuracy. It is both available for chart plotters and pC softwares...its up to you now! Still undecided?
 
Pros and cons

Chartplotter:

Pro

Designed to do the job
Interfaces easily with other electronics
High visibility screen
Will do exactly what is says on the tin
Sturdy and robust software
Power consumption not bad, and powered from boat electrical system
Designed to operate in a marine environment; if there is a suitable location it CAN be located in the cockpit (mine isn't)

Con

Cannot be taken home to do passage planning etc (but some electronic charts come with a reader and free software to do that - Raymarine C series does, for one)
Inflexible - you can't use it to get your email or browse the internet.
Only one set of software possible

Laptop

Pro

Flexible; can be used for all the usual PC functions
Wide variety of software available if you don't like the one you started with
Can be taken home to do passage planning etc.

Con

All the usual instabilities of running Windows. Sadly, charting software for Linux is not well developed! But you could get a freeze up just when you don't want it.
Interfacing not simple; PCs don't come with NMEA interfaces so you have to have an extra bit of kit.
Screen visibility not optimal for this purpose
Most certainly NOT waterproof, unless you've paid a fortune for an environmentally hardened machine, so definitely CAN'T be operated in the cockpit unless the conditions are excellent!
Possibly higher power requirements - you're running a disc drive, which the chart plotter isn't. But offset by higher power requirements of chart-plotter screen.

Summary

Basically the choice is between a special purpose piece of kit that does what it says on the can, and a general purpose piece of kit that may or may not do what you want, and which will certainly take some experimentation and fiddling to get what you want. There isn't a right choice; for some people the lap-top is a good way; for others a chart-plotter. I have the latter; it integrates well with what I want. But the decision isn't clear cut, and it depends on the exact parameters that form your decision-making.

Paul
 
If you will still rely mainly on Garmin and paper charts, then I would suggest using your laptop (assuming you arent one of the small minority without access to one). Chartplotters mostly only do one job, are mostly small screen, and more expensive unless you dont already have a lappy.

I fiddle around with all three options since I bought a boat with a C80 installed. I still carry the lappy cos it gives me email, internet via a 3G dongle and TV via another when MotoGP is on. But I end up navigating with paper and pencil even taking the lat / long off the plotter and plotting it on the paper chart!

I really cant see the point of a plotter unless you are in a fast mobo.
 
Nothing wrong with 'old C-Map freeby nav program' (or is it the NT4 rip off version ;-))
Just put it on newer laptop!
OK, charts aren't up to date but the main bits don't move!
This is not to say that you shouldn't also get a chart plotter.:D
 
Why use a plotter when you cna have a laptop?

LadyInBed said:
This is not to say that you shouldn't also get a chart plotter.:D
Click to expand...

WHY GET A CHARTPLOTTER? :eek:

We had a chart plotter at the NAV station and a repeater in the cockpit as well as a 9 year old laptop. I took the chart-plotter out and just use the Laptop backed up by paper charts as the electronic ones are not always as accurate or easy to use for detailed pilotage.
 
Laptop or netbook?

Don't try a netbook. Processors are inadequate for the purpose and so are the screens. Keep to a decent laptop I suggest.

Also, have you looked at RYA/Admiralty raster charts or the Imray version? They are good for planning etc at home and an overview on the boat. Then use your paper charts for the detail.

Good luck.
Mike.
 
dmmbruce said:
Don't try a netbook. Processors are inadequate for the purpose and so are the screens. Keep to a decent laptop I suggest.
Click to expand...

That's not right my netbook has sufficient processing to more than adequately process a charting prog, and its screen is of a comparable quality to most mid market laptops. (Advent 4213 so not exactly expensive or top of the spec-list).

Screen shot (apologies to Imray if breaches copyright)

imray.jpg


I use it in conjunction with a chart plotter, and find the two complement each other well. (and as it is plumbed with independent power and GPS is my "plan B", "plan C" is still in its envelope with some 2b pencils and a ruler).:)
 
I have the laptop in vertical position (screen is fully folded open) in a cassette behind a perspex window so it is visible from the cockpit, as well as protected from the elements.
I control it using a remote controll joystick used for powerpoint presentations.
The laptop is inside, so the screen is visible, even when the sun is shining brightly.
If I had the money, I'd still buy the nice shiney garmin chart plotter, though.
I can do passage planning on a laptop, which I can't on a plotter: scrolling and zooming is just too slow on a plotter.
The laptop is as we speak being used to surf the net (duh), I also have the Wiley nautical almanac on it.
So even if I had the plotter, I would still take a netbook with me.
 
dmmbruce said:
Don't try a netbook. Processors are inadequate for the purpose and so are the screens. Keep to a decent laptop I suggest.

Also, have you looked at RYA/Admiralty raster charts or the Imray version? They are good for planning etc at home and an overview on the boat. Then use your paper charts for the detail.

Good luck.
Mike.
Click to expand...

I really believe, that netbook in some cases is better choice than full-featured laptop. Dell Mini 12 has 12-inch screen and 1,6 GHz Atom is ok for navigation. It draws less power than some modern chartplotters due to atom and chipset architecture.

Mere here:
power friendly netbooks for navigation
 
Imray digital charts

Just followed Varas link to the above , and they seem too good to be true.£40 for all the uk and tide.
Does it really do all that you need, the site seems lacking in detail about spec needed, etc, and FAQ's are a bit Vorrying but then for the price of a good dinner!!.
while here, can anyone tell me the difference between Imray and Admiralty charts.
 
Netbooks and Imray Digital Charts

This discusion prompted me to look at the Imray catalogue that arrived today with a paper chart that I ordered. I'm intrigued to see that for just under 30 quid, I can get a chart of my whole sailing area and, as I understand it, incuded 'simple' navigation software. Would I be correct in thinking that I can load the chart onto my eeePC 901, plug in a GPS dongle, and that this would give me a navigation system to back up my plotter and C-Map (and paper & pencil). If the foregoing is correct - how big is the chart in kb & will it fit onto my storage 8 meg storage card? Has anybody else got this setup? Thanks, Bob
 
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