How long would you expect your chartplotter to last?

mitchc

mitchc

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Just returned my 3 year old chartplotter cause it wouldn't display a newly purchased chart.
I've been told its the plotters fault that it wont read the chart. they've also told me everything else is working fine!
Their offer was to sell me a new plotter for full RRP!! which was about £150 above what I could buy one from a retail outlet. If I didn't go for the new plotter it would cost £40 to return the unit!!
Grrrr not happy.
what do the panel think?
 
Sounds a little odd. If it could read an older chart then the problem is not mechanical. It must be software, if this is the case a software upgrade should be available. What brand is the chartplotter?
 
odd is exactly what i thought. It's not software; they advised me to download the latest version from their website. Did that and still no good.
I don't want to name the company yet cause I've given them another chance to get it right. If they don't come back with a sensible proposal I'll name names!
 
Did the plotter report back that the software was updated? sometimes the process does not complete. If is the cartridge slot connections some manuf can replace this section, a fairly simple repair. I will send you a PM for some more details
 
plotter reported back that the update was older than the one already installed? It could read what was on the map card, just couldn't display it on the screen.

hopefully they'll have a rethink and come back with a sensible resolution.
Thanks for your help.
 
Its not just chartplotters. My tomtom has stopped working altogether. Bought last December for me as a xmas present and only used probably 15-20 times since.
Just waiting for curry's in cheltenham to reopen to see what can be done. Anyone else had a problem with one of these ?

Si
 
I've heard Tom Tom support is very good even on older models. A friend had problems with his and after contacting Tom direct had his 2 year old one fixed/upgraded etc and I think they did FOC!
 
Mitchc - what chartplotter?

I just found that the new C-Maps won't display correctly on my Simrad. After a great deal of investigation, the new charts have used another layer of charting which the Simrad cannot interpret correctly. There is no further upgrade available from Simrad (the plotter is 'obsolete'.

C-Map has been really helpful, but the botom line is that I have to live with my old electronic charts. The new ones just don't (and won't) work properly.
 
Not in my experience but it seems they get it right most of the time. My two water proof back up units leaked after limited use and they offered to sell me new ones.

As a past retailer I would suggest that reasonable expected usefull life for a plotter would be closer to five or six years.
As th eunits are only effectively useful with updated charts this function should still be servicable for the life of the product. Assuming th eoriginal manufacturer is still in business and it wasn't bought by another company.

Slightly grey area, good luck.
 
Piers - more details please? Simrad plotter type and software versions and what type of C-Map chart - as I don't want to hit this problem myself!

Cheers,
Rick
 
Sure a simple software update will do rather than buying a new plotter. I update the system software on our Raymarine and Garmin plotters every year.
 
Didn't want to name them just yet....oh all right then. It's a Lowrance which is fitted to 6.5mtr dive RIB. It's had so many soakings with both salt and fresh water I'm amazed it's lasted as long as it has. Because of this reliablity I'd not hesitate to buy another one....except this customer service has tainted the picture somewhat.
Lets hope they see sense and make the right decision.
 
[ QUOTE ]
As a past retailer I would suggest that reasonable expected usefull life for a plotter would be closer to five or six years.
As th eunits are only effectively useful with updated charts this function should still be servicable for the life of the product. Assuming th eoriginal manufacturer is still in business and it wasn't bought by another company.

Slightly grey area, good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've mentioned sale of goods act in my last email to them...lets wait and see!
 
Hi Rickp.

5 months after the Simrad kit was installed on Play d'eau, Simrad declared the kit as withdrawn from sale. How annoying is that?

Mine was a CP52 (with a repeater on the fly). The s/w level was 4.47 which was the last ever created. The CP52 has since been declared obsolete. There will be no further s/w development.

The issue is that with the continuous development of electronic charts (C-Map in my case), the plotter software becomes underdeveloped and cannot cope.

On my CP52, the problem was that large areas close inshore are painted in dark blue. There is no way of correcting this. The dark blue obliterates all detail so depths, rocks etc become unreadable. Useless. Therefore, I have to use old charts, and if I sail to areas where I need additional charts, there won't be any to suit my Simrad.

When I come to upgrade, it's once bitten, twice shy. I will want an official statement from the manufacturer on the date when it will be withdrawn from sales, the date when it will be declared obsolete, and the date at which its software will cease being developed.

The issue is that as electronic charts are continuously developed, plotters which have no software development may well cease to be compatible and would therefore potentially present the charts correctly. That's the limitation.

So, although C-Map has been superb in their attempts to get it to work, Simrad is the problem.
 
Thanks for that Piers. I'm on the later CX units, which have now been replaced by the NX units - hence the query. Seems you're on the previous generation of units from me so I shouldn't see the problem for a while. Though the CX is now deprecated - so its only a matter of time before some new chart technology obsoletes my kit...

Rick
 
Update,
Just had a phone call from Lowrance UK, they are sending the old unit back FOC, and are then going to try to track down a replacement plotter.
Just wished it hadn't taken several emails and a couple of phone calls before they got it right.... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
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