Is 5 inches enough (chartplotter that is)

Twister_Ken

Twister_Ken

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I'm tempted by the Garmin 555.

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Is a 5 inch screen big enough for cockpit use when the helm position is about 5 feet away?

Or, maybe a better question, is a five inch screen big enough per se?
 
Twister_Ken said:
Is a 5 inch screen big enough for cockpit use when the helm position is about 5 feet away?
Click to expand...

No.

From an old chart cut out a rectangle with a 5" diagonal. Paste that to a cardboard mock-up and mount it in the cockpit. You will instantly realise the inadequacy.

A 5" chartplotter needs mounting 2' from the helm's eyes, or thereabouts.
 
Coaster said:
No.

From an old chart cut out a rectangle with a 5" diagonal. Paste that to a cardboard mock-up and mount it in the cockpit. You will instantly realise the inadequacy.

A 5" chartplotter needs mounting 2' from the helm's eyes, or thereabouts.
Click to expand...

May give a rough idea, but don't forget you can zoom in on the chart plotter.

I've seen quite a few of the Garmin units cockpit mounted and they seem to work pretty well, it's all a question of what you want from the unit and the mounting space you have available.
 
Ken, the answer is of course, it depends.
If yyou are using it to plot a course and feed the autopilot, and glance at occasionally to see if you are in the right ballpark, yes.
As long as you keep the paper chart thing going.


I have just swapped to a netbook with a 10.2 inch screen down below equipped with Digiboat, with just a position and rolling road indicator with DTW,CTS and XTE at the helm.
We shall see, its one of 2010s biggest trials for my fine craft
 
5" is too small to be 5' away- unless you have very long arms.
Yes, you will be zooming in and out frequently if entering an unknown port, and its a pain if you cannot reach the buttons without leaving the wheel.
Another point to consider is the speed at which the chart will redraw after zooming- a delay of more than a second or two becomes anoying when you lose the plot!
I had a 6" version mounted behind the steering wheel on a RIB, where paper charts were not practical (though carried aboard as back-up).
 
I think it very much depends on the boat's set up. With a tiller, whether helming manually or (more usually) under Autohelm, if single handing you tend to sit forward of it, i.e. close to the companionway. If the plotter is mounted above or within the companionway then you are close to it, i.e. you can easily get your eye a foot away to look at detail. In this sort of situation a 5" screen with good resolution is perfectly adequate: I've happily used one in this way for several years. In fact, provided the resolution is high enough, there's a case for an even smaller model, 3.5" or so, which would take up less room.

For those poor unfortunate helmsmen trapped at the stern behind a big fashionable wheel, it's probably quite different, and I can't usefully comment.
 
Ken, we have the 555s, but mounted on the wheel pedestal in place of a compass, so 2 foot from the eye which works very well even with AIS overlaid on top. Works well for X channel stuff even if your progress across the screen appears desparately slow, compared to our previous boat a rib. It also means you can do distance / time calculations in your head instantly from the information provided, only to find out you have hours to go. Short handed I don't need to make constant trips to the chart table and the log can live under the sprayhood.

Presumably you are thinking about somewhere near the companion way, but how about mounting it at the stern facing forward and therefore nearer the tiller?

I find it much easier to use than a Raymarine C80 btw and the built in ariel means one less cable and exposed widget.

Pete
 
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DaveS said:
For those poor unfortunate helmsmen trapped at the stern behind a big fashionable wheel, it's probably quite different, and I can't usefully comment.
Click to expand...

We can sit aft or forwards of our wheel. Sitting forward, tucked under the aft end of the sprayhood, gives excellent shelter. However, we then need to alter the mounting angle of the steering binnacle mounted chartplotter...

I should add that this is on a centre cockpit boat, not one of those odd ones where everyone is stuck at the back end.
 
My Garmin 292 has the following dims:

256-color TFT display, 3.0"W x 4.0"H, 5.0-inch diagonal, 234 x 320 pixels

see my infamous :) video again and decide for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5djDQegDqvM

Personally I think that a screen of that size 5' away is pushing it a bit unless you have 20/20 vision.

Also note that the boats position on the 292 is always in the centre of the screen, effectively halving your forward vision. I would insist that any future model that I bought had the option for the boat to scroll forward from the screen's edge. Does the 555 have that option?
 
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Twister_Ken said:
I'm tempted by the Garmin 555.

0000007324.gif


Is a 5 inch screen big enough for cockpit use when the helm position is about 5 feet away?

Or, maybe a better question, is a five inch screen big enough per se?
Click to expand...

I have a Standard Horizon - 5" screen but wider rather than higher like the Garmin. My cockpit is very similar to yours (Halmatic 30) and I agree with Fullcircle in that I keep the paper stuff going and back it up with the reassurance of seeing it on the screen. Great piece of kit because it not only gives position and where you might be in 30 mins, but also tidal set and speed (important here in the Bristol Channel) and boats true speed and course...........etc etc (but only if you RTFM!)
 
Twister_Ken said:
I'm tempted by the Garmin 555.

0000007324.gif


Is a 5 inch screen big enough for cockpit use when the helm position is about 5 feet away?

Or, maybe a better question, is a five inch screen big enough per se?
Click to expand...

Ken,

I used a 5" screen to nav my fishing boat for years and it was perfectly OK. But with your advancing years I'd recommend a 55" LCD screen.

Hope this helps

Chris
 
Bav34 said:
Also note that the boats position on the 292 is always in the centre of the screen, effectively halving your forward vision. I would insist that any future model that I bought had the option for the boat to scroll forward from the screen's edge. Does the 555 have that option?
Click to expand...

My previous 188c could do something like that in that you could move the page so have the boat at the edge showing the area in front. However if you want to display AIS then presumably you want a 360' view.

Anyway its not a GPS you need, but an Astrolade :D

This is quite a good description from the TED Conference:

http://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_demos_the_13th_century_astrolabe.html

Pete
 
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Pete7 said:
However if you want to display AIS then presumably you want a 360' view.

Pete
Click to expand...

99% of my chartplotter use is dodging rocks ... finding channels /short cuts etc. hence the desire for forward viz.

The 1% of the time that I would need AIS (ship not rock avoidance) I agree I would be happy to have the 360' view ... but then it's not really being used as a chartplotter ... is it?

I know when I'm mid-Channel :)
 
I have a 5" Lowrance mounted on a swivelling bracket on the pedestal rail. We can see it at the wheel when close quartering and during pilotage, or we can see it from forward of the wheel on passage.

I dont think I'd be happy with it any other way.
 
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