Lower end chart plotters?

[BarryD]

Having had the ability to see and use both of the bigger B&W handheld plotters (Garmin 175 - Matts & Magellan 6000 - JFM) I'm not really any the wiser. The Garmin was a bit slow to track and when the resolution was zoomed in some of the finer details were lost. Whilst the Magellan was smooth and contained almost infinite detail - presumably from those expensive C chips (?).

Well SWMBO has approved a chart plotter for MVII and I'd like a reasonable sized screen on account that being a tall blind chap I'm a hell of along way from the dashboard - so I think I'm looking at a B&W fixed mount unit around £500 - that would be the Plastimo Tracker 900 or Garmin 180 then?

Allowing for the fact I'm supposed to be looking over the screen (Steer - Navigate - Communicate) and am unlikely to get further than the Solent in MVII it might have little purpose than being a really great toy - useful for when I try my hand at night cruising again however.

May I solicit Pro's / Cons on the suggested hardware - recommendations for other stuff, utter disgust etc.. Whatever is fitted will be removed when MVII is sold on November the 2nd next year <G>

Much obliged.

BTW - Should I wait for the LBS will there be bargins to be had?
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by BarryD on Wed Dec 5 08:54:04 2001 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[david_steward]

Re: November 2nd?

Doesn't that mean I am a fiver richer?

Dave S

 

[Guest]

Re: Low end chart plotters?

Blimminek BarryD, yerv gotta petrol boat, it's two weeks before xmas when anyone else is going ouch ouch this is expensive, and now you want to burn some more money on a chartyplotter. If I were you I'd get a Magellan 6000, then a Garmin 175 too, then put them both in the garage for while, then get a secondhand plotter to fix to the boat but spend rather more than it cost in that fitting it, then advertise one or both the handhelds...

Ahem. There will indeed be bargains at lbs, but still plonk in an ad in the "wanted" forums. The going rate for one in a box is half retail price.

 

[Guest]

Re: No!

As long as he gets a bigger boat AFTER Nov 1 2002, you owe HIM a fiver.

 

[david_steward]

Re: Surely

Our bet was made at least a fortnight later. It says quite clearly in the Dave Steward Betting T&C's that all bets are dated from the moment that palms are spat on and hands shaken.

Dave S

 

[BarryD]

No way \"shirt-man\"

Our deal was valid until the 1st of November 2002. I've had counter offer that says if I buy a new boat before then I win £10 so I've got the whole profit / loss thing covered - I think.

 

[Guest]

Re: oops, Nov 17th..

yes indeed, I had forgoten the special terms and the dates. So he has to keep it till Nov 18th 2002 else hand over the fiver. If he sells the boat before the year is up, it'll automatically get covered in loads of undergrowth and everyone in chichester will fall asleep for a hundred years...so obviously lots of people make these sort of bets...

Nonetheless, being DaveS's assistant at the time the spell was cast : Har har, cackle cackle! Sell the boat before the ides of Novemeber, Barry D, and five pounds belongs to Dave. And so far you haven't lasted even a month!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

If MV2 is really going to be cast aside (how sad) in a years time for something shinier you really dont want to be devaluing her by making holes in her. You may buy something that you intend to remove on sale but the trouble is some buyer is likely to come along and offer £X for MV2 providing you leave the plotter on her!
So, either buy a handheld plotter that is just that ie handheld and can be removed without leaving holes or buy a secondhand fixed unit that you can afford to leave on the boat when you sell her. Boat jumbles are a good place for secondhand electronics - Beaulieu in April is the biggest
The other consideration is what electronic charts the plotter runs coz these are expensive £100+ each. If you're going to buy charts now for a plotter on MV2 you want to give yourself the best chance of using those same charts in a plotter that might be already fitted on any new boat. So you need to buy a plotter with widely used charts and C-Map is probably the best in that respect

 

[ccscott49]

I would consider achart plotting program for your laptop, I know it might be a bit awkward to mount etc, but will save an effing big hole in the dash, and its a cheap way of doing it. For normal purposes, you could get a oziexplorer thingy for $75 and then buy the charts you need! Just a suggestion! Save a bunch of beer tokens!

 

[ChrisP]

Just a thought Barry

I use a garmin 128 linked to a Yeoman plotter sport on the boat and the Garmin software at home on the laptop to prepare the chart work for the next trip. Then off to the boat and down load to the garmin. The Yeoman can also be used to upload waypoints to the 128 and the laptop. The free upgrade for the Garmin software includes real time plotting when linked to the 128. So you can use it as a chart plotter if you want and a keep record of track etc for the log.
We got the Yeoman sport because then we can take it up onto the fly bridge to save keep uping and downing.

 

[kimhollamby]

Am right in the middle of a chart plotter test for MBM...12 of them to be precise. First part out in Jan issue shortly, second in Feb. Part one all about the really important bits for choosing ie available cartography, interfacing, ease of use and so on. Guess you are in no particular hurry at this stage (looking outside at the weather) so hopefully something in those pieces might be helpful to you.

Also some emerging developments in the market so take time over the choice unless you are desperate for something to unwrap on the 25th.

 

[Guest]

Re: eh? waiting?

I don't think barry can wait that long! he's only partially interested in lbs, cos that's next month! Which is ages and ages. Anyway, are they really chart plotters, or is it like the previous handheld charplotter test in MBy where they tested some calculators, which had nice screens but lightly crap as chart plotters?

 

[kimhollamby]

Re: eh? waiting?

No, really chart plotters judging from the length of test bench I had to put together to fit them onand the power supply required.

Nothing handheld, nothing smaller than 320 x 240 pixel size.

 

[kimhollamby]

Chart votes please

Actually, as I'm in here I'd like a vote on cartography. C-Map versus Navionics and has anyone looked at the new Garmin BlueCharts (that use Transas) yet?

 

[BarryD]

Re: eh? waiting?

Kim - I offer my services as an unpaid proof reader - well unapid is a bit strong, look you've got 12 of the damm things would they really miss one?

 

[ChrisP]

Paper ones NM

 

[Guest]

Re: Chart votes please

I use the old metally navionics, cos I have over two grands worth of them already. Surely nobody would throw away a load of working stuff and buy some slightly faster?... unless it was computers or boats ahem....

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Chart votes please

Paper & yeoman

 

[kimhollamby]

Re: eh? waiting?

If you read the delivery notes I think they would!

 

[jfm]

Re: Plastimo

I had a 5min play with that Plastimo Navman (about £380) in a shop 2 weeks ago and for the money I thort it was excellent. It takes CMap95 chips which are better than Navionics imho. CMaps are no more expensive than Navionics, I thort? I can sell you some secondhand chips, Sydney Harbour and Grenadines still available at very reasonable cost (ok, I'll pay you £10 to take them off me). If you want to lash out on colour the Simrad CP32 is on offer at around £800 I think, that's probly the cheapest. As far as I can tell there are very few plotters (or praps none) available secondhand. I would not worry about holes on dash because you can surface mount these things on the supplied gimbal bracket, so only a few screw holes which you can cover with an Esso or BP sticker or whatever, when you sell MV2.