Lowrance 3500/3600 again

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tonyleigh

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Posts on the Lowrance 3500/3600 have been so useful to me as a new owner (2 weeks) that I have taken the liberty of starting a new thread to summarise where discussion has got to. Apologies if repetition annoys anyone!

Navionics v NauticPath
Both very usable. Slight preference among posters for Navionics as most similar to Admiralty Chart. My hypothesis was - under pressure in complex pilotage situation to which did I respond most instinctively? After two and a half hours playing I paid the extra for Navionics (28G covers whole of British Isles and French coast to Finistere). Both suffer from metre/fathom tide error which is not corrected on latest upgrade (1.3.0).

Navplanner
Upgrade 1.3.0 cures problem loading routes/waypoints created on PC. Upgrade is incredibly quick and easy to implement. (Derek – this is all you need to do).

Tidal display - columns are:
Time set, DST, Time display, Dotted time line, Current tide state, and Gauge (on chart)
GMT ON GMT Correct Wrong Wrong
GMT OFF GMT Wrong Wrong Correct
BST OFF BST Correct Correct Correct
BST ON Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong
Logic would suggest that setting the time zone to GMT and DST to UK should work but this displays times in GMT and displays the tide state on graphs and gauges an hour out. The best setting is DST OFF, and an hour added to GMT so local time reads correctly. Then the timeline, graphs and gauges all read correctly (BST). (Grateful if someone could replicate this though I did double check this pm.)
Tide times appear to differ more than can be accounted for by slight lat/long differences from those displayed from Hydrographic Office harmonic constants as quoted on BBC weather site and local tables. Anyone know whether they are calculated for each marked T or extrapolated from standard ports? If so which ones?

Currents
Less happy about this. Attempted to compare currents to printed tables using Lyme Bay, Alderney Race, N of Guernsey, Start Pt. “Felt” times were advanced an hour or a bit more but as direction and strength are in greater detail than my tide book this is only a suspicion. Watched chart display change round Portland Bill in real time and felt this occurred approx. half an hour early. Suspect this will need several weeks of use before I would trust relying on it but to be honest I generally allow an hour margin of error anyway when working from paper. Found more than one C which did not link. These seemed to be on the large scale charts close inshore or in river mouths. Also found one arrow pointing in exactly the wrong direction in the middle of Lyme Bay - not aware of a whirlpool there!!!

Where now?
Like several others I feel quite excited by this kit though a month ago I had no plans to go electronic! Blue Dragon is clearly ahead in contacting Lowrance whose system software he, among others, feels is at fault. I will add my email, and also to Navionics, in the next couple of days. And thank you, James, for your full post last week – you were of course quite right that I needed the update to sort the route loading.
Look forward to further ideas and comments from other users.
 
Thanks Tony,

A useful summary - could you clarify which charts you were using when you did your tidal comparisons - I assume this was Navionics (I ask as I think they behave slightly differently from the NauticPath ones).

My current theory is that its the DST setting thats actually at fault - in that the tide / current calcs fail to take this into account properly - if you switch this off and set the unit local time to be BST (or GMT) then you will get reasonable tide / current settings (with Navionics at least).

This does mean I disagree with your line that says:
GMT OFF GMT Wrong Wrong Correct
(I thought this worked - assuming that you are happy to have all times relating to GMT)

In the limited areas I have checked I was happy that the tides and currents were close enough to be within the sort of timeframe that I'd make allowances for anyway

Like you I'm verging towards the Navionics charts for exactly the same reason - when under pressure in complex unfamiliar waterways I would find them easier to interpret. Though it pains me to spend more for a smaller area - but still pretty good value I think.

Of course this probably means I'll then spend another £100 on the PC software - do I assume that you have to plug the card into the PC each time - there's no option to copy the charts onto the PC to save carrying the card around ?

On that note - much as I like the Navionics charts - I think their website is awful - very little info on the PC software, no info on your other points such as where tides / currents etc are derived from.

I'm hoping BlueDragon can provide some of his points of contact later this week so taht we can all have a concerted effort to get these bugs ironed out

Best wishes
James
 
Hi,

Having thought long and hard between the singing and dancing Standard Horizon CP1000, and the low cost Lowrance 3500C, I am probably going to buy a Lowrance tomorrow.

having had the machine for a while, are you glad you bought it, or are your concerns making you regret the decision?

Cheers,

Richard
 
No - still basically very happy with it.

All the issues seem to relate to tides etc and to be honest these are an added extra as far as I was concerned (though would be nice to get them to sort it as it must be fairly trivial)

The uploading / downloading points would ahve been more of an issue - but they seem to have fixed that.

Otherwise its a big bright screen (for the money) and flexible in terms of how you display things.

Worth downlaoding the emulator from teh Lowrance site if you haven't had a chance to play with one (no UK charts but gives you an idea of menus etc)

For me it was between this and teh Garmin 276C - but for me the larger screen and better value charts swung it

Best wishes
James
 
I would add the Nautipath charts recommended routes in tight areas (around Herm for example) and on entering ports swings it for me. Chartplotter meets pilot book.

As someone who has been 'converted' to electronic charts for some time I still struggle with the tidal bits. Even zipping around at 15knots I am happy to use tide tables and tidal charts; it's not a matter of trust, the on screen stuff simply doesn't give me what I want in relation to where I want it!
 
Very happy with it - exceeds expectations. I have 3600i + Navionics 28G giving excellent satellite pick up through fibreglass deck, sails etc. Concerns re tides and currents as apparent from these postings.
 
Don't have access to NauticPath now but Navionics clearly indicates leading lines. Used Navionics to go through Percee Passage (Herm) and N round Sark to Creux over Whitsun - excellent. One test I used when comparing both was Peter Port - Percee - south about round to Belvoir Beach - back to Herm Harbour and then Corbette (inside Brehon) to rejoin Little Russell (done with 2 3500s side by side with Navionics on one and NauticPath on other). Personally was happier with Navionics leading lines but cannot now remember NauticPath recommended routes. Guess it's horses for courses.
Glad more experienced users are still unsure about tides and currents. I have just done a passage for a friend from Exe round Portland Bill eastbound with chart/almanac and plotter and using Navplanner on PC. My chart/almanac passage is 1hr ahead of the decision following using Navplanner (yes double-checked UT/BST and not that!)
 
Think we agree probably over GMT setting. Senility/decining eyesight means I prefer to use the graphs rather than the tidal icon. The icon shows correctly while the graphs and tide times in GMT mean I have to make the adjustment (+1hr) myself. Hence - for me the BST no DST setting seems best.
Using Navionics 28G chart. Like you regretted having to spend more for less but still glad I did it.
Yes, card(s) must be transferred. I bought the Navplanner package which includes a multi-card reader and a nifty card carrier. Help files on Navplanner are pretty poor (like their website - I agree your comments) but program is so intuitive and straightforward it has not mattered. No manual - just the getting started sheet you can download from their website.
Passage planning on the big PC screen with a mouse is a dream but I still have reservations about the tides/currents (see separate post above re passage plan round the Bill). Would not be as dismissive as Blue Dragon but certainly not prepared to rely on them.
 
Re: Lowrance 3500/3600 again - with Duncan on this ....

I compared the 3500 with other co's machines and it came out well ahead especially when the Nautipath card was incl. .....

I have no complaint about the chart card - for me I do not expect absolute pontoon shown on chart as some have remarked - the scales available are fine for me to approach all harbours / areas - even sail inside them.
|As to the tides issue - I use my palm or tables so not bothered. The currents seem to be ok in Solent on display .... so - QED.
 
Re: Lowrance 3500/3600 again - with Duncan on this ....

I got mine from:

http://www.jkmax.co.uk/3.html

GlobalMap 3600C iGPS c/w 1 x Nautic Path Europe Chart
£449.00 + £5 pp I think.

Very helpful chap (Steve) - arrived the next day as promised - and he was happy to send me both alternative charts for me to look at play with (probably a good move on his part as I think I'm going got the Navionics in the end ..)
 
Haven't forgotten you all...just got back in tonight after a few days in the upper Bristol Channel, where tides don't turn neatly at HW or LW! Got a few observations that will confirm what's being said, but I just want to check a setting tomorrow before I post. In summary, switching DST off and using Navionics charts, the 3500C current module now seems to have actually got it right...and HW/LW times and heights as well. Not much luck with the NauticPath tidal streams though...consistently ahead of reality.
 
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