Lowrance 3600 chartplotter

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jackho

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Can anyone advise - does this unit with Nautipath chart have seperate tide tables?
If so what are the keystrokes to read?
I know data can be accessed on chart for tide streams etc. but can't remember if tide tables can be read independent of chart.
 
As far as I know - the tide data is only shown on chart .... But a graph is possible when cursor is over i box and you click wpt button .... I think that's the one anyway !!
 
If you check the card on a PC with a card reader, I think you'll find the tidal data is in a stand-alone file, but what you can read it with I've no idea.
 
Yes the card has various files on ....

But only readable fully in PC Emulator or the actual plotter.

To display tidal data fully - as said ... cursor over tide i on chart display, press WPT button and a graphic tide display comes up ....
Exit to go back to chart display ....
 
I have the 3600 plotter and the NauticPath Europe North chart.
I've just looked at the entrance to the Elbe and found a small blue outline arrow pointng NE with the legend 0.7 mph. I then pressed a button (WPT) and got a page with the top line Current station 11578. Next comes a graph of tidal rates ( I think) then tide ebb and flood times.
Next comes daily max floods and ebbs and lastly a settable calendar. This I had to reset - probably because the poor plotter hastn been outside the house for weeks and hasnt seen a sattelite in that time.
My suggestion then is that you look for small blue outline arrows.
 
further note

A bit more button prodding showed something different.
Current info is shown on the Elbe in many places. The icon is a C in a box with rounded corners coloured blue.
Tidal hieght data is a T also in a blue outline box.
If you put the cursor on the box it changes to an arrow for current info or to a vertical column part red part white with a hieght in ft. in a Red box with square corners.
It worked for me at Cuxhaven but only at some ranges.
Both current and tide hieght graphs etc. can be obtained by pressing WPT.
I've had very little practice with this new toy - and have done no practical navigation with it so take info with a bit of scepticism.
IT stikes me that the NauticPath charts are amazing for the amount of information they provide but the interface is clumsy and in some places the information is available, others not.
E.g. At Cuxhaven the yacht marina is shown with pontoons etc. In Sweden and Finland marina "fittings" are not shown at all.
In Finland some bridge hieghts are shown but not in Sweden or Denmark.
I have not yet found a single power cable clearance hieght.
I guess this is a new product with great ambitions and some rather rough edges.
In the bits I remember well it seems pretty accurate and detailed
 
Yet another thought

This plotter, like most others I imagine, does take a lot of study to get some idea of what its doing. I dont have a convenient power source at home so bought one of the engine start powerpacks to power it. It has a 13AH battery which is enough for an evenings play. By next summer I may be reasonably familiar with it.
 
Re: further note ..... at the price ??

A Nauticpath Chart Card is in UK about £130 .... considering the geographical coverage and detail - that is amazing value compared to buying a series of competitors cards to even approach the amount of geographic area.

OK - I have heard some complaints about the NE Europe card ... wrong colour buoys entrance to Riga (Daugava River) ... but still - I'm a great believer that if you have to rely on a plotter and not on traditional methods of harbour entry etc. - then you are entering at wrong time / conditions ... Regardless of plotter graphics / detail - I would never use one to blind pilot into a marina or restricted area ... as an aid and a very good one yes ...

The plotter will also accept Navionics cards ... which are beter detailed close in ... and would likely provide your pontoons display ... but is it really necessary ?? and at what price ??

Fairs fair .... it's a good bit of kit for economic price.
 
Re: Yet another thought

just download the product emulator from Lowrance's web site and play with the buttons and functionality on there.

getting used to the unit is very different issue from getting used to your chart and cruising ground - which are unfortunately at the other end of the 'well supported' scale!
 
had a look at one of these in someones boat in august, the chartplotter looked ok, but the guy said that you need to be careful with some of the tide information, he realised that all the tide information for his port was a day out and he informed the company of this, They said that they knew about it and it would be updated soon,
so i would crossreference it with the almanac, just to be sure the info it is giving you is correct..

Not something i would like to get wrong for the swellies..
 
Tide data errors ...

This is a well promulgated error by various on these forums and others.
Sadly Lowrance and Silva have been slow to correct this error .... and it is still debated whether all errors are out.

Errors range from select metres - but data is in fathoms and vv.
Range is day out or some hours.
31 day months can skip the 31st day ...

But again I say - total reliance on this machine - which is budget priced ... ???? Do you not have a set of tide tables ... even cheapo / freebie ones of chandlers counter ... or brest of all a set of Belfields on PC -??????? I know I regardless of the plotter - use my Palm and also Belfields .... and any paper ones I can get hold of to compare / check tides before committing.
 
Re: Tide data errors ...

just passing on the info just incase someone doesn't realise there could be errors, i am still on the old paper charts and fixed gps and handheld myself, but interested on maybe getting a chart plotter soon. I was quite impressed how the lowrance worked, as i like to keep most of my electronics simple to operate.
Had an early magellan once and what a nightmare to operate, so un-user friendly i ended up changing it to a garmin, which normally you can get set up and working without a manual..
 
Re: Tide data errors ...

agree it's good to keep the issue in view.

it's funny but despite having 3 plotters at the helm, 2 with tidal data available/displayed I always use tidal graphs, tables and flow charts rather than this 'readily available' info. Don't know why really - may be a planning thing as I plan fishing trips etc around tides the simple 'drive' the route entered in seconds on the plotter unit when leaving port!
 
Re: Tide data errors ...

It was ages until I started looking at tiode data on the plotter !! Probably because I desk plan what I'm going to do ... so PC tide progs play an important part.
I did start using the current display by accident !! But even then .....

Yes it's worth knowing about an error of course. But the post hinted at "Don't buy because ......" Bit unfair.

I trust my paper tide tables more than electronic ... and will do for long time in future !!
 
Re: Tide data errors ...

Even the best tide table are an indication only arnt they?

In the middle of a passage, even if the tides on the plotter are a day out, (mine looks Ok by the way about 15 mins out checked against paper tables) the 3500C is a handy little device to have at the helm 'for an indication' of what the tide is doing. Would you use it to calculate a .5mtr clearance over a cill? No of course you wouldn't.

As Nigel says this is a budget plotter. If it was the £850 that a Raymarine C80 is then there would be cause to criticise.

Yes, Silva and Lowrance are slow in putting right an error that should have been sorted a long time ago. The worrying thing is, we are aware of the error and the limitation of electronic navigation. There will be those who rely on it 100%.
 
Re: Tide data errors ...

Tidal info is a bit of a minefield. Good tide programs seem to need an annual update to give reliable info year on year.
The tidal info is of course provided by the chart whether its Navionics or Nauticpath. I wonder if Navionics tidal info is better than NauticPath's.
On the question of relying on the package; people are already doing just that. A friend in the Baltic using Navionics I think, left a small marina in a very complicated and rocky bit of Sweden and went off in a thick fog. Departure point was Klintemala for anyone interested. He reported complete satisfaction with the kit. OK he had no tides to worry about but the penalties for error would have been high.
 
Re: Tide data errors ...

oh people definitely rely on the charting - I know 'cos I do!

less dependent on the tidal info though. in practice sonar readings plus an area of the chart with a nice level bottom gives me a good reference point as to wht safe / unsafe as charted anyway.
 
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