G
Guest
Guest
Your thoughts on the relative merits and costs of the above would be appreciated for use on board on a laptop. Cruising area Northern Europe.
brian mackenzie
brian mackenzie
kidnapped
New member
I 'found' one on my new purchase this weekend..... so would also be very interested as well.
PS first sail went well .... still a bit of a 'learning curve' on all these electronic aids ... I'm keeping the charts etc!
PS first sail went well .... still a bit of a 'learning curve' on all these electronic aids ... I'm keeping the charts etc!
abraxas
New member
I've just bought Euronav SeaPro 2000 and I'm quite pleased after two weekends sailing. One consideration is the type of charts that the system can access. I sail from the Cardigan Bay in Wales and it's not well served by most organisations so I opted for a system that could use ARCs charts. A few fun and games setting it up but good back up from SeaPro.
I fitted a MasterVolt 500 watt pure sine wave inverter to drive a Packard Bell Le Div@II computer. 500 watts is way over the top but I wanted reliability and the option to drive small handtools etc.
Keep the faith. A computer with charting software is more versatile and better value than a dedicated plotter and once you have seen full zoom on a 15" TFT screen you will think the effort was worthwhile.
Also try WinTV from PC world for when you're not on the move.
Gareth.
I fitted a MasterVolt 500 watt pure sine wave inverter to drive a Packard Bell Le Div@II computer. 500 watts is way over the top but I wanted reliability and the option to drive small handtools etc.
Keep the faith. A computer with charting software is more versatile and better value than a dedicated plotter and once you have seen full zoom on a 15" TFT screen you will think the effort was worthwhile.
Also try WinTV from PC world for when you're not on the move.
Gareth.
G
Guest
Guest
Brian,
I own a copy of the Maptech Navigator software and an assortment of Admiralty and other charts for it. These are the full up versions that contain every mark and note of the original paper version. The "vectorized" charts contain much less information, and I do not think that I would like to rely on them, but my experience with vectorized charts is proportionately smaller.
I have found this software to be very useful as a way of studying these charts, for instance on a winter evening, and in planning routes for subsequent down load into a handheld GPS.
I do not think that I would like to rely on one of these systems at sea unless I had a VERY rugged (e.g. military specification) computer and display to view them on. The preprogramed GPS is very helpful, especially in a channel crossing when all eyes are on the traffic lanes, or locating cans.
A short coming of the chart software that is it will not print to anything bigger than A4, even if you have very large format printer/plotters available on your system (as I do). I suspect that this is because Maptech also sells the paper charts. And so it is necessary to buy both paper and electronic charts. You cannot simply print in large format from your electronic charts. This is a bit of annoyance, because by the time I was done paying for all this wonderfulness in the electronic version, I came to the conclusion that Maptech had their hand in my pocket far enough already, when it came time to buy the paper version.
To summarize, I think that the e-charts are a great planning tool, and will let you down load to your GPS highly detailed waypoint lists. This is very helpful, since your GPS is built to be dropped a few times, and endure some spray. The computer is not, so I keep the computer on my desk.
Best,
Robert
I own a copy of the Maptech Navigator software and an assortment of Admiralty and other charts for it. These are the full up versions that contain every mark and note of the original paper version. The "vectorized" charts contain much less information, and I do not think that I would like to rely on them, but my experience with vectorized charts is proportionately smaller.
I have found this software to be very useful as a way of studying these charts, for instance on a winter evening, and in planning routes for subsequent down load into a handheld GPS.
I do not think that I would like to rely on one of these systems at sea unless I had a VERY rugged (e.g. military specification) computer and display to view them on. The preprogramed GPS is very helpful, especially in a channel crossing when all eyes are on the traffic lanes, or locating cans.
A short coming of the chart software that is it will not print to anything bigger than A4, even if you have very large format printer/plotters available on your system (as I do). I suspect that this is because Maptech also sells the paper charts. And so it is necessary to buy both paper and electronic charts. You cannot simply print in large format from your electronic charts. This is a bit of annoyance, because by the time I was done paying for all this wonderfulness in the electronic version, I came to the conclusion that Maptech had their hand in my pocket far enough already, when it came time to buy the paper version.
To summarize, I think that the e-charts are a great planning tool, and will let you down load to your GPS highly detailed waypoint lists. This is very helpful, since your GPS is built to be dropped a few times, and endure some spray. The computer is not, so I keep the computer on my desk.
Best,
Robert
pandroid
Active member
Last year I used Navmaster and ARCS charts for our cruise round France, Belgium and Holland on a laptop run off a 12v 'air' adaptor which I already had for work. I measured the current drain carefully in a variety of modes and worked out that with a fully topped up battery and the screen set for quick timeout (<5 mins) it only used just over 1 Amp (as opposed to my dedicated Raytheon plotter/radar which can use up to 3 amps).
I tried two laptops and found the one with a 'touchpoint' better on board (although you have to watch getting wet) but the ones with the 'nipple' were hard to use in a seaway.
I also had the Proutman tidal atlas with it and found the most useful function to be in route planning. When linked with the atlas, it will calculate the best times to leave, CTS etc and cuts out all the work/guesswork. This was brilliant for planning at home which you cant do with a dedicated.
In terms of seeing at a glance where you are, it also turned out invaluable, and even worked through a violent thunderstorm (with lightning).
I also have a Raytheon dedicated plotter which uses C-Map, and to be honest, although its easier to use the box, I dont find the chart formats as friendly or accessible.
I tried two laptops and found the one with a 'touchpoint' better on board (although you have to watch getting wet) but the ones with the 'nipple' were hard to use in a seaway.
I also had the Proutman tidal atlas with it and found the most useful function to be in route planning. When linked with the atlas, it will calculate the best times to leave, CTS etc and cuts out all the work/guesswork. This was brilliant for planning at home which you cant do with a dedicated.
In terms of seeing at a glance where you are, it also turned out invaluable, and even worked through a violent thunderstorm (with lightning).
I also have a Raytheon dedicated plotter which uses C-Map, and to be honest, although its easier to use the box, I dont find the chart formats as friendly or accessible.
jamesjermain
Active member
This summer I am using the latest MaxSea navigation software which is the only navigation program I know of which can use a whole range of chart formats, including ARCS, C-Map and Mapmedia (a raster format). I am using a 640mHz PC laptop with 128MB of RAM powered through a Sinergex Pure Watts 150 (the cheapest inverter I could find). I will report on my findings later on.
The charts I am using are the Mapmedia ones which are digitally scanned hydrographic charts - ie, electronic photocopies of the originals, complete with all the original detail down to the smudges and coffee stains. Like the Admiralty ARCS charts, they are undoubtedly more reliable than vectored charts but far less flexible and interesting to use. The Mapmedia range is also, at the moment, somewhat restricted in its coverage
Personally I have, in the past, prefered using vectored charts which can be more easily adapted to your own needs by choosing the information you want to display. They also tend to zoom and scroll better. They are also, to be dangerously honest, more fun, because you can do more with them, like creating 3-D images of the sea bed. There IS an issue over accuracy and I have found the odd mistake on both NAvionics and C-Map charts, but nothing worse than using paper charts a year or two out of date.
Before the end of the summer I will be getting a set of C-Map charts and ARCS charts for the Channel so that I can directly compare the three types directly using the same software.
JJ
The charts I am using are the Mapmedia ones which are digitally scanned hydrographic charts - ie, electronic photocopies of the originals, complete with all the original detail down to the smudges and coffee stains. Like the Admiralty ARCS charts, they are undoubtedly more reliable than vectored charts but far less flexible and interesting to use. The Mapmedia range is also, at the moment, somewhat restricted in its coverage
Personally I have, in the past, prefered using vectored charts which can be more easily adapted to your own needs by choosing the information you want to display. They also tend to zoom and scroll better. They are also, to be dangerously honest, more fun, because you can do more with them, like creating 3-D images of the sea bed. There IS an issue over accuracy and I have found the odd mistake on both NAvionics and C-Map charts, but nothing worse than using paper charts a year or two out of date.
Before the end of the summer I will be getting a set of C-Map charts and ARCS charts for the Channel so that I can directly compare the three types directly using the same software.
JJ
zefender
Active member
I use Tsunamis Navigator on my laptop which I find really useful. I don't bother with an inverter - I just use the 12v cigar lighter plug in adaptor. I don't keep the laptop on board (I think the sea air would kill it pretty quickly) and I just tie it to the nav table in case it might go walkabout in rougher weather. You will need a pretty quick laptop though.
You will always need paper as a backup and it's true that if you intend travelling far, the cost of electronic charts can mount up frighteningly. But you also get free updates to the charts, which is useful. When sailing with the family, short-handed, I find it really handy to peek at the 'you are here' symbol on the chart to make sure I'm where I wanted to be. As James mentions, the abiity to tailor what you want to see on the chart (minimum depth, seabed, cables etc) can make life a lot easier on the eye.
In summary, the cost of the laptop, the software and the charts (and the gps lead too) can make it appear to be a luxury. But if you have the laptop anyway, I think it's a valuable safety item when short-handed or when the weather deteriorates.
There have been quite a few posts on this subject - suggest you use the search facility for more info.
You will always need paper as a backup and it's true that if you intend travelling far, the cost of electronic charts can mount up frighteningly. But you also get free updates to the charts, which is useful. When sailing with the family, short-handed, I find it really handy to peek at the 'you are here' symbol on the chart to make sure I'm where I wanted to be. As James mentions, the abiity to tailor what you want to see on the chart (minimum depth, seabed, cables etc) can make life a lot easier on the eye.
In summary, the cost of the laptop, the software and the charts (and the gps lead too) can make it appear to be a luxury. But if you have the laptop anyway, I think it's a valuable safety item when short-handed or when the weather deteriorates.
There have been quite a few posts on this subject - suggest you use the search facility for more info.
david_bagshaw
Well-known member
Personally I am a great fan of oziexplorer (www.oziexplorer.com )
You keep your own paper charts & scan them your self, so no expensive propriety chips, or cards, or updates or later redundancy
easy to correct from notices to mariners,
Keep the lap top in a cpbd underway unless really smooth
However |I do have a Yeoman to translate the lat long directly to the chart, for ease & convenience, after all where can you buy a plotter or computer with a screen the size of a folded admiralty chart.
at the risk of repeating my self frrom a previous post see
http://www.euroboating.net/yachtman/voyages.html for some ideas of what can be done with ozi
One thing forcertain any system is a great improvement for entering waypoints & forming routes, something that can become a real chore on a longer voyage.
Have fun
David
www.euroboating.net
You keep your own paper charts & scan them your self, so no expensive propriety chips, or cards, or updates or later redundancy
easy to correct from notices to mariners,
Keep the lap top in a cpbd underway unless really smooth
However |I do have a Yeoman to translate the lat long directly to the chart, for ease & convenience, after all where can you buy a plotter or computer with a screen the size of a folded admiralty chart.
at the risk of repeating my self frrom a previous post see
http://www.euroboating.net/yachtman/voyages.html for some ideas of what can be done with ozi
One thing forcertain any system is a great improvement for entering waypoints & forming routes, something that can become a real chore on a longer voyage.
Have fun
David
www.euroboating.net
stevebirch2002
New member
I can second the details on SeaPro. It is a great program and quite easy to use after a little playing about. Uses all types of charts, raster and vector, and the backup is fantastic.
Steve Birch
Albin Vega "Southern Comfort" V1703
Steve Birch
Albin Vega "Southern Comfort" V1703