PDA Uses

[mickp]

Anyone found any usefull Navigation / Sailing related software for their PDA if so where do you get it from.
I have searched all the PDA sites and found nothing related that works on an HP Ipaq machine.

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[Guest]

Try our guys ....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

Many have PDA's and can advise on suitable stuff ....


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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[Mariner]

Email your address to info@marinercomputers.co.uk and say send me a free pda demo cd.


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[Twister_Ken]

You can use a PDA to hold the corner of the chart down.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Guest]

Re: PDA article

Was a good writeup about PDA's in June's SAIL magazine (US publication). Best reviews seemed to be NavPak Pocket http://www.globenav.com/ and Fugawi http://www.fugawi.com/indexcom.html

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[Maxidom]

Try Neptune tides. This is an excellant tidal prediction package that I used regularly last summer throught France and the Chanel Islands. They are working on a chart plotter version which should be available by the London Boat show.
Try www.neptune-navigation.com You won't be disappointed.

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[Evadne]

If you tie it to a long piece of string it also doubles as a lead line.

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[bigmart]

Also good for steadying wonky table legs but one of the most popular uses that I put mine to is downloading the Shipping Forecast from the web. It saves all those early mornings listening to Men of Harlech etc. That assult on the eardrums is no way to start your day.

Martin

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[DeeGee]

But do not use the PC version of their software. As I understand from only a statement of their intention, the iPAQ version of the software will not suffer from the same limitiations as the PC version.

I have Neptune tides and have major problems with it. I bought the package and twp extra set of charts for east coast cruising. The calculation for optimum and specific passage uses only the tidal information from the chart open at the time you do the calculation. If your passage is totally contained in that chart, then fine - for example cross channel to cherbourg or CI. If, as an East Coast sailor, your passage spans charts - as for example going across the Thames Estuary (1 chart) to Boulogne (another 2 charts) then it gives entirely different results depending on which chart is open. What it uses for the 'closed' elements of the passage - goodness knows.

I have been in contact with Neptune, and they agree that this is the case, and they hope to bring out a version which uses all the tidal data from the SET of charts you are using, and only breakdown when going off one set to another. Unfortunately, the passage above falls into this category, spanning two sets.

Within these limitations, it is not too bad to use, I am sure you have come across some awkward idiosyncracies, but they are forgivable - until you discover this preceding behaviour.

I am assured that some other packages available do not do this, for example Navmaster, uses Proudman data for the whole passage, irrespective of the chart open. Neptune use the UKHO tidal diamond info from the charts in question.

I hope that Neptune will improve this with time, but in the meantime....

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[DeeGee]

If you have access to a decent scanner, I can recommend you go for OziExplorer. This is software which will run on PC and handhelds. I have it on an iPAQ, with the whole south coast of UK and the southern N Sea, and northern France downto and including CI, in about 128MB, it uses some really impressive techniques when you take charts from the PC to the iPAQ.

The setup costs are: OziExplorer, PC edition (reqd to enable h/h), $75 to be legal (you can use the software without buying the licence, but a bit limited), HH edition $25 on top. You will need PanaVue image assembling software to join up scanned charts (really incredibly easy). Then £24 for a cable connecting your GPS to the iPAQ.

I have done all this, as I already had a h/h GPS, the OziExp s/w, so it was only $25 to try. I actually don't use the PC or the iPAQ at sea, just the PC for planning. I do use the iPAQ int he car, not for navigation, which it does (including voice if you want to be tacky) brilliantly, with little piccys coming up telling you to turn left in 20m... but for finding our where I am when lost or needing an alternative route.


<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[Guest]

DeeGee, you bring up a good point - what will the purpose of the software be for? NavPak Pocket has scan own like Ozi but contains a few more bells and whistles for seagoing ie celestial navigation, star & planet finder, great circle plotting, etc.

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