PabloPicasso
Well-Known Member
What plotters can gave an additional repeater added? So main plotter at chart table with a repeat display at the helm?
Or is there an easier way of doing this?
Or is there an easier way of doing this?
Plotter + cockpit repeater
- Thread starter PabloPicasso
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prv
Well-Known Member
The trouble is that a simple repeat of the display is not very useful - unless you have a positively gigantic screen, you're always going to want to zoom and pan and select things and that means you need controls in both places too. Most larger plotters can be linked with another of the same generation from the same manufacturer, although to be honest I'm not really sure what this achieves. Sharing one chart card (if they can do that?) or one radar scanner is useful, I suppose.
Before you go too far down this route, have you actually thought about how you'll navigate the boat in practice? Personally I don't find having a plotter in the saloon remotely useful - you can't see what's around you and you can't steer the boat. With one honourable exception whose opinion I respect, I suspect most people who install their single plotter in the cabin are doing it out of habit because that's where they used to keep the charts.
Pete
Before you go too far down this route, have you actually thought about how you'll navigate the boat in practice? Personally I don't find having a plotter in the saloon remotely useful - you can't see what's around you and you can't steer the boat. With one honourable exception whose opinion I respect, I suspect most people who install their single plotter in the cabin are doing it out of habit because that's where they used to keep the charts.
Pete
nigelmercier
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My plotter is on my PC so it's a simple matter to share the screen with any mobile device.
Cloven
Well-Known Member
I agree with prv. I did away with a plotter at the nav table and it is now mounted under the sprayhood so I can see it while I am at the helm.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
I have a Lorenz plotter. This has a base that it attaches to.
So for route planniing i have a base on a lead in the cabin so i can sit on a berth. & do the planning.
I then detach & refix on to the base just behind the tiller where i can see it & adjust the zoom etc whilst sailing
Still prefer my Yeoman though as i found trying to plan a course with the plotter difficult without a full sized chart. As one zooms out to see the overall route one looses the depths & buoys etc so it means zooming in, scrolling round to find a particular buoy,( or feature) putting in a waypoint then repeating for the next point.
If you are thinking of buying one then as an example when you look at it try plotting a night route at low tide from the gates of Grimsby lock to lowestoft. It takes ages in the Humber & just as long plotting through the Scroby sands to lowestoft
So for route planniing i have a base on a lead in the cabin so i can sit on a berth. & do the planning.
I then detach & refix on to the base just behind the tiller where i can see it & adjust the zoom etc whilst sailing
Still prefer my Yeoman though as i found trying to plan a course with the plotter difficult without a full sized chart. As one zooms out to see the overall route one looses the depths & buoys etc so it means zooming in, scrolling round to find a particular buoy,( or feature) putting in a waypoint then repeating for the next point.
If you are thinking of buying one then as an example when you look at it try plotting a night route at low tide from the gates of Grimsby lock to lowestoft. It takes ages in the Humber & just as long plotting through the Scroby sands to lowestoft
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Elessar
Well-Known Member
The new raymarine ones have the ability to completely replicate themselves on an ipad. Put the waterproof plotter in the cockpit and use the ipad at the chart table. Or loafing in the saloon. Or in your bunk if off watch but want to keep an eye.....
Save the money and dont get touch screen for the cockpit, as you will have full touch screen functionality (particularly good for inputing waypoint names, route names etc) on the ipad. I hate touch screens outside anyway they get all smeary and salty.
The only thing you cant do from the ipad is drive the autopilot. So i have a pilot control head down below, next to where the ipad goes. Speed depth etc are all integrated into the plotter so appear on the ipad. I have speed, depth, cog and sog in permanent boxes on all the screens.
Just yesterday i retreated down below when the heavens opened an the vis went to 1/2 mile. Radar, ais, plotter all on the ipad with full functionality. Its just a cheap ipad 1 from ebay.
You can connect multiple ipads too, good for passage planning when two of you can work together sat without leaning over each other. As you scroll 1, all the ipads and the plotter all scroll in sync.
Whilst i dont see the point of getting the second plotter, to answer the point above if you do, you have one memory card, 1 radar, 1 route, 1 set of waypoints, etc etc etc. they all integrate.
I,m delighted with mine if that hasn't come across!
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Skylark
Well-Known Member
The Simrad NSS touch screen plotter series can also wirelessly connect with other bits of electrickery to give repeater function.
eagle160
Well-Known Member
We have our chart plotter installed in the saloon and unless you can install it in your cockpit where you can both access charts and someone independent from helmsman can do navigation, I would not change it. Or if you're single hander maybe. We then have a pad /smart phone with navionics in the cockpit for 'emergency'. A chart plotter behind the steering wheel is nice for calm weather sailing but when there's a blow, it's in the middle of the night and your navigating coast in tides someone will need to do navigation downstairs anyway... Where a plotter would be v handy at that point
Edit :need to point out that we do navigation on paper charts for 90% of the time, something about it...
Edit :need to point out that we do navigation on paper charts for 90% of the time, something about it...
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prv
Well-Known Member
Quite agree. Ariam came with the chart plotter in the cabin, where we never used it. After the first year I moved it into the cockpit, in a pod just forward of the halyard winch, under the windscreen / sprayhood, and I fully expected to do most of my navigation on it, except for course-to-steer and hourly plots on a Channel crossing. But I've found that the "decluttering" algorithm is too aggressive and the different depth shading at different zooms is confusing, and to get a reliable overview I need to look at a real chart. In a way I'm glad as it means the effort I made to set up a decent chart table is not wasted
. I too use a Yeoman to bridge the gap between paper and electronics.That actually sounds very useful. If you're one of these people who lays out a detailed route of waypoints in advance (I don't) then it'd be nice to be able to do it the night before, together around the table over the remains of dinner
. I never suggested having it at the wheel - I agree that's the wrong place for several reasons. I like to have it at the front of the cockpit where everyone can see it, including me for the 90% of the time that I'm not steering (either George is or one of the crew).
Someone will need to do navigation, but why do they need to be downstairs? Under the sprayhood where they can talk to the helmsman, see out, stand up and take a bearing on a light, etc - that makes far more sense to me.
Pete
Kerenza
Well-Known Member
raymarine plotter, showing wind and tide influences and projected course on the helm. Along with AIS, radar etc overlays if you want.
E550161 remote keyboard and VGA repeater at the table. Allows remote steering and also plotter course / waypoints / bearing set up for whoevers helming. No fiddling about while drifting off course. Forward and rear cameras repeated below. Graphic repeater for other instruments on helm.
Wireless network for Tacktic instruments on mast and handheld and seperate network for crew iPad or android handhelds, run from separate pc. Independent battery banks too. Using the fantastic Navmon PC free programme all boat info recorded for looking at later.
All allows more time sailing / trimming / smiling
K
E550161 remote keyboard and VGA repeater at the table. Allows remote steering and also plotter course / waypoints / bearing set up for whoevers helming. No fiddling about while drifting off course. Forward and rear cameras repeated below. Graphic repeater for other instruments on helm.
Wireless network for Tacktic instruments on mast and handheld and seperate network for crew iPad or android handhelds, run from separate pc. Independent battery banks too. Using the fantastic Navmon PC free programme all boat info recorded for looking at later.
All allows more time sailing / trimming / smiling
K
Elessar
Well-Known Member
That's my point, with the raymarine that's exactly what you can do - the navigator can do it on the ipad below or you can do it on the plotter outside - the choice is yours.
What is the point fitting a waterproof thing inside when it would be useful to use it outside, and you can use it inside using a non waterproof repeater?
Though for me paper is mostly only a backup now. Multiple hour CTS are the only thing I do on paper.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
I have a waterproof case for my iPad for this eventuality, though I don't use it often since the essential information is shown on my graphic repeater.
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-Known Member
We already had a good sized plotter/radar above the nav' desk when we bought the boat but we now rarely use that.
I bought a Standard Horizon 300i which has mounts and cable connections both under the spray hood at the back of the nav' desk.
The SH plotters are reasonably waterproof and easy to connect and disconnect plugs from sockets each time.
We often passage plan on a paper chart sitting inside in comfort at the nav' desk.
I usually put in 'marks' or waypoints on the plotter at the same time to keep me suitably on track next day.
I bought a Standard Horizon 300i which has mounts and cable connections both under the spray hood at the back of the nav' desk.
The SH plotters are reasonably waterproof and easy to connect and disconnect plugs from sockets each time.
We often passage plan on a paper chart sitting inside in comfort at the nav' desk.
I usually put in 'marks' or waypoints on the plotter at the same time to keep me suitably on track next day.
Elessar
Well-Known Member
(applies equally to johnalison)
So you can't see the radar from the helm? I see that a waste of one of the most useful navigational tools.
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-Known Member
Actually yes we can...... and agreed, radar is so valuable.
Having a tiller long enough to get under the spray hood and having a large 10" Radar/plotter at the nav' desk which I've angled, it's set up so that
I can read the radar. Not perfect but a workable compromise. In the last three seasons we have had good reason to use it just the once....
in heavy fog between Ailsa Craig and Campbeltown.... It had been on for 10mins and all the trips went and we were left with nothing electrical
for a few moments.
eagle160
Well-Known Member
Ah the luxury of an uncluttered spray hood. I sail a starlight 35 with all lines running to the cockpit under the sprayhood. There's hardly enough space for a beer so the thought of having to do any navigation there gave me some concerns...
wrongly assumed this is the case for others which of course isn't the case!Ric
Well-Known Member
I have my Raymarine plotter at the chart table - but only because of the difficulty of running all the different cables up the skinny tubes of my pedestal. I would move it up to the helm in a shot if I could do it without making major modifications.
As others have said, iPAd wifi link is great - but iPad is better used inside (even in a waterproof case) as it is not sunlight readable.
Shame Raymarine don't make one of their A-series plotter repeaters with a wifi-link, then I could put that at the helm.
As others have said, iPAd wifi link is great - but iPad is better used inside (even in a waterproof case) as it is not sunlight readable.
Shame Raymarine don't make one of their A-series plotter repeaters with a wifi-link, then I could put that at the helm.
Elessar
Well-Known Member
Good point about ipad brightness. Another issue is it doesnt really go dim enough either. Ok on radar as its predominantly black. Or a grey film sorts it if you need to preserve night vision on the plotter screen.
You would still need to get power to an A series. If it is a slave unit plotter you only need power plus an ethernet cable for full functionality. Could you do that?
Birdseye
Well-Known Member
Yes. Just installed a Simrad plotter with wi fi so I can see and operate my plotter from the cockpit using a tablet or my phone. Works well and allows me to have the plotter down below which I prefer. And certainly my google nexus 10 tablet is sunlight readable or was last week when I used it rounding lands end.
Graham_Wright
Well-Known Member
Sometimes it's the plug not the cable that causes problems threading it through.
