Plotter with integral aerial

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cpedw

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After a long period of procrastination, I'm working up slowly to parting with cash for a chart plotter. I have been impressed by the positive comments here and low price of the Lowrance 3500C with Nauticpath chart bundle. I would plan to mount it normally in the cockpit, either under the sprayhood or at the wheel depending how well it fits and how easy it is to read. So I was interested to see there's a version with integral aerial, the 3600C since that should be easier to install and easier to make removable for safekeeping I expect.
Does anyone have firsthand experience of this model? I expect I will make it installable by the chart table as an alternative for passage planning. It wouldn't matter to me if it can't get a signal there, but does anyone know if it will be happy to allow waypoints to be put in and routes set up even though it's lost sight of the satellites?

Thanks,
Derek
 
I have a GPS with integral aerial at the chart table. It's a basic Garmin which is interfaced with the GMDSS radio and it has worked fine now for 5 years. Our plotter at the helm is a Standard Horizon - chosen for it's bright sun viewability - and although this has a gantry mounted aerial, this is only four feet or so higher than the display. It's all-round horizon that is more important for accuracy & reliability.

Steve Cronin
 
Whether it is internal antenna or not - you will still have option to connect another GPS to it and read from that - I'm sure. Or you could grab a cheapo PDA / PC of the ebay and connect that to NMEA out and have that at chart table ?

My etrex and also 3500C external antenna both worked inside the cabin ... but I wouldn't rely on the coverage like that if on a serious voyage ...
 
I haven't got round to wiring in the 3500's ariel properly so it's sat on the shelf between the windscreen and the unit under my hardtop.................so far it's been fine there!

I will move it eventually up onto the hardtop with all the other ariels but ca't see it making a whole lot of difference - at one angle the radar will block a couple of satelittes wherever it's put.

I would have thought the integrated ariel and mounted at the helm to be the best of both worlds for you.
 
Yes you can scroll and set waypoints without a signal. Initially you may find you will have to scroll from where the ships last known position was, for example, if you brought it home and switched on in the dining room you would find the ships position was on the moorings not your house.

The first time you switch on it may be at the position of the factory where it was built. None of this is a problem though. Waypoints can be added by scrolling or direct position entry. The only problem (slight) is that until you get a signal your first waypoint maybe from the wrong place, i.e. your back garden to the fairway, in my case it may be 90 miles or so, but the moment you power up in the cockpit this error will resolve.

J
 
Just purchased exactly this (3600c) unit about 2 weeks ago and have done nothing except play with it ever since. For the price I simply cannot fault it. However, I have evaluated the Natic charts versus Navionics and fell in favour of Navionics, not a lot of cost difference either if you shop around.

You can do all you need with this unit, and yes you can create waypoints etc "off-sats". Buy a second power cable (or the portable battery power pack) and you can then use it at the chart table or the helm position as you see fit.

Check out this post for more info:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?C...rue#Post1038159
 
External antenna ...

On my 3500C .... it's wedged bewteen the curtain and window port side main cabin. I had it up on cabin top with lanyard to grab-rail ... no difference..... except couldn't close hatch. As I don't sail normally out of Solent etc. - it's good enough in the limited spot behind the curtain till I fit properly on stern rail.
 
Re: External antenna ...

I've been looking at this too - and was wondering if you get the internal aerial version - what are the options for fitting an external aerial at a later point ? From what I could see you ought to be able to fit one on the NMEA 2000 bus - but the pdfs on the website weren't clear - to me at least - and it didn't look a particulalry cheap add on ! I woould like to move between yacht and RIB (and maybe car ?) - so internal aerial seems a good bet - but was wondering if I could also use an external aerial on the yacht in the future if it improved the signal.

Also I'm interested in what people thing the future options for displaying AIS targets on this unit maybe. As far as I can see Garmin plotters are just starting to offer this on some of their units - via a software upgrade. Anyone any ideas whether Lowrance might do the same ??

Thanks
James
 
[ QUOTE ]

You can do all you need with this unit, and yes you can create waypoints etc "off-sats". Buy a second power cable (or the portable battery power pack) and you can then use it at the chart table or the helm position as you see fit.



[/ QUOTE ]

I'm looking at 2 locations for the unit but where can you buy extra power cables and mount etc. in the UK

Cheers
 
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