Raymarine RL70C Chart plotter, won't track / follow us as we move

[Ianqv]

Hi All,

I wonder if someone can help?
I have a Raymarine RL70C chart plotter fitted.
Over the last couple of years I have been trying to get the chart to “follow the boat” as I sail along.
Sadly, as we move the chart does not scroll and follow us. We have to press the "find boat" button or manually scroll the chart to find us on the map.
I have looked at the user manual, but this does not ref this feature (or if it does, I can’t find it).

Firstly, has anyone else got an RL70 – If so, does your chart follow/track you as you move?
Secondly, would anyone know where and what in the set up menu’s I need to change?

All other functions on the chart plotter work ok

Many thanks in advance

Ian

 

[ghostlymoron]

Look in the settings. Somewhere there will be a 'follow boat' option. Don't know where as I'm not familiar with that model.
You could also contact the dealer that sold it.

 

[ghostlymoron]

'Centre the display around the vessel' is the mode you want. Switch that option on and you've cracked it.
I'm only viewing the manual on my phone so can't go into anymore detail without bringing on a migraine but it WILL be there somewhere.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I think he is referring to the chart orientation, in which case, the setting will be "course up" not "north up"

 

[johnalison]

I think he is referring to the chart orientation, in which case, the setting will be "course up" not "north up"

I don't think so. It should follow the boat in any orientation. I had the B&W version and seem to remember that there were options, so it's just a matter of digging for them.

 

[prv]

I think he is referring to the chart orientation

I don't - he says "scroll". He wants the boat to stay in the middle of the screen (or at some fixed offset) while the chart moves underneath it. All plotters I've used have this function, but I'm not familiar with the RL70.

Pete

 

[Laysula]

I don't - he says "scroll". He wants the boat to stay in the middle of the screen (or at some fixed offset) while the chart moves underneath it. All plotters I've used have this function, but I'm not familiar with the RL70.

Pete

This is what my RL70c does, so there must be an option in the manual somewhere.

 

[cobolt]

I don't think there's a option hidden in a menu anywhere,

If your cursor is not on the boat, you should see an option in the bottom bar to "find boat". On our RL70CRC (same software), if you press this, it locks the cursor onto the boat. Note that the chart does not continuously scroll, it only updates once the boat nears the edge of the current screen.

If you hit the movement cursor pad at all, and knock the cursor off the boat, then the chart stops following the boat and stays wherever the cursor was moved to, until "find boat" is again pressed.

 

[ghostlymoron]

On the content page of the manual, it mentions the 'Centre the display around the vessel' option as I said earlier. I can't wade through the complete manual on my phone but surely the op can.

 

[Ianqv]

Hi all,

MANY thanks for the suggestions (it's much appreciated).
Just for clarity.... what I would like is the boat to stay in the middle of the screen (as we sail/move).
If we hit find boat - yes it finds us straight away and the curser is on the boat. But as we move the chart doesn't (i.e the chart stays at exactly the same place.... until we hit the "find boat" again.
If I go to the boat tonight, I will have a look for the 'Centre the display around the vessel'.

Thanks again

Ian

 

[cobolt]

I'm afraid to say I believe Ghostlymoron is wrong, or looking at the wrong manual at least. There is no sub-menu option in the RL70/Pathfinder series of chart plotters called "centre the display around the vessel" or anything similar that changes this behaviour.

Your boat icon will never stay perfectly in the centre of the screen and update the chart every second or so (like a modern chart plotter). Instead, the boat will travel across the screen and then the chart will refresh once you get somewhere close the edge of the screen, putting you back in the middle...rinse and repeat.

This is the relevant (only) section from the manual :

Using FIND SHIP
FIND SHIP is used in chart mode to re-draw the chart with the vessel at the center and the cursor homed onto the vessel.
When you press FIND SHIP the following occur:
• The chart is re-drawn with the vessel’s position in the center.
• The cursor is homed onto the vessel position and moves with it.
• When the vessel moves near the edge of the chart window, the chart is redrawn to place the vessel and cursor at the center again.
• The status bar indicates vessel position, speed and course over ground.


Another useful feature is, once you've pressed FIND SHIP, and the icon is centred over your boat icon, you can hit enter and then move the boat around the screen. For instance, if you're doing a long voyage west-to-east, then it is useful to "offset" the boat position to the left side of the screen, this gives you a further view ahead (further east), and less waste behind you with each screen refresh.

If this isn't working as intended (and you're sure you're not knocking the icon off its vessel locked position), then I really don't know. Can't remember if RL70C supports radar, but if it does makes sure any overlays are turned off.

 

[Yorkshire Exile]

I have similar problems with my Lowrance HDS 5 plotter. It always follows the cursor but not the boat - I will try to look for similar functions as suggested by a number of people above. The other irritating, if not dangerous in an emergency, problem is that I can't get it to display position in lat and long on the screen. It only displays the cursor position, so one has to put the cursor on the boat to get current position. It does however send current position to the radio (after struggling for 4 weeks to connect the bloody things) Has anybody encountered this on a Lowrance?

 

[ghostlymoron]

I've definitely downloaded the right manual. The wording I quoted is from the download although I can't find it now. I can't imagine I would have imagined it.

 

[oldgit]

Been long term owner of both RL70 and current owner of RL80.
Excellent bit of brick outhouse ancient tech.
On mine the chart only shifts when boat reaches edge of displayed chart.

All to do with the set up and you will have wade through the manual to sort it.
Go onto the Raymarine website, archive of of folks who no doubt will have asked that question many times in the dim and distant past.
The RL 70/80 CRC on my boat was most definately interfaced with both radar and fishfinder/depth sounder.

Ps. Swapping out a RL 70 to a RL80 can be an inexpensive upgrade giving a vastly bigger screen for not much money. Need to ensure you are swapping identical units though with same HSB and Seatalk capabilites
Bought bigger unit and sold old unit on Ebay total cost around £150.00.

 

[ghostlymoron]

The first chart plotter I owned was a Raymarine model 320 or summat. This had the feature the OP wants and predates the RL70C. I find it unlikely that Raymarine would drop that useful feature. I'll scan the manual when I have access to my laptop.

 

[Rafiki]

I have similar problems with my Lowrance HDS 5 plotter. It always follows the cursor but not the boat - I will try to look for similar functions as suggested by a number of people above. The other irritating, if not dangerous in an emergency, problem is that I can't get it to display position in lat and long on the screen. It only displays the cursor position, so one has to put the cursor on the boat to get current position. It does however send current position to the radio (after struggling for 4 weeks to connect the bloody things) Has anybody encountered this on a Lowrance?

My Lowrance definitely shows the Lat/Long on the screen. I was only checking last week-end when I put the VHF and Lowrance back in place for the summer - it's the only way I knew they both had the same position.

I do recall spending a long time deciding what info I wanted the Lowrance to display on screen in addition to the chart.

 

[Yorkshire Exile]

Thanks Andrew re my Lowrance. I have found in the troubleshooting section at the end of the manual a reference that might be relevant. It seems that if one uses the arrow keys it goes into cursor mode. If I press 'exit' it should then return to boat position mode and show me the current position. I will try it when i go to the boat at the weekend.