RC 520 Chart Plotter

[TerrifiedTony]

Well the broker has my cheque but I don't havea boat until he (or the bank) decides to clear it but I was allowed to sit on the new toy for a few hours yesterday. So if anyone passed D pier at Shamrock Quay and heard some nutcase doing Vrum Vrum noises whilst staring manfully outwards toward the horizon, that was me.

One of the buttons I did press was the RC520 Chartplotter and the questions for the panel are:

The screen said NO FIX in the top right hand corner. There was no cartridge in the set so

a Where do I buy C-Map+ cartridges as I can't find a source on the net.

b Does the set need a cartridge to get a fix. I would have thought the set always gets a fix and then matches it to the cartridge.

c Is this my first repair bill....?

d What on earth does a Fishfinder do. I know it should be obvious, find fish, but under what rules. Will it find them on the Thames (would have put a smiley here but don't know how to do it)

Thanks for any help
Tony

 

[longjohnsilver]

BarryD has a c-map cartridge of the Solent for sale on the for sale forum. No fix probably means a bad connection somewhere between the set and the aeriel.

Fishfinders in my experience rarely find fishes, but are useful to see the bottom contours.

Hope the new boat lives up to all expectations. Well done!

 

[tr7v8]

All the fishfinder gives is a graphical display o depth, you do see fishy symbols floating past sometimes but I've never worked out if they are proper fishes or bits of weed, or Russian Subs!

Jim
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[banus]

put one of these [ then write smile then one of these ] works with a lot of other words like frown /forums/images/icons/frown.gif etc etc

 

[TerrifiedTony]

Thanks Jim.
I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with a fishfinder.Now if I am trying to impress a new lady friend I will look startled, cry "Holy S**t, its a Russian submarine, let me take avoiding action and save your life" Do you think they get up as far as Bovey Lock ? Still, it will make much more of an impression than my normal technique of claiming that Terry Wogan lives in any randomly selected big house along the Thames. Come to think of it I once claimed he lived at Byrons!

/forums/images/icons/smile.gif and a thanks to Jeff if this works.

Tony

 

[Guest]

Tony, you must be careful with the fishfinder, there are a few pubs that do fish and chips on the Thames, this can have an adverse affect and give you false readings. I had it on the way back from the Southampton Boat Show, and mine was still in the box, kept bleeping whenever I passed a fish and chip shop /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Renegade_Master]

Tony I bought a Garmin fish finder as the old deep gauges on my boat where hard to read. It does show fish (via symbols of course) and each has a little number next to it showing how many metres down it is. You see them in locks too.

Funny thing is they always seem to swim one way under the boat dont know if is left to right or bow to stern. Seriously a lot more fun then just a depth gauge IMHO

Also shows the water temperature but I wouldnt trust it

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.suncoastmarine.co.uk>Sun Coast Sea School & Charter</A>

 

[longjohnsilver]

Come again

Wot are you on about?

 

[hlb]

Oy. I had my fish finder on in alderney harbour. The guy said that was the best place to find fishes. So backed up and down. And there were the fishes. Caught fishes. But when fish finder thingy went dead no fishies. So backed up a bit till fishies on screen. Then caught loads of fishes again. The fish we caught were not the exact coour or size of the pictures in the screen. Hope This Helps!!

<font color=blue> Haydn

 

[longjohnsilver]

Hold on a mo................

I've been fishing with you, all you caught that day was a cold and that was only after about 4 hours of trying. Don't you come the old salty trawlerman with us, we all know better, after all Tutts showed me where you bought all your fish in Fowey!! /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Come again

TT asked about putting smilies on, Banus inadvertantly (?) replied to you rather than TT, TT go the hang of it. Summary./forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

 

[longjohnsilver]

Thort i was missing something

Probably a brain /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Thort i was too!

It does help if people respond to relevant post, but we've all been guilty of it. Did a lengthy response to one of my own posts just recently, and only just caught it in time.

But then, I'm missing a brain 90% of the time when I post late evening /forums/images/icons/blush.gif

 

[byron]

<font color=blue>Terry Wogan hasn't lived on the Thames for years he lives out in Herts or Bucks now. People used to think my house was Michael Caines but his house was further upstream and hidden by trees (not a lot of people know that).
George Micheal lives downstream from me and when Syd was last here it was all we could to restrain his Debbie from going there (although it was Syd we were worried about).

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[rhinorhino]

Serious answer, if you will acept help from a raggie!

a) Call C-map on 01329 517778, they are in Fareham by the way. The service is excellent. Super-wide cartridges cover a huge area and are great value for money, if not cheap. You can also upgrade from an old cartridge quite cheaply (well about 30% of new) if you can get an old cartridge.

b) A cartridge is not needed to get a fix. Unit has a built in large scale map, about 600nm scale which will show you your position with no cartridge in place. If you have lost the manual it is aviable on the web I believe

c) Maybe, but the plotter needs a live GPS feed. This sometimes passes though other bits of kit. So check, is GPS turned on? Are all other bits of kit of a remotely similar nature turned on? Are all circiut breakers in place? If you need help Diverse at the Hamble are excellent.

d) fish-finder diverts you from proper sailing! Sorry could not resist.

Trust this helps and enjoy!

 

[sjohn_gibson]

Re No Fix: On my boat the instruments (Speed, depth, wind auto pilot and GPS) are on one circuit and the chart plotter/radar on another. For a fix on the chartplotter I need to have the instruments 'on' as well.
Yours
John