Small chartplotter with basemap only + link to netbook

G

gregandginas

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 May 2009
Messages
104
Location
Norfolk (see hobbies)
Visit site
I was wondering about getting a Garmin 276c for tracking progress relative to waypoints in the (very exposed) cockpit of my 22' Pandora and just using the free basemap on the Garmin alongside a paperchart in a waterproof case under the tiller.

If I linked to a cheap netbook (10" screen) in the cabin, I believe I could get more detailed (cheaper than Garmin Bluechart) electronic charts and (with NASA AIS feed) AIS overlay: could be kept in the dry and kept linked to the lead acid battery.

A reasonable idea or one to forget? If it is a good idea... what software would be worth looking at?
 
Maybe this will answer your question ...

SAriver-trip007.jpg


A very old Magellan that only displays numbered data, this feeds to a junction box inside cabin that can feed another display (PDA - Jornada 540) and to a PC for plotting.

I have a Lowrance 3500C sited inside cabin viewable from helm with all charting I need ...

superanne21-25march016.jpg


The Magellan in fact is just usually either off or giving me CMG / SMG data and DTG to next waypoint ... allowing me to play with plotter for other data if needed.

PC is rarely switched on for plotting now..... Lowrance has replaced that.

Note that Plotters can also receive NMEA data from a remote GPS instead of their own antena in even of antena failure, such as my Magellan - the cable on my Lowrance has a RS232 plug specifically for that and plugs into the junction box ...

Your suggestion is pretty basic and fully workable.

Suggestion : Lowrance do economic handheld GPS and for small money you can have the Nauticpath card as well to go with it. In fact look around and you'll likely find a deal that incl. the Nauticpath chart card in the HH GPS pricing. That way you get full charting as well as a good hand-held for 'small money'.
 
I do something like this.

I started out with a handheld GPS (iFinder Go) in the cockpit, then managed to get it talking to an Acer Aspire One netbook running the Admiralty / RYA chartplotter (£48 for the whole South Coast).

The boat I have now came with a Garmin GPS128 so I have switched to feeding the netbook from that.

However... it wasn't easy to get it working! To get the GPS signal into the netbook I had to make a suitable lead to connect the GPS to an RS232 socket, and then had to get an adaptor to hook this up to a USB port.

The other tricky bit was persuading the chartplotter software to run without a CD connected to the netbook.

Oh yes - for good measure the netbook was running Linux, so I had to get Windows running on it too.
 
Thanks for highlighting some of the issues with running Admiralty / RYA software on netbook: glad they are resolvable. That would get me going... but the idea behind getting a trailer-sailer was to potter in Wales and Scotland during school holidays whilst doing the Harwich area from home... so I might be better with a system that uses large area charts.

The 276c (basemap only) is available at £290 at the moment but I'd considered the Lowrance 5150 5" Colour LCD plotter at £315 complete as standard with Lowrance Nauticpath Europe West UK/Europe Chart - which (if Iwere not a tad concerned about the waterproofness of the unit in an open cockpit) might be great to connect to a netbook for accessing AIS and more.

For less money I could get a XL9 Navionics Chart with a Raymarine RC400 (£300): if the same XL9 could be used on software on a netbook to overcome the size limitations of the RC400 screen (and get AIS overlay) then that would presumably get me better charting.

The Garmin 550 at £400 would get me glorious Bluecharts.. but I wonder if there's any point when you can't access them on anything more than a low-res 5" screen. If I could access them on a netbook or laptop the Garmin solutions would be farmore appealing.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I wonder if there's any point when you can't access them on anything more than a low-res 5" screen. If I could access them on a netbook or laptop the Garmin solutions would be farmore appealing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Greg,

I have a Lowrance with a 5in screen, and the res is fine - almost excellent. It took me comfortably from Glasson Dock to Malta, attached to a bracket at the wheel in all weathers - it's waterproof!.

I also have chartplotting capabilities on my netbook, but I use a GPS USB dongle to get the signal - anything else is a very expensive way of getting a GPS signal into a computer, that you will almost never be able to risk using on deck.

What you are trying to do is what everyone tries to do when they start with this stuff. Eventually, most give up and get a dedicated cheap plotter and/or a dongle for the laptop.

Dont forget that, even when you have the signal in the netbook, you need charting software and charts.

My opinion, 3 years on from trying to do what you are doing..... Get a Lowrance with Nauticpath charts and internal aerial, and mount it at the wheel... you wont regret it!

Do the laptop stuff if you must, but only for fun.

Richard
 
I do keep coming back to Lowrance stuff.... but my 22' Pandora cockpit might be a tad wetter than most other installations: your recommendation has sent me searching again...

JGTech do the Lowrance GlobalMap 5150C 5" 640x480 pixels colour with external GPS aerial with UK Nautic path chart can be got for £315. Would the HDS (with AIS, NMEA2000) at £400 with £50 for the Nautic charts be worth considering?
 
Having checked the license for the Admiralty chart plotter, I feel it is unwise to post instructions for getting it working without the CD present.

However as a hint I suggest that you search for "Alcohol 52%" on Google!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I do keep coming back to Lowrance stuff.... but my 22' Pandora cockpit might be a tad wetter than most other installations: your recommendation has sent me searching again...

JGTech do the Lowrance GlobalMap 5150C 5" 640x480 pixels colour with external GPS aerial with UK Nautic path chart can be got for £315. Would the HDS (with AIS, NMEA2000) at £400 with £50 for the Nautic charts be worth considering?

[/ QUOTE ]

Whilst my boat may be a little more protected than your Pandora /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif , I can assure you that the plotter has been dumped on several times, and torrentially rained on like you wouldnt believe /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The 5150 is more or less the same as mine, and would be fine. The HDS looks interesting, but not necessary. I would need to see one in the flesh to be convinced it worth the extra, or hear from someone who has one.

Cheers for now
 
[ QUOTE ]
I do keep coming back to Lowrance stuff.... but my 22' Pandora cockpit might be a tad wetter than most other installations: your recommendation has sent me searching again...

JGTech do the Lowrance GlobalMap 5150C 5" 640x480 pixels colour with external GPS aerial with UK Nautic path chart can be got for £315. Would the HDS (with AIS, NMEA2000) at £400 with £50 for the Nautic charts be worth considering?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have the older but same machine ... 3500C with external antena. I wish I had waited a month and boiught the 3600i C with internal antena - same machine but without antena and cables to sort. My antena sits inside cabin or on coachroof - and both give excellent signal.
The Lowrance set-up is more than good enough. The HDS is a very high resolution machine and more features than the older 5150.
It all depends what you really need / want. I like my 3500C, cannot do AIS but has NMEA2000 as well as 0183 - so is compatible with many other items.

IMHO - if it's intended for the Pandora - go for the plotter - yes I am pro Lowrance and go with the Nauticpath card ... I have both NW and NE europe and have not found need for any others. If you go for pc and the rest - then you will have a fine system - but weather limited - and ignore the rubbish about Toughbooks - they are NOT weatherproof - tough but that's all.
Handhelds ? Yes ok - but you soon tire of the small screen and long for a larger. Great for hiking but naff all real use on a boat ... I have various handhelds and PDA's with good screens etc. - I still go back to the plotter.

All in all the Lowrance 5150 or similar with Nauticpath card is a hard deal to beat ... you can go cheaper with lower res screen in the Eagle models ... same card, same machine but lower res screen.
 
I got the Lowrance 5150c from Gaelforce for £269 2 months ago then they dropped it to £239! It comes complete with the Nauticpath charts. Superb bit of kit, I cant fault it, it is designed to go in the cockpit, so no worries there.
Stu
 
Just as I was settling on a Lowrance HDS-5m with Nauticpath mapping for £395... I found a UK supplier comparing the build quality of the Lowrance unfavourably with Garmin and noting what appears to be a supply problem - which might possibly be linked (if the rumours are right) with misting and leakage issues with the HDS range.

I'mnot completely put off... but waiting to see is not an option as the free Nauticpath charting with the HDS-5m at £395 will not be an option once current stocks have gone...

ps. I've researched the PC Plotter alternative somewhat: really out of my budget... and possibly better suited to a larger vessel - but PC Plotter on a netbook / laptop for ease of use and convenience in the cabin for the main plotter and a submersible to 1m for 30 minutes Raymarine RC400 offering the the same mapping on a truly weedy screen in the cockpit would currently cost £545.
 
Hi Greg,

I cant speak for the problems with the HDS, but the other models like mine seem to be fine, and have included the Nauticpath chart since at least 2006.

I would have thought that they would be crazy to stop the offer on the newer models as it adds excellent value for probably not much cost at their end.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top