Touch screen MFDs

[[2574]]

Do the modern touch screen MFDs devices work okay with wet/cold fingers? What about with gloves on? I am preferring buttons but that seems to add a magnitude of cost on top of the touch screen price to have a so called "hybrid" display. My Ipad is hopeless with wet fingers, it just doesn't work.

 

[Whaup367]

No, not in my very limited experience (at least, not the Axiom which came with my boat).

 

[[2574]]

No, not in my very limited experience (at least, not the Axiom which came with my boat).

Thanks, interesting. Amazing that the default UI seems to be touch screen now, at least as far as my cursory glance at whats available this afternoon reveals. Where I sail in West Scotland the conditions dictate that wet and cold is the norm.

 

[fredrussell]

I have a Garmin with touchscreen and buttons. Love the combination. Very well thought out. It has four buttons that you assign your four most commonly used screen functions to, which to me is a great feature. Well done Garmin.

 

[Robin]

I bought an axiom 9 touch screen plus a wired remote control with buttons and rotary joystick knob as that combination was way cheaper than buying the 'pro' model with buttons Touch screen works for me ok most of the time but the remote add on is very worthwhile. We are wrinklies on a mobo nowadays and avoid rain whenever possible, but we have an android tablet linked to the axiom mounted at our lower helm in the dry and linked to it's master up on the flybridge via Wi-Fi even repeating radar display live though cannot operate the ancient autopilot from it. so have to turn off the upper pilot control and turn on the 2nd one below or steer by hand.

 

[Skylark]

My 8 year old Simrad NS12 works fine with cold and wet fingers. Don’t know about gloves as I don’t wear them.

 

[Yngmar]

We accidentally ended up with a pen digitzer tablet (running OpenCPN) and it actually turned out amazing. While the touchscreen displays do not work well with wet fingers (not at all if you just picked up anchor and have wet, salty paws), nor at all with gloves, the pen always works. It's also much easier to use in rough seas, as you can precisely tap on things while resting your palm on the display (no touch = no problem) to stabilize. The pen is tied on so can't be lost.

Not going to find that sort of thing in commerical MFDs though.

 

[Momac]

On one occasion in a very lumpy sea coordinating finger and screen was almost impossible .It was good to have the rotary control.

 

[westhinder]

Do the modern touch screen MFDs devices work okay with wet/cold fingers? What about with gloves on? I am preferring buttons but that seems to add a magnitude of cost on top of the touch screen price to have a so called "hybrid" display. My Ipad is hopeless with wet fingers, it just doesn't work.

I’m going through the same process’ so very interested in all the comments. What if you’re bouncing around on the waves and you try to pinpoint a new waypoint by touchscreen?

 

[westhinder]

I bought an axiom 9 touch screen plus a wired remote control with buttons and rotary joystick knob as that combination was way cheaper than buying the 'pro' model with buttons Touch screen works for me ok most of the time but the remote add on is very worthwhile. We are wrinklies on a mobo nowadays and avoid rain whenever possible, but we have an android tablet linked to the axiom mounted at our lower helm in the dry and linked to it's master up on the flybridge via Wi-Fi even repeating radar display live though cannot operate the ancient autopilot from it. so have to turn off the upper pilot control and turn on the 2nd one below or steer by hand.

That sounds like a neat idea. The price difference on the pro-models does seem unreasonable

 

[Robin]

That sounds like a neat idea. The price difference on the pro-models does seem unreasonable

There are some other very minor differences between std and pro, like card slot location on front i believe but nothing that bothered me. Paul Rainbow of this parish might add to that as he knows his Raytheon stuff The remote for me avoids the need to stand up or risk my hand through helm spokes.

 

[harvey38]

I use two Raymarine Hybrid Touch MFDs, easy to use in calm water using touch screen but the joystick is a blessing when it gets a bit rough.

 

[neilf39]

My Garmin touch screen works fine in rain. With gloves it depends on the gloves. You can get ones specifically for touch screens.

 

[Boathook]

I'm another with a raymarine hybrid. Touch screen is good but in rough weather I only use the buttons and rotary knob.

 

[West Coast]

My 8 year old Simrad NS12 works fine with cold and wet fingers. Don’t know about gloves as I don’t wear them.

I also have a 6 year old simrad NSS MFD mounted on the aft end of the cockpit table, between the wheels, its touch screen has worked very well in wet and cold conditions. Occasionally used the direct controls, but rarely needed to, even in rough weather

 

[Fimacca]

I have a B and G, and it works well in wet and with gloves. They do seem to shut down with very hot sun however - not a great problem in plymouth - twice a year maybe !!
The med may be different......

 

[mainsail1]

I have the Raymarine Axiom. 9 touch screen and I would not recommend it to anyone. I frequently have to touch the screen two or three times before it does anything. In rough weather you have to use your second hand to steady your first. The Chart disc slot is in the rear so it is very difficult to change cards. In fact I bought the extra chart reader to overcome this. The software is a nightmare to navigate and was clearly designed by a non sailor. I so miss my previous Raymarine plotter which was easy to use and lasted 15 years.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We have a Garmin touch only device. No issues so far. My gloves leave my 1st 2 fingertips exposed, I doubt it would work with full gloves. We’ve had no issues with wet hands, or with OH’s Raynauds. Even works with a white finger.

 

[Marco64]

Following. I am installing an Axiom 12+ at the chart table and will repeat in cockpit using an iPad/iPhone. My cockpit is relatively dry (glass spray screen) and I am hoping the ipad and pencil will work ok. An extra £1000 for buttons was just unacceptable

 

[biscuit]

My Garmin GPSMap 4008 with buttons*8 works fine in the rain.
A friend has a touch screen version of the same which doesn't!

(* one For Sale on this forum!)