waterproof lcd chart display from pc

Birdseye

Birdseye

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I want to use a PC rather than a plotter on board, and I want to have a display at the wheel. Does anyone know of a source of waterproof 5 inch or so sunlight viewable computer screens?

Anyone done the same thing?
 
Join the many that are also trying to sort this .....

Yes you can get screens that are weatherised - not true waterproof ... but boy are you going to pay for it !!
 
I want 12v. But if it is going to be more expensive than a standard plotter, why bother? Part of the attraction of using a lappy is that I already have one so the final cost should be much less than buying a plotter and more flexible.

Why are they so expensive - such screens are used on lots of cheap equipment?
 
I suggested one time about whether a Plotter company could produce a "generic" plotter - basically a pc based empty machine. You would then load up what program you see fit and charts ... But I was shouted down as unworkable.

I even asked whether a screen from a plotter could be fired up from a pc - again shouted down as unworkable due to the different connections / language format used for each ...

Shame - I reckon if someone could create a ploter - that you program up with your choice of charting etc. - would be a winner !!

Imagine a Plotter with Maxsea or similar on it ......
 
I don't recon it would be beyond the wit of the RnD team to convert any plotter to display from a PC - after all, the display instructions are going to be just about the same and it is only a matter of coding the buttons to particular keyboard shortcuts ...

Getting them to do it though - thats the tricky bit ... something about margins and making a profit?
 
LCD screens ...

We've already tried the DVD screens etc. - resolution is no good for it ..... no problem with dvd and tv stuff ... as thats cr*p anyway ... but charting is just rubbish.
 
Yep - like many others - went down this route - and now I have a dedicated plotter !

I even had a supply of PDAs in waterproof boxes - but to be honest for the fiddle and faff and the fact that even when it was working I was the only one who stood a chance of getting it going - I gave up and bought a plotter (Lowrance 3600 with charts for not much more than soem of the PC software!)

I agree they are stupidly expensive - and the screens I've used I've not been that impressed with - and for sailing - they drink power.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Yep - like many others - went down this route - and now I have a dedicated plotter !

- I gave up and bought a plotter (Lowrance 3600 with charts for not much more than soem of the PC software!)



[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto, to the letter. As soon as i saw the resolution on the 5in Lowrance screen, I was more or less sold, and a couple of weeks later I bought the 3600i.

Havent got it fitted yet, but applied a 12v power supply, and am impressed. I like the idea of being able to have a split screen, and it looks like it might just work, with a large scale and a small scale view.

Cheers
 
The other reason for using a PC is that you arent tied to one expensive chart system from the plotter maker and can use both scanned charts and charts from other sources.

All I want is a simple repeater screen at the wheel - I can do any necessary plotting on the main set down below. And I cant understand why a cheap (ie less that £200) screen isnt available given the low price of some full plotters including all the system, charts etc.
 
[ QUOTE ]
The other reason for using a PC is that you arent tied to one expensive chart system from the plotter maker and can use both scanned charts and charts from other sources.

All I want is a simple repeater screen at the wheel - I can do any necessary plotting on the main set down below. And I cant understand why a cheap (ie less that £200) screen isnt available given the low price of some full plotters including all the system, charts etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Couldnt agree more!! The thing is, it doesnt exist, as many here will testify. Raymarine have a waterproof screen at about £1500, and their E series will network at thousands of pounds more. Waterproof LCD screens for bathrooms or outdoor use also come in at around £1000 and more.

There is obviously a niche in the market for these things so either technology wont allow it at low cost, or the perceived demand isnt high enough.

Cheers
 
Here's the quote, are you sitting down?

Quote for an 8 inch Transflective display.

We provide TFT LCD with reflective mode of illumination without compromising its transmissive illumination. The technology can be applied to your regular TFT LCD to introduce the LCD with a reflective function. With the imposed reflective function, the modified LCD can reflect the ambient light passing the LCD cell and utilize the reflected light beams as its illumination. The stronger the ambient light is, the brighter the LCD will appear. As a result, the modified LCD is viewable under all lighting conditions including direct sunlight regardless the LCD's original brightness.

An excellent choise for all direct
sunlight applications.
* Full readability in direct sunlight
the brighter, the better.
* The best transflectives in
the industry
* Metal Cased Transflective Monitors

12volt DC supply.
800x600 resolution.
Accepts D-sub, composite and s-video

£899 ex. vat and delivery.

On our boat we got a Solarism monitor which is fairly reasonably priced and quite bright at 800nits which works ok but needs ventilation. We cut an electric box in half and reduced the height of it, got a guy to plastic weld it together again so it was slimmer, put a fan assisted durad box at the rear and voila, instant waterproof enclosure for a 15inch screen.

http://princessownersclub.fotopic.net/p595958.html
 
Ok,

I happened to ask the price for a 12 inch transflective display and it is only £50 quid more!

So 12 inch transflective as per spec above except the maximum resolution is 1024x768... GREAT !! £949 ex. vat and delivery.

I think this is much more reasonable for a top class fully waterproof display.



Mark
 
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