What next for Marine Electronics ?

[jac]

We're no racers for sure! But we use the log a lot, sail tweaks show straight away and it gives an instant calculation of the tide when you compare it to the COG.

Agreed. Even if we're just day sailing in the Solent I'll put the paddle wheel in.( I make a point of removing mine when boat not in use - means I don't need to clean it much as 5 days sat in a dry bilge seems to kill off any spores that attach themselves to it whilst it is whizzing round ( or sauntering round usually)

 

[laika]

It's a bit puzzling why more transducers/stand alone displays aren't coming onto the market with built in ability to transmit nmea over wifi given the price

Maybe because "NMEA over wifi" isn't a standard and "nmea-0183" is inherently a serial line protocol. Perhaps something like they're willing to put data out over wifi but not willing to use a non-NMEA-approved data source?

I've gone 3 years now with the blanking plug in my log housing and not missed the log reading once.

I recognise that lots of people do mostly-gps navigation now and that when we're in familiar waters most of us do nav by eye but I still think of the log as an essential navigation tool.

I wonder if the future will see a reaction to all this high tech stuff with a sudden resurgence in demand for trailing logs, sextants and sunstones? Well, ok, maybe not so much the sunstones...

 

[Allan]

Do you need one? I've gone 3 years now with the blanking plug in my log housing and not missed the log reading once. After all what matters is your speed over the ground towards your destination. Thats what you need to maximise even when racing.

Howard, I completely 100% disagree! I can't tell you why at this moment because I'm totally pissed after beating 15 boats to win the CYC, Tony Burris, race for the 50 mile trophy. Yes that's right, my lovely old Westerly 33 won another trophy!!! I compared log and SOG/COG all the way! Cheers,
Cheers,
Allan

 

[dom]

Do you need one? I've gone 3 years now with the blanking plug in my log housing and not missed the log reading once. After all what matters is your speed over the ground towards your destination. Thats what you need to maximise even when racing.

I know what you mean up to a point. IIRC you've got quite a bit of electronic kit on your boat, some of it racing orientated like B&G? This type of gear needs to know heading, speed, AWA and AWS to fill in the rest of the triangle (TWS, TWD and TWA). If speed is missing or inaccurate, the others will be equally so.

But as you imply all of these speeds are referenced to the rolling tidal carpet you are travelling on, as opposed to the next mark one is hoping to round. One therefore needs to establish the tidal set, which can only be accurately estimated if you tell the computer the leeway angle as it will otherwise "assume" that set = set + leeway, which it isn't. In other words tidal waters the layline, next leg and other functions will probably not be great without a speed input. Then there is the question of polars which someone else mentioned.

That said, I don't know how you've set up your system, and of course if tidal streams are small where you sail I suppose setting SOG = Speed wouldn't matter that much.

Just some random thoughts really.

 

[mattonthesea]

Allan, if there was a 'like' button I'd press it ?

 

[GHA]

Maybe because "NMEA over wifi" isn't a standard and "nmea-0183" is inherently a serial line protocol. Perhaps something like they're willing to put data out over wifi but not willing to use a non-NMEA-approved data source?

...

Possibly, hadn't thought of that. Wonder who will be the first to roll out a transducer broadcasting signalk, if ever...

 

[Allan]

Allan, if there was a 'like' button I'd press it ��

Thank you sir, it was worth the hangover!
Even sober I think speed through the water is important. As said elsewhere, it obviously depends on the speed of the tide, yesterday we hit a SOG of 11kts a few times.
If my understanding is correct, one change I would make to modern electronics, true wind should be worked out using SOG, not speed through the water.
An app which inputs speed and wind information and produces a polar diagram must be possible too.
Allan

 

[Birdseye]

I know what you mean up to a point. IIRC you've got quite a bit of electronic kit on your boat, some of it racing orientated like B&G? This type of gear needs to know heading, speed, AWA and AWS to fill in the rest of the triangle (TWS, TWD and TWA). If speed is missing or inaccurate, the others will be equally so.

But as you imply all of these speeds are referenced to the rolling tidal carpet you are travelling on, as opposed to the next mark one is hoping to round. One therefore needs to establish the tidal set, which can only be accurately estimated if you tell the computer the leeway angle as it will otherwise "assume" that set = set + leeway, which it isn't. In other words tidal waters the layline, next leg and other functions will probably not be great without a speed input. Then there is the question of polars which someone else mentioned.

That said, I don't know how you've set up your system, and of course if tidal streams are small where you sail I suppose setting SOG = Speed wouldn't matter that much.

Just some random thoughts really.

You are right of course Dom but most of my sailing is cruising and the racing is NHC in highly tidal waters of the bristol channel. Here the tide is not only quite strong but also very variable point to point because of the uneven bottom. Whats more we race round channel marks rather than a laid course so its very unusual that one tack isnt obviously more favourable than another. So usually it boils down to achieveing the best VMG to the mark and reacting to the wind shifts.

I will admit to not using half the features of the B&G - I only got it because I had to have a new radar and fancied the 3G one.

 

[stuartwineberg]

What I would like is less wire. Just bought a 20 year old yacht and opening up the instrument panel reveals a maze of unlabeled and functioning spaghetti. When something fails, as it will, I will be on a fault finding Sherlock Holmes campaign that could last a long time. A nice combination of fibre optics, CANBUS backbone and wifi/bluetooth could get rid of several kilos of copper I am sure.

 

[Lucky Duck]

If my understanding is correct, one change I would make to modern electronics, true wind should be worked out using SOG, not speed through the water.

That is often referred to as ground wind by manufacturers

 

[FWB]

That is often referred to as ground wind by manufacturers

My Raymarine system uses ground wind.

 

[ip485]

Sorry if it has been mentioned not having read every post but I hope the industry will develop really good forward looking sonar, I see further improvements in digital radar, and hopefully further improvement in off shore communications - after all we are all accustom to fast WiFi at home, we can, I hope look forward to the same service on board at a reasonable cost.