Wireless Radome (wifi), tablets, chart overlay questions

[Tradewinds]

My friend in NZ has asked me a question about wireless radomes which I know nothing about.

An option seems to be to buy a Furuno wireless one which mates with an ipad app. I know little about ipads . I believe that you use an ipad as a plotter. How does this work with charts. Presumably there are apps for this . Does it work satisfactorily? I assume that the ipad app can overlay with a plotter app. Is there a difference between ipads in which apps will work and which will not? Here it is difficult to get information about complete systems. There appear to be a number of radomes which are now wireless but i cannot find out if you can mix makers or whether you are trapped with one maker. Nor can i find out if these other ones can be matched with computer apps.

Does anybody have hands-on experience of wireless radomes and can answer my friend's questions?

TIA

 

[PaulRainbow]

FURUNO 1st Watch Wireless Radar

 

[Tradewinds]

FURUNO 1st Watch Wireless Radar

Thanks. Any experience of this product?
Doesn't seem to offer chart overlay with something like Navionics for instance.
I know with my Vesper XB8000 set up I have to log on to it's wifi network, I assume you have to do the same with these other wifi devices - ie they each have their own network. Is there is system whereby you can have a common network for all your wifi nav devices and just switch apps as and when without going back into settings to log in and out?

 

[laika]

I have no personal experience of these but I’ve recently been looking in to the DRS4W in response to a question posted on the kplex google group. Are there wireless radar units other than that one?

The DRS4W forms it’s own wireless network. You can’t connect it to an existing network in “station mode”. Consequently you can’t browse the Internet while using the ipad app. If you have a WiFi multiplexer like a miniplex or a raspberry pi running kplex you can join that as a client of the radar network so that other nav apps which consume boat data can also run.

The DRS4W doesn’t do target tracking and consequently doesn’t put out NMEA target info which could be used by other nav programs (info from furuno support in response to question).

Radar imaging stuff is always proprietary so unless Navionics do a deal with a radar manufacturer you won’t get image overlays on Navionics.

As for ipad compatibility you could ask Furuno but you could also just try and download the app. They don’t charge you for it as it’s only any use if you buy their radar but it you could confirm that it will install on whatever you’ve got.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Thanks. Any experience of this product?

Sorry, no experience.

 

[MarkCX]

Furuno’s iPhone app hasn’t been updated for over 4 years. I’d be wary of committing my money to this if it’s not being actively developed and improved.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Apple are not shy about updating their CPUs or operating systems so that old software doesn't work.

"We've supported it for 3 or 4 years," they say, "that's plenty of time in which to have updated."

Can you see Furuno writing a new app for a radar they stopped manufacturing 5 years ago?

 

[MarkCX]

I know with my Vesper XB8000 set up I have to log on to it's wifi network, I assume you have to do the same with these other wifi devices - ie they each have their own network. Is there is system whereby you can have a common network for all your wifi nav devices and just switch apps as and when without going back into settings to log in and out?

The Vesper can operate in client mode and connect to another network instead of creating its own. I have a 4G gizmo on my boat that creates the network, and everything else connects to that.