I am sure that this has already been done but new models are constantly
being produced so... why not?
Your experience is very appreciated regarding:
1) screen dimension
2) Color or B/W
3) speed of screen refreshing
4) different cartographic systems/media
5) reliability
....
all points vs price, of course.

Thanks
Daniel

Daniel wrote:
I am sure that this has already been done but new models are
constantly being produced so... why not?
Your experience is very appreciated regarding:
1) screen dimension
2) Color or B/W
3) speed of screen refreshing
4) different cartographic systems/media
5) reliability
...
all points vs price, of course.

Thanks
Daniel

Most serious digital navigation officioados use laptops or PC's with TFT
panels. These plotters are so puny in comparison, and you pay the earth for
a dedicated device that will do nothing else but show an almost invisible
arrow on a screen barely bigger than your hand, And the resolution is total
crap!

Wiil this do for starters?

Remove "nospam" from return address.

Well I don't know if I would go as far as Dennis.
I have a Garmin 182C at my steering pedestal for instant reference. Kind of
hard to do with a laptop. I also have a connection down below so that I can
use it to plan while anchored/tied.
Screen resolution is excellent, just as good as a laptop. Colour is very
good but I wouldn't say it was essential. I would say the 182 has the
minimum useable screen size. I don't know how anyone navigates on a PDA.
Bigger is always better. Screen refresh is not instantaneous but I don't
find it a problem, maybe 1 second.
If you don't have a good laptop, and I don't, by the time you buy one and
purchase the navigation software I think you are up into the chartplotter
price range (not for the same size screen I have to admit).

"Dennis Pogson" wrote in message
news:1XCtc.4$984.2@newsfe5-win...
Daniel wrote:
I am sure that this has already been done but new models are
constantly being produced so... why not?
Your experience is very appreciated regarding:
1) screen dimension
2) Color or B/W
3) speed of screen refreshing
4) different cartographic systems/media
5) reliability
...
all points vs price, of course.

Thanks
Daniel

Most serious digital navigation officioados use laptops or PC's with TFT
panels. These plotters are so puny in comparison, and you pay the earth
for
a dedicated device that will do nothing else but show an almost invisible
arrow on a screen barely bigger than your hand, And the resolution is
total
crap!

Wiil this do for starters?

Remove "nospam" from return address.

"Dennis Pogson" wrote in message
news:1XCtc.4$984.2@newsfe5-win...
Daniel wrote:
I am sure that this has already been done but new models are
constantly being produced so... why not?
Your experience is very appreciated regarding:
1) screen dimension
2) Color or B/W
3) speed of screen refreshing
4) different cartographic systems/media
5) reliability
...
all points vs price, of course.

Thanks
Daniel

Most serious digital navigation officioados use laptops or PC's with TFT
panels.

Lowrance uses TFT panels on their Chartplotters.

These plotters are so puny in comparison,

Up to 10.4" versus 14.1" for the average laptop panel. Not to far off.

and you pay the earth for
a dedicated device

And with the laptop you will also have to purchase some "dedicated" hardware
and software just to make it useable in this capacity.

that will do nothing else but show an almost invisible
arrow on a screen barely bigger than your hand,

If you are trying to view from 5' away then I totally agree with you. But
when located and mounted properly, even a handheld GPS/Plotter with a 3.5"
screen is perfectly viewable. Always mount the unit where you need it, and
this is hard to do with a laptop unless you purchase a special waterproof
unit for even more bucks. Most, but by no means all, of your "serious
digital navigation afficioados"(sic) will use the laptop for planning
purposes in a controlled environment (i.e. the cabin or at home), rather
than in an exposed area for the actual running, and load the data to the
dedicated Chartplotter for use.

And the resolution is total
crap!

See your previous statement and my answer! (Funny thing is that my old high
school teachers would have determined that these two sentances consist of a
double negative, and was therefore a false statement that actually proved
the opposite!)

Wiil this do for starters?

No.

"Daniel" wrote in message
...
I am sure that this has already been done but new models are constantly
being produced so... why not?
Your experience is very appreciated regarding:

My experience consists of inland waters fishing use only, so with that out
of the way:

1) screen dimension
2) Color or B/W

I'll answer both of these at the same time. I am currently using a 5" B/W
unit that I have had for several years, Lowrance 4800m, and find this to be
a very tractable unit that more than meets any of my needs. My best fishing
bud recieved a Lowrance 3300c, 5" screen, for Christmas. This is essentially
the color version of the 4800m, with the only real difference being screen
resolution. The 4800m has a 480Vx480H display for a total pixel count of
over 230,000, while his 3300c has a 320Vx240H display for a total of over
76,000 pixels.
When we put the units side by side, we both can see that my B/W unit has the
much sharper display, but his appears to be just as good because of the
inclusion of color. After all, we see in color, so we interpret images
better when seen in color, even when the resolution is a bit lower.
Answer - I now want a color unit, but the budget and the wife have nixed
that idea. So I will be keeping my ancient B/W for at least a couple of
years, and I know that it will continue to preform perfectly during that
time.

3) speed of screen refreshing

Owning or using, with friends, units by Lowrance, RayMarine, Garmin, Eagle
and Humminbird, they mostly seem to use an approx. 1 second screen refresh.
This has proven to be more than needed, even on a high speed run across any
lake that we have been on, including Lake Michigan.

4) different cartographic systems/media

Have only used Navionics HotMaps for inland waters, with MapCreate software
as a backup for lakes that are not in the HotMaps digital media memory
cards. There are others out there, but I have no experience with them. My
two tier system has worked out very well for my purposes.

5) reliability

Stay away from Eagle, period. Even though Eagle is a division of Lowrance,
they seem to have major problems with reliability in all areas from
waterproofness through screen problems, and even their electronics, that
Lowrance does not have. Everyone I know, no matter what brand they own,
except the Eagle owners, are happy with them, with the possible exception of
the Humminbird owners. They cannot tell me what real problems they have, but
none of them seem real happy with their units. The two RayMarine owners
(both have the RC435 with a 6" screen) that I know are extremely pleased
with their units, even happier than I am with my Lowrance.
Just taking into account how people talk about their units, I would rate
them as follows;
1 - RayMarine
2 - Lowrance
3 - Garmin
4 - Humminbird
5 - Eagle
(Note: I know of no one with a Furuno, but I would expect this brand to be
somewhere above the Garmin brand on this list)
There are other brands than these, but no matter what your usage I would
recommend a brand with as far reaching sales/service system, just in case
:-)

...
all points vs price, of course.

As a comparison, current street price for;
Lowrance 4800m = $400.00
Lowrance 3300c = $500.00
RayMarine RC435 = $900.00


Thanks
Daniel

Bob
A day without being on the water is just like being at work!

Lowrance and Eagle are the same company.
Doug K7ABX
"Bob" wrote in message
news:2IOtc.2554$3x.1026@attbi_s54...

"Daniel" wrote in message
...
I am sure that this has already been done but new models are constantly
being produced so... why not?
Your experience is very appreciated regarding:

My experience consists of inland waters fishing use only, so with that out
of the way:

1) screen dimension
2) Color or B/W

I'll answer both of these at the same time. I am currently using a 5" B/W
unit that I have had for several years, Lowrance 4800m, and find this to
be
a very tractable unit that more than meets any of my needs. My best
fishing
bud recieved a Lowrance 3300c, 5" screen, for Christmas. This is
essentially
the color version of the 4800m, with the only real difference being screen
resolution. The 4800m has a 480Vx480H display for a total pixel count of
over 230,000, while his 3300c has a 320Vx240H display for a total of over
76,000 pixels.
When we put the units side by side, we both can see that my B/W unit has
the
much sharper display, but his appears to be just as good because of the
inclusion of color. After all, we see in color, so we interpret images
better when seen in color, even when the resolution is a bit lower.
Answer - I now want a color unit, but the budget and the wife have nixed
that idea. So I will be keeping my ancient B/W for at least a couple of
years, and I know that it will continue to preform perfectly during that
time.

3) speed of screen refreshing

Owning or using, with friends, units by Lowrance, RayMarine, Garmin, Eagle
and Humminbird, they mostly seem to use an approx. 1 second screen
refresh.
This has proven to be more than needed, even on a high speed run across
any
lake that we have been on, including Lake Michigan.

4) different cartographic systems/media

Have only used Navionics HotMaps for inland waters, with MapCreate
software
as a backup for lakes that are not in the HotMaps digital media memory
cards. There are others out there, but I have no experience with them. My
two tier system has worked out very well for my purposes.

5) reliability

Stay away from Eagle, period. Even though Eagle is a division of Lowrance,
they seem to have major problems with reliability in all areas from
waterproofness through screen problems, and even their electronics, that
Lowrance does not have. Everyone I know, no matter what brand they own,
except the Eagle owners, are happy with them, with the possible exception
of
the Humminbird owners. They cannot tell me what real problems they have,
but
none of them seem real happy with their units. The two RayMarine owners
(both have the RC435 with a 6" screen) that I know are extremely pleased
with their units, even happier than I am with my Lowrance.
Just taking into account how people talk about their units, I would rate
them as follows;
1 - RayMarine
2 - Lowrance
3 - Garmin
4 - Humminbird
5 - Eagle
(Note: I know of no one with a Furuno, but I would expect this brand to be
somewhere above the Garmin brand on this list)
There are other brands than these, but no matter what your usage I would
recommend a brand with as far reaching sales/service system, just in case
:-)

...
all points vs price, of course.

As a comparison, current street price for;
Lowrance 4800m = $400.00
Lowrance 3300c = $500.00
RayMarine RC435 = $900.00


Thanks
Daniel

Bob
A day without being on the water is just like being at work!

I think that I already knew that.

"Doug" wrote in message
ink.net...
Lowrance and Eagle are the same company.
Doug K7ABX


5) reliability

Stay away from Eagle, period. Even though Eagle is a division of
Lowrance,
they seem to have major problems with reliability in all areas from


Bob

Bob
(again)

Gordon Wedman wrote:
Well I don't know if I would go as far as Dennis.
I have a Garmin 182C at my steering pedestal for instant reference.
Kind of hard to do with a laptop. I also have a connection down
below so that I can use it to plan while anchored/tied.
Screen resolution is excellent, just as good as a laptop. Colour is
very good but I wouldn't say it was essential. I would say the 182
has the minimum useable screen size. I don't know how anyone
navigates on a PDA. Bigger is always better. Screen refresh is not
instantaneous but I don't find it a problem, maybe 1 second.
If you don't have a good laptop, and I don't, by the time you buy one
and purchase the navigation software I think you are up into the
chartplotter price range (not for the same size screen I have to
admit).

Maybe the chartplotters I have seen are not the latest technology, and I am
therefore biased in my views, but it seems to me that with a huge range of
available software, with a laptop you can choose the best, or what is best
for you personally, and discard the rest.

Ideally, the screen should be the same size as the paper chart, but even
with plasma screens this is impossible, if not prohibitively expensive, but
with modern laptop screens available in wide-angle, now up to 17" diagonal,
and the fantastic resolutions now available, it is possible to view a
full-size reproduction digital chart without a vast amount of panning, and
the zoom facility allows more of the chart to be displayed and seen at one
viewing.

Dedicated chartplotters will always have their enthusiasts, but to me the
technology tends to follow, rather than lead the laptop/tft/plasma
technology, and with laptops prices now falling to unprecedented levels,
this seems the way to go.

I need hardly mention the ability to take the laptop off the boat at the end
of each trip, which does decrease the risk of having one's navigation system
stolen!

Dennis.

Well, thank you, you gave me some new ideas.
In particular the possibility to use a laptop. I have an old HP with
W95 which would actually be available for sailing with me!
Does anyone ave suggestions on how to read NEMEA through the serial port
and which kind of cartography would be better?

Daniel

Well, thank you, you gave me some new ideas.
In particular the possibility to use a laptop. I have an old HP with
W95 which would actually be available for sailing with me!
Does anyone ave suggestions on how to read NEMEA through the serial port
and which kind of cartography would be better?

Daniel