As some of you know; I was looking at buying a sailboat -- well; the survey went
fine but the owner thanked me for sharing the results with him and has backed
out. I feel like I was used to get a 'free survey' -- so we're keeping our boat
& we'll keep looking.

One of the things I've long wanted to do was put a fluxgate compass on the boat
-- at slow speeds the gps "heading" tends to waiver -- which is not good in the
fog when I'm trying to coordinate ais data with the radar display (two seperate
units)

I seem to have 4 options
1) Really expensive compass (2,000+)
2) SimRad RFC35 ($400)
3) Nasa compass sensor (I have only found it in the UK for $170)
4) Azimuth 1000 ($300)

I like having a standard non-powered compass; but the azimuth is readily
avaliable and outputs nmea data.
I've read a lot about the simrad not being able to get usable nmea data out
So I think I"m going with the Nasa compass; unless someone has some thoughts.

Thanks
-josh

On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:16:29 -0700, Josh Assing
wrote:

As some of you know; I was looking at buying a sailboat -- well; the survey went
fine but the owner thanked me for sharing the results with him and has backed
out. I feel like I was used to get a 'free survey' -- so we're keeping our boat
& we'll keep looking.

One of the things I've long wanted to do was put a fluxgate compass on the boat
-- at slow speeds the gps "heading" tends to waiver -- which is not good in the
fog when I'm trying to coordinate ais data with the radar display (two seperate
units)

I seem to have 4 options
1) Really expensive compass (2,000+)
2) SimRad RFC35 ($400)
3) Nasa compass sensor (I have only found it in the UK for $170)
4) Azimuth 1000 ($300)

I like having a standard non-powered compass; but the azimuth is readily
avaliable and outputs nmea data.
I've read a lot about the simrad not being able to get usable nmea data out
So I think I"m going with the Nasa compass; unless someone has some thoughts.

Thanks
-josh

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=183

You can no doubt find one elsewhere for less. This is also an
excellent handheld GPS and chartplooter. It's waterproof, and it
FLOATS.

They make a little slide in bracket if you want to mount it somewhere.
I have one loaded with bluecharts and road maps for my area. When I go
ashore, I take it with me. It even has addressses and phones for
restaurants, stores, services, etc.

This would also mean you have a spare GPS on board, which is never a
bad idea.

On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:16:29 -0700, Josh Assing
wrote:

As some of you know; I was looking at buying a sailboat -- well; the survey went
fine but the owner thanked me for sharing the results with him and has backed
out. I feel like I was used to get a 'free survey' -- so we're keeping our boat
& we'll keep looking.

One of the things I've long wanted to do was put a fluxgate compass on the boat
-- at slow speeds the gps "heading" tends to waiver -- which is not good in the
fog when I'm trying to coordinate ais data with the radar display (two seperate
units)

I seem to have 4 options
1) Really expensive compass (2,000+)
2) SimRad RFC35 ($400)
3) Nasa compass sensor (I have only found it in the UK for $170)
4) Azimuth 1000 ($300)

I like having a standard non-powered compass; but the azimuth is readily
avaliable and outputs nmea data.
I've read a lot about the simrad not being able to get usable nmea data out
So I think I"m going with the Nasa compass; unless someone has some thoughts.

Thanks
-josh

Raymarine makes one that is around $250 that I've never heard a
complaint about.

http://www.raymarine.com/ProductDeta...&PRODU CT=416

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:16:29 -0700, Josh Assing penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

As some of you know; I was looking at buying a sailboat -- well; the
survey went
fine but the owner thanked me for sharing the results with him and has
backed
out. I feel like I was used to get a 'free survey' -- so we're keeping
our boat
& we'll keep looking.

One of the things I've long wanted to do was put a fluxgate compass on the
boat
-- at slow speeds the gps "heading" tends to waiver -- which is not good
in the
fog when I'm trying to coordinate ais data with the radar display (two
seperate
units)

I seem to have 4 options
1) Really expensive compass (2,000+)
2) SimRad RFC35 ($400)
3) Nasa compass sensor (I have only found it in the UK for $170)
4) Azimuth 1000 ($300)

I like having a standard non-powered compass; but the azimuth is readily
avaliable and outputs nmea data.
I've read a lot about the simrad not being able to get usable nmea data
out
So I think I"m going with the Nasa compass; unless someone has some
thoughts.

Thanks
-josh

Unless you just *want* to spend the cash on another impressive boating
doo-dad.... use the radar and the whiskey compass....

If you have RADAR, I don't see the utility of AIS. *Everything* will
show up on RADAR, while only the commercials (and the odd non-required
vessel) will show up on AIS.

Why equip the vessel with expen$ive equipment, as if it was over 300
tons, when you don't have to?

--

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
http://pamandgene.idleplay.net/

Rec.boats at Lee Yeaton's Bayguide
http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats


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Yabut, the flux gate compass works well, if properly installed, for
autopilot operation on long cruises. But, as I learned, installation
location on the boat is very important.

Eisboch

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=183

You can no doubt find one elsewhere for less. This is also an
excellent handheld GPS and chartplooter. It's waterproof, and it
FLOATS.

Nice unit -- however, it's not a fluxgate compass...

Raymarine makes one that is around $250 that I've never heard a
complaint about.

http://www.raymarine.com/ProductDeta...&PRODU CT=416

Thanks -- it looks nice & for $250 it's about the same as the Azmuth -- howver,
the azmuth has one thing going for it that the raymarine does not -- NMEA out...

Unless you just *want* to spend the cash on another impressive boating
doo-dad.... use the radar and the whiskey compass....

want isn't exactly teh right word -- having the wife (or someone else) at the
helm and "do you see the taget on teh radar?" if the gps is showing course up;
but we're moving so slow that course up isn't true; then the answer is usually
"no"

If you have RADAR, I don't see the utility of AIS. *Everything* will
show up on RADAR, while only the commercials (and the odd non-required
vessel) will show up on AIS.

Not really true -- if you have gain up to avoid rain & high seas; it can mask a
tug... when they're pulling a double log boom -- it can get a bit nervous.

Why equip the vessel with expen$ive equipment, as if it was over 300
tons, when you don't have to?

Part of this is "traning" -- our boat is used for lessons (I do n't teach it;
just get the free lessons) and for when we move onto a sailboat -- not really
needed; but while we have income, sometimes it's nice to "try" things and learn
1st hand what you don't need....

If the satelites are masked for whatever reason (sa, war, very heavy fog/storm)
ais may give us info still...

Yabut, the flux gate compass works well, if properly installed, for
autopilot operation on long cruises. But, as I learned, installation
location on the boat is very important.

Finding a location w/o steel w/in 18" is harder than I thought it would be...