Smart phone as chartplotter

[Guest]

Seems pretty basic, but it knows where I am and I can see all the charts. If everything else failed it would get you hom.

[Island Time 1,235]

Yep, that's it CO, but I reckon its all you can realistically use on the small screen of a phone..,

[idlerboat 116]

....as IT has said, with my built in micro computer, I built a NMEA to serial port adapter that allows my old handheld gps to output gps co ords to it...it then uses open cpn and "available charts". It works fine.

For ease of use though, my little netbook has the same software and later "available charts" , and a usb gps dongle.

Just a word on the usb dongle.

It starts up faster than my main chart plotter system, and works at the window (inside) on a steel hulled vessel.

Except for chart availability, I have found no features on any other lap top software, better.

The lattest cpn supports full ais , but you need windows 7 .

Amongst us all here, only the IPAD people dont use it, including those who have bought a range of other software.

I and my crew love our garmin chart plotter...not a brand name flog, but the fact is it is way easier to use than the Raymarine gear that I spend so much time teaching people how to use.

I bought a package from the USA with radar, four years ago for half the price of other options.

 

Just a final comment, a good friend of mine who is incredibly computer and tech everything, is going cruising.

I lent him three of my PAPER pilots. He has spent huge amounts of time and joy, using in ya face words, since to plan his passages.

The writen knowledge about such things as bar entrances (especialy on the Oz east coast) is worth far more than any false feeling of securtiy that an electronic device is worth.

 

We use the paper first for the basic principles of a new entrance, the internet to tie in, weather and the all important tide state, and then finaly the chart plotter for basic direction.

 

None of the above tell you that there is a drege in the way !!

[Island Time 1,235]

Except radar IB! Oh and you don't have to have Windows 7 for opencpn, unless you are a windows devotee. Linux works fine, is more stable and free. Its also the platform opencpn was developed on. That being said, I use windows!

[Steve_C 0]

I'm using Memory Maps on my Android, is the same package we were using on the Coastguard plane, before we got the hi tech new one.....

 

Works well.

 

Just don't forget to put the phone somewhere safe, they loose the plot if they get thrown while tacking.......

[idlerboat 116]

Except radar IB! Oh and you don't have to have Windows 7 for opencpn, unless you are a windows devotee. Linux works fine, is more stable and free. Its also the platform opencpn was developed on. That being said, I use windows!

 

I LOVE my RaDaR !...