banaari 27 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Spawned off the NZ Chart Quality thread, some thoughts on a chart-viewing device I _would_ like to see: (a) Dayglo yellow ( Floats if dropped overboard © Lanyard attachment (d) COMPLETELY sealed - like an epoxy brick (e) No membrane or other mechanical switches to fail (f) Solar powered from inbuilt panel AND inductive-loop charger (like toothbrush) (g) Touch-screen interface (h) WiFi adapter to load stuff (no external connectors, exposed metal, nothing) (i) E-ink display (ultra low power consumption) (j) Device to power off when map not actively being panned / zoomed Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 What about setting the cabin up to be dry? Link to post Share on other sites
Absolution 7 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 How about this: https://www.meetearl.com/ Link to post Share on other sites
banaari 27 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 What about setting the cabin up to be dry? Umm... the consistent theme of things going wrong at sea is that a rather a lot of those instances involve a formerly dry cabin becoming, well, _LESS_ dry... Am simply postulating a device-of-last-resort that would be immune from (or at least resist) some of the gremlins which plague marine electronics. Link to post Share on other sites
banaari 27 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 How about this: https://www.meetearl.com/ Damn close! Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I would think keeping the water out more important than the device Banaari. Link to post Share on other sites
banaari 27 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 I would think keeping the water out more important than the device Banaari. Umm, think we're at cross-purposes. _Obviously_ if you've got a dry cabin and working electrics you still have a nav station. I am not suggesting this as the default installation but rather as something I would like to have available in the grab-bag, etc. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Am simply postulating a device-of-last-resort that would be immune from (or at least resist) some of the gremlins which plague marine electronics. There are 1000's of them and they have been around for centuries, they are called Sextants. The only gremlin that pisses with those are the human users. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Pretty hard to beat a hand held gps and a few batteries and an epirb, ayyyy. Link to post Share on other sites
NevP 0 Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I've yet to see a sextant that allows you to view charts. And the handheld GPS units I've seen that actually allow you to display charts aren't much better as the screens are too small to be much practical use. All very well to know where you are but if you don't know where the hard bits are.... Which takes us back to banaari's post asking for a robust means of viewing electronic charts when the pooh hits the spinning thing. If paper charts become no more, what then? Link to post Share on other sites
too_tall 15 Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 a proper waterproof case on a good smart phone with something like navoinics on it goes a long way. I have my phone ( Galaxy S4 active ) in my pocket when waterskiing quite often, its never been bothered by the rapid immersion it often gets in doing so. Nope, it wont float. But you can easily enough add a strap to it and keep it permanently attached to your body. Or on a wrist band ( I have one, its awesome to keep a phone in ). If its not floating when attached to your body, chances are that you have more pressing issues than looking at charts. This also negates the requirement for it to be a poxy fluro yellow. What you have to realize is that you need to have some form of mechanical switches. Touch screens plus water are.... well... not really compatable. Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 OK, A last ditch nav system. IMO... Situation; The boat is trashed, waterlogged, or you are in the liferaft. There are several solutions already out there - as mentioned, waterproof rugged smartphones, same for tablets etc. Great for last ditch Nav. May go for weeks if only started up to get current position and course required, then shut down until tomorrow, for example. The problem is power - how does it charge, how long will it work etc. They ALL require external cables to charge. Do you have them, and what to connect them too. A solar cell charger is a good Idea for the raft... Sorry KM a sextand does not work either - no reduction tables, no charts, or they are wet... In a liferaft, knowing where you are is not much good - can't navigate it anyway. Use an EPIRB or a PLB... In the boat, perhaps it can be saved and sailing continued. Charging becomes the issue - are the solar panels still there? Whats left in the battery? Would the motor go if started mechanically, or is it stuffed? Is there a Wind Gen etc etc etc... It's not possible to cover all possibilities.. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Sorry KM a sextand does not work either - no reduction tables, no charts, or they are wet... With only a sextant you can get a latitude and you should be good to go, assuming you know how to navigate. Then as Ogre points out you DR your way home. All depends if you can navigate I suppose. No turning on a iToy isn't navigating. Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Yep, agreed KM, but Longitude is kind of useful as well! Although you could use DR for that. Not too much emphasis on the "Dead" And the original question was electronics showing charts... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 And the original question was electronics showing charts... Why, is there that many boats out there that left that poorly prepared? Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 You just shouldn't never ever trust entirely on electronics. Because inveritably Mr Murphy will always pay a visit when you most need to rely on the things. A Paper chart in a waterproof plastic slip is your bestest most trustworthy device. The batteries never go flat in them things. Unless it's dark. Dark stuff can be a bit of a problem. But then a Sextant has issues with the Dark stuff too, so.........Anyway, you then simply use a Torch. For the chart that is. Never expect a Torch and a Sextant to be accurate. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I believe you could never rely on the sextant either for weeks at a time. Link to post Share on other sites
banaari 27 Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 I believe you could never rely on the sextant either for weeks at a time. You're gonna have to explain that one, because for centuries they _were_ the means of navigation. Including Shackleton's open-boat trip from Elephant Island to South Georgia (16 days = 2 weeks...) Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Well you needed relatively clear sky to take a sight. Link to post Share on other sites
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