http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/ On-board computers, AV gear and communication equipment. Purchase, installation and repair. en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:09:00 GMT vBulletin 60 http://cdn.cruisersforum.com/forums/../ugala/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/raymarine-again-in-the-news-33261.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:39:26 GMT Here's something some folks "in the biz" just forwarded to me regarding the viability of Raymarine:

http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20091020152519ibinews.html ]]> Roy M http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/raymarine-again-in-the-news-33261.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/second-sounder-option-33219.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:31:05 GMT My trawler has a single through hull transducer (200kHz I believe) connected to the main sounder at the lower helm, which is connected to a remote... My trawler has a single through hull transducer (200kHz I believe) connected to the main sounder at the lower helm, which is connected to a remote unit on the flybridge. The remote flybridge unit has become very dim and almost unreadable. I don't want another through hull so what are good options for a sounder on the flybridge?

Are there new units that will work with the existing transducer that also have a remote like my current setup (circa 1988 Sitex)? I doubt this but can two sounders somehow share a transducer concurrently? If I have to install another transducer inside the hull for a new sounder, how far must it be from the existing transducer? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

- Rick ]]> R_C http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/second-sounder-option-33219.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/renters-barred-by-fcc-from-using-hf-radio-33149.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:18:56 GMT I rent sailboats. I'd love to use the Maritime HF bands for Sailmail and other services but.... the FCC issues maritime licenses only to VESSELS, not people. Yes, I have every FCC license at the highest possible class for every kind of operation except maritime radiotelegraphy (General Class, Global Maritime Distress and Safety System combined Operator/Maintainer with ship radar, and Amateur Extra) and yet this has me completely stumped. There's no chance that I will get every sailboat rental outfit to license every sailboat with the FCC that I rent - just so I can operate on the maritime HF bands. (In fact, I'm not sure it's legal for me to operate a maritime VHF radio in foreign waters - even though I hold the highest class operator's license that's issued to do that!)

So now what? No maritime HF for me? The only solution I can think of to get around this problem with the FCC is to buy an inflatable dingy, get it licensed, and then throw it on the deck of the rented sailboat and sit in it whenever I transmit. Or does the FCC also require "the licensed vessel" to be afloat?

I'm complete stumped. ]]> N8QH http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/renters-barred-by-fcc-from-using-hf-radio-33149.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/marine-tv-33139.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:57:35 GMT My wife is after me to get a tv/dvd player for the boat(Mirage 35). Other than a marine TV, what else should I be looking for? My wife is after me to get a tv/dvd player for the boat(Mirage 35).
Other than a marine TV, what else should I be looking for? ]]> TazW http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/marine-tv-33139.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/airmail-with-pactor-1-a-33135.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:08:30 GMT I have been starting to set up a PK-232mbx TNC for Airmail on our Ingrid. I realized that the TNC does not have the firmware necessary to run Pactor... I have been starting to set up a PK-232mbx TNC for Airmail on our Ingrid. I realized that the TNC does not have the firmware necessary to run Pactor so of course it can't do Airmail.
I have read that Pactor 1 can be frustrating to use for Airmail because many stations exclude Pactor 1 due to the slow speed.
Since I am not about to go out and spend a lot of money on the SCS modem, I have been wondering if it is even worth upgrading the firmware in the PK232mbx that I have. Is it that difficult to reach pactor 1 stations anymore?
Thanks ]]> clausont http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/airmail-with-pactor-1-a-33135.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/kiss-ssb-ground-33091.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:43:38 GMT Has anyone used this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ht_1776wt_1167 ]]> CAELESTIS http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/kiss-ssb-ground-33091.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/borrow-your-satellite-phone-please-33080.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:27:55 GMT Hi folks :) OK some people have asked on this forum for some one to give them a whole boat so at least I can try this: Can I borrow a... Hi folks :)

OK some people have asked on this forum for some one to give them a whole boat so at least I can try this:

Can I borrow a satellite phone for 3 months from January thru March?

I need it to cover the area of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

I will pay for your regular account if applicable or get prepaid if thats how it works.

I would preferably like something I can send emails via laptop, but beggars can't be choosers!

Naturally I will pay for shipping costs and any and all expenses. I will also pay for a new one if I break it, lose it or become a guest of the Somali war lords :)


Thanks :)

Mark ]]> MarkJ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/borrow-your-satellite-phone-please-33080.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/sounds-promising-33075.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:39:16 GMT Reposting since I screwed up my first attempt. :whistling: (Thanks for the catch TJ) Ran across this tonight. Sounds promising if it really is... Reposting since I screwed up my first attempt. :whistling: (Thanks for the catch TJ)

Ran across this tonight. Sounds promising if it really is what it is. Since we live in such an environment where "wet" is a constant, I would think that anything with at least some protection from the elements in the event of an "incident" is worth something. The hard drive is supposedly waterproof so the data would be safe but I doubt that the rest of the unit is. Either way, if the drive is safe then what's important is safe. The rest can be replaced.

ioSafe Solo hard drive places a 2TB bet on all kinds of disasters ]]> twowheel http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/sounds-promising-33075.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/galapagos-vsat-internet-coverage-33034.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:07:32 GMT Hello, I am the chief engineer on board the sail yacht Perseus. We will be visiting the Galapagos Islands for 2-3 weeks in December over... Hello,

I am the chief engineer on board the sail yacht Perseus. We will be visiting the Galapagos Islands for 2-3 weeks in December over Christmas. The owner of the vessel is requesting on board internet and I am curious what the local knowledge is for VSAT coverage. Anyone have any experience with internet there?

Thanks for your time.

Phil ]]> mrpotts http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/galapagos-vsat-internet-coverage-33034.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/laptop-in-cockpit-33020.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:33:17 GMT Does anyone have any ingenius suggestions for how to mount a laptop in the cockpit? I have a PC-based chartplotter and an old Panasonic... Does anyone have any ingenius suggestions for how to mount a laptop in the cockpit?

I have a PC-based chartplotter and an old Panasonic Toughbook. I need to be able to see and to keep the thing out of the way when tacking/jibing. ]]> sneuman http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/laptop-in-cockpit-33020.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/airmar-furuno-depth-sounder-transducer-33010.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:23:18 GMT Hi, I am not a happy chappy! :( I bought a Furuno LS-4100 just under 2 years ago, and the temperature/speed function ceased after 1 year. As it... Hi,
I am not a happy chappy! :( I bought a Furuno LS-4100 just under 2 years ago, and the temperature/speed function ceased after 1 year. As it was more than a year since I bought it, there was no warranty. I gritted my teeth when I bought a new transducer 525ST-MSD for (wait for it!) AUD 614, over USD500 .

Now the bloody thing is not reading temp. I informed the shop where I bought it, and they say that Furuno Australia say Airmar want the unit back for testing. I have to buy a new one, and *IF* they find the other one faulty, they will give me a credit. We are about to haul out for other reasons, but having one to put in would be good if it were supplied by Furuno. Looks like I will have to do without the temp function as I am not buying another one of those suckers!

Grumpily,
paulr
"Meridian of Sydney" ]]> meridian@ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/airmar-furuno-depth-sounder-transducer-33010.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/radar-tuning-problem-32964.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:23:18 GMT I have a Raymarine MFD System, with an E-120 display and an E-80 display, a Gyro Plus 2 unit, a Pathfinder Smart Heading System, a Seatalk switch, a... I have a Raymarine MFD System, with an E-120 display and an E-80 display, a Gyro Plus 2 unit, a Pathfinder Smart Heading System, a Seatalk switch, a DSM-300 Sounder and a 4KW radar Radome (E02011 1250295); all components are only several years old. I have developed several problems, the most serious of which is that the "Tune" function of the radar system is apparently not functioning properly. The symptoms are as follows:

When I turn the radar on and go thru the normal start-up sequence, the radar sweep usually shows no targets. I set the "gain" softkey to "75" and the sweep will -- at random -- eventually display targets. At that point, I press the "tune" softkey to "man" and adjust the "tune" function" to a value of about 30 (less than 30 decreases the targets, and likewise more than 30 decreases the targets). The "Sea" softkey must be set to "man" or no targets display, and if the "tune" function is in "auto", targets display only sporadically. The "tune" bars never illuminate to show peak tuning! Also, if I cycle the "tune" softkey to 'auto' then back to 'man', it never returns to the prior value which had been set... it randomly returns to various different and apparently arbitrary values, so I have to start all over.

This is a very haphazard situation, and I don't think I am getting all targets displayed, particularly out past a mile or two!

I presume that the source of the problem is in the scanner, since both the E-80 and the E-120 display the same symptoms, simultaneously.

I'd appreciate any clues as to what my problem may be, and any troubleshooting tests which I can perform. I have already spent $1100 to repair the E-80 display in this system last year, and I'm getting frustrated with the amount of money I'm pouring into it! I have a fair amount of money invested in all these components, and there always seems to be something going wrong with one of them! In addition to the above problem, the boat's heading is 'locked' so that it is never displayed properly (the boat icon goes through life always pointed in the same direction!) but that's minor when compared to the radar problems described above!

Raymarine, through their web site tech support, tells me that I need to pack up the scanner and send it to them... I'm hesitant to do that without further testing/troubleshooting. I hate to give them a blank check!

Your suggestions and advice would be appreciated!

Jim Curley ]]> jimcurley http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/radar-tuning-problem-32964.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/question-re-led-interference-with-vhf-32863.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:47:23 GMT Hello. I just installed an LED tri-color and an LED anchor light. Unfortunately, now whenever I have either light on I only hear static on all... Hello. I just installed an LED tri-color and an LED anchor light. Unfortunately, now whenever I have either light on I only hear static on all stations on my VHF, no matter what I do with the squelch. Its no good because its important that I have the tri-color and the VHF working properly at the same time for night sailing. Any suggestions as to what is causing this?
Sincerely,
Teresa
Sailing, Simplicity, and the Pursuit of Happiness ]]> LittleFlower http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/question-re-led-interference-with-vhf-32863.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/computer-screen-glare-32848.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:18:19 GMT I have a computer on my boat and have a problem with glare on the screen when I try to use it with charts. I do not want to spend the $1,500.00 for... I have a computer on my boat and have a problem with glare on the screen when I try to use it with charts. I do not want to spend the $1,500.00 for a sun glare screen. Do any of the glare screen covers for computers work when you have the computer in the cockpit? ]]> landonshaw http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/computer-screen-glare-32848.html http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/new-computer-tech-speed-vs-battery-life-32826.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:31:05 GMT Hi folks. I am after someone who has TESTED both these types of computers and knows whats best for an onboard Nav and general computer. There... Hi folks.

I am after someone who has TESTED both these types of computers and knows whats best for an onboard Nav and general computer.

There are 2 types of laptops I am looking at

Slow speed, high battery hours 8+ hours claimed.

High Speed, Low battery hours: 5 hours claimed (Ho ho!)


I wonder: Can I have a High Speed one but turn the processor down in Power Management consequently saving the battery but having speed in reserve if I need it?

So here are the 2 types (Types only, please I'm not going specifics here) both same price:

Acer 4810
Core 2 Solo SU3500 1.40GHz
3 MB L2 cache, , 800 MHz FSB, 14" HD, 2GB DDR3 ;


Acer 4736
Core™ 2 Duo P8700 2.53 HGz
2MB L2 Cache, 800 MHz FSB, Intel PM45 Chipset
14" HD Acer CineCrystal, 2GB DDR2 ,



The 4810 is the 8 Hours claimed batter life. Both have the same actual batteries.


Thoughts, oh wise ones?!



Mark ]]> MarkJ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/new-computer-tech-speed-vs-battery-life-32826.html