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MarkJ · 19-01-2009, 14:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaoJones

never gotten involved with women of "questionable character,"

I'm involved with a questioning woman. Is that the same?

At lunch with friends the other day us 2 guys were secretly talking about our 2 womens on the other side of the table - Nicolle wearing a nice $10 dress - and Brian said: "You're lucky. Nicolle isn't high maintenance". I said: "Psychologically?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaoJones

I could easily live well into my nineties, like my Pa (91), and his Pa (97).

Yes, I think a lot of it is hereditry... but also how u live life. Mum is 80 and just moved into a retirement village. A friend of mine is well into his 80's and he drove his 47 footer to the dock, in Sydney, neat as a pin in front of me. He said: "My daughter keeps telling me not to sail on my own as I might fall overboard".................. then he said: "I couldn't think of a better way to go!"

I'm gunna grow 20 years older than my dad!

He died at 65.

Mark

bastonjock · 19-01-2009, 16:14

does anyone know,how often google earth is updated? ive used it to check areas where new construction is taking place and found it to be lacking in information.

**David M** · 19-01-2009, 17:14

I would use Google Earth to give you a better understanding of what is there. It will show you many things that charts wont. Its one more aid to navigation. Use it in addition to, not instead of, all the other navigational tools that you have at your disposal. No one source of navigational information is 100% reliable nor 100% accurate nor has 100% of the information...so you have to use all your sources of navigation information and put more weight on the good and less weight on the not so good. So overall its better to have Google, than to not have Google but never depend on it 100%.

Navigation will always be an amalgamation of different source of information. Its okay to bring in a new source provided you understand its strengths and weaknesses.

phiggins · 19-01-2009, 17:26

Thanks MarkJ for confirming that GE is accurate.

I don't know how often GE is updated but they often, but not always, put the date of the photo on the status line at the bottom of the screen.

One problem I found was measuring a bearing when making a path or line. I found a very useful compass tool that really helps:

Useful tools - Google Earth Community

If you make a chart from GE make sure you press the 'r' key to make the lat and lon lines parallel to the sides of the screen first.

**Pblais** · 19-01-2009, 17:33

Quote:

does anyone know,how often Google earth is updated?

Whenever they get around to it. It's not a financially viable product except through advertisement. They concentrate on urban ares most. Here where I live my house is about 1.5 years old by the images. 7 miles down the road it's about 8 year old. The patchwork is what ever data they have. There is no money for an updated images for the whole planet on a free basis that is current. You have to take some ten year of images for some places.

I can do heads up side by side with Google and ENC charts. It's a decent tool even if I don't feel it is accurate enough to substitute for charts. It shows the land detail better than the charts. Pictures don't have to be super accurate to have value. Seeing streets and how you get into town is a great thing too. It's nice to know what is on the other side of the trees when you anchor out. If it was a cloudy day the image quality can be poor.

The data is not assured to be current and they don't tell you how current anything is. Were there a conflict with the chart I would have to go for the chart. The notes on the chart are valuable beyond anything you see in a photo. If you have a PC based Nav. system then by all means haul Google Earth along. Disk space isn't a big deal any more. You can get 1.5 TB drives for $129 USD.

MarkJ · 20-01-2009, 02:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by phiggins

One problem I found was measuring a bearing when making a path or line. I found a very useful compass tool .

Yikes! Thats good!

I think it gives the bearing in True, not Magnetic. But you can more the N on the compas rose on the right to calculate the magnetic variation.

I'll try it in a few days.. b it busy tomorrow

Mark

Eyeback · 28-01-2009, 12:17

Not sure if this is too way off topic - But anyway - Google is preparing to add maps of the sea beds to the Earth package. The upgrade is expected to provide underwater topography, with a layer showing the depth of the sea floor.

PC Pro: News: Time to dive into Google Ocean?

MarkJ · 29-01-2009, 01:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyeback

- Google is preparing to add maps of the sea beds to the Earth package. The upgrade is expected to provide underwater topography, with a layer showing the depth of the sea floor.

That is truly awsome!! Google will take ove charting and all the rip-off chart systems now will die a, hopefully, quick death! Yioppee!

twisty · 29-01-2009, 14:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkJ

That is truly awsome!! Google will take ove charting and all the rip-off chart systems now will die a, hopefully, quick death! Yioppee!

Mark If this new ocean beds addition to Google earth is as good as the new Google Maps the rip off charts WILL die extremely quick.

Have a look, Goto maps.google.com type in 366 McCray St, Holden Beach, NC, then click on the little guy above the zoom in zoom out slider. They are rapidly expanding it so about any address should work. About the only thing you can't see is lisence plate numbers, and thats because they have blurred them out automatically.

Now think about the possibilities. They do the ocean bed maps then add this feature as well, now that would be great!!

MarkJ · 30-01-2009, 03:25

[quote=twisty;249206] Goto maps.google.com type in 366 McCray St, Holden Beach, NC, then click on the little guy above the zoom in zoom out slider. They are rapidly expanding it so about any address should work. quote]

Thats great, but they do street view, not waterways view yet.
One of the great things about Google is you can see what the new harbour looks like and where the immigration warfe is and what it looks like. Fine stuff

twisty · 30-01-2009, 05:50

[quote=MarkJ;249355]

Quote:

Originally Posted by twisty

Goto maps.google.com type in 366 McCray St, Holden Beach, NC, then click on the little guy above the zoom in zoom out slider. They are rapidly expanding it so about any address should work. quote]

Thats great, but they do street view, not waterways view yet.
One of the great things about Google is you can see what the new harbour looks like and where the immigration warfe is and what it looks like. Fine stuff

I know but I doubt waterway views are that far off. Hell if they can afford to send a car down every street in the US, they should be able to do the waterways pretty easily.

Someone who speaks more eloquently than me write them a letter.

nautical62 · 30-01-2009, 12:10

I've used google maps to get a better feel of what areas the explorer charts simply label as "uncharted" or "not surveyed" might be like. The images certaily are not as helpful as a good chart, but much better than "uncharted"