The Chart plotter is in, the AIS is in, the new radio is in, etc

[CSY Man]

Well, finally got it all hooked up and turned on.

(Kinda neat to see the AIS targets on the screen.)

To stay on budget or below, I shopped on the internet and e-bay, did some minor research, etc and ended up paying about 20 to 25% less than West Marine prices.

Got a Standard Horizon CP180i for $389.00 or so. http://www.standardhorizon.com/index...3&isArchived=0

A S-H Quest-X for $139.00 and the enchanced RAM mike for $99.00 http://www.standardhorizon.com/index...3&isArchived=0

Paid $189.00 for the SR 161 AIS receiiver from http://www.milltechmarine.com/products.htm
The AIS hooked up to a Shakespeare 5240 R railmounted VHF antenna.
http://www.shakespeare-marine.com/an.../5240-rant.htm

So far, sitting in an inland canal, I have picked up AIS targets about 10 NM away...Perhaps slightly better out in the open ocean, althought 10 NM seems plenty, even a fast container ship doing 30 knots will take 20 minuttes to cover that distance.


I had a budget of $1K and just about snuck under it, but when I purchase a chip for the chart plotter sometime in the future, it will go over...

The plotter hooked up to my WP 32 autopilot, and the pilot remote control installed at the same time, etc.

All in all a lot of wires to run, connectors to connect and holes to drill.
Also had to fabricate a bracket for mounting the plotter to the Edson pedestal in the cockpit.
Will snap a pic and upload one of these days. The bracket mounting, with rubber damping came out pretty good and look almost factory made.
(It better look good, took me 8 days to make it...Including several days of baking it in the oven to cure the paint...The 8 days also proves that I should not do this kind of thing for a living, I'd go broke real fast,)

Now for a question or two:

The plotter accepts 2 kinds of electronic charts:
The C-map MAX and something called C-map NT.
I have done some checking on the internet to find out what the difference is, but even their own web page did not compare features.
Has anybody used both of these?
Any comments on the difference?

Have not found any super good deals on the internet on the C-MAP MAX wide charts, West Marine is $199.00, the best deal on the 'net is $190.87.
Not a big difference and being new to electronic charts, I don't know if they are sold discounted or if the prices are pretty steady unlike electronics?

Any experience with the Standard Horizon plotters out there?

I bought mine for a couple of reasons:
After having compared it to the Garmin 172C I found:
The display was bigger, colors sharper, it will plot the position of a DSC call, and it is AIS ready...All that with a 3 year warranty and a price of less than $400.00 seems like a bargain.

When I bought this boat, a CSY 33, 7.5 years ago I did not have any plans to turn it into an "electric" boat, but with some spare change laying around and a lot of time on my hands, it sort of happened gradually.

With the Navtex http://www.boatersland.com/furnx300.html
and the digital SSB http://www.sea-dmi.com/pdfs/SEA235R.pdf
and the Simrad NMEA ready wheel pilot http://www.marine-electronics-unlimi...heelpilot.html
This boat is indeed wired.

Now I am just crossing my fingers that the Gods will not be angry and punish me with a lighting strike.....That would ruin the day and fry all the expensive circuits...

[Talbot]

The C-map choice is Max or NT+ The older version NT will not work as the ctg is incompatible.

The Max has lots of additional bits, and their largest ctg is much bigger than the NT+ (primarily cause they discontinued the superwide NT+) so if you are purchasing the largest size, go for the max. With a US address, it is probably worth joing USA Club C-Map - there are good deals on renewal and area change costs.

There is an overview on additional features of the Max at http://www.maxnavigator.com/ntmax_us/features.html#
The best of which are the pictoral doisplay of currents and tide, and photos of prominent features.

[CSY Man]

Thanks Mr. Talbot, I will look into joining the C-map club....

My sailing area is limited however so I probably won't need more than one chip: Florida and the Bahamas...
This boat is never going North of 26N.

(I was born and raised in Norway, then emmigrated to Alaska...Enough cold weather...Only South from here...I swear. )

[Vasco]

Just remember if you're getting a chip for the Bahamas get the latest one. The ones two years old are useless. The latest ones are Explorer charts. If you pick up an old one for a good price I think you can trade it in at WM and they'll burn a new one for a discounted price.

[CSY Man]

Thanks Mr. Vasco, that was good information.

Yes, I will specify the latest chip.

It also saves me from spending $150.00 on getting new Explorer chart books..The old ones are getting a bit ragged by now, but will make an excellent back-up for when the gizzmo-stuff goes down.

[Talbot]

if you are a c-club member, the cost of each upgrade is much reduced, and IIRC, one upgrade per year is included in the fee.

[CSY Man]

Okay an that.
Is the club sponsored by the factory, or is it a "cruising club"?

Will surf the net and see if I find a web-page.
(Never heard of a chart club before.)

Thanks for the info.

[Talbot]

http://c-map.com/
Club C-MAP® is the official C-MAP/USA association for NT, NT+ and MAX C-card™ owners. Its mission is to help you maintain the most up-to-date electronic charts available as well as enjoy a wealth of other exclusive money-saving programs... AND it's only $79 per year!

As a Club C-MAP member, you are entitled to the following benefits:

• One FREE update of any size C-card you own.
• Special Club prices on additional C-card updates.
• Trade Programs for members to exchange any class C-cards for entirely new areas, or for wider coverage of areas that they continue to frequent.
• C-card Rentals on a short-term basis.
• Port Partner discounts on fuel, transit slips, merchandise, repairs and electronic installations.
• C-MAP product discounts on NT+/PC, PC-Planner and more.
• Complimentary Club Classified web listings to sell NT C-cards and CF-85 cartridges.
• Free Magazine offer for one year.
• Club Partner benefits: Hertz, SeaTow, BoatUS and more.
• Mariners Center discounts: Books, educational videos and more.

I am not a member (dont have a US address) and Club UK is crap

[RandyAbernethy]

Any reason folks don't just use the free ENC charts downloadable from NOAA? Do any chart plotters read ENC directly?

[CSY Man]

Been polling and plotting ships using the AIS receiver lately, but never been able to get the ships name or call sign.

Those fields are always blank.

What gives?
They don't have their transponders programmed properly, or am I missing something on my end?

Been surfing the C-MAP club, but find no deals or discounts for buying a new chip: It seems however that I get a one year free membership if and when I buy my first electronic chart...?

Well, that may be the deal then?

Going to look for a Port Supply discount, found not other good buys on the internet for a C-MAP-MAX..So far.

Not in a hurry anyway, but when the next pay-check clears and the money is burning in the pocket.....

[Pura Vida]

Landfall Navigation has the chips about as cheap as I could find them.

[CSY Man]

Landfall Navigation has the chips about as cheap as I could find them

Cool, I will check it out.

Thanks

CM

[hellosailor]

CM-
So, hanging in Fort Liquordale and close enough to the lightning capital of the world, do you take the precaution of keeping the radio antennas unplugged when not aboard and in bad wx? Do you also have transzorbs or other spike protection installed with the new instruments? (They're cheap enough, typically under a buck apiece.)

[CSY Man]

CM-
So, hanging in Fort Liquordale and close enough to the lightning capital of the world, do you take the precaution of keeping the radio antennas unplugged when not aboard and in bad wx? Do you also have transzorbs or other spike protection installed with the new instruments? (They're cheap enough, typically under a buck apiece.)

No.

My boat is 27 years old with most of her life in the tropics and she have never suffered a strike. (To the best of my knowledge)

During a thunderstorm I turn everything off, including the battery switches.

Yea, the worst could happen, but some reseaarch suggest that the preventive stuff, like the bottle-washers may even attract a strike, not prevent it.

While sailing or motoring, I can attempt to run away from a thurnderstom, at anchor however I just hunker down and turn everything off.

So far, so good but past history may not guarantee future results, or your milage may wary, etc.

[hellosailor]

Interesting you mention the bottle-brushes. In all the years I'd only heard one claim from one person with them who was struck--and his claim was that the maker was refusing to pay the warranty claim that they advertised.

I've literally heard static "frying" off the whip antennas on a fishing boat as we ran in from a storm, so I can appreciate the concept that sharp points bleed off static (ions) and in theory, having lots of sharp points (the bottle washers) would bleed it off more, keeping the potential of the boat lower.

On the famous "other hand"...<G>....if the static is being bled off, that still leaves ions in the air, which still would leave a charged path or area inviting a strike. A question of lesser evils, I guess.