Big $$$ Chartplotter or Computer App(s)

[EngineerRetired]

Looking at the buying a used blow boat and the electronics need to be replaced. As I am looking at the instruments and plotter costs I seriously ask if good software can take care of it. (Some reviews say yes, some not so sure.)


I look backward (perfect hindsight) at the money I spent on Garmin GPS devices over the years and today, my smart phone does a better job than any of the Garmin devices ever did.


Integrating all navigation and boat monitoring systems on to a single large screen sure does have its appeal. Having every thing connected to my smart phone wirelessly is also a huge attraction. I can easily (cheaply) buy an extra computer and monitor and put it away as a back up in case of damage or malfunction.


So, other than, "its always been done the old way and it might fail", what solid reasons are there for not going this route?

[boatman61]

None whatsoever for me..
I have been following this technique for years now taking my Notebook which has my Navigation program and charts loaded on it.
I use the boats (if it has any) CP at the helm for convenience but rely on my Notebook for route planning, position/course verification and soundings over the owners systems.
Being a Luddite I have a dislike of everything being centrally controlled creating the danger of Domino effects.

[C420sailor]

I’ve gotta say...I love having the big touchscreen with everything integrated. Waterproof, hard mounted, plug and play...everything just works. No fiddling, no tweaking, no adapters, no charging. Turn it on, it works every time. Radar, sonar, AIS, cameras, nav...it’s all right there.

But I’m also the type that doesn’t like phones and iPads. I avoid them like the plague. So I think a lot has to do with personality.

[beetle]

Depends on your cartography choice(s), access to replacement equipment (where are you sailing?), and where you intend to mount the equipment. Significant considerations for carrying a PC-only solution: power draw, physical size, cabling, vibration, RF-noise. Consumer electronics tend to use more power than a plotter and do not use corrosion-resistant metals - USB connectors rust a lot so use gold-plated connectors when possible but the connections inside the machine will corrode anyway. Vibration is usually not a consideration for a laptop manufacturer, and a big screen is simply bigger and occupies more space than a smaller unit. If you're running a HAM or SSB radio the RF-noise generated by an AC->DC power brick can be a show-stopper and you need to come up with an RF-silent DC->DC charger. The further away you cruise from ready access to stores and support the more robust the electronic solution needds to be. And be really careful about using Apple iPads as the nav solution - I've had my iPad decide not to work until it had checked in to Apple via iTunes, and that's impossible to do if you're in a place without an internet connection. That seems to happen about once a year - so if you're an Apple person read up on that. I like to have multiple cartography sources - currently I'm using CMap, Navionics, New Zealand, and NOAA charts (plus other hydrographic office products) on the boat. To do that I need to have equipment that will work with that cartography (currently I'm usisng a laptop running Coastal Explorer and a B&G Zeus3 plotter - both mounted at the nav stattion). If you're not cruising internationally you should only need the local hydrographic office cartography and only need to have equipment that will work with those charts. If you can manage those issues then there's not much to fault for a laptop-only solution. I would not go with a phone/tablet-only solution due to risk of loss - a small device that moves around the boat can be dropped or lost overboard too easily; if you drop the phone into the drink then you've got nothing to work with. - rob

[EngineerRetired]

Originally Posted by beetle

Depends on your - rob

All good considerations and I am at fault for not saying the PC will not be off the shelf. I build my own to meet my specs. I've built them to meet much harsher industrial environments than you would ever see on the water. The monitor(s) would also meet my specs. for harsh a environment, as in you could submerse them and they keep on working.


Thanks for your input!

[Shanachie]

I use OpenCPN on a Samsung 10-inch tablet, mounted on the helm with a bracket bought off Amazon. The electronic charts were free from NOAA.


I find it much easier and handier to use than chart plotters, which in my mind have needless complications, too-costly charts and too-small screens unless you fork over big bucks.


The one downside is when it rains. I have a less expensive Samsung that is not water resistant. (I plan to buy one that is.) So I use an Amazon case to cover it. It is less than perfect.


Also, I have a USB socket at the helm to keep it charged. If water gets into the socket, you might not be able to charge until there it dries out.


So I end up charging it in the cabin for a while, then bringing it back up to the cockpit.

[j.g.evans]

The trouble with tablets and smart phones are they are not waterproof and not sunlight readable. Chart plotters have high intensity displays.
I have a Garmin GPSMAP 5212 I like very much. It comes with the entire US and Bahamas as built in charts. It can interface with NEMA 183 and 2000 and all the other instruments, i.e. depth, radar, AIS I have a friend that sold his boat and has a 5212 he is not using. Let me know if you are interested in it. Look it up at the Garmin web site.

[Shrew]

I use a Raymarine MFD and an iPad at the helm.

Tablets, smart phones, PC's, monitors:

-> Not easily read in direct sunlight
-> Not easily read with polarized sunglasses
-> Not flush mounted. Surface mounting requires charging cables.
-> Not marinized. subject to water and salt intrusion.
-> Klunky to integrate with a variety of marine input devices.

MFD's:

-> Flush Mounted, no external cables
-> Can be read with polarized lenses
-> Can be read in direct sunlight
-> waterproof, marinized
-> Pretty much plug and play with other systems.

When using GPS apps with the iPad as compared to the MFD, there are way more features on the MFD.

[guyrj33]

I was considering this same question earlier today as I was browsing MFDs and looking at the current asking prices for these things.
If eBay is any guide I could rip the B&G instruments out of my boat and sell them used for more than I paid new.
Now my short monologue doesn't answer the question Chartplotter or Computer?
If I were in the market I'd look at OpenCpn on a Samsung rugged tablet.

[Panama Red]

Originally Posted by C420sailor

I’ve gotta say...I love having the big touchscreen with everything integrated. Waterproof, hard mounted, plug and play...everything just works. No fiddling, no tweaking, no adapters, no charging. Turn it on, it works every time. Radar, sonar, AIS, cameras, nav...it’s all right there.

But I’m also the type that doesn’t like phones and iPads. I avoid them like the plague. So I think a lot has to do with personality.

What brand are you using. My experience is not so rosy.

[Hesti]

Lots of different experience around. I built a holder for the smartphone on the bulkhead outside. Intended use was waypoint navigation. I also sorted out charging for the phone when in the holder. When the sun shines on the smartphone, it gets so hot, that you can not read the screen any more. My trusty old laptop has a few keys no longer working since we did a longer boat trip, although it had stayed inside. The 12 V purpose bought charger for the laptop didn't work from day one and eventually, the rechargeable battery gave up. We also had a second hand chartplotter on board, which worked okish after a software update. It still locked up occasionally, but pretty rarely. And an oldish GPS, which also liked to lock up and then - like the chartplotter - needed rebooting.


To summarize - a lot is being done, but conditions out there on the brine are rough for electronics and purpose built stuff may well have an advantage, especially out in the cockpit.


By the way - the paper charts worked througout the trip without a problem.

[C420sailor]

Originally Posted by Panama Red

What brand are you using. My experience is not so rosy.

Garmin. 1242xsv Touch is my current helm MFD. Experience has been flawless thus far.

I also use Garmin in my airplane. Love it.

[ahumbug1]

I used to use my phone and an iPad. I recently installed the B&G Zues 3 and wind, depth and sonar. I love it and can even control my stereo
Love it !!!!!

[zstine]

we lived on our boat and sailed from Massachusetts to Grenada. We had OpenCPN on a laptop as our primary plotter (with a backup old PC). We also had Navionics on our phones. This served us well,, I never felt the need for an expensive marine chartploter. We also carried paper charters because they came with the $300 NV Caribbean charts I purchased for use on OpenCPN. But we never opened the paper charts. Navionics was more accurate than NV charts. NV had us on reef in several Eyeball navigation cuts while navionics was always good

[Dooglas]

Interesting that you mentioned Garmin. My experience with their 10" integrated display has been excellent. Works thru the Garmin data bus so you can integrate virtually any function you want including depth, fuel consumption, radar, AIS, whatever (and yes, on the West Coast of the US and Canada you certainly want radar). The screen is bright and has great color choices and contrast. It is probably the least expensive multi-function system on the market. Has been completely reliable for the past half dozen years.