IPad vs tablet vs laptop vs chartplotter

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Land an

Now we're talking. The splash top links the tablet at the helm to the laptop below? That's what I want.
But what about battery life? How do you keep that laptop running for more than 5-6 hours?
Which laptops have a built in GPS? I think there is a Sony built that way

I only mentioned a MacMini and an iPad. None of those are laptops. The iPad will do 10 hours or so with splashtop (less when using internal GPS but you don't need that with Splashtop).

The MacMini is this thingy under that display:


Standard it runs off 100-250V AC but if you really don't want to use the inverter, you can use Google to find the mod to make it 12V (it's internal powersupply makes 12V so you just disable and bypass that power supply, easy mod).

I run it off a small, efficient inverter.

It's power use is very little when you shut down the display which you don't need to be powered when using the iPad with Splashtop!

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

We got a pantech element 8" tablet over a year ago.

Thanks for mentioning that; I hadn't heard about a weatherproof tablet.

One review mentions that the Element display isn't so visible in the sun... can anyone confirm this?

Are there any other Android tablets that are waterproof and visible in sun?

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I only mentioned a MacMini and an iPad

Shame on you
As a Jedi you should be fighting the Evil Empire, not supporting it

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

We got a pantech element 8" tablet over a year ago. Its android based has built in gps.

I cant find any evidence of this

Not the end of the world as I can probably tether my cheapo LG optimus spirit via wifi.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...oft.tgps&hl=en

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Well, I disagree with Scimtar... paper is unsafe in my opinion. Fine if you navigate on computer and want to have paper there for fun, but not for navigating.

Unless your electronics crap out, for whatever reason.

The three times we've passed through the lower Deleware Bay... one of our GPS capabilities goes away.

In this case, I think it's the differential correction signal for that particular unit, and we have redundant systems... but that unit will not provide a position during that part of the passage... and many don't have electronic redundancy.

-Chris

[Factor]

Originally Posted by scimitar

i wonder how they use to navigate around the world (and Caribbean ).....until mid 80's

I wonder how they used to navigate before paper. Oh wait, that is right there is a book about it by David Lewis - called We The Navigators. I try not to slag the past or the future.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Why not do both?

Get a nice super compact MacMini for the navstation with display that doubles as entertainment system for watching movies etc. Install OpenCPN (or MacENC, etc.) on it and be happy.

Then for the cockpit, get an iPad and install Splashtop on it. Install the Splashtop-streamer on the MacMini and now you can control and use OpenCPN from/on your iPad.

Yes, you need a wifi router for that because the iPad is wireless. Being wireless always used to be so spiff, like with TacTic instruments etc. but now that we can have it all with iPads it suddenly became bad because it was brought to us by big bad Apple without USB ports (oh how I hate USB ports and their drivers...). What a world

On the wifi issue nic could you use a Digital Yacht AIS WFI thingy or the same in vesper Marine?

Vesper Digital Yacht.

I am genuinely keen on trying to build a coherent Mac Mini based system, the vesper one has GPS built in as well?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Factor

On the wifi issue nic could you use a Digital Yacht AIS WFI thingy or the same in vesper Marine?

Vesper Digital Yacht.

I am genuinely keen on trying to build a coherent Mac Mini based system, the vesper one has GPS built in as well?

Yes, that will work. Splastop just requires a plain simple TCP/IP link between iPad and desktop/laptop. Not that I am a big fan of these integrated devices but it will work just fine.

[cat man do]

Screen resoulution

What are the apple and Pantech users thoughts on the 1024 x 768 resolution which iPad 2, ipad mini and Pantech Element have?

Lacking but acceptable or more than good enough?

I have only used tabs with higher res 1280 x 800 ips screens so I was bit offput at the thought of droping back to lower res, but the additional features on that pantech has me swayed somewhat.

[motu42]

Have a look at Freeboard Freeboard [MeshCMS]

Its open source, and uses commodity hardware to provide instruments and chartplotter over wifi to anything with a decent web browser.

Also useful to multiplex NMEA and make it available via wireless to OpenCPN or such.
Comments welcome

Rob

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Screen resoulution

What are the apple and Pantech users thoughts on the 1024 x 768 resolution which iPad 2, ipad mini and Pantech Element have?

Lacking but acceptable or more than good enough?

I have only used tabs with higher res 1280 x 800 ips screens so I was bit offput at the thought of droping back to lower res, but the additional features on that pantech has me swayed somewhat.

If you ask this question, you can only buy the iPad with Retina display, which outperforms the human eye so that you know it can't get any better.

cheers,
Nick.

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by cat man do

I cant find any evidence of this

Not the end of the world as I can probably tether my cheapo LG optimus spirit via wifi.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...oft.tgps&hl=en

Cant find any evidence of what? The pantech has its own GPS antenna built in, it does not need wifi (though it has it) to use gps. We have been 90miles offshore and it eorks flawlessly.

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Screen resoulution

What are the apple and Pantech users thoughts on the 1024 x 768 resolution which iPad 2, ipad mini and Pantech Element have?

Lacking but acceptable or more than good enough?

I have only used tabs with higher res 1280 x 800 ips screens so I was bit offput at the thought of droping back to lower res, but the additional features on that pantech has me swayed somewhat.

Love ours it is as good or better than our garmin 740. In direct sunlight its ok eith full screen brightbess but typically were under a bimini etc and never had an issue with an we use a screen protector because i am clumsy. I get the gps to work eveb on many of mt flights. I have a gps laptop with lots of nav programs and quit using it for that the day we got the pantech. On the navionics hd you can take pictures of channels, shoals, marinas or anythi g and it saves ghe picture and permanently links it to an icon on your nav screen, very very cool!

[The Garbone]

I am in the same position as well looking for a plotter. I currently us my iPhone and iPod w isailor augmented with paper charts. Downloaded opencpn on my laptop and am currently learning to use it.

I looked at raspberry PI as a solution but a good display runs up the cost and it seems like reinventing the wheel. A small tablet w opencpn seems like a solution for battery life issues. At the moment I only have 30watts solar and my motor will only give me another 45w max. I want to keep consumption low in case I decide to add a tiller pilot in the future.

[witzgall]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Why not do both?

Get a nice super compact MacMini for the navstation with display that doubles as entertainment system for watching movies etc. Install OpenCPN (or MacENC, etc.) on it and be happy.

And you can also do this on the PC side of things - there are many small form factor PCs available that are very tiny, use low power, and can do multiple things well. I built one myself -AMD e-450, 256gb SSD, this holds a big portion of our music, and all charts, etc plus will function as the computer part of a Winmor setup for Ham email. We plug in a 2tb external Western Digital drive when we want to watch movies, using the EXCELLENT Xbmc program (which is available for PC, Mac and Linux).

Another thing to consider, the lastest chips from Intel that are in laptops can power themselves down to very low power draw. I bought a new laptop to use for photo and video editing. It has a mid-level i7 chip, 32gb or ram, ssd system and 500gb 7200rpm drive, with a drive bay still open. As I type, it is drawing 15 watts, plus whatever inefficiencies are in the power brick. I have seen over 40 watts when the "Turbo" is engaged, and things are cooking along.

So a purpose built mini-itx system with a laptop i7 or i5 chip could be a VERY nice chartplotter, plus do the email, entertainment, etc. Or just but a laptop and you cant take it ashore too!

Chris

PS - the simrad chartplotters, like our NN7, can double as the autopilot control head, and even instrumentation, so from that perspective, is fairly cost effective if you need those things as well.