Tablet no chart plotter?

[Franziska]

Hey Dockhead, as I am about to get an Active Tab as well. Do you know of any HARDcase which is waterproof and would fit?

I would like a second layer of waterproofing and ruggedness.

Had a Sony Z2 Tab before as well, was never really happy, it had charging issues and the ports seem not reliable enough in a marine environment.

Thanks,

Franziska

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Hey Dockhead, as I am about to get an Active Tab as well. Do you know of any HARDcase which is waterproof and would fit?

I would like a second layer of waterproofing and ruggedness.

Had a Sony Z2 Tab before as well, was never really happy, it had charging issues and the ports seem not reliable enough in a marine environment.

Thanks,

Franziska

Hi Franziska:

I think it's supposed to come with its own outer case. Mine didn't have it, so I don't know. Yes, it would be good to add a case, so if you find a good one, please let me know.

Yes, the Sony tablet is just too fragile for the marine environment, and the ports covered with flaps are not really the thing. I had Sony phones with those and they didn't last long Now I have the Sony XZ Premium, which has no flaps, and seems much better.

But the Samsung in any case seems much better for our usage -- it's not a consumer device and it seems to more serious and more rugged in every way.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[OrinocoFlo]

Originally Posted by ZULU40

its ok, you will be able to connect your 4 tablets and 4 fones wirelessly
You wont be able to see them outside but hey ...

,

I’ve had no difficulty viewing the screen on my iPad, even in bad weather.

Pam

[ZULU40]

Originally Posted by OrinocoFlo

I’ve had no difficulty viewing the screen on my iPad, even in bad weather.

Pam

I have an ipad and its useless in sunlight
apparently YMMV

note to self, bad weather s rarely sunlight

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Sure, but having an actual marine plotter does not require you to get rid of your tablets It is not forbidden to have both

Small marine plotters cost peanuts these days. The B&G Vulcan 5 is only $399, similar to the cost of that third tablet: https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...741&id=3214537

No it's not forbidden. If you have unlimited money, sure but while this one item might not break the bank, costs add up and most live on a budget.

PS: For the cost of that Vulcan 5, I can have 4-5 tablet based chart plotters...before including the cost of installation.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by JC Reefer

Playing devils advocate. I think the cost in setup time and possible aggravation is much higher with the tablet setup. At least I think there is a perception that the tablet setup would be.

It also puts more power and control in the hands of the owner. It’s not plug n play.

Installation:
- Tablet: Find a place to set it down (if doing short trips of a few hours). Access a 12v power source (if doing longer trips). Maybe add a simple tablet holding mount
- Dedicated chart plotter: Find a mounting location, find 12v power, find mount for GPS mushroom, run cable from GPS mushroom.

Tablet sure seems easier to me.

[sailorcherry]

"Plus I'm blonde, I can do this." Hahaha, nice one.

This is a very similar setup I am working on. I went for a lightly used Surface Pro, for Windows, speed and enough nits (despite arch and bimini). Thanks for sharing your waterproof case model, you always have great advice SailorChic so I'm going to see if that one will fit.

I liken traditional chartplotters to flip phones and tablets to our modern android, apple phones. It's just where we're going it seems. Plus, being able to be portable is fantastic.

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

With my old garmin 186 chartplotter getting dim (Old CCF backlighting going out...I need to see if I can repair it), I've been looking for a new tablet to use as a chart plotter. I have an old 2012 nexus 7, but it's acting up. So I got a used Fire hd8. Now the fire does not have gps, but the price is right for the cheap date. Plus I'm blonde, I can do this.

I'm using my cheap $40 smart phone as a gps transmitter using the tethergps gps app to send gps data to the fire tablet. (This works with any android tablet, btw) Tethergps works well and is very easy to set up, installing it as a server on the phone and client on the tablet. I have a armorX water proof cover for the tablet and a mount on the cabin side in the cockpit. I still need to run a usb power cable for the tablet.

Should do it proud and for Less then $200 total outlay, including water proof case. For another $95 I can have a backup fire tablet. I found an easyish way to minimize the amazon app bloat, just put them all in a folder as well as turning off all the amazon notifications. I also have google play installed and all my normal marine apps up and running.

Pretty sweet.

Really tablets can do most of what a chartplotter does and do it well for less money then a marine chartplotter. In a pinch I can use my tiny smart phone as a chartplotter.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by ZULU40

its ok, you will be able to connect your 4 tablets and 4 fones wirelessly
You wont be able to see them outside but hey ...

,

Sometimes stupid stuff gets said, see above.

I use my tablets outside everyday, with ease.

I have no issue with chartplotters other than price, I've owned 3 of them. .

Whether you want to believe it or not people are circumnavigating successfully right now using Pc's and tablets.

Dh's point of its not one or the other is valid BUT it's also a valid point that many others no longer use chartplotters and the world dosent end.

[ZULU40]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Sometimes stupid stuff gets said, see above.

I use my tablets outside everyday, with ease.

I have no issue with chartplotters other than price, I've owned 3 of them. .

Whether you want to believe it or not people are circumnavigating successfully right now using Pc's and tablets.

Dh's point of its not one or the other is valid BUT it's also a valid point that many others no longer use chartplotters and the world dosent end.

stupid eh, fresh ..

ok then, the retort and summary

We had ppl quoting that these things were so cheap you could/would have a number of them making them less redundant therefore as a system more reliable, I was quoted '4-8 tablet/phones'. Id be saying that if one failed, the pilot needs to be aware that the rest would be subject to the same failure.

If you dont know how that works, although a twin engined aircraft might at first seem to have more safety and more favourable redundancy, its actually twice as likely to suffer engine failure. So it follows that 8x is 8x as likely. Within the aircraft industry the rather humorously put saying is 'the second engine is usually enough to get you to the crash site'.

Expanding on the popular view that since we already have these devices they dont cost anything. Ive been saying since you need them for the boat you cant sell them then its a debit on their s/h value. But you would have to read my earlier post to figure that out.

And Im still saying I havent seen a a tablet or phone that competes with a chartplotter display for brightness. Im not saying it doesnt exist, the only retaliation I received aside of your own for my 'outlandish' remarks was that while its stormy grey or something, you can still see them through the waterproof enclosure a chartplotter already has.

I have an Apple Air, I have an ipad and a Samsung Smartphone, they are all difficult to see in the sunlight we have here, they simply dont compete with a chartplotter. These where top of the market portable devices with what I would class rubbish flimsy physical connectivity. I think my comments are reasoned and fair. Apparently, ymmv

Of course if you dont need the facility to navigate from the cockpit, perhaps you dont find yourself in a new or confusing seaway, dont need to teach others how the device/s work. Tablets and fones are less of a compromise. Those are not my circumstances so Im standing my ground.

Was there something else?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by daletournier

. . . .Dh's point of its not one or the other is valid BUT it's also a valid point that many others no longer use chartplotters and the world dosent end.

Naturally doesn't end Some of us were sailing for decades before chart plotters were even invented. I could certainly manage without EITHER plotter or tablet, as plenty other here could.

I remember how cool it was when we first got GPS. Wow! That was a much bigger deal than the first plotter. Soon I had a tiny GPS which I could wear on my wrist. I worked out the routes on paper, made a list of waypoints, then programmed them into the little wrist GPS. Et voila. Took some notes on a waterpoof pad on clearing bearings and kept a HBC around my neck. It worked great.

But having the ability to plot your position in real time and instantly see where you are, displayed directly on the chart, is very powerful, and can save your life in a situation where you find yourself somewhere you didn't intend to be, and need to see the way out of it. Or to guide yourself into a difficult channel or harbor entrance. I find it beneficial to do that with a high reliability, rugged, waterproof, daylight viewable device mounted right at the helm. But that's just MHO, and not the only way to skin the cat.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Naturally doesn't end Some of us were sailing for decades before chart plotters were even invented. I could certainly manage without EITHER plotter or tablet, as plenty other here could.

I remember how cool it was when we first got GPS. Wow! That was a much bigger deal than the first plotter. Soon I had a tiny GPS which I could wear on my wrist. I worked out the routes on paper, made a list of waypoints, then programmed them into the little wrist GPS. Et voila. Took some notes on a waterpoof pad on clearing bearings and kept a HBC around my neck. It worked great.

But having the ability to plot your position in real time and instantly see where you are, displayed directly on the chart, is very powerful, and can save your life in a situation where you find yourself somewhere you didn't intend to be, and need to see the way out of it. Or to guide yourself into a difficult channel or harbor entrance. I find it beneficial to do that with a high reliability, rugged, waterproof, daylight viewable device mounted right at the helm. But that's just MHO, and not the only way to skin the cat.

Something else I like about tablets that I've mentioned before is you have options. I've sailed many times where the charts aren't even close to accurate eg. Check out Raja Ampat Wayag West Papua on your navionics then look at it on Google earth or Bing etc. From memory the charts were completely useless. On the tablet I can flick between charts and satellite.

On my tablets I not only have charts but I have ovitalmap, downloaded in advance satelite imagery. Rather than just a yellow blob with zero detail I now have accurate satelite imagery offline.

One more advantage, if there's lightning several of my devices go in the microwave, because they can.

[OrinocoFlo]

Originally Posted by ZULU40

I have an ipad and its useless in sunlight
....

Somehow, we’ve managed to sail down the coast of California for two years and now from England down into the Med and over to Croatia and Italy over the past six years using ONLY an iPad. Most days were sunny, occasionally not so much.

Maybe, try wearing some sunglasses or navigate from under the comfort of the bimini or dodger. (See photo)

Pam

[Pelagic]

I think what adds confusion to this conversation is when you use the old term "Chart plotter", to compare to a iPad.... when today we are really talking about a dedicated, Marinized, Weatherproof MFD (Multi Function Display)

I want a cockpit mounted screen that in All weather
.... gives me the information I want from every sensor I wish to connect to.
... From Piloting to Navigation to Engineering and more

Hardwired thru a ruggenized Hub and with proven dedicated software, from a reliable Marine oriented company

It should be to the standard that all professional fishing or small commercial craft test daily with a very low MTBF (mean time between failure)

It should also have wireless, blutooth and network capabilities to send with proven apps to other devices and as always a backup laptop or tablet separate from the MFD cockpit display, but still linked for planning and monitoring purposes

I have that with the Furuno NavNet TZ touch2

Take a look at this video of a past version update and you can see how they have listened and worked with professional mariners and yachtsmen, to develop improvements.

You don't get that with Apple/Windows or Samsung, so I am all for supporting Furuno.

https://youtu.be/nwBpLLgBIUg

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I think what adds confusion to this conversation is when you use the old term "Chart plotter", to compare to a iPad.... when today we are really talking about a dedicated, Marinized, Weatherproof MFD (Multi Function Display)

I want a cockpit mounted screen that in All weather
.... gives me the information I want from every sensor I wish to connect to.
... From Piloting to Navigation to Engineering and more

Hardwired thru a ruggenized Hub and with proven dedicated software, from a reliable Marine oriented company

It should be to the standard that all professional fishing or small commercial craft test daily with a very low MTBF (mean time between failure)

It should also have wireless, blutooth and network capabilities to send with proven apps to other devices and as always a backup laptop or tablet separate from the MFD cockpit display, but still linked for planning and monitoring purposes

I have that with the Furuno NavNet TZ touch2

Take a look at this video of a past version update and you can see how they have listened and worked with professional mariners and yachtsmen, to develop improvements.

You don't get that with Apple/Windows or Samsung, so I am all for supporting Furuno.

https://youtu.be/nwBpLLgBIUg

OK, then it comes down to needs. If you just want a chartplotter for navigation then IMHO tablets etc are viable, chartplotters are almost free if you own a tablet or a PC.

Now if you require more as stated by Pelagic we'll that's different.

Personally I don't desire all that.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I want a cockpit mounted screen that in All weather
.... gives me the information I want from every sensor I wish to connect to.]

Looks lovely. Price to match.
Think I'll be sticking with Rasp Pi, tablet & passage plans

Out of interest should I have a bucket of money appear, does it display signalK data, or html pages? How do you get every sensor connected?

And what about google satellite images on the plotter? So useful as to be reason alone to have a tablet or laptop running opencpn even as an addition.