Why even bother with a plotter when you can get this!

[hpeer]

Jedi Troll
May the Farce be with you.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Nekton73

Is bathymetric data available in Google maps?


Is OpenCPN manageable on such an old Ipad?

No

and

No (OpenCPN doesn’t work on any iOS devices... not on iPhone or iPad)

[Nekton73]

Thank you.


So Jedi, how do you manage navigating with google maps without depth info? Or do you have a paper chart or some other electronic chart available when you want to refer to it for depth.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Nekton73

So Jedi, how do you manage navigating with google maps without depth info?

He uses The Force .

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by Nekton73

Thank you.


So Jedi, how do you manage navigating with google maps without depth info? Or do you have a paper chart or some other electronic chart available when you want to refer to it for depth.

While google Earth does not show depth, it does very clearly show shallow areas, hazards, reefs, coral heads, etc. It is far superior to any chart in that regard. Combined with a basic depth meter, you are in really good shape.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by Shanachie

I have a military-grade, waterproof Samsung tablet ($500) with Aquamap and OpenCPN. I have a rail bracket mounted on the pedestal and a USB plug installed on the instrument pod.


Easy to read in the sun. Rain doesn't bother it, although I also have a waterproof bimini/dodger that keeps it from being deluged. I have a backup tablet in a waterproof case.



I wouldn't trade this setup for any Raymarine. Easy to use, easy to update. It operates independently, which means I can get eight hours out of it even if my electrical system fails. More if I keep my backup supply charged.


In my opinion, networking your instruments through an MFD looks cool, but is a bad idea and asking for trouble. I don't want a network problem to leave me blind by knocking all of my instruments offline.


I used to build my own computers back in the old days, and I have a pretty good idea of all of the things that can go wrong.


My instruments are wired independently so that problems are contained to a single one.



The only problem with tablets is that they can flash a warning sign that stops charging if dampness gets into the USB slot, even with the military-grade tablet.


The solution usually is simple: take a small piece of paper towel and push it inside the USB slot. It will absorb the moisture in a few minutes.

Is there a waterproof way to hardwire power to the tablet? That would make it really ideal.
Edit:
I have had serious issues with the "water" issues. Water doesn't need to get into the USB port. Normal humidity in the cabin of my boat has been enough, and it has left me without a tablet for days while I tried to dry it out in rice. Paper towels, q-tips, and drying with isopropyl alcohol did not work. It eventually started working again, but it was a serious navigational hazard. And has repeatedly happened since. For a while I had to store the tablet in rice, and only take it out when it was critically needed for navigation. This seems to be a Samsung thing, other brands offer a "charge anyway" option.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by wholybee

Is there a waterproof way to hardwire power to the tablet? That would make it really ideal.

5200.

[RaymondR]

I've been studying your electrical diagrams on your posts for a while now Jedi and I'd almost bet my next pension cheque that you have a couple of good chart plotters at the helm and maybe even another at the nav station below and they are all interconnected by N2K.

However, I have a similar arrangement and also have OpenCPN on a computer and two tablets and Navionics on my phone but am thinking about getting a refurbished Panasonic Toughpad so I can have OpenCPN mounted at the helm position. This paranoia has been bought about by the fact that I have had one of the MFDs replaced in warranty once and the second twice and the warranty will run out on both of them before long.

[thinwater]

I'm pretty sure they didn't have plotters when I started sailing, so yeah, pretty sure I don't need one.


That said, I have enjoyed them. But most days I don't turn mine on. I don't go out on the water to be nestled in an electronic cocoon.

[donradcliffe]

I have navigated in thick fog with google maps, and ended up in the harbor entrance channel with only enough visibility to see the side that was 50 feet away. HOWEVER, I would have rather used Navionics which gives me a track and a COG projection instead of a blue dot.

That being said, a Raymarine touch screen MFD is my least favorite piece of gear. Try that in the spray or the fog, with waves bouncing the boat around.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by wholybee

While google Earth does not show depth, it does very clearly show shallow areas, hazards, reefs, coral heads, etc. It is far superior to any chart in that regard. Combined with a basic depth meter, you are in really good shape.

Exactly. In 2003 in the Florida Keys I learned that nautical mals are useless. After being grounded several times, discovering plants growing up out the water mid channel etc. I looked at Google Earth satellite pictures and could see exactly how I could have avoided that.

Then we sailed to the Bahamas where we learned to read the water for depth.

That all combined with a depth reading is far superior to following a map of questionable accuracy, showing markers that may or may not be in the correct spots or even there at all.

The new tools available are cameras up in the mast and drones to send forward to scout

[jo_sail]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

.. , discovering plants growing up out the water mid channel etc. I looked at Google Earth satellite pictures and could see exactly how I could have avoided that.

For that purpose we have added nice seaweed and seagrass display in the OpenSeaMap. Please map it in the area where you know it or infer it from your satellite images and put into the OpenStreetMap-Database where you find it relevant information for navigation: Here is the key: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/...NT-1_Section_J

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Jedi Troll
May the Farce be with you.

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

He uses The Force .

Originally Posted by RaymondR

I've been studying your electrical diagrams on your posts for a while now Jedi and I'd almost bet my next pension cheque that you have a couple of good chart plotters at the helm and maybe even another at the nav station below and they are all interconnected by N2K.

However, I have a similar arrangement and also have OpenCPN on a computer and two tablets and Navionics on my phone but am thinking about getting a refurbished Panasonic Toughpad so I can have OpenCPN mounted at the helm position. This paranoia has been bought about by the fact that I have had one of the MFDs replaced in warranty once and the second twice and the warranty will run out on both of them before long.

I did not have a plotter for years but a couple of years ago I bought a 9” Vulcan at a sale at Defender because of radar and it could control my autopilot.

Without plotter, I actually used an iPad for navigation and controlling the autopilot. This worked great, but I couldn’t use the iPad for anything else, while I like to use it for planning routes, writing emails etc.

Look at all the amateurism around the charts we use. Errors, ridiculous or non existent update services, overnight drastic changes in price policies, plotter manufacturers buying up the charting companies, tying users to their hardware systems and the list goes on. Most of you try playing on that field where your defeat is pre-programmed. It is time to step off that field and play the game under our own rules.

[Mike OReilly]

Using satellite images is a great tool, but there can be significant differences in resolution and general image quality from image to image on those made available through "free" services like Google. The image may, or may not, be showing the whole picture.

Nautical charts suffer from the same uncertainty, but at least they are intended to be used for marine navigation. Publicly available satellite images are not.

It's certainly a useful tool, and one that can be integrated with other navigation tools, but I don't see it as a primary source.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I did not have a plotter for years but a couple of years ago I bought a 9” Vulcan at a sale at Defender because of radar and it could control my autopilot.

Without plotter, I actually used an iPad for navigation and controlling the autopilot. This worked great, but I couldn’t use the iPad for anything else, while I like to use it for planning routes, writing emails etc.

Look at all the amateurism around the charts we use. Errors, ridiculous or non existent update services, overnight drastic changes in price policies, plotter manufacturers buying up the charting companies, tying users to their hardware systems and the list goes on. Most of you try playing on that field where your defeat is pre-programmed. It is time to step off that field and play the game under our own rules.

Curious, what software did you use on the ipad for autopilot?