A) digital
1) Gps handheld, small lcd screen, GLONASS / GPS. (2x)
One unit is plugged and provides position data to all other devices. Second unit has all the same data preloaded and is 'hot' and sits in the watchman pocket. Can be unplugged and switched any moment - a bare USB
puck provides the same data via fall back wire to the devices and
wifi net meanwhile.
If you wonder why the handheld is there - it has a wpt /
route screen, the usb
puck does not.
2) Above position data distributed:
- by wire - to
VHF and AIS units,
- by
wifi - to all other devices.
3)
Phone with data card (grib data). Transfer via wifi BT sd card or cable. The
phone has beidou glonass and gps onboard and a small color screen (android device) and thus becomes an
emergency position and or plotting device (never needed this far, though).
4) Tablets (android) and netbooks, pos data via wifi (the tablets have internal gps/glonass too. (5x)
The tablets and netbooks get much use inshore and at
anchor, but they are almost always off on passages. (As our android phone shows all AIS traffic as well).
5) NV Charts data on tablet and netbooks.
6) qtVlm app on tablets and netbooks.
7)
OpenCPN app on tablet and netbooks.
8) zyGrbib and xyGrib on netbooks.
8.5) My own AIS plotter ap on the tablet.
9) NOAA NWS NHC data download via html, while available (or via the phone, close inshore)
19)
ssb receiver+netbook - NOAA radiofax data
offshore and voice wx data.
B) analog ;-)
1) Paper charts, mostly NV (Caribbean), Admiralty, INT, and few Imrays,
2)
Sextant, printed, almanac, etc, mechanical chronometer, etc.
3) NP136 and Pilot Charts.
C)
I long for
boat charts, but cannot find them s/h.
As for which gets used when it depends on where we are and what we are doing.
As a general
rule, I tend to use electronic aids in dire emergencies, rain, at night and in very tight quarters. I tend to use paper charts / printed
books (NP136 etc) and older methods of position finding when planning, or just to keep my skills up to date (e.g. sextant / sun pos plots, DR
navigation and transit pilotage).
Cheers,
b.