best lower helm electronics?

thanks for the info Chuck.* We are looking forward to trying out the systems currently on the boat we are buying.* Everything is separate and we are used to them all being integrated (sailboats only have so much room by the wheel).* The only thing I would for sure want to integrate is an AIS receiver but that appears to be easily done.**We are thinking it might be preferable to have the radar on its own screen as it tends to clutter up the chart.* and heck, there is all that room!

We went on a long trip last month (sailboat)*using both a Raymarine chartplotter and Raymarine nav software on a laptop.* It seemed like we got more info from the computer so I was not sure why we were killing our batteries running both!!* That definitely opened my eyes to the possibilities of using a laptop as a chartplotter.**

There is no chart plotter on the new boat.* The current owner said "the GPS works but the display is bad".* How do you know the GPS is working if there is no display???* does he mean the antenna works?* Guess we'll learn more*once we start playing with things.* The owner is a sweetheart and has owned the boat for 18 years but he was not familiar with the electronics at all.*

If you wouldn't mind passing on that site with*the SeaClear tutorial, I will definitely take a look!* I'd love to play with the software on our labor day cruise.

Jennifer

Give openCPN a try also as you will find it has all the features but very easy to use. Easier than SeaClear I think.

I have got a pro master that used Capn but he thinks open CPN is just as good with a few less features but more than enough for weekend boaties

Allan

thanks Allan I will check that out as well.*

Glad this thread got back on track as very interesting to me. As we are getting near the stage of installing electronics, I was trying to decide weather to put in two displays, one upper, one lower, or just an upper where 99% of the driving is done, and use the trusty laptop at the lower helm. Even at wholesale, and with all the work yet to be done to the interior, I was not liking the idea of two displays....

On a side note, I am glad I don't have to worry about deck rot, that sounds like ALOT of work...I just lay awake at night thinking about my zinc's and stray current....

Tim
I suggest you go read the thread I started Furuno NavNet 3d

I discuss the very same dilemma you are describing.

I'm installing a new Furuno system on my fly bridge and will use the laptop for those occassional times that I need to steer from down below. The Furuno MaxSea Time Zero laptop software allows me to have 100% access to everything the chart plotter has, including radar, routes, waypoints, weather data, etc.

R.

We just got our boat last week and went on our first cruise over the long weekend.* We had loaded opencpn onto our laptop,*downloaded the approriate charts had the GPS dongle all hooked up.* And didn't use it other than to show someone at the cruise out how cool it was.* We navigated from the upper helm with two iphones, one running the Navionics iphone app ($9.99) and one using ship finder AIS to keep an eye on ferries and freighters.* I think the laptop will be great down below but I am not sure how much we will be down there.***Now we are looking at "best UPPER helm electronics" LOL.* We are thinking an iPad but have heard it is impossible to see the screen in sunlight.

Dont underestimate the engineering that goes into producing a dedicated chart plotter, including the READABILITY in bright ambient conditions, the dedicated processor and memory and storage. Its a dedicated device essentially even thought its called multi-function because it can also be used to show depth,* weather, camera video, etc.

I look at this this way.

There is no greater reliability and availability than up to date paper charts. Its always there and readable, even if the power goes out.

Second to that is a dedicated chart plotter whose engineering and production history now has shown extremely good reliability and availability. Most users of these devices are quite happy and have learned to rely on them.

Then you have the laptop PC or handheld data device, which was designed for a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT purpose, but now has the ability to run the application program to provide your needed nav info. The reliability and availability of THESE DEVICES is much lower than a dedicated chart plotter.

R.