Tide Clocks

[Rocky]

Thinking of purchasing a tide clock for my husband as a birthday gift.* Any recommendatons of tide clocks that work on the west coast?* Many I've found on the web are designated specifically for the Atlantic.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Rely on a tide clock at your own peril!

 

[Peter B]

Nothing wrong with them as long as calibrated for your part of the world, and you take the reading as a guide only, checking it against local tide tables and adjusting accordingly frequently. I really missed mine which had the movement die, and only recently my watch-repairer managed to get a new replacement movement. I was glad to see it back. Nice and shiny brass case, etc - looks good up on the saloon wall.

 

[ralphyost]

Rocky
Use the tide clock as a guide only. its a nice gift though.
R.

 

[rwidman]

Tide clocks look nice. The built in tide and current tables on your chart plotter work a lot better.

 

[Ed]

They don't make a clock that will track west coast tides.

 

[Codger2]

Ed wrote:They don't make a clock that will track west coast tides.

That's my understanding. I tried to buy one years ago and failed.

*

 

[Codger2]

rwidman wrote:" The built in tide and current tables on your chart plotter work a lot better."

Couldn't agree more!

*

 

[Rocky]

Well thank you all very much. Guess I'll need to scratch this one off the list. Appreciate everyone's responses.

 

[Peter B]

SeaHorse II wrote:

*
rwidman wrote:" The built in tide and current tables on your chart plotter work a lot better."

Couldn't agree more!

Walt, I was not aware the chartplotter had current tide predictions on it.* How is that achieved.* Does it have an invisible internal time and date counter that picks this info up on a real time basis via satelite, or is it programmed in at the time the chart chip is recorded.

*

 

[Codger2]

Peter:*
I believe it's programmed in (Tables) but in my case, at least, it's been quite accurate for the last 5 years. (As long as I have* owned this boat) With one push of a button, I get the wave line, indicating whether the water is getting deeper or shallower (tide in or out) and a vertical line , indicating the actual time of day. Also "High" and "Low" tides and their times are indicated as well as the tide levels in "feet.") At the south end of San Diego Bay the water can get quite shallow at low tide. While running to a resort for breakfast, the shortest rout is over the skinniest water. A glance at my tide chart tells me whether or not to take the longer route. (The channel) Since the chart info is WGS 84, (26 years old) I use the tide chart quite a bit.

The "asterisk" button (bottom right) is all I need to push to get this information. Many of the plotters have this function.

 

[Codger2]

Follow up to Peter's question:

#1* Pick a Chart Region (Any where from northern Alaska to the tip of Mexico)
#2* Set the tide station closest to your desired route
#3* South San Diego Bay (Note deep channel on right and shallow water on left
(some 3 foot deep areas)
#4 Check the tide chart to see if water is deep enough for your particular draught

In this case I want to take a route that may run directly over the 3' sounding. Since the chart data is 26 years old, as are the paper charts, (WGS 84) With a draught of 3'8" +
2.8' of tide, I can clear the high spot.

Now, I know everyone knows this but all I'm trying to point out is, that with the newer chart plotters, you don't need a "tide watch." My plotter is about 6 years old.


-- Edited by SeaHorse II on Friday 22nd of October 2010 02:49:23 PM

 

[Peter B]

Thanks for that Walt. I have a Lowrance which uses Navionics cards rather than C-Maps, and I never discovered this tide info on it before. Now I'll have to go and check. Ah well, another excuse to duck down to the boat, I guess. Waiting now for ins co assessment so I can get the shredded bimini replaced. Meantime in the avatar she is sporting her new livery (paint job, that is).

 

[Rocky]

Okay, decided against the tide clock based on all the great advice from our west coast folks. Ended up getting a 19" HDTV/DVD combo for his birthday. At this point, we'll only be watching this tv at dockside, given that, whats everyone's opinion on an antenna? Can I get by with an indoor type or will have to get something I can mount on the dockside piling that we plug into and easily disconnect when we go out? One of the sailboat folks nearby is having trouble with his indoor antenna, told me when the boat moves, it causes the picture on the tv to come and go. Anyone have any experience with this. Thanks in advance for all your help and advice.

 

[RT Firefly]

Rocky,
** WOW...19' HDTV/DVD...will you marry me????** hahahaha, don't blame ya.
** I have an older model of this:
******* http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=15995&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=10103&subdeptNum=10278&classNum=10281
** I get some stations with it and different ones without.** Doesn't seem to matter either way if the boat moves.
** You might, just for the heck of it, get a really cheap pair of rabbit ears and try them both inside and outside (by extending the wires).

 

[Codger2]

Rocky wrote:"At this point, we'll only be watching this tv at dockside, "

Why? For about $79 you can buy a very thin DVD player and watch movies
underway.


*

 

[Rocky]

Seahorse, the new HDTV I just purchased has a built in DVD player already in it, and yes we would definitely watch movies when away from the dock. I'm referring to receiving television channels while at dockside. I miss having the news.

RT....thats a pretty pricey antenna!! Is yours mounted inside or out? I think I'll go with your suggestion and try the cheapo rabbit ears first; I saw a set at BestBuy for $14.99, not a huge investment if they prove not to work.

 

[Codger2]

Sorry about that Rocky....you did mention buying an HDTV/DVD.

-- Edited by SeaHorse II on Sunday 24th of October 2010 06:41:08 PM

 

[RT Firefly]

Hiya Rocky,
** I agree way too pricey for the "performance"*or lack thereof but, I got it for next to nothing and that's about what it's worth, sometimes.**Fiddle around with the RA's and then, grab a beverage and watch the sun go down.* A good book is very underated.
* Mounted outside 15' above water on a dedicated mast.**

-- Edited by RT Firefly on Sunday 24th of October 2010 07:00:40 PM

 

[Steve]

My wife bought a Phillips antenna at Walmart for about 60 bucks then a converter box from Radio Shack when they were both hooked up to the tv we got very good reception, at the dock or out on the water at anchor. I don't recall the model numbers, the Phillips is made to be mounted outdoors on a pole I usually clamp it to a boathook and prop it up on the flying bridge and run the cable down to the TV.
Steve W

 

[Rocky]

Steve,
If you get a chance, get me a model number, if you wouldn't mind. Will give the rabbit ears a go first, but have some serious doubts on how well it will work, so am already looking at a backup antenna. Won't need the converter box, think those are just for the older analogs. Thanks to all.

 

[Peter B]

Rocky, your new HDTV will certainly be digital, and have tuners in it, so you are right, you won't need a set-top box, but as digital is an all or nothing type system whereby you get a perfect picture, or, if the signal is too low you get nothing, (rather than the somewhat inferior but often watchable performance of analog), I think you might be disappointed with just bunny ears. Special digital tv antennae look a bit like a larger diameter GPS antenna, and are fairly cheap, often with built in signal booster so can be wired into a 12v circuit to boost a poor reception. Why not get one of those, and just poke it out the door and stick it up with shock-cord on a boat hook, as someone else mentioned, until such time as you can wire it in properly?

 

[Rocky]

Are these digital antennas something I can get at BestBuy or Radio Shack? I'm hoping to have everything together for the hubby, so all he needs to do is take to the boat and set up. I'm not sure what a GPS antenna looks like (

 

[rwidman]

Folks, there is no such thing as a "digital" TV antenna.* A TV antenna is an antenna designed for the frequencies the TV stations are authorised to broadcast on.* The antenna picks up these signals as very weak electrical signals and sends them to the receiver.* Some antennas have a built in amplifier to make the signals stronger for the receiver.

The antenna does not distinguish what information is contained in the signal.* It can be digital or analog, it doesn't matter and the antenna doesn't "know".* Manufacturers and advertisers would have you believe differently to sell product, but there is absolutely nothing "digital" about an antenna.

That said, you may go to Best Buy or Walmart and get a TV antenna.* This antenna may work well in your home or business but not on your boat.* Why?* If it's a "unidirectional" (must be pointed towards the transmitter to pick up a signal) antenna, you can place it on a windowsill or in your attic, point it towards the transmitter, and receive a good signal.

Why doesn't this work very well on a boat?* Because boats move.* If you never move the boat, it's not an issue.* If you anchor the boat, it will swing with the current and/or wind and you'll have to reorient the antenna every few minutes.* For a boat you need an "omnidirectional" (picks up signals from all directions) antenna.* The round "UFO" style antennas you see in marine catalogs are omnidirectional antennas and these are what you should install on a boat.

One other consideration with TV reception on a boat - for the best reception, we know to mount our antenna as high as possible.* That's why, in the days when most homes received "over the air" TV broadcasts, the antennas were usually mounted on the roof of the residence (I'm old enough to have installed many of these).* On a boat, the antenna is typically just a few feet above sea level and there's not much we can do about it.


-- Edited by rwidman on Monday 25th of October 2010 02:43:24 PM

-- Edited by rwidman on Monday 25th of October 2010 02:44:32 PM

 

[Codger2]

rwidman wrote:"Folks, there is no such thing as a "digital" TV antenna.....* For a boat you need an "omnidirectional"

I believe that's true, but to date, I have never seen an omnidirectional antenna
that's worth a tinker's damn.


*

 

[RT Firefly]

Hiya,
** Thanks both Mr, SeaHorse and Mr. rwidman.* I've been trying to convince my "mate" that a signal is a signal whereas she wants a "digital" antenna and what we have is probably the best*we can get without cable.
**

 

[Rocky]

Well, thank you SeaHorse and Rwidman, appears I bought a really nice HDTV that will be good for DVD only....LOL. Live and learn I guess. I haven't googled this omnidirectional antennas as yet, but am sure they are way out of my budget, but I appreciate the information and apologize for the use of the word "digital." I have read in at least a dozen posts on this forum that the word "digital" is pretty much media/advertising hype, I just forgot.

 

[Marin]

RT Firefly wrote:

...what we have is probably the best*we can get without cable.
**

So far as I know the best television reception you can get is with something like a TracVision dome.* But it plus the satelite subscription (I assume you have to subscribe to the*Inmarsat*or whoever it is service)*is proably more pricey than most people who just want to watch TV at the dock would be willing to spend.* But I've seen some impressive pictures on some really big screens in the 50-plus footers out in the achoranges in the islands who have a TracVision setup.

*

 

[rwidman]

I have slip neighbors with a satellite dish on the dock. It only works when they are in their slip.

 

[Marin]

rwidman wrote:

I have slip neighbors with a satellite dish on the dock. It only works when they are in their slip.


The great thing about the*TracVision antenna is that it*stays locked on the satellite no matter what the boat does.* So it doesn't matter where you are*or*or what the boat's doing--- running at cruise speed, swinging around an anchor, whatever. If the antenna can see the satellite, it can lock on it and stay locked.* TracVision supplies antennas for entertainment (TV) and communications (internet, phone, etc.).* I believe that's why you see a lot of boats with two of their antennas, one for each type of service.

We are very tentatively considering getting one for our boat, not for TV-- which we don't care about-- but for connectivity for my work.* It's not cheap, though, so we may very well*decided against it.

*


-- Edited by Marin on Monday 25th of October 2010 04:41:30 PM