STB
Guru
Touch panel display thoughts?
Hi all,
I think I've mentioned in various postings that, very slowly over years, I've been poking at getting a touch panel made specifically for outdoor marine use. I love OpenCPN, but it kills me that there aren't any really good screen options.
I've had a bunch of duds...too much parallaxis, too narrow a viewing angle, not bright enough, don't dim enough, multitouch doesn't work right, brightness doesn't adjust well.
And, I've had a couple that were very usable, and that I used extensively, but that didn't knock it out of the park.
I've finally found a factory that managed to not only meet my specs, for real, but exceed them. I'm currently using a 15" 4:3 prototype that is 1800nit, has a front bezel knob to adjust continuously from 90nit (for night) on up. It IP66 on the front and IP65 everywhere else, e.g. cable ports. It is optically bonded, has pcap multi-touch, anti reflective and antifingerprint coatings, and USB and HDMI connections. It is natively 12v and runs off AC with an adapter if desired. The case is powder coated metal (aluminum bezel, stainless enclosure, separated by a gasket). I've requested some detail about the alloys.
I don't know the maximum viewing angles. I haven't measured it myself, yet, and they didn't put it in the specs they sent me -- just that it exceeds what I specified, which it does by a lot. Qualitatively, it is a very good image from any angle.
I can get batches tested and stickered for FCC compliance, but because it is a custom product that at best will be made in low volumes, I can't UL it. That process just doesn't work for anything that, itself, is not a full-blown process at scale. The only thing that can be ULed is the AC-DC adapter.
Also the panels are native 1024x768, which seems fine for the intended use but wouldn't match the specs of a monitor for a different use. The panels are basically designed for high-end kiosks, and trying to get higher native resolution (vs virtual) put me into niche space for the components -- with serious compromises elsewhere.
I'm not planning on a new career. But I am thinking of ordering a batch and throwing them up on eBay and if they sell well, repeating until it slows down. The basic goal being to serve PC-based chart plotter folks who want something for their flybridge.
If you DM me, I can share the prototype cost. It is up there. But the cost should be much more reasonable ordering a bunch at a time. I've requested some numbers. If I knew the actual cost and it were stable, at this stage I'd share it in the public post. But there are too many factors between the factory and me to have a stable number quite yet. So I don't want it in an uneditable/undeletable public post.
I didn't build the configuration as an all-in-one with built in PC, because there are some Kingdel industrial PCs, among many, many, others on Amazon that I think already solve the PC problem. They are small, 12v, and can be put into a console. I don't see any reason to tie a PC into the display.
I know that an air gap with a thermal film and gasket is the often considered the preferred solution for outdoor kiosks in full-time direct sunlight vs optical bonding, because it protects the black panel from getting super hot and aging prematurely from the solar load. I tried some like that, and the units with thin gap functioned well. But they still had more parallaxis than I like for the application. I preferred a really precise touch. And, most boat displays arent full-time direct sun, they are under a bimini, etc.
I'd be open to getting some in other sizes, but what I think is ready is 15" 4:3. I started with this because it is what I wanted and, myself, use. And one thing I learned is that these things need to be tested. Anything I left unspecified or under specified was often a surprise.
The factory provides a 1 year warranty.
Out of curiosity, if you happen to have an opinion, what would such a display be worth if it were sold via eBay with a 90 day warranty?
Hopefully this doesn't run afoul of any forum rules as I presently have no business, no displays to sell, and am still trying to sort out whether or not it would help enough people for it to be worth me going through the trouble.
Penny for any thoughts?
Hi all,
I think I've mentioned in various postings that, very slowly over years, I've been poking at getting a touch panel made specifically for outdoor marine use. I love OpenCPN, but it kills me that there aren't any really good screen options.
I've had a bunch of duds...too much parallaxis, too narrow a viewing angle, not bright enough, don't dim enough, multitouch doesn't work right, brightness doesn't adjust well.
And, I've had a couple that were very usable, and that I used extensively, but that didn't knock it out of the park.
I've finally found a factory that managed to not only meet my specs, for real, but exceed them. I'm currently using a 15" 4:3 prototype that is 1800nit, has a front bezel knob to adjust continuously from 90nit (for night) on up. It IP66 on the front and IP65 everywhere else, e.g. cable ports. It is optically bonded, has pcap multi-touch, anti reflective and antifingerprint coatings, and USB and HDMI connections. It is natively 12v and runs off AC with an adapter if desired. The case is powder coated metal (aluminum bezel, stainless enclosure, separated by a gasket). I've requested some detail about the alloys.
I don't know the maximum viewing angles. I haven't measured it myself, yet, and they didn't put it in the specs they sent me -- just that it exceeds what I specified, which it does by a lot. Qualitatively, it is a very good image from any angle.
I can get batches tested and stickered for FCC compliance, but because it is a custom product that at best will be made in low volumes, I can't UL it. That process just doesn't work for anything that, itself, is not a full-blown process at scale. The only thing that can be ULed is the AC-DC adapter.
Also the panels are native 1024x768, which seems fine for the intended use but wouldn't match the specs of a monitor for a different use. The panels are basically designed for high-end kiosks, and trying to get higher native resolution (vs virtual) put me into niche space for the components -- with serious compromises elsewhere.
I'm not planning on a new career. But I am thinking of ordering a batch and throwing them up on eBay and if they sell well, repeating until it slows down. The basic goal being to serve PC-based chart plotter folks who want something for their flybridge.
If you DM me, I can share the prototype cost. It is up there. But the cost should be much more reasonable ordering a bunch at a time. I've requested some numbers. If I knew the actual cost and it were stable, at this stage I'd share it in the public post. But there are too many factors between the factory and me to have a stable number quite yet. So I don't want it in an uneditable/undeletable public post.
I didn't build the configuration as an all-in-one with built in PC, because there are some Kingdel industrial PCs, among many, many, others on Amazon that I think already solve the PC problem. They are small, 12v, and can be put into a console. I don't see any reason to tie a PC into the display.
I know that an air gap with a thermal film and gasket is the often considered the preferred solution for outdoor kiosks in full-time direct sunlight vs optical bonding, because it protects the black panel from getting super hot and aging prematurely from the solar load. I tried some like that, and the units with thin gap functioned well. But they still had more parallaxis than I like for the application. I preferred a really precise touch. And, most boat displays arent full-time direct sun, they are under a bimini, etc.
I'd be open to getting some in other sizes, but what I think is ready is 15" 4:3. I started with this because it is what I wanted and, myself, use. And one thing I learned is that these things need to be tested. Anything I left unspecified or under specified was often a surprise.
The factory provides a 1 year warranty.
Out of curiosity, if you happen to have an opinion, what would such a display be worth if it were sold via eBay with a 90 day warranty?
Hopefully this doesn't run afoul of any forum rules as I presently have no business, no displays to sell, and am still trying to sort out whether or not it would help enough people for it to be worth me going through the trouble.
Penny for any thoughts?
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