Need plotter recommendation

C

cemiii

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NMEA 0183 output for A/P (is new 2000 protocol backward compatible?)
Sub $1k
Good manufacturer who stands behind product (really bad experience with Si-Tex/Koden)
a plus if it will use my existing c-map charts.

It is really hard to judge these things simply by checking the web sites.

Does anyone have experience with Garmin 545S (Westmarine)?

Chris
 
Chris,

I am also pondering what to do. My Lowrance is OK for a sounder/fish finder, but the 5 inch screen just doesn't do much for me. I am now exploring the use of Coastal Explorer on a laptop mounted at the helm. It looks like I can get a 12.1 inch screen laptop to fit in front of the helm with the 1623 radar next to it (on the window side). I'll move the Lowrance to the overhead tilted down and feed the NMEA from it to the laptop through a serial to USB adapter and vice versa.

That combination will come in at around $1300-$1400 and I will have something with me I carry a lot of the time anyway, a notebook computer for movies, Wi-fi, etc. I like the way the charts come up on Coastal Explorer with the larger screen. Their next version will support radar overlays (with approved radars). It will already take in basic depth information from the sounder.
 
I think that the idea of using a PC as a plotter is one whose time is ripe. We came up the Napa River (Vallejo to Napa, narrow and shallow at the edges,) and I used both the JRC plotter/radar with C-Map cartridge and Fugawi on the PC with both NOAA raster and vector charts (free.) Both worked equally well.

The Toshiba PC cost <$800, and they're down to $600 now. The GPS input came from a $60 GPS puck. Now that they have radars which display directly on a PC, I think that's the way to go. One would have to mount the PC in the V-berth opening, pretty solidly. We hit some deep holes coming down the Sacramento River, and some of the overhead instruments shifted in their brackets. You probably need a NMEA multiplexer, or separate USB inputs for each sensor (GPS, Depth, etc.) And on a C-Dory, you DON'T need a waterproof display which works in direct sunlight.

Also, a PC has a wide range of software from which to choose. I use Fugawi, but only because it was the cheapest which could use ENC/vector charts. There are now better programs out there. Be careful though, I found out that Windows Vista doesn't run some navigation software, such as my Capn Tides 32, and no new version is available. You could get a copy of an older Windows operating system (2000 is cheap,) and run a dual boot system if you needed to.

Anyway a PC is a great idea.

Boris
 
Maybe this problem is fixable but I have seen computer monitors installed as plotters where there was visible interference. Still usable but drove me nuts.

Warren
 
I spent almost a grand on a Si-Tex Colormax 6 in late 2003. When I started spending more time inland I went and bought a new Map card(web site said it would work) but it did not. I contacted Si-Tex/Koden and was told they completely redid the colormax 6 in 2004 and my model would not take any new maps and can not be upgraded. They told me I had to buy their new model and offered nothing in the way of help or discount. Basically they said too bad, tough luck.

I can't keep spending a grand every year or two on basic hardware because the manufacturer makes the item immediately functionally obsolete.

That's why I'm really trying hard to do my homework on this one. I have a nice dell laptop and maybe I'll start trying to learn how I might be able to use it for plotting. The Si-tex still works in giving me fixes, just can't get an inland water map on it. But maybe it could be hooked to a laptop somehow?

Chris
 
For chart plotters you might check out the Standard Horizon line. They support c-map and can be had for well under $1000. We have a CPV 350 with integrated VHF which has worked great for us and was under $850 from Boatersland. We added a fishfinder etc which brought the price to just over $1000. You can also add radar, ais etc and I have found Standard Horizons tech support via email to be great.

For backup we have a Toshiba laptop which was less than $500 from office depot running vista home basic, with Tiki Navigator which was $74 from http://www.tiki-navigator.com/. US NOAA charts are all available for free from Maptech at http://www.chartkit.com/ASPX/FreeCharts/FreeCharts.aspx

We use a wireless HOLUX m 1200 bluetooth 12 channel WAAS enabled gps antenna that works great just sitting up on the boats dash, it is about $55 from Amazon and usually ends up in basket filled with sunscreen and bugspray. Since our computer wasn't bluetooth enabled we use a kensington bluetooth usb bluetooth reciever on the computer side.


We had to buy Canadian bsb charts for the Trent-Severn, Georgian Bay and Lake Huron.

Take a look at the Tiki navigator website, its really a great program, user friendly and cheap. You can also download a trial version to evaluate before you buy.
Best
Eric
 
I just downloaded the Tiki Navigator trail version as Eric suggested. I've looked at Fugawi and Coastal Explorer trail versions and the Tiki is a lot more user friendly to me. The night vision screen function is a really nice feature also. Thanks for the tip Eric.
 
I did take a look at the tiki website and it looks great. I have a couple questions that I couldn't easily gleen from the site.

1.) how do you hook your computer to the gps, to get your position on the map. USB computer side, serial gps side?

2.)if you've got dozens of free maps loaded, does tiki automatically upload the most appropriate map or does the user need to do this?

3) can I just use a little handheld for my gps input?

This may be the way to go for me especially because it appears to be at very least an inexpensive bridge until I can come up to speed on a more permanent fix. my existing laptop is a little too big to sit on the helm except maybe on the passenger side. Thanks to all, chris
 
cemiii":3fkufhom said:
1.) how do you hook your computer to the gps, to get your position on the map. USB computer side, serial gps side?
Click to expand...

I have and Earthmate GPS that came with a Delorne Streets and maps program that connects via USB which according to the Tiki site will work. The only downside I see to using the computer is I find my PC screen is hard to see in bright sunlight. I've read of others constructing shades around the screen.
 
We just set ours on the mattress in the v-berth, seems to ride there just fine , visibility isn't an issue and with the bluetooth gps we don't have to worry about the gps cable. I run the computer off a small inverter plugged into the 12 volt outlet by the helm.
 
The Duglos GPS, which connects to the laptop, has a serial port to USB adapter included. You can buy these adapters if you need one. A word of caution, the adapter drove the mouse cursor crazy, until I found some patch software on the Duglos site. Windows thought the GPS was some kind of mouse, but the patch fixed it.

As to changing fashion on plotters, a PC avoids that. You can upgrade the software or get new peripherals, as needed. JRC quit building my plotter just as I bought it. Fortunately it still works great, and I can still get new C-Map chips for inland waters.

This is written from the Napa Valley Yacht Club pier. If you have a PC, more places are providing wireless access for e-mail and internet access.

Boris
 
I've thought about this topic a lot. I really like the idea of using a PC as a plotter but don't like the idea of taking up so much space at the helm. So, what I have been thinking is to get something like the Xenarc 10.2" Touchscreen Sunlight viewable monitor and hook the laptop up to it. This way I can stow the laptop on the V-Birth and have full control with a track ball and the touch screen.

While the Xenarc isn't waterproof, it is inexpensive enough that I'm willing to give it a try anyway. With it in the cabin I don't think it will have problems. Who knows, I might just put it in my car when I want to go on long trips so that I have GPS in the car as well.

I've toyed with building a purpose built PC with no fan or hard drives for the boat. I would use one of the ITX mother boards and one of the SSD style hard drives or a large compact flash card as the hard drive. This way I wouldn't have to worry about pounding waves causing problems with the hard drive.
 
I am feeding a Mac Computer in BootCamp mode (Windows XP) and have a Garmin GPS 18 USB Sensor feeding the computer thru a USB port. Program is Garmin Inland Lakes and all works great using Nroute. Does anyone know how to now get a NEMA 0183 out signal to a S1000 autopilot?
Thanks, I know every combination is different but I hope one of you might have a suggestion (including perhaps cutting open and splicing in a second output to the S1000).
Zelpha
 
I've been looking at one of these No moving parts and you can get it with WindowsXP. (Which I don't like but its better than Vista and I've gotten all my programs to working with it.) The price is less than I could build something. It has 3 usb ports so could still put it in the v-berth and run just a monitor and wireless keyboard and mouse. I think I've talked myself into it while typing... and going to order one. For the last ten years I have used laoptop and map program for navigation but I've had a bigger boat with room to put the thing. I like it much better than just the normal GPS. I also run GPSGATE. This program lets me use just one gps and feed several map programs at the same time.

Roger
 
ZELPHA, I don't know if this helps you but this is directly from a RAYMARINE TECH, Chris

NMEA Out + from the GPS goes to our Orange wire on the s1000.
NMEA Out - or common from the GPS goes to our Blue wire.

S1000 NMEA sentence required.

First, this NMEA data has to be NMEA 0183 version 1.5 or higher and set to 4800 baud rate.

The S1000 needs COG data every 1 second, ( VTG, RMC ) for normal auto mode.

For track keeping its the usual APB, BWC/R, RMB, XTE.

For fishing patterns it needs lat long so GGA, GLL, RMC
 
Thanks Cmiii,
I bought the GPS 18 to feed my laptop directly thru a USB connector which leaves no accessibility to wires between the Sensor and USB male end. Plug it into the computer with "Inland Lakes" Garmin software and all works great on the laptop screen. My problem is how to get from the computer to the S1000 input wires. Wonder about coming out the 2nd USB port with another UBS connector with wires. Maybe it cannot be done. Thanks for your help. Zelpha
 
Zelpha":2ov0hq4j said:
Thanks Cmiii,
I bought the GPS 18 to feed my laptop directly thru a USB connector which leaves no accessibility to wires between the Sensor and USB male end. Plug it into the computer with "Inland Lakes" Garmin software and all works great on the laptop screen. My problem is how to get from the computer to the S1000 input wires. Wonder about coming out the 2nd USB port with another UBS connector with wires. Maybe it cannot be done. Thanks for your help. Zelpha
Click to expand...

The problem, I think, is going to be that the data coming out of the usb is not going to be rs232. I've got a GPS 18 but it is not the usb version. I'll have to look up the data sheet and see just what your dealing with. Do you have a serial port the computer? If so then the GPSGATE program can take the data coming in the usb port and turn around and send it out the serial port. The other option is, assuming that you have two usb ports is to get one of the usb to serial dongle to put in the second usb port. This will give a place for GPSGATE to send the data. You would then just go from the dongle to the S1000. The next problem would be if all this converting would slow the data rate down to where it was not fast enough for the S1000. This "cleanest" thing might be to just get a $50 dedicated GPS for the S1000. I think thats what I'm going to do on mine.

I just looked at the specs for the USB GPS 18. As I thought, you are not going to be able to directly get the data that you need from the USB GPS18. You would have no problem with the GPS18 PC or GPS 18 LVC.

Roger
 
Thanks Roger, I think you are right. I do have a second USB port and a RS232 dongel but from what I also read on the Garmin site I think the protocol is different from that the S1000 requires. Oh well, I guess I will have to use an old, old Garmin 176C. Has a very small screen but still works well and has a cable with the required NEMA output wires. We are so spoiled; once they only had a sextant. Thanks for your help The S1000 is worth the hassle. Zelpha
 
now i'm really confused by all the different software options. Zelpha, does Garmin Inland lakes include navigation software? Because I really like the depth of the lake charts it provides. If I can just keep my existing gps for the ocean/bay and use a laptop for lakes, that may be the best of all worlds.

Chris
 
Hi Chris, I have an older Garmin 2006C Chartplotter on another boat and I run Inland Lakes on a chip in it (which I dowloaded using a USB chip programmer from a Windows computer programed with Inland Lakes but I think you can buy the chip already programmed). It functions a a good big screen plotter with Inland Lakes (and you can buy or download other Garmin programs and also feeds my S1000 via wires and has a 12 volt set of input wires. You can set waypoint etc on the system. I think this is common with Garmin programs if you have a way to send the correct NEMA signals to the S1000. I believe most of their chartlplotters do. My problem is I have no RS232 port on my laptop so I can only receive USB to the computer but then cannot resend to the S1000. The Garmin Software (Inland Lakes etc is not the problem I do not think). The Garmin USB Data Card Programmer is great in that you can choose the smaller map areas you want to use and later go back and reprogram the same chip to a different area for your next trip. I guess I can always move the Chartplotter from boat to boat but it does not have all the capabilities of a laptop. Least I seem biased to Garmin, the S1000 is Raymarine. As is usual, I guess I can buy another set of cables from my GPS18 that have a RS232 output and then buy a RS232/USB adapter. Perhaps cheaper to buy another Chartplotter and carry both the laptop and new Chartplatter on the boat at the same time. Whatever works if you have the money. Best to you, Zelpha
 
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