Dennis ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I already own the MAPTECH chart book with CD. I use this for navigation ..
I should buy a GPS but I am a cheapo.

The MAPTECH program says it will work with a Garmin GPS and computer (
laytop ).

I guess the setup is the same ..
1. laptop
2. GPS, Garmin
3. Plug them into each other
4. The GPS is the reciever
5. The MAPTECH charts are the chart, guide, map.

So, get a cheap GPS and a cheap Laptop ,,

Still not a bad deal.


=====================
"Dennis Pogson" wrote in message
...
Benning Wentworth wrote:
Dennis,, I took a look at the oziexplorer .. nice.

So, if I have this right ??? I get a GPS, such as Garmin 76 ( they
are selling on ebay for around $150 ) and an old or new laptop.

Then, I download the oziexplorer onto the laptop.

I plug the GPS into the laptop, the program works with the GPS. I
will see where I am on the screen and be able to use all the other
software features that oziexplorer offers.

You mentioned the power problem .. does a laptop use a huge amount of
power? I don't own one and have never owned one. I assumed that if I
powered it up for a day then it would be good to go for some time...
how much power does the laptop use? The GPS's I looked at on the net
use batteries that can be re-powered.

The Garmin blue chart software is $150. The oziexplorer is $85. An
old laptop on ebay can be bought for about $200. Heck, there are a
few in the under $100 range.

So, one GPS = $140
software oziex = $85
laptop = = $200
==========================
total .. $425

probably do this for less with some work.

Not bad when you think that a system that can do navigating, GPS work,
mapping, and then use the laptop for internet/movies/whatever...

Sure beats paying Garmin $150 for their blue chart software.

One other poster mentioned the screen can't be read during daylight.
Since I will need to protect the laptop anyway, maybe I can come up
with some type of cover that will put the laytop in the dark, or at
least when I look at the screen it would be dark..

if you have any other thoughts pass them along..

This is a great help.

Ah, but you will still need charts for Oziexplorer. This tends to be the
main stumbling block for newcomers to the technology, but dependant on
where
you are, and what type of sailing you do, there are ways round the
problem.
You can try to get digital charts such as Maptech BSB or Maptech PCX
charts
from one of the many file-sharing programs. You can scan and join paper
charts ( quite demanding!). Blue chart software will run on the laptop,
but
not under Oziexplorer, and I believe Garmin allow 2 unlock codes with the
cd, one for the laptop and one for the GPS (if the latter is a
map-displaying GPS). This latter option would have the Bluechart software
running under Mapsource on the laptop, not as good as Ozi, but still a
solution.

I personally find that with the laptop at the chart table, and the same
software running on my GPSMAP 60CS, I can dodge about the boat and never
lose touch with my surroundings. I am not advocating this as the only
solution, just one that I personally find ideal. I convert the Bluechart
software to run under Ozi, but that is rather a long story!

The reason we run the laptop from an inverter is that modern laptons
require
16 or 19 volts DC, so with a 12-volt system you have either to step up the
voltage using an inverter/power brick solution or a step-up transformer.
Both system have their adherents, I prefer the inverter route.
The current used is usually around 1.5 amps, so it pays to beef up your
battery bank to cover this, but this is a cheap solution these days.

A $200 laptop with a reasonably large screen will be more than powerful
enough to get you up and running. Whether you buy a map-display GPS is up
to
you. I ran the system for years with a $55 Etrex from Ebay supplying the
data.

Think about those charts!

Dennis.