"Paul" skrev i en meddelelse
...

SNIP

I swore I wouldn't do this, but if you would like a copy of my PPC
program, I would be happy to send it to you. You just have to promise
to not whine when it crashes, or puts the boat on the rocks, or
doesn't have some silly feature -- oh yeah, and it only speaks
english. I encourage you to find an actual, supported, product,
though. I am curious -- what type of PPC do you have, and what is the
screen size (in pixels)?

Regards,
-Paul

Hi Paul,

It is very kind of you, but I don't think it is an good idea. My level
within this field ("IT-IQ"100) is not sufficient, I'm afraid, and I
would hate bombarding you with silly questions about the installation
and use of your programme. As much as I'm keen on getting an application
like the one you have developped, I would prefer to purchase a
documented system available on the market with hot line supporters, that
are paid to provide service to the customers ... Might be my English is
pretty primitive ... but I do not have severe problems reading English
....

As to my PPC: Geee ...err ... I don-t know! It is a pretty old and
inexpensive model, and in the beginning I used it in my car running
Navigator. On the back it says: Medion MD2910 ... Model MDPPC 100. The
screen size is 5,5 cm by 7 cm ... ;o) ... In pixels: Sorry, I don't have
the faintest idea, and I don't know where to find this information.

The following is a response to your other mail regarding PPC/laptop/AIS:

So far I have been thinking about using my PC and the flatscreen visible
from the cockpit, only when I "needed" help with the navigation at the
tiller (could be under difficult weather conditions, difficult
navigation, heavy trafic, in fog, at night or the like) ... Normally, I
just use the chartplotter at the navigation table in the cabin and the
paper charts in the cockpit, plus I can alway get my position from the
GPS - may be, I have entered a route, so I can get more information from
the ST60 instruments (XTE, DTW, BTW etc.) visible from the tiller ...

When I was reading about your applicationon and use of the PPC, I was
very inspired, and began to think, whether I could get the same
advantages in my situation ... I know, that the PC and the monitor are
very "hungry for amperes", and they are limited on my boat - even if I
plan to increase the battery capacity (it's a 34' sailboat) ... I fully
agree, with your comment in your other helpful mail about power
consumption: "but for me, the power drain of a continuously-running
laptop was enough to push me to my current PocketPC / laptop /
chartplotter hybrid system." This is exactly my thinking ... The Laptop
is mainly for special situations, but the chartplotter and other
instruments will run most - if not all - of the time when I'm sailing
....

If I could have the image of the chartplotter - preferably supplemented
by the AIS information right at my hand in the cockpit - I feel that is
something "nice to have" ... I know, the PPC display is not good in
daylight, I know it is very smal, I know it does not like water at all,
I know I may loose it ... but still: I think it could be usefull as a
second source of information, now, that my chartplotter does not support
AIS ... and there is an AIS engine in the mail ...

Unfortunately (in this context), my charts are C-Map and Maptech and
none of my existing applications support AIS: RNS and Offshore
Navigator and the Danish software package. Then Pacal recommended SOB,
that I have tried on my notebook - and it is OK with my C-map charts ...
Time will show, how it will run the AIS application, when I get the gear
.... But SOB does not run on the PPC, as far as I know ... Maptech has an
PPC application ... but no AIS support ... And I'm afraid, I do not have
enough energy to learn one more navigation application ...;o) ... You
could argue, that then I'm not motivated enough ... and that would be a
fair statement ... I do have so many other projects on my boat, that I
would give higher priority ... As far as I can see, the challenge is to
find at package, that will use my existing charts and support AIS on a
windows based PPC ... I have already spent quite a lot of money on
charts, and I find it prohibitive to invest in one more set of charts
only for the PPC for the waters in which I am sailing ...

So, I think, I'm back to square one ... Thank you so much for your help,
Paul. It has been most interesting, and I have learned a lot about this
subject ... and I certainly liked your report on AIS observations with
illustrations from the SF area ... This is exactly he information, I
would like to be able to see from my place at the tiller ...

I will continue to follow this newsgroup. One day, I hope, there will be
a solution, that does not cost a new cockpit monitor/chartplotter ...

Best regards,

--
Flemming Torp
Gimle/DEN-61