"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:16:29 -0700, Josh Assing penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:
As some of you know; I was looking at buying a sailboat -- well; the
survey went
fine but the owner thanked me for sharing the results with him and has
backed
out. I feel like I was used to get a 'free survey' -- so we're keeping
our boat
& we'll keep looking.
One of the things I've long wanted to do was put a fluxgate compass on the
boat
-- at slow speeds the gps "heading" tends to waiver -- which is not good
in the
fog when I'm trying to coordinate ais data with the radar display (two
seperate
units)
I seem to have 4 options
1) Really expensive compass (2,000+)
2) SimRad RFC35 ($400)
3) Nasa compass sensor (I have only found it in the UK for $170)
4) Azimuth 1000 ($300)
I like having a standard non-powered compass; but the azimuth is readily
avaliable and outputs nmea data.
I've read a lot about the simrad not being able to get usable nmea data
out
So I think I"m going with the Nasa compass; unless someone has some
thoughts.
Thanks
-josh
Unless you just *want* to spend the cash on another impressive boating
doo-dad.... use the radar and the whiskey compass....
If you have RADAR, I don't see the utility of AIS. *Everything* will
show up on RADAR, while only the commercials (and the odd non-required
vessel) will show up on AIS.
Why equip the vessel with expen$ive equipment, as if it was over 300
tons, when you don't have to?
--
Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.
Homepage
http://pamandgene.idleplay.net/
Rec.boats at Lee Yeaton's Bayguide
http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats
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Yabut, the flux gate compass works well, if properly installed, for
autopilot operation on long cruises. But, as I learned, installation
location on the boat is very important.
Eisboch