Hi Sandy:

Good advice.

One of the main reasons I'm considering building a computer out of spare
parts is because I have them and they are taking over a room in the
basement. That, and they are already paid for.

About the only thing I plan on buying for this project is an LCD screen. I
think I've got just about everything I need.

As for night vision. I don't really plan in being out in the dark, although
it sometimes gets dark on the trip home. Once we are on the inside inlets,
there is not really a lot of dangers to worry about except other boats and
driftwood. Lighted markers in this area are pretty good and make it easy to
find ones way home to Tahsis.

My main enemies are fog and rocks on the outside while fishing. This is why
I need a mapping GPS system on the boat. The handheld GPS will get me home,
but it's not great for dodging rocks.

Jim Pook
www.jimsfishing.com
Tahsis, BC Canada

"news.verizon.net" wrote in message
...
I've built several boat pc's and tried a few laptops. I have gradually
come to the realization that there is no optimal solution. I currently
advocate computer fair parts and ebay bargains for one reason; Rather than
waste a lot of time trying to marinize a computer, build one that is cheap
to fix. Instead of researching thermally transparent coatings for your
motherboard, and hermetically sealed card edge connectors and cable ends,
just buy cheap spares. Back up everything to an inexpensive CDrw
frequently. When some cheap part succombs to the maritime environment,
just
throw it away and pop in the other one you bought at the same time! Spend
your real money on a daylight readable display, and guard it with your
life!
If the boat is going to bounce around a whole bunch, just go with an older
ruggedized laptop, like a Panasonic toughbook, even if the display fails
to
deliver as advertised. I had been very happy with an HP Omnibook 800
until
software got too demanding for a 166 Mhz Pentium. I could not read the
screen in daylight though. I'm still looking for a 10.4" 800 x 600 svga
LCD
monitor with 1200 nits and a 400:1 contrast ratio that doesn't need to
suck
air inside to keep itself cool. I want it to cost less than $1000 and run
on ragged 12vdc sailboat batteries. Ha!

Epitaph: You drive the boat from the helm station. That's where you
should
be navigating, not moving in and out of a dark, dry cabin, risking your
night vision or waiting for your eyes to dark-adapt, and risking being
away
from the helm at the wrong time. Just from the aspect of safety at sea,
why
aren't you spending the money on a self contained, water resistant, and
extremely reliable all solidstate chart plotter?