On Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:02:00 +0100, Justin C
wrote:

In article , Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:51:50 +0100, Justin C
wrote:

In article , wrote:
All your boat computer problems can be solved

... by chucking it all over the side and getting the paper charts out
(those are the ones that the grand-kids used to cover their school
books), winding up your wrist watch, and dusting off the sextant.

VBG

Justin.

No, I'm not at all serious about that. I wouldn't travel anywhere
without at least two GPS devices. However, should I cross an ocean then
I would certainly have a sextant-plus-reduction-tables as a back-up.


And if you drop the sextant over board? Break a mirror?

Awwww, c'mon Bruce, I did put a VBG and a smiley. I'm not advocating a
no-tech ocean crossing, and a GPS gives a much quicker and more accurate
fix than most could manage with a sextant. You have got a sense of
humour haven't you? BTW, my reference to the mast-top windage of your
4ft parabola antenna was not serious either.

Perhaps my British humour is off at the moment, or maybe I didn't catch
you on a good day. I'll try to remember to add more smilies in future.

Have a good day.

Justin.


The last owner, IIRC, of Jester, after his last cross Atlantic race
(the last one he finished) was asked what sort of navigation he used -
he was a past Lecturer on navigation at the RN school - he replied
that he used GPS but did take a noon sight one day and worked out his
position...... using the GPS for the time signal :-)

But your right, I do carry paper charts and while I don't mark a
position I do write down L & L every hour. Reckoned that if the
'letric Navigation dies I will be able to at least figure out a
compass course to somewhere :-)

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

wrote:
On Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:10:02 -0500, CaveLamb
wrote:

wrote:
On Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:30:55 -0500, CaveLamb
wrote:

Gordon wrote:
Any advice on a boat computer? I think you bought a notebook a while
back. Good , bad, ugly?
Thanks
G
We'll have to wait to see what Lary says.

I've been leaning toward a mini-ITX fanless system - with a fan in the case
and a 12 volt power supply.

Heat is nearly as bad for electronics as water.
So we are running in a hostile environment.

The other issue is mounting. An ITX case is small and can be tucked in
almost any corner. The display can be wall mounted.
No need to take up precious horizontal filing space.

The screen is still a problem for me.
I've yet to find one at a reasonable price that runs on 12 volts.
All your boat computer problems can be solved with an old Panasonic
Toughbook. You can find a CF-28 or CF29 very cheaply on Ebay. They
were designed to be used by contractors on building sites in the rain
and mud, and they are also popular with Law Enforcement. You can spill
as many cups of coffee as you wish on the screen and keyboard without
worry. The screen is readable in sunlight, and they are drop tested 6
feet onto concrete.

The models I mentioned are very common, and will run Windows XP or 98


My friend has a couple of them.
Our common opinion is that they are simply too slow for the heavy graphics
load for charts.

But they are, indeed, Tough!

???

Are you editing video or something?

Yeah, sometime...

--

Richard Lamb

On Sep 15, 9:29*am, Gordon wrote:
* *Any advice on a boat computer? I think you bought a notebook a while
back. Good , bad, ugly?
* Thanks
* G


I have Panasonic toughbook CF-29. Bought it new and it has worked
flawlessly for over 5 years. Im using it now.
For 14 months I drug it across airports from MSY to PDX and all over
the GOM on a skanky 4 point anchor boat while workign as an AB. It got
rained on slid of my lap and bounced across a steel deck. It works
great.

Get used or refurb for $450. For that price Id buy two. everything
else is for sissys.
Bob

On Fri, 17 Sep 2010 07:12:09 -0500, CaveLamb
wrote:

wrote:
On Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:10:02 -0500, CaveLamb
wrote:

wrote:
On Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:30:55 -0500, CaveLamb
wrote:

Gordon wrote:
Any advice on a boat computer? I think you bought a notebook a while
back. Good , bad, ugly?
Thanks
G
We'll have to wait to see what Lary says.

I've been leaning toward a mini-ITX fanless system - with a fan in the case
and a 12 volt power supply.

Heat is nearly as bad for electronics as water.
So we are running in a hostile environment.

The other issue is mounting. An ITX case is small and can be tucked in
almost any corner. The display can be wall mounted.
No need to take up precious horizontal filing space.

The screen is still a problem for me.
I've yet to find one at a reasonable price that runs on 12 volts.
All your boat computer problems can be solved with an old Panasonic
Toughbook. You can find a CF-28 or CF29 very cheaply on Ebay. They
were designed to be used by contractors on building sites in the rain
and mud, and they are also popular with Law Enforcement. You can spill
as many cups of coffee as you wish on the screen and keyboard without
worry. The screen is readable in sunlight, and they are drop tested 6
feet onto concrete.

The models I mentioned are very common, and will run Windows XP or 98


My friend has a couple of them.
Our common opinion is that they are simply too slow for the heavy graphics
load for charts.

But they are, indeed, Tough!

???

Are you editing video or something?

Yeah, sometime...

You got time to edit video ... onna boat?

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:

???

Are you editing video or something?
Yeah, sometime...

You got time to edit video ... onna boat?

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)


Well it's not like you have to sit there and watch it...

--

Richard Lamb

On Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:10:55 -0500, CaveLamb
wrote:

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:

???

Are you editing video or something?
Yeah, sometime...

You got time to edit video ... onna boat?

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)


Well it's not like you have to sit there and watch it...


Probably comes of having a auto-pilot. Leads to all kind of lax
living.


Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:10:55 -0500, CaveLamb
wrote:

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:

???

Are you editing video or something?
Yeah, sometime...
You got time to edit video ... onna boat?

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

Well it's not like you have to sit there and watch it...


Probably comes of having a auto-pilot. Leads to all kind of lax
living.


Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

LOL!

--

Richard Lamb

I don't know why you bother to look for DC driven display.. They will be very expensive and as you know rare. I have purchased a
sinusoidal DC to AC converter. It is high quality, electrically quiet and 88% efficient. Your LCD screen needs about 35 watts.
What problem?
Steve

"CaveLamb" wrote in message news
Gordon wrote:
Any advice on a boat computer? I think you bought a notebook a while back. Good , bad, ugly?
Thanks
G

We'll have to wait to see what Lary says.

I've been leaning toward a mini-ITX fanless system - with a fan in the case
and a 12 volt power supply.

Heat is nearly as bad for electronics as water.
So we are running in a hostile environment.

The other issue is mounting. An ITX case is small and can be tucked in
almost any corner. The display can be wall mounted.
No need to take up precious horizontal filing space.

The screen is still a problem for me.
I've yet to find one at a reasonable price that runs on 12 volts.




--

Richard Lamb

Steve Lusardi wrote:
I don't know why you bother to look for DC driven display.. They will be
very expensive and as you know rare. I have purchased a sinusoidal DC to
AC converter. It is high quality, electrically quiet and 88% efficient.
Your LCD screen needs about 35 watts. What problem?
Steve


I take your point, Steve.
And yes, economics do have an important part to play here.

But my boat doesn't have a diesel with a big alternator to recharge the
battery. So we are very frugal with our 'trons.

That 10 or 12% difference over a few hours a day can make a difference.


--

Richard Lamb

On Sun, 19 Sep 2010 17:49:16 +0200, "Steve Lusardi"
wrote:

I don't know why you bother to look for DC driven display.. They will be very expensive and as you know rare. I have purchased a
sinusoidal DC to AC converter. It is high quality, electrically quiet and 88% efficient. Your LCD screen needs about 35 watts.
What problem?
Steve

"CaveLamb" wrote in message news
Gordon wrote:
Any advice on a boat computer? I think you bought a notebook a while back. Good , bad, ugly?
Thanks
G

We'll have to wait to see what Lary says.

I've been leaning toward a mini-ITX fanless system - with a fan in the case
and a 12 volt power supply.

Heat is nearly as bad for electronics as water.
So we are running in a hostile environment.

The other issue is mounting. An ITX case is small and can be tucked in
almost any corner. The display can be wall mounted.
No need to take up precious horizontal filing space.

The screen is still a problem for me.
I've yet to find one at a reasonable price that runs on 12 volts.

--

Richard Lamb



The first flat screen TV's I saw all were 12VDC. Has a brick power
supply like a laptops. Now they all have built in ... progress I
guess.

I wonder whether they are still 12 VDC internally?

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)