On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 17:39:53 -0500, Ryk
wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 01:10:22 GMT, "John Glynn"
wrote:

I'm sort of used to navigating with paper charts and a pencil...but thinking
of moving a little higher-tech.

Been looking at PC Navigation Software. Looked at Chart Navigator Pro by
MapTech, the Ozi one, Fugawi and others.

I sure would appreciate users input on what they use, and what they like and
don't like about it.

I've been quite happy with Fugawi ENC V3, using it primarily as an
interactive electronic chart plotter, without taking advantage of the
route planning features. It's just not so convenient in close quarters
to have the chart plot down on the nav station, so far from the wheel.

I would love to have a daylight visible and weather proof display at
the wheel, but there doesn't seem to be a matching product. The
computer side is too dim and fragile, while the chart plotters all
seem to use proprietary charting, with no way to easily take advantage
of the NOAA freebies. Anybody have a suggestion to put the free charts
into my cockpit?

Like you, I refuse to be dependant upon proprietary chart formats
(with outdated data) sold at premium prices by the hardware
manufactures. Why can't a company come out with a inexpensive LCD
screen that uses reflective technology vs the common transmissive
technology. PDAs have used this feature for a long time on their
small screens to cure the problems caused by trying to power an energy
hungry back light to fight the sun. For now, I see the PDA as the
only economical choice, in terms of both money and electrical energy
demands.

So, buy PDA and run Fugawi's PDA software that came with your ENC
software for free. PDA screens are daylight viewable. Stick the PDA
in an otterbox waterproof (to 100 feet) case.

I don't know if Fugawi's PDA software is VGA compatible, but it's a
critical feature IMO, with the ability to show four times as much
chart on the screen vs a QVGA displays of lesser PDAs. Memory-Maps's
PDA software is VGA compatible for sure.

If you have a NMEA multiplexor, get a $70 "AIRcable"
serial-to-bluetooth adaptor on it, and now walk around your boat with
all your nav data-- even laying in your bunk! Memory-Map Pro will
even show AIS targets on the PDA.

This option is the most energy efficient and least expensive of all
the solutions.

--
BRENT - The Usenet typo king.