On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:11:38 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

The problem with computer based operations on a boat, even one like
your Parker, is shock mounting the computer.

======================================

Maybe I've been lucky but I've never found this to be a problem. It
is true that Mrs B likes a soft ride however.

Wayne.B wrote:

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:11:38 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

The problem with computer based operations on a boat, even one like
your Parker, is shock mounting the computer.

======================================

Maybe I've been lucky but I've never found this to be a problem. It
is true that Mrs B likes a soft ride however.



It seems to me with one of the small "Shuttle" PCs, so long as you
arranged for cooling access, you could mount the box itself inside a
carved block of shock-absorbing foam, and then attach the works to a
gimbal bracket. But I haven't spent any real time conjuring this...yet.




--
"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in
Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me -
you can't get fooled again." -George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept.
17, 2002

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 14:01:06 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

It seems to me with one of the small "Shuttle" PCs, so long as you
arranged for cooling access, you could mount the box itself inside a
carved block of shock-absorbing foam, and then attach the works to a
gimbal bracket. But I haven't spent any real time conjuring this...yet.

=====================================

Foam (large sponge?) might be a good idea but the gimbal would be
overkill in my opinion. These things don't really care if they are
perfectly level or not. My laptops would have stopped working long
ago if that was the case.

Wayne.B wrote:

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 14:01:06 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

It seems to me with one of the small "Shuttle" PCs, so long as you
arranged for cooling access, you could mount the box itself inside a
carved block of shock-absorbing foam, and then attach the works to a
gimbal bracket. But I haven't spent any real time conjuring this...yet.

=====================================

Foam (large sponge?) might be a good idea but the gimbal would be
overkill in my opinion. These things don't really care if they are
perfectly level or not. My laptops would have stopped working long
ago if that was the case.



I think I'll make up a nice little open top polymer box for inside the
cabin for something like the Shuttle, as soon as I figure out exactly
where I'd stick the monitor and whether it would work OK there.



--
"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in
Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me -
you can't get fooled again." -George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept.
17, 2002

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:07:50 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 14:01:06 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

It seems to me with one of the small "Shuttle" PCs, so long as you
arranged for cooling access, you could mount the box itself inside a
carved block of shock-absorbing foam, and then attach the works to a
gimbal bracket. But I haven't spent any real time conjuring this...yet.

=====================================

Foam (large sponge?) might be a good idea but the gimbal would be
overkill in my opinion. These things don't really care if they are
perfectly level or not. My laptops would have stopped working long
ago if that was the case.

Do you not use a disk drive?

Later,

Tom

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 21:08:16 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
=====================================

Foam (large sponge?) might be a good idea but the gimbal would be
overkill in my opinion. These things don't really care if they are
perfectly level or not. My laptops would have stopped working long
ago if that was the case.

Do you not use a disk drive?

=========================================

Of course.

Do you think a laptop disk drive cares about which way it's oriented?

I'm not recommending that you pick up your laptop and shake it or drop
it, but try picking it up and turning it in different directions. It
doesn't care. They would be unusable for their intended purpose
otherwise, and would come equipped with a bubble level on the cover.

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 20:03:06 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 21:08:16 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
=====================================

Foam (large sponge?) might be a good idea but the gimbal would be
overkill in my opinion. These things don't really care if they are
perfectly level or not. My laptops would have stopped working long
ago if that was the case.

Do you not use a disk drive?

=========================================

Of course.

Do you think a laptop disk drive cares about which way it's oriented?

Actually that's not my concern, but since you mentioned it, in a way
the read/record head does care how it flies over the surface of the
disk. Orientation (except for upside down) isn't really an issue
since they changed to voice coil actuation. However, the
manufacturers generally recommend a "standard" mount which I already
mentioned - the reason being that is how they are designed and tested
to work those ways.

I'm not recommending that you pick up your laptop and shake it or drop
it, but try picking it up and turning it in different directions. It
doesn't care. They would be unusable for their intended purpose
otherwise, and would come equipped with a bubble level on the cover.

So in your experience, you have not had vibration or shock problem
with the disc head on either the ROM or the memory disc?

Later,

Tom

On Wed, 01 Sep 2004 00:34:28 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

So in your experience, you have not had vibration or shock problem
with the disc head on either the ROM or the memory disc?

===============================================

Not yet but I never use the CDROM underway, all charts are copied to
the hard disk. With the exception of the 24 ft I/O and the sailboats,
all have had a fairly smooth ride however (Bertram 33, Grand Banks
49). On the other hand I also use a laptop in my truck when on trips,
and have never had a problem with that either. In the truck the
laptop is frequently placed on edge when no one is actually looking at
it.

My old P2 laptop once survived a 3 foot drop onto fiberglass decking
but I don't recommend it.