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Keep those paper charts handy!
"Ian Malcolm" wrote in message
... JoeSpareBedroom wrote: "Chuck Gould" wrote in message oups.com... JoeSpareBedroom wrote: Can't you use the electronic things to just view the maps, but ignore GPS and focus on your compass instead, as you would with paper maps? Not on most plotters that I'm familiar with. The plotter needs geo coordinates to know which chart to "draw" on the screen. It would be possible to store images of charts on a PC system and bring them up manually as needed. That's going to be far more common in the future, now that we have the privilege to download charts directly from NOAA. PC Nav functions that place an icon of the vessel on the screen or automatically select the proper chart from a library based on GPS information would be as useless as a GPS plotter if somebody took out the satellites. I suspect the US and maybe one or two traditionally friendly countries have had the technology to take down a satellite for rather a while now, but remembering that Chinese strategic planning works in decades and generations (rather than in fiscal quarters) I remain slightly ill at ease with the Chinese capablity to render our nav systems useless- to say nothing of the other high tech advances becoming available to their military. For now the Chinese plan appears to be to buy us, rather than conquer us. :-) I find it odd that none of the toys allow you to simply view a chart that you've already downloaded. What a dumb omission. Let the user use the controls to designate a chart already loaded into the toy. Most plotters have a DEMO MODE, its what thbey use to sell them at boatshows. :-) The question is, which brands will work with real downloaded charts, not the demo one of Gilligan's Island or equivalent that many seem to come with. I know older Garmins will as I have used the feature before when testing an autopilot alongside the dock. You can even set course and speed to the nearest degree and knot ant they will do DR for you. Trouble is they WILL align the corse gradually to an active roule or goto if they are in a similar direction so you cant trust it. as the manual says: *NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION* I like paper. |
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