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Message board > Navigation & sea worthiness > Which Chartplotter - Looking for a good basic one

Message 7 of 7
Posted by member CRACKER TOO on Friday 9 October 2015

Hi. Clive thanks for the update, enjoy the new gear. (Forgot to mention that I also use my Garmin to input the position to the DSC VHF.) Best Regards. Martin.

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Message 6 of 7
Posted by member Clive ffitch on Wednesday 7 October 2015

Thanks Martin and Triple A, your thoughts greatly appreciated! I have seen the visitmyharbour website before but not thought of using on a small laptop or netbook. I shall stick with the PC but may well explore these further... However... all those best intentions and all that... the Devil's Horns were upon me, and I have decided, indeed have gone and done, to buy a new combined chartplotter and fishfinder/sonar, all in one, whole caboodle shooting match. After much searching and succumbing to the Devil Within, I found what I think is an excellent deal on a Garmin echoMAP 55dv with a 5" screen, DownVu sonar, and a full set of pre-loaded Bluechart g2 charts for the whole of the UK and Ireland. All for £417 new at GaelForce (and also at some other chandlers). OK, sailing out of Fowey Harbour I may not have a great need to navigate round Cape Wrath or up the River Shannon, or perhaps even find safe passage into Bridlington, but I like charts and can explore them when copied onto the PC free Garmin Homeport software that you can download. And I can sell me old Fishfinder on eBay and get some more pennies back! Oh, but I will have to swap the transducer to a DownVu one for its best performance, but hey ho, one piece of kit instead of two and space saved by the helm. I can probably think of a few other vaguely rational excuses to try and explain my devilish action, but well, we all like a new toy don't we??? Devilish Grin. Anyway, seemed a good deal and a good way forward to me, so if anyone is interested, check out GaelForce. Other chandlers are available. Happy Autumn, Clive

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Message 5 of 7
Posted by member Triple A on Friday 25 September 2015

I am pretty happy using the Navionics HD App on my iPad, you get a 10" screen with very clear charts that are regularly updated. I also use a Garmin 541 on a friend's yacht which has the benefit of displaying AIS plots from the radio, but the chart clarity on the iPad is much better. You can select "Sonar Chart" display mode giving greater depth contour detail - much loved by the fishing fraternity plus tidal streams and heights are displayed. The App doesn't have quite as much functionality as a "proper" plotter but you can probably buy a 2nd or 3rd generation iPad on ebay well within your budget, although you must ensure you get the Cellular version as the wi-fi only version doesn't have GPS. I would mention that we also take a back up hand held GPS as well as a paper chart - just in case.

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Message 4 of 7
Posted by member hardy editor on Sunday 20 September 2015

Ahoy Martin, Nice to hear from you. That sounds like good sense to me, thank you. Is it about time we had another article from you for the magazine...... ?? She said in hope.... all the best to you, HOC Ed.

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Message 3 of 7
Posted by member Cracker Too on Sunday 20 September 2015

* Clive. Onboard Chart Display cost within budget. The GPS input's from the AIS but will also take input from a Garmin GPSmap 60CSx if required. Charts on the USB to starboard. GPS data input on the lead to port. Regards. Martin.

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Message 2 of 7
Posted by member Cracker Too on Sunday 20 September 2015

Hi. Clive. How about obtaining a data cable for the eTrex? A 10" netbook off ebay. ( 10" SSD Asus on Cracker Too) http://www.visitmyharbour.com/ for electronic charts for the netbook. about £40. Should come in well below budget. With a surplus to also install Belfield Software Tide Plotter on the netbook! The Charts for Open CPN enable passages to be planned on a PC and then the courses and waypoints loaded to the GPS and the chart display too. Cracker's this set up with an AIS transponder that also shows AIS targets on the chart display. Regards. Martin.

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Message 1 of 7
Posted by member Clive ffitch on Saturday 19 September 2015

Hi all, I'm after buying a decent basic chartplotter, importantly for less than £300, as I want something a bit better than the eTrex 30 I have at the moment for playing with ashore. I also use it on the boat, which is great for speed, course, position, waypoints and the rest, but as it only has land based OS mapping currently on it (which is great for avoiding any areas with roads on!), it is a bit limited!!! I could of course buy the Garmin Bluechart g2 mapping, but the screen just ain't a very big one. And I'm kind of a paper chart person anyway. I'm considering the Garmin GPSMAP 451 which has pre-loaded Bluechart g2 and 4" screen, and seems just the ticket. By happy chance it has recently been discontinued, so I could possibly pick one up somewhere for around £250ish. He said hopefully! Anyone got any better bright ideas? I like Garmin, but I suppose it doesn't have to be. There are certainly some lovely beasties on the market, but I don't want to spend a fortune. Just wondered what the Massed Wisdom of the HOC might come up with! Thankee!

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