Fixed Gear, New & Future

Broadband Radar vertical beam width?

2011-12-21T14:47:48Z

I have bought a Simrad 3G radar and am trying to figure the best height to mount it on the mast. According to the 3G/4G manual it is best to mount it so that you get a clear view from the radar beam at a 25 degree angle down. Less acceptable is an angle from the radar of 12.5 degree according to the pictures. So to me the specs should be a vertical beam width of 50 degrees not the 25 degree that is listed?

For the Simrad 2K radar the specs say it is a vertical beam width of 30 degrees and their pictures show that the radar should have a clear view of 15 degrees. If this is correct it appears that the broadband has almost twice as much vertical beam width. Does this seem right?

Last point, if this is true then I would guess that broadband radar would be less susceptible to heeling affecting the quality of the radar signal? If so I would be more likely to go to a fix mount vice self leveling.....

thanks for any input,

Richard

E7 gotcha?

2011-12-08T01:46:35Z

I hear from my dealer the E7 wont display a compass heading unless you have an autopilot?
Anyone know different?

Sail pods for Electronics

2011-11-27T15:48:48Z

Looking for a pod to house a new chart plotter and puzzled why pod manufactures haven't adjusted the size of the pods to fit newer and much thinner flat screens. All of the pods designed for plotters are still 7-8 inches thick. While this may be required for older designs, the trend with all these electronic devices is thinner and thinner. These thick pods for me are ugly and reflective of older technology. They also don't fit many applications where there isn't enough space between guard rails and the wheel.

Have checked with Navpod, Lewmar and SeaView all have no current plans to build thinner more stylish designs. I guess it's demand that drives production, but wish these companies would get with the times. Think about an iPad or the technology that's in a smart phone next time you look at one of these pods. I know a marine plotter is still thicker than an iPad but 7-8 inches for a pod???

PB200

2011-11-03T06:09:16Z

I upgraded my electronics with a complete redo to N2K in May of 2008. After consideration I chose the PB200 in the hope that it would be a poor man's way of getting the accurate wind information as it corrects for heel angle, pitch and roll, in the masthead. I had previously rejected the B&G and NKE systems that obtain this from central processing, as they are quite a bit more pricey and not so cruiser friendly. A bit of background - at the helm I have always responded to pitch and roll before heading changes - yet autopilots always seem to be behind the curve when they respond to heading change. All the parameters may seem to change with the racers as they steer to wind - I think that this is a bit safer when sailing shorthanded. But in fact the error in masthead wind direction caused by change in heel angle, pitch and roll, likely misdirects ordinary pilots. Ergo the $$$ units computers correct for this.

Never got to see my PB200 work - the yard that installed it screwed up the whole network and blamed it on the PB200 - so out it went and was replaced by Maretron ultrasonic wind. (the yard still could not get it to work - and claimed lightening strike - then the insurance stepped in and got a proper install done by someone else) I use a Simrad AP 28 pilot - and while very good, it still has some difficulty with quartering seas on Lake Michigan - but note these seas have more frequent waves and are steeper than ocean waves.

As my boat is being disassembled to truck across country - I wonder if I should take the opportunity to use the PB200 . But aside from Dan Corcoran's excellent comments I have not heard any further observations. I also wonder what to do with the Maretron if I do this - can I read two different wind sources in my Maretron and Simrad displays?

Needless to say, I don't want to be the shopper bragging on how much was saved by spending. But frankly getting caught short handed in quartering seas that the pilot handles poorly has put me at the helm for hours straight. And has left the crew so exhausted that I pay for it for days.

TV on your Boat

2011-08-31T15:54:35Z

http://www.dishnetwork.com/redirects/promotion/tailgater/product-information/default.aspx

Anyone else seen this and thought - Hey I could stick that on the boat for a LOT less than those OTHER folks...

Just a thought..Flame away if I haven't read all the fine print.

Sean

IALA DGPS updates

2011-07-27T08:26:42Z

Whats the cheapest method to get this data rather than buying a antenna and decoder from the commercial gps company?
Out here in Asia there is no waas at least for th next couple of years
Thanks

Simrad NSS & B&G Zeus question.

2011-06-19T01:49:10Z

Hi folks,

Before we go and commit to a complete new navpack, could I ask a couple of questions;

1. Can I take it that a B&G Zeus 12 mfd would fully integrate into a Simnet system with NSS 7" plotters (we would appreciate the extra Zeus sailing features over the NSE version) and,

2. Have I understood it correctly that the NSS plotter is fully networkable with the larger Simrad plotters in a way that the Garmin 750 plotters do not fully integrate with their larger bretheren?

Sorry for the numpty question but we are about to commit to either a) All Simnet or b) All Garmin and this integration question will probably swing the decision.

many thanks,

Steve

Computer based navigation

2011-05-12T12:37:01Z

A few questions from a non-teckie.

I'm in the process of purchasing a new (used) 45' sailboat that will be sail from Maine to the Caribbean. Being a ragboater I'm tight with money (LOL). Philosophically I've always been in favor of software based solutions rather than rapidly obsolete hard wired boxes. I had Nobletec loaded on a used $250 Leveno XP laptop at a company I worked for and it didn't lack for computing power. I like the idea of two complete computers for $500, one of which lives permanently in a pelican case and only has the nav program on it to keep it free from toredos.

To cut to the chase, what are my alternatives if I plan to have a new digital radar, future AIS, and a PC driven chart plotter? (No Nobletec products, been there done that) Can I use a 10" mil spec touch screen in the cockpit to scroll display between PC data, radar output, and even one of the new engine data apps? Or should I buy a marine chart plotter as the cockpit display?

Furuno MFD Waypoint Alarm Problem.

2011-03-19T14:46:38Z

I wonder if anyone can help on this issue which seems to have defeated Furuno who say they haven't come across it anywhere else.

I have dual MFD12's with Furuno GPS, AIS and Hub. Speed, Depth, Wind and Autopilot sit on a B&G Hydra network with a NMEA 183 Mux and Splitter handling the interconnection of the two networks. Routes are developed on a pc running MaxSea TZ and uploaded to the MFD. The pc is then closed down on passage to save power.

When following a route the MFD alarm sounds four times on mark/waypoint arrival, the banner at the top of the screen goes from yellow to red while the alarm is sounding and the MFD then shows the next leg as 'active'. The next leg needs to be set on the autopilot via the B&G GPD. So far so good.

Occasionally and here is the problem the alarm simply doesn't switch off, the banner at the top of the MFD stays red (and blinks slightly) and the alarm goes on and on and on. Pressing the cancel button has no effect and we normally have to turn the alarm to silent to kill the noise. At some point on the next leg the system sometimes re-sets itself to normal but this is not always the case and we normally find we have to turn the sound off for our own peace of mind.

The problem is intermittent. Some days it doesn't happen but on other days it's quite persistent. The only slight suspicion is that it happens more often when waypoints are closer together than not but I'm not 100% sure of this.

Furuno suggest upgrading to v2.07 software and wonder if the MFD's might be faulty. Both long shots I think as the fault can happen on one or other MFD so unlikely that both are faulty and exhibiting a fault not seen by them anywhere else. Ditto I wonder if the software update will fix a hitherto unreported problem.

Any ideas/possible lines of enquiry gratefully received.

Lowrance hds cartogrophy???

2011-03-03T22:37:20Z

I'm new to this board and was hoping someone could help me out... Is it worth it to spend the extra $$$ on a lowrance hds - 7 that has Insight USA cartogrophy rather than basemaps? I mostly bottom fish in the ocean.

NSE8 Chart Questions

2011-02-19T03:10:35Z

We sail a 1976 Newport 28 from Portland, ME to points farther east. For about 10 years we relied on Fugawi software and a USB GPS antenna running on a laptop to keep us off the rocks and headed in the right direction. It worked well but I was usually the one down below with the computer and my wife was at the wheel out in the weather. She finally twisted my arm real hard and last year we installed a Simrad NSE8/BR24 system with the GS15 GPS antenna. Wow, what a difference! Now I get to enjoy the view from behind the wheel.

I made the mistake of hanging the radar on the split backstay. It works, but the radar often showed two targets where there should only have been one due to the swinging motion of the whole radar unit. We'll have to install it on a pole this year.

The factory installed charts were quite good, but we did notice that some of the more obscure marks were missing. Such as on the west to east approach to Mackeral Cove on Swans Island. We were glad we had good (paper) charts aboard.

The other major problem was that routes and waypoints had to be entered into the NSE8 directly. It was very difficult to do this while under way with two of us crowded behind the wheel - one steering and one messing with the NSE.

So, two questions. First, does the latest Simrad software update add significantly more detail to the charts? (Or can anyone recommend some other charting package that can be loaded into the NSE8?).

Second, is there a charting package that can be run on a laptop that will output routes and waypoints to the NSE8 either directly or via a USB thumbdrive "sneaker net"?

Doug
s/v Majaca

INCREDIBLE Structure Scan Screen Shots/Video!

2011-01-05T00:58:09Z

Hey Guys,

Thought this might help answer some questions on the SIMRAD NSE Structure Scan.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/user/stripers182#p/u/6/62allBQil9s

Mike
Team Old School

Advice for a minimalist approach ??

2010-12-03T15:40:22Z

I am moving up from years of inland lake daysailing to a Hinterhoeller HR28 we'll (daylight) sail in Casco Bay Maine. I am not a gadget-guy so want to outfit for safety but do not want all the bells-and-whistles. I plan to have:
- separate depth sounder or fishfinder w/ thru-hull transducer
- 5-inch chartplotter, tho I will rely primarily on paper charts
- hand-held GPS for backup
- fixed VHF w/ DSC

My questions involve chartplotters. I have spent at least 4 hours at Garmin and Lowrance websites, and primer-level information just does not exist... they tell you WHAT features a given unit has but not WHY you want/need that feature.

1. What would be the drawbacks to a total minimalist electronic approach? Like no chartplotter and simply a hand-held GPS? When visibility is good, I intend to rely on paper charts and triangulated position fixing if I need to know EXACTLY where I am. The hand-held GPS, capable of providing an exact real-time fix, would be relied on more for fog / low visibility situations.

2. Garmin & Lowrance (and Humminbird and Eagle) entry-level chartplotters come with US Coastal "BaseMaps" but then it seems they want more $$ for upgraded charts. Their sites are all very poor describing what one does and does not get with standard chart data and the upgrades. Basic question... do Basemaps provide enough info for safe coastal sailing in low visibility conditions, or are the chart upgrades necessary?

3. In addition to GPS (or maybe entry-level Chartplotter) I only plan to install a depth sounder. I've done enough small-boat sailing that I don't need / want speed or wind instruments (I can also get SOG from a GPS). Looking at the traditional sailing providers (Raymarine, et al) , depth sounder display / transducer combos go for $350 +/-. A Wal-Mart fishfinder with thru-hull transducer is $125. I do not care how deep the water is, I want to know how deep it ISN'T, and all units seem to have real-time depth displays and low-depth alarms. What am I missing here?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Garmin product release cycle question

2010-11-08T03:48:49Z

I understand that Garmin tends to release new marine products for the Miami show in February. I'm in the market for a new 7212 or 7215, but am a little scared that right after I buy it, the new "8212" will come out, making me wish I'd waited. Of course, it's inevitable sooner or later, but if we expect a new "8xxx" series in 3 months, I'd rather wait.

Is there enough visibility into Garmin's roadmap to allow us to predict whether the 7xxx series is likely to be superseded this February?

Cheers

Dan Freedman
Sea Spirit Passagemaker 60

Connecting autopilot via NMEA2000

2010-10-04T21:42:56Z

Hi all. I can't seem to get waypoints from my plotter or plotting software to my autopilot and am looking for some advice.

My system:
- Furuno NN3D MFD
- PC running Rose Point CE with Actisense NGT-1
- Simrad AP25 autopilot

The AP25 is kind of old but it does have N2K (Simnet). The N2K connection works fine for passing heading data to the AP or getting rudder angle data from it.

However, "activating" a waypoint or route either on NN3D or Rose Point doesn't do anything on the AP. As far as I can tell, the "Navsrc" on the AP25 is set to the NN3D MFD.

All thoughts appreciated.

/afb