What is the Cheapest Chart Plotter Available - My new laptop GPS is awesome and not expensive

        The less costly of anything is what you already own.     

That kind of thinking is how your home laptop becomes a new gps and plotter. Plus, now you have a really large screen compared to the costly units at the marine stores.

       

Not too long ago, I posted that I needed a new GPS, but couldn't remember why I needed a new one.  Sound familiar?

(update) I remember now, the cursor quits moving while it redraws charts, and sometimes it takes a while to catch up, so it's not really broken just too slow.

        Anyway, I've been shopping gps units and have been shocked and irritated at the manufacturer's high prices and total arrogance.

This is the way I see it! 

• They sell us a product that does the same thing a highway unit does (mostly) for ten times the price. 
• They then make us buy maps separately because the pre-loaded chart shows the shoreline as a straight line, and small islands are skipped completely. 
• Then, to top it off, they quit supporting (selling chips) for older units, forcing us to buy all new stuff and start all over again.

And the stuff they make us buy is all in one units called mfd's (multifunction displays) as if giving it a fancy name makes it a good idea.  

• Well, most of us have tripped and broken a few eggs, and when they are all in one basket, you know what happens.  If that was too to hard grasp, it means they all broke. It means when your MFD quits, you have lost your gps, your sounder, maybe your compass, certainly your chart. Why buy a paper chart when you have a  $5,000 chart plotter? Oh yeah your knot meter too, but who cares how fast you are going when you are lost. Did I mention radar, yeah, for another 5k+, you can get it in the same basket.

• They're laughing all the way to the bank while we just gobble up their over priced dumb products.

And this is what I did:

• I bought a GPS antenna (usb) and chart plotter program for my laptop, total cost $99.  Of course, I already had a  $350 lap top  with a 15 inch screen BTW. (awesome detail)

It came with a DVD with every NOAA chart published

• Every chart is the most recent, updated published
• It works great and has all the details the others choose to spoon-feed us $350 at a time because NOAA is where the charts come from in the first place.
• As a bonus, I got chart number one (free online anyway) just a click away as well as tide prediction, coast pilot, all part of a full feature chart plotter navigation suite.
• And even better, I have a copy loaded onto  my home   computer  with  a    27 inch screen so I can cruise around when I'm not on the boat.
• and if it quits, I can send it back to Dell (the laptop) or pick up a new one and load the program on as many computers as I want

Now here's the downside: (none) okay, it is not 3D.

• I still need a separate sounder. (Have two, that's a good thing)
• and a standalone compass. (got it) Another good thing
• I'm afraid I will be keeping my charts handy in case my laptop screen goes blue or battery goes dead. 
• Redraw times are instantaneous, darn.
• I still plan to keep my handheld ( you know, eggs in a basket and all).

I'm worried someone will break into my boat, thinking I have a fancy chart plotter hidden away.

• I won't have any discontinued phone numbers for shore-side businesses in my expensive discontinued chart plotter.
• I'm sure there must be more negatives.
• OK, here's one:  my laptop is not designed for saltwater use. Hmmm? you know it cost $350, and that's not counting converting to boating units. (I think the boat unit conversion is multiply  7X, or is it 10X?)

Installation was a snap:

Just plug in the usb antenna and set on the ledge by the window, open the laptop, and power up.

In about five seconds the red menu box turns black, meaning satellites are detected and locked on.

One last point:

It works while in the car, but there are no detailed highway maps, only main highways on charts. I guess NOAA figures boats will stay in the water.

        I am really excited about this new toy (I mean tool)(nav aid)(gps)(chart plotter)

$99 chart plotter,  that's less boat bucks  than, than, than, well it's less than anything I can think of except an LED bulb I just bought for $ 8 plus shipping.

 I think you can download the SeaClear program for free if you're tech-savvy. (I bought what someone had put on a disk)

http://www.sping.com/seaclear/

Update: I have switched to a different FREE online program called "openCPN." and still use my $19.99 usb antenna. It works fine and I am a happy camper again.

Click below for a satellite view of Cap Sante, Anacortes

GPS woes - what this skipper thinks he wants and reality

    What is an inexpensive GPS?   

When an electronic device saves lives or gets you home safely, is it really smart to go cheap?

     I need some help, (opportunity knocks) I know our last cruise had some gps problems but I don't remember the specifics. All I really remember was that I decided I should get a new gps because my old Magellan could not be trusted or was failing somehow.

 Being a frugal boater and not having unlimited resources makes it difficult to shell out $400+ for a hand held battery eating device I only use in the fog or to measure distance to my next anchorage.

 I stopped by a web site or more like fifty and came away confused after reading reviews from techies, hunters, hikers, and arm chair skippers. 

 I wish I could just rely on someone to tell me what to buy after hearing my list of wants.

1. it needs to be battery powered, aaa or aa with a 12V helm plug in
2. rugged enough to be dropped once in awhile (water resistant too)
3. day light visible display about 2.5" or bigger (ok a lot bigger)
4. on board chart for my area (duh) and not an extra $200 fee, and they must include Canada's Vancouver and Gulf islands.
5. it needs to display nav aids at a minimum, just like my chart
6. I want a speedometer and bearing readout
7. I want it to work inside the cabin, or at least by the windows
8. it needs to boot up in less than 5 minutes
9. I like my nav aids in color, especially the red ones, but not if it's too many $$$
10. I want to have local level streets shown for hikes
11. it should fit in my pocket
12. it should be dependable, and last, and last, and last

I'm sure I have other wants, I'll add later,
here is what does not matter to me (much) (maybe)

1. upgrade ability
2. connectivity to a laptop, or chart plotter
3. altimeter
4. emergency radio or locator beacon (if it costs boat dollars)
5. e-mail, forecasts or anything confusing that is more dollars
6. more memory for charts of other areas
7. phone numbers of business, etc if it's extra  $$
8. mfd, multifunction display or depth or radar, (just go away, your too wealthy for this blog)
9. floating is nice, so is waterproof but I can pass if more $$
10. Are we getting an idea that costs are paramount to me?

More about gps and the San Juan trailer sailor.

In my opinion you can get by without a gps just like boaters have done for centuries, but it is a really handy piece of equipment, and fun to share info with others on board, and truly a marvelous aid in foggy conditions.  What you can not do without, is a chart, a compass, a depth sounder, pfd's and all the other Coast Guard required safety gear.

Okay, lest I have mislead someone, I believe you need a gps in the fog but you could simply stay in port or go another direction.  Boating blindly in fog with any current is a recipe for disaster.

I am adding to this post to tell you readers what I finally came up with.
Read about it by following this link >>  My new gps is awesome and very inexpensive