Plotters and VGA output

[jwalker]

I've been undating my nav stuff and chosen a unit which can drive a monitor on a VGA output. It's very satisfactory. Take a look. My plan is to use it as the main screen. Using WAAS or EGNOS ...look at the EPE!

.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Using WAAS or EGNOS ...look at the EPE!
.

I take it that's your positional error? Pretty good.

OTOH, an error of 6.5 feet on a trip of 29.5 feet is pretty wide...

How are you powering your monitor? Does it run off 12VDC?


jky

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

I take it that's your positional error? Pretty good.

EPE = Estimated Position Error

OTOH, an error of 6.5 feet on a trip of 29.5 feet is pretty wide...

Well, I've moved from chair to chair!

How are you powering your monitor? Does it run off 12VDC?

Yes, if you search around you can still find monitors with an external power supply. I've got 3 of them. Two are a few years old when it was common to do that and the one in the picture I bought last week. They're all 12v so that appears to be a bit of a standard.

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Well, I've moved from chair to chair!

Well not very fast, look at your SOG

[jwalker]

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Hightower

Well not very fast, look at your SOG

Didn't want to spill his beer.


jky

[Erin]

One little flaw.... can you read it in sunlight. I know of someone who bought some french/italian? GPS unit (Lorenz) which plugs into a VGA monitor, but can't see the bugger in the cabin on bright days.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Erin

One little flaw.... can you read it in sunlight.

I don't need to. My cabin was deliberately designed to have subdued light for night use. With the exception of the dash, everything forward of the driving position is black. However, the photo is taken in my conservatory which has glass all around and a clear roof so the performance is pretty good. The problem may be the opposite and a dark screen may be needed for night use to lower the minimum brightness, but that's easily done.

The plotter here is at maximum brightness but the monitor has a lot of adjustment left on its controls so it'll be interesting to see whether it can cope with very bright light.

[Apherel]

Originally Posted by jwalker

... if you search around you can still find monitors with an external power supply.

I've been looking at something like this for my expenditure adverse father, he wants to connect his handheld GPS to a laptop chart plotting program then have an external monitor from the laptop to the (yacht) cockpit.

The only ones I've been able to find are 12 v in car LCD ones (7" or 8") $US 250 or so or VERY expensive marine LCD screens. I would have thought that given the cheapness of big LCD's, small ones would be quite cheap.

I had this bright idea of using the screen from an old laptop, but after reading a thread where it took a bunch of techos years to sort out how to do it (and then it looked like a dogs breakfast) I gave up on that idea.

So, any pointers to a budget small 12v LCD to run a VGA output would be most appreciated.

[jwalker]

Google and ebay are reasonable places to start looking. Be aware that many of the smaller screens have poor characteristics; viewing angles, brightness, colour saturation etc.

The one in the picture is a Brimax which is 12v and also has a protection screen, which I was led to believe is toughened glass, but I've dismantled the unit and it's actually plastic but it appears to have a hardened surface.

My other 12v units are NEC and Samsung. The Samsung is also a tv so there could be a plus to that.

If you find a nice monitor but it has a built in power supply, it's not major to buy a small inverter which will convert 12v into 230vac. You can find these in the UK for about the cost of a fish supper and a couple of beers. The smaller ones run at about 90% efficiency so they are not going to soak up the current too much. It's not a bad idea to have one onboard anyway.

Given that you are in Ozz, bear in mind Erin's comments about bright sunlight on the screen.

[RichardB]

Originally Posted by Apherel

I've been looking at something like this for my expenditure adverse father, he wants to connect his handheld GPS to a laptop chart plotting program then have an external monitor from the laptop to the (yacht) cockpit.

The only ones I've been able to find are 12 v in car LCD ones (7" or 8") $US 250 or so or VERY expensive marine LCD screens. I would have thought that given the cheapness of big LCD's, small ones would be quite cheap.

I had this bright idea of using the screen from an old laptop, but after reading a thread where it took a bunch of techos years to sort out how to do it (and then it looked like a dogs breakfast) I gave up on that idea.

So, any pointers to a budget small 12v LCD to run a VGA output would be most appreciated.

I suspect you may have problems here. We have never found a marine proof screen that would stand upto yacht (or rib) cockpit conditions at anything close to the price of a normal screen. We use a laptop connected to a regular tft screen at the inside nav station running our nav/racing software. We did look at wlan terminals (rdp) but i think they were £3500 for the B&G unit, at which point we gave up on the idea.

We now use the pc system for passage planning and tactics but on deck we use a garmin 60csx for supplementary close work. It also serves as the backup nav system before having to revert to paper!

[Apherel]

Thanks Richard and JW for the comments.

I've been on holiday, and couldn't get on line. What I thought was wild weather interfering with the phone lines actually was zone alarm blocking the dialup. Oh well, good to read for a change.

If for the cost of a waterproof screen you can buy a chart plotter, that defeats the purpose of the exercise! It seems suprising that with the low cost of LCD screens now, that a small remote unit isn't readily available. The in car 12v LCD screens are the cheapest option, but waterproofing and sunlight viewing might be a problem.

Richards solution might be best, the cost of the screen goes a fair way towards a mapping handheld GPS.

Cheers

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Apherel

.. the cost of the screen goes a fair way towards a mapping handheld GPS.

Except, if you're over 50 and can now only read big letters and feck all close up without reading specs.


If you're younger and feeling smug, your turn will come too.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jwalker

If you're younger and feeling smug, your turn will come too.

Ah but at current rates of development and price drop you will be able to get a fully waterproof chart plotter with an enormous screen for £100 - negating the problem!

Of course by then fuel will cost £10/L too so noone will be able to afford to navigate anywhere!!!

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Polwart

Ah but at current rates of development and price drop you will be able to get a fully waterproof chart plotter with an enormous screen for £100 - negating the problem!

The sooner the better then!

Of course by then fuel will cost £10/L too so noone will be able to afford to navigate anywhere!!!

Talking of which...the preferred option of keeping red diesel available sounds good but the duty will be more than road diesel cos it's a high sulphur fuel. We can't win.

[RichardB]

Originally Posted by RichardB

We use a laptop connected to a regular tft screen at the inside nav station running our nav/racing software. We did look at wlan terminals (rdp) but i think they were £3500 for the B&G unit, at which point we gave up on the idea.

There is one realistic option that's occurred to me. Thats the Nokia 770 tablet. Its an 800x480 screen so better than vga. It has built in wifi. if you use vnc (remote screen control) it can operate as a handheld screen. Issues to consider:
- its not waterproof (aquapaq?) but very slim and pocketable.
- finding a screendriver for your laptop for native 800x480 may be a challenge. Could run pc ok at 800x600 - this would show with a scrollbar on the nokia.
- screen is small if you are 'over 50' (to quote others) but v high quality.
- dirt cheap now (you can find them for £85 new) and really do work (Im using one now and do use vnc on it too)

I cant believe i hadnt thought about this before!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by RichardB

(aquapaq?)

I think a 770 might fit in one of the Otterbox cases designed so you can use the touchscreen through it... IMHO much better than an aquapaq.

[Apherel]

Richard, that's a damned interesting idea

Someone needs to try it.

Ironically, the 810 (the new model) comes with GPs. If the navigation fails, on the 810 you can also watch you tube RIB and rescue clips while you wait. This is called technological convergence.

[RichardB]

Originally Posted by Apherel

Richard, that's a damned interesting idea

Someone needs to try it.

Ironically, the 810 (the new model) comes with GPs. If the navigation fails, on the 810 you can also watch you tube RIB and rescue clips while you wait. This is called technological convergence.

Well I have tried vnc and can assure you it works fine with both pc and mac (anyone mention a Newton!!!). I haven't tried with a navigation s/w package and on deck. However, no reason to suspect it wont work as its simply a remote presentation of whats on the pc screen. Just a question about readability etc.

I may have a go only the boat but it will prob take a few weeks before I get the time to set it up.

vnc works fine with the mouse/pointer. If you need to enter text, you need to use the windows on-screen keyboard utility. This is ok but not quite as handy as the Nokias own one.

Interesting point about inbuilt gps once the latest version. Ive read that the 800 is now being discounted too. Nokia, seem to be continuing to develop these devices. Once ubiquitous wifi is available they will really come into their own.

[jwalker]

Just finishing me thread.