I'm looking of some honest reviews by people who use a datascope. How well does it work? Would you buy it again? Etc. Nick
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Wouldn't leave port without it!
The Datascope is far and away my favorite electronic toy. As I stated in an earlier thread (about how to best spend US $ 500 on electronics): "I would spend $ 350 on a Datascope (handheld digital compass, timer and distance estimation device). Over the past 10 years and 35,000 NM of coastal cruising and passage-making the Datascope has kept us out of more collisions than our radar and has helped us pinpoint our coastal location better than our GPS (sometimes charts are 1-2 NM off!). Also, their service is very good". If you are on watch in the middle of the night and you see suddenly 2 or 3 lights at different points on the horizon you just grab the datascope, take (and store) three electronic bearings, repeat them two or three minutes later and you will know which one of these ships is potentially on a collision course with you and which one is not. Therefore, before every cruise I always make sure we have the spare watch batteries (viz. three C25's) aboard so we can count on the Datascope never running out of battery power. Highly recommended in spite of the stiff price. Also, you don't have to search for discount deals. I have never seen them for less than the standard price (approx. US $ 350). Flying Dutchman
The Datascope is far and away my favorite electronic toy. As I stated in an earlier thread (about how to best spend US $ 500 on electronics): "I would spend $ 350 on a Datascope (handheld digital compass, timer and distance estimation device). Over the past 10 years and 35,000 NM of coastal cruising and passage-making the Datascope has kept us out of more collisions than our radar and has helped us pinpoint our coastal location better than our GPS (sometimes charts are 1-2 NM off!). Also, their service is very good". If you are on watch in the middle of the night and you see suddenly 2 or 3 lights at different points on the horizon you just grab the datascope, take (and store) three electronic bearings, repeat them two or three minutes later and you will know which one of these ships is potentially on a collision course with you and which one is not. Therefore, before every cruise I always make sure we have the spare watch batteries (viz. three C25's) aboard so we can count on the Datascope never running out of battery power. Highly recommended in spite of the stiff price. Also, you don't have to search for discount deals. I have never seen them for less than the standard price (approx. US $ 350). Flying Dutchman
Great for quick bearings
I've got one and use it for bearings when dead reckoning, for timing tacks, and even for finding the boat at anchor after long dinghy excursions. Great to have the illumintated screen for night time viewing too. Very handy. Digital accuracy is nice too. I don't use the rangefinder feature very often though. T
I've got one and use it for bearings when dead reckoning, for timing tacks, and even for finding the boat at anchor after long dinghy excursions. Great to have the illumintated screen for night time viewing too. Very handy. Digital accuracy is nice too. I don't use the rangefinder feature very often though. T
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