Location of chartplotter

Status
Not open for further replies.
Oct 29, 2012
346
Catalina 30 TRBS MkII Milwaukee
Installing a new gps chartplotter.
Other then concerns about the need for an outside antenna. I'm considering installing it at the Nav station, and leaving the exsisting unit at the binnacle.
I'd like to hear everyones thoughts.......
I could "play" with the new unit while at the helm......
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Modern GPS chipsets have great sensitivity and will have no problem getting good signal using their internal antenna inside the boat. Unless your cabin-top is lined with lead, that is.
 
Jun 9, 2008
1,771
- -- -Bayfield
I have no idea why anyone puts their chart plotter inside the boat where you cannot see it from the helm. Unless you have two, I always want it where I can navigate from the helm. If you have two (which is expensive, I know), then one will be the master and the other not, but it is too inconvenient to be running below to see your status. My suggestion is to put it at the helm. I have been in many situations where I am driving the boat offshore alone with others asleep below. In very cold weather, the companionway might be shut up to keep heat below. Then it is very inconvenient to refer to a unit in the basement.
 
Oct 29, 2012
346
Catalina 30 TRBS MkII Milwaukee
I have no idea why anyone puts their chart plotter inside the boat where you cannot see it from the helm. Unless you have two, I always want it where I can navigate from the helm. If you have two (which is expensive, I know), then one will be the master and the other not, but it is too inconvenient to be running below to see your status. My suggestion is to put it at the helm. I have been in many situations where I am driving the boat offshore alone with others asleep below. In very cold weather, the companionway might be shut up to keep heat below. Then it is very inconvenient to refer to a unit in the basement.
Good Point.......Exactly the input I'm looking for.
THNX
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Good Point.......Exactly the input I'm looking for.
THNX
You said you HAD on 'existing unit' at the helm? First one should be there for sure.

Assuming you have two, can they be networked together? Our setup allows someone navigating below to create 'steer to' points that show up at the helm plotter. Its a great feature.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Unless you have a very small boat, having a GPS down below makes NO sense. Previous posts have explained why. Sometimes, asking the question reveals the answer. The ONLY reason it makes any sense is to plan routes. Which is why they made paper charts to begin with. :)

I find the most attractive use of a chartplotter near, not AT the helm is one which can easily be adjusted to/for use from BOTH behind and forward of the helm.

I am a proponent of not being "stuck behind the wheel" and spend most if not all of my time forward of the wheel. Our autopilot control is easily accessible from forward and aft, it's lined up with the wheel.

Get out from behind the wheel. You'll thank yourself for learning how to do so.

And, Have Fun. :)
 
Last edited:
May 23, 2007
1,306
Catalina Capri 22 Albany, Oregon
On my comparatively dinky boat I have the plotter (Lowrance HDS-5) on a ram mounts swing arm by the companionway. It's basically in the companionway under way and swings back inside so I can see it when we're anchored. I tell the Admiral which buttons to push because I can't reach it from the tiller (Capri 22's have a huge cockpit)

If I had a bigger boat with a pedestal that's where I'd put it. :D
 
Feb 26, 2008
603
Catalina 30 Marathon, FL
I used an Edson mount to put my Garmin 441 at the helm. With the Garmin mount you can adjust the tension on the mount to the arm and that allows me to rotate the plotter if I'm in front of the wheel while single handing.
 
Oct 29, 2012
346
Catalina 30 TRBS MkII Milwaukee
The exsisting unit is a gps plotter, having the CHART plotter at the nav station may be redundent.
I do like the idea of the swing mount to be able to see it without going to the wheel. But, $140 is a little pricey for me, although it appears it's probally the way to go.
Moving the plotter down to nav station makes sense, I don't know if the antenna cable will be long enough?
All I need there are numbers.......I have the chart in front of me.

THNX....
 
Apr 1, 2012
142
Pearson 424 Charleston, SC
I used an Edson mount to put my Garmin 441 at the helm. With the Garmin mount you can adjust the tension on the mount to the arm and that allows me to rotate the plotter if I'm in front of the wheel while single handing.
I'm curious, my garmin 440 manual says that the unit should be mounted 90 cm from the compass so as not to interfear with magnet. The PO of my boat mounted it on a cup holder approx. 30 cm from the compass. It looks like the edson mount would be close as well. Any thoughts about interference with these short mounting distances? Also, though I've never really looked at a nav pod, do they contain some sort of construction so the instruments do not interfere with the compass?
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
That Garmin nonsense came from their design that included, of all things, a MAGNET to keep the little door closed!!! What were they thinking? That "design stupidity" got a LOT of airtime on this and other forums when they came out with it. Most folks either lived with it or removed the magnet. Do a search on "Garmin magnet" here on the highly improved search engine Phil installed a few months ago and read all about it.
 
Apr 1, 2012
142
Pearson 424 Charleston, SC
That Garmin nonsense came from their design that included, of all things, a MAGNET to keep the little door closed!!! What were they thinking? That "design stupidity" got a LOT of airtime on this and other forums when they came out with it. Most folks either lived with it or removed the magnet. Do a search on "Garmin magnet" here on the highly improved search engine Phil installed a few months ago and read all about it.
Thanks for the info, I'll do a search and find out what I need to do alleviate any interference.
Sorry for the thread drift captcoho, personally I would not want my chartplotter in the cabin. I like having it at the wheel where I can see it while moving.
 

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
The exsisting unit is a gps plotter, having the CHART plotter at the nav station may be redundent.
....................

All I need there are numbers.......I have the chart in front of me.

THNX....
Couple of questions:

What's the difference between a gps plotter and a chartplotter?
Why don't you use make and model numbers of your units?........to help us understand your reasoning......

Finally, what "numbers" are you seeking?
 
Oct 29, 2012
346
Catalina 30 TRBS MkII Milwaukee
Chatplotter has the charts on them.......The gps plotter only shows where you been, or previous waypoints on a screen. You can add a waypoint, but if there is land,a reef, a breakwall, or some other hazard it is not shown because there is no " chart"..... only waypoints and an etch-a-scetch line
 
Oct 29, 2012
346
Catalina 30 TRBS MkII Milwaukee
"Numbers" as in Latitude and Longitude...(or back in the day TD's, refering to LORAN)
To confirm your position on a Chart
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Couple of questions:

What's the difference between a gps plotter and a chartplotter?
The way I've always thought of this is that a GPS handheld with charts, like a Garmin GPSMap 76Cx, is simply a smaller chartplotter.

OTOH, our old Magellan GPS only has the numbers, like Loran, so one needs a chart.
 
Jan 22, 2008
402
Catalina 380 16 Rochester NY
I installed a Humminbird 587 Plotter in the cockpit. I installed it on the Edson pedestal.

It's waterproof, it shows depth, has a basic chart with plotting capabilties. With a chip, I can add nav charts for any area I need (Great Lakes).

I know it's more of a fisherman's tool, but it works very well for me. I bought the through hull transducer instead of the stern mounted one. I lose the ability to read tempatures...but oh well.

I also added the ability to remove the unit when I'm not using it for security. I believe it cost about $500, which I felt was a fair investment.
 

Attachments

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Chatplotter has the charts on them.......The gps plotter only shows where you been, or previous waypoints on a screen. You can add a waypoint, but if there is land,a reef, a breakwall, or some other hazard it is not shown because there is no " chart"..... only waypoints and an etch-a-scetch line
Well, I know the difference between a GPS and a Chartplotter.... just never heard a gps called a plotter..... it was confusing to me... but now I get it.

Anyhow.... in my area a Chartplotter is a GPS with a map display. The gps gathers, stores, analyzes, sorts and interprets the navigational data. The Chartplotter expresses that gps data in nautical map form. Unit size doesn't matter.... it's simply how the data is presented.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.