So with the new boat having an enclosed lower helm, I am pondering whether to get a full garmin unit downstairs or just grab one of our old laptops and set it up as a dedicated GPS for the lower helm. What's the best option out there these days? Some of the ones I have looked at in the past got around the fact that a laptop can't dim it's screen sometimes by having a "redlight" function that turned everything a soft red to preserve night vision.
Best laptop GPS
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Capt. Bill1
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Go with the Garmin.
In regards to using a laptop and finding a GPS receiver for it...
Do a quick search on Amazon and a few will come up, there are a few with USB and lengthy cord, or there are flash-drive/USB stick styles. I have the wireless stick but if you have an enclosed helm and are going for a permanent set-up I would opt for a receiver that you can mount out-side and higher up with the extended USB cord.
OpenCPN has an option for night time viewing that dims the whole screen/program to help preserve night vision. I also find it to be very accurate in terms of navigation and very easy to use without having to pay too much attention to it while underway.
If you are looking for radar and fish/depth finder then you might as well go with a full out combo unit for reliability and versatility.
My opinion...
Do a quick search on Amazon and a few will come up, there are a few with USB and lengthy cord, or there are flash-drive/USB stick styles. I have the wireless stick but if you have an enclosed helm and are going for a permanent set-up I would opt for a receiver that you can mount out-side and higher up with the extended USB cord.
OpenCPN has an option for night time viewing that dims the whole screen/program to help preserve night vision. I also find it to be very accurate in terms of navigation and very easy to use without having to pay too much attention to it while underway.
If you are looking for radar and fish/depth finder then you might as well go with a full out combo unit for reliability and versatility.
My opinion...
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Tony
You should be able to network the bridge unit to the lower helm unit.
You should be able to network the bridge unit to the lower helm unit.
Anyone ever used the GlobalSat BU-353 Waterproof USB GPS Receiver? Will the USB receivers work with any of the standard charting software/maps that I can load on the laptop? It looks like the Garmin GPS18 is not really in production anymore- only one I can find is a used one online for $125 and the GlobalSat seems to be online for substantially less than that brand new. I can't seem to find any USB receivers online at boatfix but sent Les an email today- hopefully he has them and I just can't find them on the boatfix site!! 
The laptop makes a lot of sense. Advantages are cost, ability to update charts, viewing size and ease of use. You can take the netbook home and work on routes at your leisure, along with downloading google earth shots of places you want to visit. It is much more capable. A small netbook can be purchased for a few hundred dollars, and many navigation software programs are available, free. An external gps receiver can be had for just a few dollars. If you do it right you can take your netbook around to any location on or off the boat, at will. If you have GPS already on the boat it is simple to pipe the nmea data into the usb port and you don't need another antenna.
A Garmin unit will cost you about the same amount just for the charts, the display will be small and you will be stuck dealing with Garmin, not always a good experience.
JMO
A Garmin unit will cost you about the same amount just for the charts, the display will be small and you will be stuck dealing with Garmin, not always a good experience.
JMO
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if you're going to run the boat a lot from the lower helm then get a "real" plotter, preferably with it's own antenna/receiver rather than networked (for redundancy).
if you're not expecting to do a lot of running from the lower helm, then a laptop makes a lot of sense. that's what i do on my boat.
the trick to using a USB gps receiver is to make sure that the drivers will work with your system and that the GPS comes with a serial emulator so that i can communicate with other programs. On my older laptop (XP) i use a delorme LT20 usb which works pretty good. unfortunately, Delorme's driver is not compatibble with 64bit machines so for my 1 year old convertible tablet i had to get another receiver. I got a bluetooth globalsat which works very well.'
afaik, the garmin is not 64 bit compatible either.
if you're using an old laptop, it's not an issue but if you plan on upgrading you may end up with a useless GPS.
if you're not expecting to do a lot of running from the lower helm, then a laptop makes a lot of sense. that's what i do on my boat.
the trick to using a USB gps receiver is to make sure that the drivers will work with your system and that the GPS comes with a serial emulator so that i can communicate with other programs. On my older laptop (XP) i use a delorme LT20 usb which works pretty good. unfortunately, Delorme's driver is not compatibble with 64bit machines so for my 1 year old convertible tablet i had to get another receiver. I got a bluetooth globalsat which works very well.'
afaik, the garmin is not 64 bit compatible either.
if you're using an old laptop, it's not an issue but if you plan on upgrading you may end up with a useless GPS.
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I have the Fugawi software and GPS receiver, the GlobalSat BU-353, at my lower helm plus a second monitor and second mouse on the flybridge run by an ACER notebook running XP.
I also have a Garmin on the flybridge for redundancy.
The Fugawi system has day, dusk and night modes at the click of a mouse and either mouse controls both upper and lower screens.
The receiver sits on the dash and aquires very quickly. It has never dropped a signal yet.
I also have a Garmin on the flybridge for redundancy.
The Fugawi system has day, dusk and night modes at the click of a mouse and either mouse controls both upper and lower screens.
The receiver sits on the dash and aquires very quickly. It has never dropped a signal yet.
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The BU 353 me with a CD to load the app.
Yes it has bottom contours but I do no use them.
Yes it has bottom contours but I do no use them.
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It is hard wired Dan, both mouse and monitor cables need to go to the flybridge. I use a small inverter on the bridge to power the monitor. The notebook is powered by my main inveter. The Acer has an app that allows both screens to be displayed simultaneously and I have a Y for the mice (meeces) to run simultaneously as well.
Tonka Boater
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Consider getting an iPad with the Navionics app if you want the functionality of a laptop instead of a dedicated GPS. Navionics on the iPad is amazing and you get almost all of the functionality of a laptop.
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Daylight is fine Tony, It is a standard Dell monitor so you can adjust brightness and contrast.
Easily viewable even with polaroid sunglasses.
Use a trackball mouse at both stations so you do not need a mousepad.
Acer Aspire one $300, remote disc drive $80
Fugawi software $200 comes with all charts in US and a navionics card reader
Dell monitor $100
GPS $50
Two mice $80
Ytaps and adapters another $50
Misc extension cords to reach flybridge $50
Total $900 but you have a full PC for email and a helm cam if you want all in one package.
Easily viewable even with polaroid sunglasses.
Use a trackball mouse at both stations so you do not need a mousepad.
Acer Aspire one $300, remote disc drive $80
Fugawi software $200 comes with all charts in US and a navionics card reader
Dell monitor $100
GPS $50
Two mice $80
Ytaps and adapters another $50
Misc extension cords to reach flybridge $50
Total $900 but you have a full PC for email and a helm cam if you want all in one package.
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Recently purchased the iPad and based on some comments here, purchased the Navionics software for the Great Lakes. I find it to be exceptionally easy to use, see, plot, etc, as luck would have it, my Raymarine went down, and had to rely on the iPad and paper charts.
Highly accurate (more accurate than some gps' Ive seen). Creating a route is far easier, and tracks are so much easier to see. What I don't like, is my preference for heading up. Haven't figured out yet how to change orientation, or how to name routes and tracks. (haven't had a chance to spend much time with it)
Another gat feature is how fast the charts update as you zoom out and in. I do that a lot in the 10,000 islands area. Lots of rocks and narrow channels...
As for the orientation, maybe I could make a holder for the helm that allows the iPad to spin once the screen is locked
Highly accurate (more accurate than some gps' Ive seen). Creating a route is far easier, and tracks are so much easier to see. What I don't like, is my preference for heading up. Haven't figured out yet how to change orientation, or how to name routes and tracks. (haven't had a chance to spend much time with it)
Another gat feature is how fast the charts update as you zoom out and in. I do that a lot in the 10,000 islands area. Lots of rocks and narrow channels...
As for the orientation, maybe I could make a holder for the helm that allows the iPad to spin once the screen is locked
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From what I see with the Great Lakes software, it does not show bottom contours. It does allow for a satellite overlay of land elements rather than yellow shapes...
I would go with the "real" chart plotter.
Because the new units come with an SC chip capability you can still do all of the at home work would do with a laptop. You just program the chip in your home computer and then load it onboard.
The chart plotter will be built in and you will not have to worry about it being knocked off in rough water.
The screen will be designed to work in direct sun and daylight,
George
Because the new units come with an SC chip capability you can still do all of the at home work would do with a laptop. You just program the chip in your home computer and then load it onboard.
The chart plotter will be built in and you will not have to worry about it being knocked off in rough water.
The screen will be designed to work in direct sun and daylight,
George