April 6, 2012 09:21
Hi
Yes it is (or can be). But if your computer is not hooked up to the GPS and/or you're plotting a series of courses for a cruise while sitting in your easy chair at home, being able to read off magnetic courses may be useful. These could then be input to your autopilot from your laptop. Of course, we're not talking integral calculus here. It'd be simple to do: get the magnetic deviation, manually input it (or get from the GPS or published variations for a specific `Lat/Long), add or subtract it from true course that PolarView calcuates and then display the magnetic course along the route tracks (instead of true). An electronic menu display "button" could allow a user the option of choosing display true or magnetic courses. In addition a manual input could be possible for compass deviation as well.
Just an idea.
Cheers
PJ
Yes it is (or can be). But if your computer is not hooked up to the GPS and/or you're plotting a series of courses for a cruise while sitting in your easy chair at home, being able to read off magnetic courses may be useful. These could then be input to your autopilot from your laptop. Of course, we're not talking integral calculus here. It'd be simple to do: get the magnetic deviation, manually input it (or get from the GPS or published variations for a specific `Lat/Long), add or subtract it from true course that PolarView calcuates and then display the magnetic course along the route tracks (instead of true). An electronic menu display "button" could allow a user the option of choosing display true or magnetic courses. In addition a manual input could be possible for compass deviation as well.
Just an idea.
Cheers
PJ