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Hi, I want to buy a Radar system for my boat and want to know if I can get away with using my laptop as my plotter cutting the cost of the system down. Is there anyone out there who could give advice on exactly what I would need to buy, even down to any software I might need?
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Steve,
Can you give us a bit more about what you're after? Do you want the radar also on the laptop? What type of boat do you have any what use (racing, coastal cruising, offshore, etc.), and where? What do you really want a plotter to do? Things like that would be helpful.
For a starter, MacENC is what much of this board is about, and is one of the finest plotting programs available, written specifically for a Mac. Just go to MacENC.com. Beyond that, there's a lot on this board about integrating a Mac with a boat, just start wandering the board, primarily the MacENC and Hardware discussions.
After that, there's a lot of very knowledgeable people here who will be willing to help.
Scot
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MacENC can integrate with a RADAR, but to be clear it does not have the ability to plot the scan. MacENC can plot the RADAR tracked targets and cursor. This is done using the NMEA-0183 output of the RADAR. Typically a multiplexer is used to interface. We like the ShipModul Miniplex Lite.
Scott Dillon
Sydney Australia
North Shore 38
CYCA
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Hi Scot. My problem is that I have a Laptop running windows vista. On this I am running a C-map program with vector charts of the whole world. I thought there might be some way to interface a radar scanner with the laptop to cut the cost of a chart plotter and more charts. I am fixing up my Jeanneau 33.1 so as me and my wife can set off on a around world cruise about the middle of March. We are setting off from Cyprus.
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There is a movement toward radar that puts all or most of the processing smarts in the radome unit and interface with a display of your choosing (PC?) over an ethernet interface (Cat-5 cable etc). While there are several big names doing this Nobletec, Garmin, Raymarine it is not totally clear what is going on with hardware and with communication protocols.
My impression is that Si-Tex, KODEN is one of the big players in this an that they are making the Radars and rebranding them for the likes of Nobeltec etc........
Seems that while the hardware might be the same in some cases that the communication protocol may be different.
I have been follow this at a distance through some discussion of the Beta forum for Coastal Explorer (Windows OS). Coastal Explorer on a PC will work as radar display but only with the Koden units.
This certainly will be a trend that will be picked up by all the radar manufacturers but I don't know just what stage of development/transition the market place is at this point in time. Would love to find out more.
On a different radar topic, the most exciting new thing is Navico's soon to be released Broadband digital radar. (a) Ultra low power, (b) Instant on, © ultra ultra detailed resolution from less than 1/32mi out. (d) radiation safety issues similar to cell phone so it can be mounted nearly anywhere. (e) radomes are very small and light. (f) price point look to be between $1K-$2K maybe closer to $1K.
Can't wait to find out if the interface will be an open standard to make it easy to interface our PC's, software with. Not holding my breath on that one.
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>There is a movement toward radar that puts all or most of the processing smarts in the radome unit and interface with a display of your choosing (PC?) over an ethernet interface (Cat-5 cable etc). While there are several big names doing this Nobletec, Garmin, Raymarine it is not totally clear what is going on with hardware and with communication protocols. >
This is a good place to mention a trend that I've not read a word about in the marine press:
A friend with a new Garmin system was talking to Airmar about using one of their generic depth transducers for his Garmin, since the Garmin transducer was $1200 and the generic "smart" tranducer more like $300. What Airmar warned him about was that although the transducers were identical in operation, the Garmin version that they (airmar) was making for Garmin included an identity chip that the Garmin software system was going to query to make sure it was authorized Garmin. If it wasn't, then the Garmin unit would significantly cut the power and degrade the utility otherwise available on the unit. When my friend confronted Garmin, they claimed it was a "safety" feature.
I had been thinking of adding Furuno transducers and maybe a RD-30 generic display. I called Furuno tech support and asked if they were doing the same thing. The fellow said no, that's not what Furuno would do, etc. I mentioned that Airmar had suggested that most brands were in the process of doing the same thing--tit for tat. He said, no, it couldn't be, Furuno wouldn't do such a thing, and that he would research my question and get right back to me. I'm still waiting after 4 months for a call.
All the manufacturers are touting all the interoperability and the wonderfulness of NMEA 1083 and 2000 universal languages--then working in secret to prevent the system from working--all for greed, I can only guess. Yet no one manufacturer has everything one could ask for. So be very careful in any planning an integrated system from multiple manufacturers. The long time advice about installing only independent devices still stands.
donal
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Laptop at the nav-station and an 'under $100' VGA 16" LCD monitor in the cockpit with a USB or bluetooth keyboard w/trackpad. All in 2_gal ziplock bags.
