MacGregorSailors.com

Here's another link for Outdoor Navigator

https://outdoornavigator.maptech.com/ou ... /index.cfm

In reading the details they even now have added more features with the release of version 2.0 . Now there is a map manager component on your PC. The $19.95 get's you map downloads for as long as you own the PPC, not limited to just a year any more. They also have made nice organized access to charts and topo maps by region.

In my Flexibility is god mentality, I chose the Haicom Bluetooth slipper with CF GPS. It allows Bluetooth when necessary, but can also be mounted directly in the PPC's CF slot. Mucho Flexibo.




Go to http://www.buygpsnow.com

Also this item comes with the AC cable with 4 changeable plugs for other countries, the DC cable, The PC cable, a flixible suction mount and free auto vent RAM mount. $159.00. Great Deal. No I don't work for them. I just got mine in today and have been playing with it.

Really cool. This will be hard to pass up. It will work with my current PPC via the CF interface and with my future one via Bluetooth.

Ok, here is the most persuasive argument I've seen against the use of the laptop.
Read this MSN article.

Next they'll be talking about the dangers of palms, but I don't think I want to dwell on that too much.

Even if you've had the warhead disarmed, they can contribute to a serious case of jock itch. There are lap desks, even ones with cooling fans, and one even with a USB powered fan, to help alleviate this, but I just use one of the spouses's big straw trivets when battery-charging, the only time the bottom gets really warm.

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Moe

Techno-overload.

OK... my head swirling with the posibilities of colorful glowing LCD marine charts displaying my position down to a rat's a**, I perused Panbo's Marine Electronics website, http://www.panbo.com/yae/archives/cat_navigation.html and can no longer maintain clear thought.

This site links to myriad offsite marine electronics reviews, comparisons, articles. GPS has really come a long way, and nearly affordable too. Lots of stuff to see here.

If you've ever watched an ATC (air traffic control) display and found it mesmerizing, you'll want to check this out.
Ais Live http://www.aislive.com

You have to register (free) an email address for the live realtime stuff, but there are also 5 hour recorded loops you can watch.

Panbo also has links to a European weather radar service that lets mariners get 3-D type weather maps....

Imagine you're looking at your weather-resistant touch-sensitive binnacle display in the foggy dawn light. It's CPU is wirelessly linked to your central nav system, tucked safely in your cabin. You notice from the date stamp that your navsystem upgraded it's ENC vector charts last night. Another touch and additional layer is appears that overlays a layer of depth soundings in bright yellow that were collected over the last 30 days from participating small craft that have uploaded soundings that are appropriate for the current tidal conditions. Hmmm, looks like more shoaling over there. Another layer depicts colored triangles representing local realtime marine traffic, (Oh lots of tankers today...) Another touch and a realtime radar/infrared weather overlay shows a cold front approaching fast from the west. You decide to check your moorings, have a little breakfast, and let the front blow over. You unsnap the display and plug it in below, may as well catch up on the news. Should be plenty of breeze in an hour or so. Total situational awareness.... And another computer to buy, feed, backup, and worry about crashing and losing.

The heck with it, I'm sticking with my compass and fishfinder.
Fun to think about though!

What you mention brings to mind another wiz bang product.

If you are not averse to running both your laptop below and you PPC above deck you might want to check out

zCapn.

It constantly updates the handheld chart and position via 802.11b wireless from the laptop below.

Another new to the market product is

NavSim Duo

It's the lowest priced product I have found with full chart quilting. It will take you entire chart library of large and small scale charts and quilt it on the PC display into one seamless image. Try the demo, it's really cool. These images can also be sent to the handheld and their slick pie menu makes running the app real easy.

One other to mention

http://www.globenav.com/

Has the only PPC app I have found that can use the free NOAA ENC vector charts. It can also use C-Map vector charts.

"Zcapn" looks cool, and runs on my favorite OS... Linux.
I like the idea of non-special purpose electronics, fewer eggs in one basket. If I had infintie dollars I'd probably bolt on a new Garmin every year or so.

Nice thing about the Palms, if the box croaks you just resynch your app on another Palm and you're back in action, and mainstream consumer electronics will always cost less than specialized devices and be cheaper to upgrade. Garmin has a PalmOS based device now (3600?) with built-in GPS. It's altered to run the GPS map application in the background, so you can do other stuff too and switch back and forth. Think it plays MP3s also. I'm not sure what charts it uses, but it has a speaker and voice directions with the GPS program for car use so it's dual purpose. My ideal platform would run Linux and use NOAA free ENCs. I know that's doable with a laptop, but the Palms are really handy and less hardware to drag around.
Those you can carry with you to use it as toured the the US and Canadian islands that dot the Pacific northwest off of Anacortes. I could even use the list of great places to stop that you beamed to me over the infrared interface to find a place to dock & get some grub. The bigger Garmins have a nice display but ya can't stuff 'em in your jacket. MMmmm, crunchy.

My ideal platform would run Linux and use NOAA free ENCs

I downloaded a couple ENCs and viewed them with the freeware version of Fugawi. I was pretty disappointed with the amount of detail compared to even moderate scale paper charts. It seemed to me they were intended primarily for large ship nav. I'm wondering if I missed something.

Plus, the current coverage (locations for which ENCs are available) is pretty sparse.

Like one ENC for where we boat on Lake Erie... there are 30-something large and small scale NOAA charts that cover this area, IIRC.

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Moe

Don't get confused comparing number of charts in the paper and raster format (scanned paper charts) to a single chart in the vector formats (ENC, C-Map, Navionics Gold, Nobletech) One vector file can contain an equal amount of information to that on hundreds of paper or raster charts.

The vector formats are a seamless database of points from which the chart image is generated on the fly. These scale big or small with all the detail intact. You don't need multiple overlaping large and small scale charts when you use vector products. A single chart file contains everything.

Most of the viewers for vector products allow you to filter how much data is displayed when zoomed out verses zoomed in to reduce screen clutter. As you zoom in more detailed data appears. What's also nice about vector products is no matter which way you are headed the information is always right side up. Also as you zoom out the information doesn't get to small to read.

That said, I do still find most all the vector products lacking in some details. Navionics new Gold series comes close and the expensive NobleTech raster charts are probably the best. Yet I still prefer to use raster charts. In particular even the best vector charts leave off a lot of land side detail that you get on a paper or raster chart.

As far as the ENC's go the coverage is growing constantly and the newest Series 2 ENC contain all the data shown on even the most detailed harbor paper charts. The original Version 1 charts were less detailed and intended for large comercial vessels.

Here are the details on the two versions,
http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/versions.htm
Sounds like Chip was looking at a version 1 chart.

Well I did it, I have a Dell Axim x50v coming and am going Duane's route. What a lot of great information yo all have.

DullBoy, what GPS with bluetooth did you buy? I have ordered the GPS system from Dell which I believe is actually a Pharos Pochet GPS with Bluetooth. If I do not like it I can return it and see what else is out there. I can actually get a Garmin MAP 76 or 76S for about the same price but no wireless.

Duane, where did you get your waterproof or water resistant case?

Now the task of picking software and charts. This is great.

I got mine here. It is a 3600 series, but as I mentioned they have a new 1900 series coming out soon that could be worth waiting for.

Ther serial pod option is really cool, but looks like right now they only have it for the HP devices.

http://www.watertightcase.com/products.html

Duane, I understand how vector charts work, however, the ENCs have no more detail than the chart on which they are based, and its scale. For example, here are the charts we use in the area we boat.

US14820 (400000) Lake Erie - ENC Available
US14830 (100000) Lake Erie West End - ENC Available
US14844 (40000) Islands in Lake Erie & Put-In-Bay - ENC Available
US14845 (10000) Sandusky Harbor
US14842 (L) (20000)
US14842 (X) (10000)
US14842 (W) (10000)
US14842 (V) (10000)
US14842 (U) (10000)
US14842 (T) (10000)
US14842 (S) (10000)
US14846 (AF) (5000)
US14846 (AK) (5000)
US14846 (I) (20000)
US14846 (C) (20000)
US14846 (AM) (5000)
US14842 (O) (10000)
US14842 (P) (10000)
US14842 (Q) (10000)
US14842 (R) (10000)
US14842 (Z) (5000)
US14842 (Y) (5000)
US14842 (AA) (5000)
US14842 (AB) (5000)
US14842 (AF) (5000)
US14842 (AG) (5000)
US14842 (AD) (5000)
US14842 (AE) (5000)
US14842 (AR) (5000)
US14842 (A) (300000)
US14842 (M) (10000)
US14842 (J) (20000)
US14842 (N) (10000)
US14842 (I) (20000)
US14842 (H) (30000)
US14842 (K) (20000)
US14842 (D) (40000)
US14842 (C) (40000)
US14842 (G) (30000)
US14842 (F) (30000)
US14842 (E) (30000)
US14842 (B) (80000)
US14842 (AC) (5000)

Note that most of these listed are more detailed large-scale charts which come from 14842 - Chartbook of Port Clinton to Sandusky and 14846 - Chartbook of West End of Lake Erie.

The small-scale Lake Erie and Western End of Lake Erie charts provide little detail, we seldom use them. So the only practical ENC for us is the 14844 40,000:1 Islands in Lake Erie & Put-In-Bay. It has nowhere near the detail of the large-scale harbor and coastline charts in the chartbooks for many areas, which are what we are almost always zoomed in on, when accurate navigation matters. This detail IS available in Maptech BSB charts, but not in the ENC... yet.

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Moe