Marine GPS Chartplotter
A chart plotter is something that is used in marine navigation, it shows the electronic navigational chart as well as the position, heading and speed of the boat or ship and it may also display information from radar systems. This makes the GPS chart plotter an extremely useful device because if the boat or ship encounters trouble then the signal that is sent out will display the boat’s position to both navigational and air search and rescue teams.
The Garmin GPSMAP 555 Chartplotter has a streamlined new interface and preloaded features such as a detailed map of the UK and Ireland as well as a world wide satellite imagery internal map. It has a single SD memory card slot for optional blue chart G2 vision cards all of which provides high resolution satellite imagery. This imagery can be overlaid on the base map for a true mariner’s eye view. Its auto-guidance technology suggests the best route to a given destination, it also provides navigationally significant photographs of coastal roads and points of interest. It has ultra bright 5”diagonal full VGA display and is an indisputable aid to marine navigation.
The Furuno Nav Net 3D is built onto an Ethernet network which allows you to add as many or as few navigational extras as you want, giving you a complete navigational suite. The Ethernet is used to network the chart plotter, radar sensor, fish finder, AIS autopilot and many other extras to turn it into the complete, integrated onboard navigational system. While many of these things are quite common to marine navigational systems all over the world, you should be aware that the core components of the Furuno chart plotter, radar and fish finder come fully loaded with many new features such as TimeZero technology and FDF advanced signal processing. These features are what make the Nav Net 3D chart plotter stand head and shoulders above its competitors.
For those who may be interested it is also possible to download free GPS software from the internet – sometimes these have restricted functionality and may stop working after a few days. The reason they appear ‘free’ is that some manufacturers will use this system to give mariners a short free trial of their navigational aids before they buy. In some ways this is a good idea because it makes would be customers aware of the benefits and possible pitfalls before they spend a lot of money.
About the Author
Tim Gottschalk is an avid boater who operates Saltys Marine specializing in Marine GPS Chartplotter and Marine GPS Units.
Your can use this article in your website but you must keep all the links in it.
by: tgotch
Date: Mar 29th 2008 | Words: 401 | Viewed: 17 times | Rating: Not yet rated
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