|
|
|
|
|||||
|
||||||
From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Wed May 23 2007 - 18:49:49 EDT
Great info as usual Jeff. The new trackball interface that Blackberry
has may for many people be better than touch screen since you can
indeed do it all with one hand, as it is easily omni directional. In
addition to WAAS/SIRF accuracy advantage today, vs AGPS in devices
(today), of course as you infer, Bluetooth is nice because the receiver
can have full visibility to the sky and you can be down below cozy in
your bunk with full capability.
I for one like your concept of network-based vs device-based chart
access. This is used on land today in applications like the superb
TeleNav that is refreshed every few minutes and of course allows
traffic updates to boot. The mariner will not always have the level of
network access as the urban automobile, but could flash download the
needed charts ad hoc. One great phenomena is the decreasing cost and
increasing capacity and speed of flash memory devices. So some nice
trends are all quickly (like this year) headed the yachtsman's way:
More accurate, cheaper and smaller GPS imbedded in more devices;
dramatically improved screens in resolution, speed and size (including
built in projectors!), higher speed, more ubiquitous wireless networks
from a variety of sources (including USB-speed near-field Bluetooth and
Zigbee, not just Wide Area cellular and Wifi "n"), and a greater focus
on power saving processors and operating systems.
George
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey Siegel <>
To: 'Jim Slocomb' <>; 'Twl'
<>
Sent: Wed, 23 May 2007 3:01 pm
Subject: Re: T&T: compact electronic navigation
> My old PDA finaly expired and I am looking to find a
> practical device for
> electronic navigation of my skiff.
>
> My requirements are;
> 1. The device uses noaa standard bsb format charts.
There isn't a handheld device/software product that allows you to load
BSB
formatted charts directly on the device. They will all require the
charts
on the device to be in a different format for performance reasons. I
don't
actually think this is your requirement though - I think that what you
really mean is that you want to be able to view NOAA raster charts
(vector
charts some day too). Chart management is a large and messy problem when
you have to download individual charts. There are much better ways to
handle it.
The generation of chart display that I'm working on is all online. You
can
select an area to download but you select the area, not all of the
individual charts. I know that it is probably controversial and
uncomfortable right now but the future is not having the charts
pre-downloaded at all. The future is getting them live. That way you
always have the latest images and updates without worrying about it.
> 2. The device has an integrated gps.
There are quite a few today especially in the HP camp. Having an
integrated
GPS is great for use in a skiff. There are quite a few reasons for
having a
separate Bluetooth GPS though especially if it will be used as an anchor
alarm.
> 3. The device uses standard batteries
Nah, you don't want that. You want a device that uses Lithium Ion
rechargeable batteries. Have a separate device for emergency charging
that
can use standard batteries if you think you really need that (I doubt
you
will).
The last handheld PDA's that used standard batteries were the Palm 3
and the
Palm m125. Both eventually died because rechargeable devices came out to
replace them. Even with heavy use, it'll last on the rechargeable
battery.
I use my little Audiovox SMT5600 as an anchor alarm connected over
Bluetooth
to the helm GPS all night long and have no trouble with it keeping the
charge (and that's even with the cellular radio on and connected for
receiving calls too). If you're really worried, there are wind-up and
solar
chargers. I put a 12V cigarette lighter adapter for continuous charging
while underway in my dinghy but to be honest, I don't really need it and
rarely use it.
> 4. The device communicates easily with my laptops for chart transfer.
Wouldn't having the ability to get every chart, any time be better?
That PC/chart transfer methodology is the way that all of these products
have worked in the past (including Outdoor Navigator as George
mentioned in
the next email). Fugawi and Memory-Map have similar products. There are
huge disadvantages. Been there, done that. I used it that way for 12,000
nm over three years.
> Other plusses would be ;
> 1. The device uses the windows mobile os (I have a lot of
> software that needs the environment)
I'm aiming at Windows Mobile 5+, Nokia S60, and Blackberry right now. I
would not rule out Nokia at all. They have some very, very nice
products.
The new N95 is an excellent product with integrated GPS and 5 megapixel
camera/video camera (with a real lens). It's a new product so it is
expensive right now but that will change.
Like George I like the Windows Mobile Motorola q9 - I'd like to get my
hands
on that to throw some charts at it. It has the right mix of specs. I
also
love the new htc s710:
http://www.htc.com/product/03-product_s710.htm That s710 is one hot
product. It's a brand new form factor with integrated
keyboard - something that doesn't happen that often. There are few
things I
am absolutely sure about with these things. One of them is that having
an
integrated keyboard is going to be something very important.
> 2. The device floats
It doesn't and it won't. None of them. None are even water resistant.
All
are water hostile.
> 3. The device has a daylite readable color screen
The screens have gotten very good. In general, the touchscreen ones
where
you can use your finger or stylus often have poorer screens because of
the
additional barrier needed for the touchscreen. I'm shocked by the
quality
of some of the newer screens without touchscreens - they are
magnificent.
Like George I typically have preferred touchscreen devices. I'm
starting to
waiver on that though (the device I use in real life still has a
touchscreen
though). I like the display of the non-touchscreen devices better and I
very much like controlling everything with buttons and with one hand. I
hate to have to pull out that stylus. The times when I really like
having a
touchscreen is when I'm creating a route on the device itself. I'm
working
on a way around that too. Imagine if you could use the power of online
sharing a la ActiveCaptain for routes. Why create a new route between
Charleston and Beaufort, NC when there are 300 people on this list
alone who
have them? There are probably 300 people out there right now running the
route! What's needed is a way to share the routes and use them as a base
for your own routes. That will reduce the amount of tinkering needed for
creating routes.
> 4. The device would log a serial data stream while navigating.
Sure but how nice would it be if it were logging it online? Imagine
being
able to save all of the data as well as allow certain friends and
family to
see it live. Even better, if you didn't care about secrecy, let anyone
know
your location. Want to find a T&T'er coming down the waterway? Just plot
their position on your device updated live as they move. When they're
within a few miles, hail them on the radio or see if they'd like
company at
anchor.
I know that all of this online access seems odd and uncomfortable right
now.
I have a feeling that in a few years we'll wonder how we ever lived
without
it...
...Jeff
==================================
Jeffrey Siegel
M/V aCappella
DeFever 53PH
W1ACA/WDB4350
Castine, Maine
www.activecaptain.com Content, Communications, Community
_______________________________________________
http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/trawlers-and-trawlering To
unsubscribe send email to
with the word
UNSUBSCRIBE and nothing else in the subject or body of the message.
Trawlers & Trawlering and T&T are trademarks of Water World
Productions. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
from AOL at AOL.com.
_______________________________________________
http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/trawlers-and-trawlering
To unsubscribe send email to
with the word
UNSUBSCRIBE and nothing else in the subject or body of the message.
Trawlers & Trawlering and T&T are trademarks of Water World
Productions. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
|