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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Sun Aug 07 2005 - 09:03:20 EDT
VELCRO?
David
-----Original Message-----
From: David Miller <>
To:
Sent: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 05:10:14 -0500
Subject: RE: [world-cruising] Re: Chart Plotter Software
I actually have a waterproof keyboard. It is also flexible enough to
roll it
up for storage. The only problem is, is that it is pretty light and
would
need to be secured in some way.
-----Original Message-----
From:
[mailto:] On Behalf Of Rosalie B.
Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 7:44 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [world-cruising] Re: Chart Plotter Software
On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 15:51:04 -0000, you wrote:
>Imo a fanless 12-v pc is a better solution than a laptop.
>- a laptop is prone to fall.
>- a laptop fan blows salty air by its components.
>- a laptop's power consumption is considerable, esp. when you use an
> inverter/adapter.
>- when you spill some liquid over your keyboard, the whole laptop
> is out of order.
>
There isn't any way you can have any technical equipment that will not
fail. The only thing that will not fail is a paper chart. That's
what you have as backup (keeping track on it so that you know where
you are if the computer does fail).
But while computers do fail, they work more often than they fail. I
haven't found that the fan in a laptop is that much of a problem.
I have not found that a laptop power consumption is that great
compared to other items on the boat like autopilot, radar etc.
Especially if you use the 12 power cables that go with the computer
rather than a separate inverter (I find that the inverters mess up the
SSB reception). And with a laptop you can run on the battery for some
period of time.
I try to protect the laptop from liquids of whatever type. If it is
really wet, we put it below on the nav table. Otherwise we have a box
for it in the cockpit which also provides light shielding.
I use a trackball to run the computer, and probably now you could get
a remote mouse or trackball so you could put the computer in a place
where you could see it from the helm but it wouldn't be in the
cockpit. A friend has put her radar on a rotating arm which can be
swung into the companionway, and the screen doubles as a computer
screen. .
>As I look at it now my choice is an Alubox fanless 1 GHz PC.
>If you don't mind the dutch language:
>http://www.shiptron.nl/docs/alu-max.pdf
>Complete system for $1,200. It works on 12 v / 1,3 Amp.
>I'll probably invest in a stabilized 12-v powersource to be on the
>safe side.
>
>With it's Pentium III and 512 Mb memory it can handle all I want to
>do with it.
>It will be many months before I actually buy one but it will be
>mounted inside a locker. I'll have a keyboard and a trackball at the
>chart-table and I'm considering a second screen (these VGA-cables
>come in up to 7 meters) and a "bolt-on" trackball near the wheel in
>the cockpit.
>
>Len
>S/v Present
>
>--- In , "Lee Haefele" <Lee at h dot dot dot >
>wrote:
>> One BIG problem I have seen is that people get new computers
>> which are under warranty. Where YOU can CARRY a computer through
>> customs easily, if you try to SHIP it over and back through
>> customs you may be asked for duty, also there are long waits for
>> processing at customs. I have met possibly 10 cruisers in this
>> situation, all unhappy. Plan on laptop failure once a year, but
>> YMMV.
>> Lee Haefele
>
grandma Rosalie
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