Article by Pat Schrawder
CHART PLOTTERS -NOW A STANDARD ITEM
Ever since chart plotters came out, the desire to see not only your position but also the chart details around you on a multicolored screen has made the plain GPS seem pale in comparison. Today, there are many choices of color chart plotters, so much so that they have become part of the standard electronics package.
You can certainly still purchase a unit that gives basic navigational aid information and it might even have “track plotting”, but it will not show chart information and that chart data is precisely what most boaters want nowadays. Unless there is not enough room, you will eventually end up adding a chart plotter to your boat.
Most all of them have the same basic features. Their screen size may vary as will the type of display. Look for one that is designed for easy viewing in bright sunlight and is waterproof. Manufacturers are improving screen displays all the time, with particular emphasis on their appearance in bright sunlight. There are still some monochrome (one color) models on the market but the overwhelming majority of them are multi-color and that is much better for picking out different objects with ease and/or at a quick glance.
Some units use track balls to move the cursor around and some use a built-in mouse on the front panel. Both work well so it is a matter of personal preference and has little consequence either way.
More importantly, however, is the basic software design. How easy is the unit to use? A good rule of thumb is to take a unit and, without reading its manual, see how much you can just “figure it out”. Personally, I like the units that display multiple choices on the side or bottom of the screen. Look at the choices and pick the one that best describes what you are trying to do: Enter a waypoint, GO TO a waypoint, etc. The screen will give you a choice of what to do next until you are done.
The trend today is in making the screen displays larger and capable of displaying more than one item at a time. The multi-function units not only have the GPS but also the fish finder and possibly radar. Some of them have a remote control for convenience. Some displays are greater in width than height and others are exactly the opposite. It makes no difference other than personal preference and what will fit on your boat. Most of them have more waypoint capability than you’ll ever need. Some have the ability to insert blank chart cartridges to store your own waypoint and data information.
So the decision is not so much whether or not to get a chart plotter. The answer is YES. The choice of which one to get is a little more complicated. Perhaps the most critical one seems to be in determining which electronic chart it uses. Not all electronic charts work in all machines. Even if they physically look the same and may fit into your plotter, they may not be compatible, software wise, and may not work. There are some units that use their own charts and there are mapping software companies that produce units for use in PC’s, etc. but the two primary leaders in chart manufacturing are C-Map and Navionics.
Both of these companies produce charts that are vector type. That means they are layered with information so that you can select the degree of information detail you want. Both say their charts are the best. The only way to really tell which is best for you is to go into a showroom where they have “working” units on display and look at the chart detail for your area.
Beyond the charting, the next areas of concern are ease of use, waterproofing, size, visibility of the display and where it can be taken if it needs servicing.
Pat Schrawder and her husband Larry are owners of L&L Marine Electronics on Golf Course Road in West Ocean City.