.................................Computer/Chart Plotter & Navigation Aid Index........
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.............--- Computer/Chart Plotter Build Index ---
....................(UPDATE: I finished the computer and we are very happy with it. In idle mode with the monitor on their combined draw is 1.8 amps and about 2.2 when the hard disk is accessed. When the router and Bullet 2HP radio (for WiFi) are turned on the amps go to about 2.4 amps without the hard disk being accessed and about 2.8 with it, so max. wattage is about 33 1/2 watts. We are real happy with that.)
We used the above combo on our Fall 2010 Florida trip where we were out almost a month and for our Spring 2011 Florida trip of 7+ weeks and over 400 miles. Everything worked with no problems and we had WiFi for most of the trip and we navigated the whole trip with the Chart Plotter with zero problems.
When we bought the Endeavour 37 and moved it we transferred the whole setup very quickly to it and will be using it on that boat. In addition I'm typing this on the computer at home. Instead of moving files back and forth to it going to and from the boat I also now use it at home. I have a 12 volt battery under the computer desk with a charger on it. I can now work even during power outages. I'm using 12 volt car type plugs on everything and plug it in to a 12 volt outlet at home and on the boat.
I also use an Alfa AWUS036H long range USB WiFi radio hooked to the computer at home to connect to the houses wireless network and use the same radio with the laptop in motels when we are on the road. On the boat we use the Bullet that has a greater range.
The following build gives us a 12 volt computer that will run all the software we run at home. In addition it will connect to the Internet when there is a wireless connection, play DVD movies, and provide us with TV if it is available.
The main use for it is as a Chart plotter using SeaClear II and NOAA charts. Also Open CNP will run on it using the same charts. It connects to a GPS puck that plots our course real time. We also have two Garmin GPS map 76 handheld GPS's. One for the cockpit and one as a backup and to be used for the DSC on the VHF marine radio.
A 12 volt monitor designed to be used in car video systems was used at first. Now we have a 16 inch 12 volt 10 watt monitor for cabin use on the Endeavour. The smaller original 10 inch monitor that draws less than 10 watts will still be used on the mount below when the computer is used on the smaller MacGregor where the location for the monitor is just inside the companionway when used as a Chart Plotter. It can also be used as the computer screen in the cabin and for movies/TV in the cabin also. The screen size is comparable to chart plotters costing well over $1000.00.
The build is not much cheaper than a 5 inch chart plotter, but one ends up with a chartplotter with a much larger screen that will run all of the free NOOA charts and besides being a chart plotter it will be a low power computer that will do all of the things mentioned above on very few watts.
A special thanks to the author of ( this article ). I knew what I wanted to do and then found the link to the article and it saved me considerable time in looking for parts. I'll do some things different, but the overall concept of the build will be the same.
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