- Welcome to the world of electronic navigation -
In general, the term chartplotter refers to a device for special navigation at sea. This basic function is, of course, still appropriate for today's modern multifunctional devices. Navigation at sea requires the use of electronic nautical charts, which are chosen to match the model and manufacturer of the chartplotter. You can use our chart finder to search for the right chart for your plotter.
Nowadays, chart plotters offer much more than just traditional navigation by sea chart. With the correct additional components, AIS (Automatic Identification System) and / or radar data can be displayed as an overlay on the sea chart, making navigation at sea even easier and increasing safety in shipping traffic.
Furthermore, thanks to modern NMEA2000 networks, you can display a variety of NMEA2000 data on your chartplotter - turning the chartplotter into a true multi-function display, on which data from NMEA2000 sensors such as wind instruments & barometers,tank and fuel sensors, depth sounder transducers, compass and GPS antennas can be displayed clearly and as required.
Most chart plotters allow you to define favourite pages, which you can customise according to your own preferences. You can, for example, display the current tank level, water depth and speed as well as the wind direction. As a result, all important boat navigation data is displayed on the screen at all times. Some chart plotters also have integrated route planning and record the route.
Some chart plotters provide assistance when sailing thanks to software with special sailing functions. This allows you to determine the ideal course to sail in order to reach your destination as quickly as possible without having to turn. Sailboat chartplotters often offer additional racing functions, such as an imaginary start line and a race timer, and usually have button or hybrid operation, which also enables precise navigation even with strong ship movements. If you are looking for a chart plotter for your sailing yacht, chart plotters from B&G are definitely worth checking out. Chartplotters in the Axiom series from RAYMARINE also have special sailing functions.
GPS plotters for pleasure boats are often touchscreen operation only. Touchscreen only chartplotters are a good choice on motorboats or sportsboats, because ship movements are not as extreme as on sailboats. Touchscreen only plotters are usually faster to operate than chartplotters with buttons.
Some of our customers are also looking for a chart plotter for their inflatable boat. As a GPS plotter for inflatable boats, entry-level models with a stern transducer are suitable for seeing fish or keeping a better eye on your own position.
If it's your first chartplotter, a good entry-level chartplotter is one from the GARMIN Echomap series. These devices are already available from 280 euros and offer good basic functions. The RAYMARINE Element series and the SIMRAD Cruise series are also well suited as chartplotters for beginners.
Take a look at our range. We have a wide selection of high-quality chart plotters of the brands GARMIN, RAYMARINE, LOWRANCE, SIMRAD, FURUNO and B&G. You can find out more about the individual chartplotter brands in our chartplotter guide.
Many customers ask us which plotter we recommend for a yacht on inshore waters. The chart plotter you choose for the Danube or Lake Constance, for example, depends on many factors, such as your budget, the desired screen size and the type of operation. We recommmend a radar chart plotter. With a radar system you can "look around the corner" on winding, curvy parts and detect oncoming watercraft and obstacles at an early stage and avoid collisions. Find out why you should not do without a radar antenna on board in our radar guide.
The choice of the display size of the GPS plotter depends on various factors. Your chartplotter should be at least 7 inches if you are going to be more than a metre away from the chartplotter for most of your sailing. With chart plotters smaller than 7 inches, it is difficult to see all the relevant information at this distance.
Using a so-called split screen, it is possible to display several data simultaneously on a chart plotter. This allows you to see the chart view while keeping an eye on the radar data or the fish finder screen. In order to be able to read all the information easily, we recommend that you use at least a 9-inch chart plotter for the split-screen view. When deciding on the display size of a chart plotter, the space available on board and the power supply should also be considered. You can read more about choosing the display size of a chart plotter in our chart plotter guide.
Deciding which chartplotter to buy depends on many factors. One important question is what equipment is already on board from which manufacturer and whether this is to be connected to the multifunction device or chartplotter. Not all devices can be connected together, especially with older devices - we recommend that you check in advance which interfaces you have and whether they are compatible with your new chart plotter.
Think carefully about the chart plotter you wish to purchase and list the devices or sensors you want to connect to the multifunction device, now and in the future. If there are already devices on board, make a note of the manufacturer as well as the model name and search for any existing interfaces and their compatibility with new marine electronic systems. If in doubt whether your existing navigation electronics are compatible with a new chart plotter, please contact us - we will be happy to advise you. Maybe you're considering adding a radar antenna, an AIS system or a fishfinder later. Many sensors or transmitters can be easily added using NMEA2000. For fishfinders and radar systems, make sure that the chart plotter has the appropriate connections and modules.
If you are planning larger systems, make sure that the chart plotters can be networked with each other. If a radar antenna is also installed in the system, radar data can be distributed via a Raynet Network Switch to all multifunction displays in the network without having to keep the main unit switched on all the time. This reduces power consumption and preserves your batteries in the long run.
Do you want to connect existing or new devices such as AIS transponders, marine instruments or VHF radio systems and operate your new chart plotter from a mobile device? In every case the appropriate interfaces are required. While sensor data such as depth, wind, speed or tank levels are transmitted via the NMEA network, image data such as radar or fishfinder are transmitted via ethernet connection. Wireless connection is generally designed for use with mobile devices. You can
use your mobile device as a second display unit or as an operating device for your chart plotter, depending on the manufacturer.
NMEA2000 / SeaTalkNG
Many current devices come with this standard. In a NMEA2000 network, data is transmitted via a so-called Controller Area Network (CAN bus). The CAN bus system makes installation easier and distributes data to all devices on the network. Typical devices using NMEA2000 include wind sensors, GPS antennas, AIS devices, depth and speed sensors, multifunction displays, instruments and autopilots. NMEA2000 is also commonly referred to as N2K. In addition, some manufacturers have given the system their own brand specific names, such as SeaTalkNG (RAYMARINE) or Simnet (SIMRAD).
NMEA0183
The NMEA0183 protocol is the predecessor of the current NMEA2000 standard. This protocol for standardising marine data sets was introduced in 1980 and is based on a serial transmission path. The devices used are connected with open cable ends, which makes installation particularly complicated in larger systems. In order to use older NMEA0183 data in an NMEA2000 network, we recommend using an NMEA0183 to NMEA2000 converter. When selecting the correct converter, pay attention to the NMEA0183 baud rate. If you want to convert NMEA0183 AIS data into NMEA2000 data sets, for example, a baud rate of 38,400 is required from NMEA0183. All other data sets such as GPS position, depth, speed or wind data are output at a baud rate of 4,800.
WiFi
In most cases the chart plotter's WiFi connection is only used for connection to a mobile device. This allows you to control the chart plotter conveniently via your tablet so that you can plan a route even below deck without having to be standing directly in front of the multifunctional display. RAYMARINE uses the WiFi connection on some chart plotter models to connect a radar antenna. This saves the need to install a radar cable. It is also often possible to carry out software updates via WiFi Internet connection.
Bluetooth
You can use the chart plotter's Bluetooth feature to connect remote controls to the multifunction device. Depending on the model, the remote control can be mounted directly on the steering wheel to provide quick access to the basic functions.
Ethernet
Devices such as radar systems, fishfinders or even IP cameras are connected to the chartplotter via an Ethernet interface. Not every multifunction display comes with such, so be sure to look for this when buying and use our handy filter function within the category to display all multifunction displays that support Ethernet. An Ethernet connection is also required if you want to connect two compatible chart plotters together to share radar, fishfinder or chart data, for example. If the plotter does not feature sufficient ports, so-called HUBs or switches are available to expand the Ethernet network. Ethernet interfaces are named differently depending on the manufacturer: While SIMRAD, B&G and LOWRANCE call it Ethernet, RAYMARINE refers to it as Raynet and GARMIN refers to it as GARMIN Marine Network.
If mounted below deck on a steel boat, we recommend using an external GPS antenna. However, not only on a steel boat can there be problems with GPS reception. Mounting on a wooden bulkhead can also result in GPS reception problems. Make sure that you mount devices with an integrated GPS antenna so that they are in a position where they have a clear view of the sky. Before final installation of the chart plotter, it is advisable to check whether GPS reception is guaranteed at the installation site. If not, an external GPS antenna can be mounted at a suitable location. So that all devices in the network can access the GPS data of the external antenna, it is recommended to install an NMEA2000 GPS antenna together with an NMEA2000 network.
If you like fishing, consider having a fish finder on board. There are various sonar technologies available for this application, which we describe in our sonar guide.
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