VHF screens

Have any of you come across a fixed DSC VHF which uses a colour screen?

Ta.

Okay, I'll bite: Why would you need color? You're only displaying text.

jky

How does this one take your fancy?

http://www.standardhorizon.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=84&encProdID=kJocIraEQIg%3D&DivisionID=3&isArchived=0

Okay, I'll bite: Why would you need color? You're only displaying text.

jky

You'd be a bit screwed if you were colour-blind to the colour the text displays in :D

How does this one take your fancy?

http://www.standardhorizon.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=84&encProdID=kJocIraEQIg%3D&DivisionID=3&isArchived=0

its pretty and would certainly get round the problems in other threads here with fitting everything on the console... ...but there is a "proverb" about all your eggs in one basket!

That is pretty cool (but wheres the fish finder?)

How much is it?

Thanks for that, Jimbo. I'll check it out.

What I would really like is a VHF with wireless handset with a large colour screen and including a keypad. Not much different to a good mobile phone I suppose.

I does seem to me that VHF manufacturers are dragging their heels when you consider the diplays of other electronics available to us. Even some of the respected makes still have odd text characters which appear to be crushed into a limited field of the display.
Look at these pics of a handset, how easy is that to read? Look at the text? If you were buying a mobile phone, you laugh if you came across that.

For me, since mono screens are essentially reflective, I've found them difficult to read inside a cabin where the outside world is bright and the display is dull. Backlights work at night but they're no match for the sun during daytime. I used to find this also in an open RIB if travelling toward a bright sun.
Colour displays have proved to be bright and clear no matter what the outside brightness is. The VHF is the only mono display I have left.
There also seems no need to have a boingy chord with the resultant nuisance and points of possible failure. Wireless is now so cheap and easy.
An anti reflective screen surface would be nice too.

I've found Simrad do a wireless handset but it's as much a controller for their other navigation equipment and it's still mono but at least the screen is clear.

http://www.simradyachting.com
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I've just had a good look at that Standard Horizon set and it does have lots of the features I've mentioned, even a telephone style handset with text keys is available. Hmmm...

And a fishfinder option Tim!

I think the main reason is that color displays are more expensive to produce, and typically, visibility of a VHF display is much less critical than, say, a chartplotter. You find color on things that are graphics intensive, less so on things that are text based (digital watches are a good example, and more in-line with your cell phone analogy. Not too many color screen digital watches, that I know of.)

Have you tried using a hood or similar device to shield the display? Should get back quite a bit of the contrast.

jky

standard horizon vhf's are great but i would not go near their chartplotters. can you say moisture ingress.

I have been thru 4 of them in the last two years all of which standard replaced or fixed. they also like to freeze up and you basically have to turn off all power at the battery switch to un freeze them.

Also the antennas are very prone to failing. so all in all i find their vhf radios excellent they are only 25 watts but seem to push alot more compared to the other vhf's on the market but i will never ever ever use another one of their chartplotters even if it was given to me.

Have you tried using a hood or similar device to shield the display? Should get back quite a bit of the contrast. jky, it's the other way around, mono screens need lots of light to fall onto them. Even then, colour is still better.

Which instruments can't you see? I'll concede that they're not as dark as that because our eyes adjust but if you're looking out to a bright sun they will be impossible to see.

jky, since I was talking about VHF which will have a smaller screen, here is a comparison of text in good light. Which would you prefer to use?

I have been thru 4 of them in the last two years all of which standard replaced or fixed. they also like to freeze up and you basically have to turn off all power at the battery switch to un freeze them.

.......... but i will never ever ever use another one of their chartplotters even if it was given to me. That's unfortunate, OceanEco because the CVP350 user manual shows both the VHF and the Plotter to be particularly well featured. Which Standard Horison units are you referring to?

Anyone else got any reliability issues whith this make?

The cp 170 and cp 175. There are wholesalers that have stopped carrying these units because so many have been brought back in canada. I have not used the plotter/vhf unit so i cant say for sure that it also does it, but its the same plotter and housing.

Fair enough;

I've never had a cabin boat, so my problem has always been getting displays that are sunlight-viewable, rather than problems lighting them up.

jky