PilotMate^® Equipment, Setup, and Installation

Equipment

PilotMate's "made-to-order" basic system includes:

• Shipboard processor unit (SPU) with:
  
  • Two GPS receivers
  • Coast Guard DGPS beacon receiver
  • Embedded computer
  • Embedded application software
  • Intraship data link (to wireless display unit)
  • Internal battery
• Touch-screen electronic chart display unit with wireless intraship data link
• Two GPS antennas, one being a combination GPS/DGPS MSK antenna
• Electrical power adapters and battery chargers
• Eight NOAA electronic charts
• Carrying case

Setup

The GPS antennas and SPU are installed on the ship's wings or flying bridge. The handler enters the orientation of the antennas with respect to the vessel's centerline into the system—any orientation is acceptable.

The data link between the SPU and the display computer is wireless, so the computer can be placed anywhere on the bridge. The display computer can be a notebook computer or handheld pen tablet computer. Because PilotMate's display features will work with a touch or pen screen, a keyboard is not needed.

As shown in the figure above, left, if the system is configured to use the optional ship/shore wireless data link, an additional antenna is required. (The optional data link transceiver resides within the SPU.)

All equipment exposed to the environment is completely weatherproof.

Installation

The lightweight PilotMate system—between 15 and 18 pounds, depending on the configuration—can be installed in less than five minutes. Installation simply involves:

1. Clamping the antennas onto the ship's railing
2. Powering up the SPU box and display computer
3. Answering a few questions posed by the "setup wizard," such as antenna orientation and ship dimension

Either batteries or ship's power can be used to operate system units, including the display computer, SPU, and optional wireless data link.

PilotMate automatically accepts any ac power ranging from 110 to 220 V. Adapters are provided for interfacing with foreign plugs.

Photographs courtesy of PDA America.