Course up or North up???

[rondds]

What is your GPS set to?

 

[skibum]

Same here. I want the "route" line to be inline with the bow.

 

[Jaws]

Sorry to disagree.

I still use "North up" in coastal and open water situations because it's like the paper chart. However in rivers or waterways I may switch to "Heading up" because again the paper charts may have a different orientation other than north. Paper charts with plot lines, either from bearings or "D.R." positions should always be your back-up in open water. I don't want to confuse things.

It's a simple matter to switch your plotter to toggle between course, heading, and north up.

 

[LTD.330]

Course Up. When I just had a chartplotter it was North-Up but when using the Radar it is more intuitive to use Course-Up.

 

[chuck1]

Sorry to disagree.

I still use "North up" in coastal and open water situations because it's like the paper chart. However in rivers or waterways I may switch to "Heading up" because again the paper charts may have a different orientation other than north. Paper charts with plot lines, either from bearings or "D.R." positions should always be your back-up in open water. I don't want to confuse things.

It's a simple matter to switch your plotter to toggle between course, heading, and north up.

+1 Well said. I was just going to say "It Depends"

 

[my3sons]

Course Up. When I just had a chartplotter it was North-Up but when using the Radar it is more intuitive to use Course-Up.

Ditto here

 

[flarepoman]

I always do course up

Rick

 

[Hampton]

Course up. Have to reset it every day.

 

[Two Peas]

Course up. Not only does it line up with radar overlay, it is much easier to pick out visual landmarks and compare to the chart plotter.

 

[Turtlesboat]

depends.

 

[Leojray]

I am going with course up as well that is the way we drive on land and has worked well for me

 

[Nehalennia]

I like course up. In the San Juan Islands where we do most of out boating. It's nice to have the view of the GPS match what you are looking at for reference.

 

[electricaldoctor]

Course up of course. :thumbsup:

 

[Alex F]

Course up, I like having my radar targets displayed in relative position to the bow of my boat, as well as chartplotter info.

Same here.

 

[fc3]

it depends. Sometimes it's better to have north up and the chartplotter match your mental "map" image and do the chart rotation mentally to match heading. Sometimes it's better to have course up and mental rotate the chartplotter image to match the mental map. Sometimes I split the difference and leave the radar doing heading up, and the chartplotter on north up. Flexibility and adjusting to the circumstances to reduce the workload is the key.

 

[Kameroo]

Course up if you're moving, North up for planning. You can always turn your paper charts to match the direction you're moving. That way, what's off to your left, for example, on the chart will be off to your left when you look up.

Same argument happens in little airplanes. The big airplanes generally decide it for you by making north-up a planning mode.

 

[2000SEARAY280SS]

Course up if I am piloting North up for the Admiral.

 

[Jackie J V]

Course up.

I used to think I was some kind of purist for insisting on "North Up", but reality is that its extra processing when you're navigating tighter passages (i.e., vs. open water). I can see how I might revert for more open water passages, however I've never bothered.

Paul

 

[Greg]

I usually keep one plotter zoomed in on course up, and another one zoomed out a bit on north up.

 

[tdschafer]

Course up, I like having my radar targets displayed in relative position to the bow of my boat, as well as chartplotter info.

What he said!!:grin: