Egad!!! Not Another Monark 1644 Project ....

[longjohn119]

Yeah but you won't look half as cool.. and that's the whole point 8) :lol:

How cool does a person look after spending 600 bucks for a $200 computer?

You can only run one app at a time, no cellular internet, a processor barely more powerful than my 5 year old Samsung Pocket PC (Which also had cellular internet and an add-on GPS) can't play You Tube or any other Flash based video, slow memory, ridiculous lack of storage

I can remember when Apple really meant something, now all it means is trendy overpriced gear and slick advertising/marketing campaigns.

I guess I'm just a Function Before Form kind of guy and Apple has become a Form Before Function kind of company.

If I were an Apply Kinda Guy i'd be buying a new fiberglass bass boat put together the way someone else *thinks* I want it instead of rebuilding an old Tin Boat they way I want it with an electronics/electrical system that blows away many yachts.

The Netbook to Chartplotter Project is what is known in R&D as a Proof of Concept and that concept is a multi-function internet capable, GPS capable touchscreen computer can be built for the low end fishing/marine market at a reasonable price. I don't really give a rat's behind if I make dollar one on it but I wouldn't mind working as a Consultant for any company wanting to run with the idea. I believe you can take the basic setup and package it in a more water resistant case and still beat the iPad's price point.

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

first time i seen a computer on a jon boat, you've got some good electronic skills thats for sure

now dont be out on the lake checking your facebook instead of fishing :LOL2:

 

[yak_n_fish]

That is some nice geekin', longjohn! =D>

Cool concept and implementation.

Cheers,
yak_n_fish

 

[Jim]

That is hardcore! I want it! :beer:

 

[longjohn119]

That is hardcore! I want it! :beer:

That's one of the other goals of my proof of concept, proving this is something fishermen and boaters will want and enough people would be willing to buy a small $400-500 computer optimized for boats and fishing to make it worthwhile for a company to produce and sell. When I first went to a Pocket PC for GPS my friends kinda laughed and said I was over doing it but after they saw some of the maps I was making, many maps you can't even buy if you wanted to and how it 'raised my game' when it came to fishing, they all wanted one. Then I went to a laptop and added internet access and then we could fish storm fronts and have up to the minute radar updates, up to the minute river level updates from the Corps of Engineers. I can even tell you how many barges are on the Pool, which direction they are heading and their approximate location. That raised my game some more. I'm a hardcore catfisherman and I target one of the biggest freshwater predator fish in the US, the Flathead Catfish and on the biggest river in North America, the Mighty Mississippi so I have lots of ground to cover, too much to just keep track of in my head plus it changes from year to year. The rule of thumb is you catch one Flathead for every 50 Channel Cats but last year I was catching a Flathead for every 2 Channel Cats. Why? Maybe it was a little bit of luck but more likely it was finding and marking locations on a GPS and fishing them, then taking a few of the better ones and spend a couple of hours making a depth map of the area (I use Dr Depth which also converts depth data to 3D GPS enabled maps) and use that to target the spots Flathead were most likely to feed and to rest. Flatheads aren't bottom feeders, they prefer live bait because they are truly a predator in every sense of the word. I mainly use natural bait, shad, sunfish, bullheads and chubs and I rarely buy bait so I also have scouted and marked spots to get bait.

I know the Big Boys already do this, I got most of my GPS PC software (less maps) from a professional Walleye tournament fisherman who's sponsor just provided him with a $4000 chartplotter fishfinder combo with a 7" screen so he was retiring his laptop. Cripes my boat when I'm finish won't cost me $4000 so there is no way a guy like me could justify buying a $4000 chartplotter that doesn't even have internet capability. I could justify buying a used $300 laptop and $100 in mapping software but full sized laptop isn't very power friendly, needs a power converter to up the voltage and is bulky and always in the way so I've been thinking about this for a couple of years but it wasn't until the 2nd generation netbooks came along that I had a viable and cheap platform to experiment on. Plus it's useful in a car or anyplace else you want to go mobile

Ya know you want one .....

 

[wasilvers]

Ya know you want one .....

Abosutly - I want one NOW!

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

Ya know you want one .....

for fwweeeeeeee :LOL2:

that stuff sounds killer i'd love to have a topo map of the rivers and lakes

 

[ober51]

If you ever build these for other people, I may want one down the road (less than 2 years). Looks great, nice job.

 

[longjohn119]

Some details of my night lighting/auxillary power system

4 or 5 years ago I picked up 4 of these for 5 bucks apiece at Big Lots and installed 4 USB sockets left over from motherboard installs and used them to light my poles and other things I needed light for. Problem is a USB connector and socket are kind of flimsy and the connections aren't plated so the sockets had to be replaced every couple of years.

I finally came across some socket/plugs that were more durable and reasonably priced (Socket $.60, plug $.70 at futurlec.com) These are actually some Old School multi-conductor connectors and used in really old commercial building control systems and used to connect the electronics to a box full of relays. The 3 pin connector I used was popular for balanced microphone and balanced line connections in studio and radio before Cannon invented the modern XLR connector we see on mics today. The 3 and 4 pin versions are rated for 7 amps and I used 16/3 cable for the wiring so they are capable of running much more than just a few LED's. I have a couple of dozen white LED's scavenged from old lights and such that I make into lighting arrays and I'll just add on of these plugs on a few feet of zip cord and ;plug them into any of the 8 sockets I installed on the boat

Here's a socket with the pigtail wires all insulated. I used some old liquid black tape which is a urethane like 3M 5200 and so it starts to slowly cure as soon as you open the container. I just took some of the partially cured/gelled stuff and scooped it out with a popsicle stick and pressed it in good around the wires and solder tabs. After it set I hit it with a couple of layers of fresh liquid black tape. Now it's waterproof and extremely well insulated

One of the LED lights with the new connector on the end

One of the sockets in my boat

And finally the finished product in the socket next to my livewell

 

[chevelle72]

nice looking rig you have.

 

[longjohn119]

If you ever build these for other people, I may want one down the road (less than 2 years). Looks great, nice job.

Hey it's the original Monark 1644 project dude. You got the Bass Edition so what do you think of my Catfish Edition of the Monark 1644 semi V? Not the computer, the boat

I don't have the resources or connections to produce something like this. Granted my cost was about $400 for the hardware but when you include the labor involved I'd have to charge a grand or more to hand make these like this. Reworking the case is especially labor intensive and a custom fit water resistant case is really necessary for mass production. This is after all an R&D type prototype and reproducible by other Netbook hardware hackers. A lot of the stuff I did has been done by many others and documented on the Internet. I just specialized it for boating/fishing and mapmaking. I believe I was the first to enable the Gobi 1000 modem's GPS on the Acer laptops sold by AT&T and others. Actually my hack will work on any netbook or notebook with a Gobi 1000 modem where the manufacturer failed to enable the built-in GPS.

 

[longjohn119]

Some pictures of the rear compartment. If I have a complaint with this boat it's the dinky size of the back compartment, it's one of the smallest I've ever seen on a boat over 14 ft.

Livewell pump and automatic Flow Rite valve

When I got the boat I tried to get them to throw in a repair manual for the motor but they were out of stock so I got a nice gas tank instead. Problem is it's a bit wide and I had to make it sit 3" off the bottom to make it fit and to clear the livewell pump

View from other side

And with the hatches closed

And a couple of the livewell setup. I'll take some pictures of the inside after I get it cleaned up a bit

Not willing to spend another 40 bucks on a knob and cable I modified and used a $7.00 universal lawn mower throttle control. It's not as pretty but it works like a charm

 

[BaitCaster]

Great looking build - very unique and professional looking. Also the word "egad" doesn't get nearly enough use in common conversation these days. =D> Nice one!

 

[Brine]

Very unique.....

Nice work. I'm thinking you'd be awful handy to have as a neighbor :mrgreen:

 

[Nevillizer]

Very unique.....

Nice work. I'm thinking you'd be awful handy to have as a neighbor :mrgreen:

ditto :!:

 

[ober51]

If you ever build these for other people, I may want one down the road (less than 2 years). Looks great, nice job.

Hey it's the original Monark 1644 project dude. You got the Bass Edition so what do you think of my Catfish Edition of the Monark 1644 semi V? Not the computer, the boat

I don't have the resources or connections to produce something like this. Granted my cost was about $400 for the hardware but when you include the labor involved I'd have to charge a grand or more to hand make these like this. Reworking the case is especially labor intensive and a custom fit water resistant case is really necessary for mass production. This is after all an R&D type prototype and reproducible by other Netbook hardware hackers. A lot of the stuff I did has been done by many others and documented on the Internet. I just specialized it for boating/fishing and mapmaking. I believe I was the first to enable the Gobi 1000 modem's GPS on the Acer laptops sold by AT&T and others. Actually my hack will work on any netbook or notebook with a Gobi 1000 modem where the manufacturer failed to enable the built-in GPS.

Ha, looks great man, you've done some ridiculously nice work and you should be proud, as it will last you for as long as you it to.

I figured that 400 was too cheap, but hey, even at 1000 it would be a great deal. Keep up the good work, looking forward to some action shots.

 

[perchin]

Holy (insert bad language)......that is sweet.... I share your pain about where Apple has started to steer...... so I pitched the I phone and now got the android!!! Wish I had your mad IT skills.

 

[longjohn119]

Holy (insert bad language)......that is sweet.... I share your pain about where Apple has started to steer...... so I pitched the I phone and now got the android!!! Wish I had your mad IT skills.

I believe a manufacturer could make it and sell it for under $500. The trick is finding a manufacturer and convincing them there is enough interest to sell maybe 100,000 units. Then you could farm it out to the Chicoms or Taiwan to do a run of motherboards, another to do a run of cases, perhaps a third for the LCD and touchscreen. That's essentially how all netbooks and notebooks are made these days.

Like I said I don't have the resources or connections to get something like that off the ground. I would however like to be a consultant on the design but the main goal is to just get a product like that out to the boating/fishing community at an affordable price so other Blue Collar guys like myself can take advantage of it. Just talking about the idea doesn't have near the effect of having a working prototype to stuck in someone's face and go "Check this out" ....

There's a chance of rain here tomorrow but if I get an opening I'm taking her out on her maiden run tomorrow, I just have the speakers, a 12v lighter socket and the power to the marine radio left to do. It won't be completely done but all the essentials are so it's fishable. I'll probably burn through a tank of gas before I ever get a pole in the water just playing with it and scouting some spots.

 

[longjohn119]

Took her out tonight for a couple of hours after the rain went through. No issues, no leaks, no water in the boat until screwing around on a couple of barge's wake just to get an idea of rough water handling (Very good, very balanced). GPS read 26 MPH in the backwaters with a 10 MPH crosswind and 28 MPH downstream in the navigation channel. I won't win any races but that's plenty fast enough running at night.

Of course now it's supposed to rain for the next 5 days straight ......

 

[longjohn119]

In case anyone is interested I updated my blog on the Netbook to Chartplotter project detailing the final results .... More updates coming soon including some of the finished boat

https://netbook2chartplotter.blogspot.com/