You would think with three computer screens we’d have enough “real estate” for the bridge. But that is never the case, so when Carol Parker mentioned an Ipad App called Air Display, which turns the Ipad into a second monitor for your PC or Mac, we decided to give it a try.
It is easily installed, we did this ourselves (!), and once operating is the same as an extra wired monitor, except it is wireless and portable. Your mouse pointer, for example, works on the Ipad just like a normal screen.
In this photo we are running the Victron inverter software control on the Ipad (this reports on various AC and DC functions).
Sidenote: the nav computer on which all of this is happening is a Mac Mini, running PC programs using Parallels. Both the nav program, Coastal Explorer, and Victron’s software are PC programs. The Ipad does not care whether it is showing PC or Mac software, or both at the same time.
Posted by Steve Dashew (August 14, 2011)
August 14th, 2011 at 9:27 am
Hi Steve, please tell me what size the Samsung monitors are?
Thanks,
Bill
August 14th, 2011 at 11:53 am
Bill:
The monitors are Samson 740BX, about five years old. Today, LED monitors would be far more efficient.
August 20th, 2011 at 10:59 am
Purchased this on your recommendation. Very cool app but can not make it work for maxsea. I.e. Ipad will not display the chart on the pc. Displays other info but not the chart? Am i missing something?
August 21st, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Hello Wayne:
Not your how to solve your problem. perhaps a SetSail visitor can shed some light?
August 22nd, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Hi Steve
In response to Wayne’s question, I wanted to use it with MaxSea as well but the Air Display literature says it does not support Windows based stuff. You did an earlier post on Inavx which would be a great choice as a full independent back up system to MaxSea with a GPS capable Ipad at a bargain price.
As you know, we have been running the Navionix charts on our Ipad (roughly $40 for chart regions outside the US) and have been very happy with it. It does not have good waypont functionality et al but it seems pretty clear that Inavx can run the Navionics charts if you wanted to have full functionality. In the South Pacific, the Ipad has become our back up go to device with Navionics charts on it. In a bad storm with a lot of lightning, we would put the Ipad in the micro to shield it and even if we lost everything else, we would still have a capable nav system – even better with a full functioning nav program like Inavx – and all at a bargain price.
With the FPB64 manual and all the system literature aboard the Ipad, it really has become one of the most popular and useful devices aboard.
Best
Pete
August 24th, 2011 at 8:01 am
Thanks Pete, air display does work on other windows applications, just not maxsea’s display. Another querkie thing is that the app changes the computer monitor settings every time it runs?! Still interesting app. It lets me run some things on the computer from the ipad that want run on the ipad…i.e. Flash