Pilot Info 5

Pilot Info 5 is a sophisticated but easy to use electronic pilotage planning and information software program for ship pilots and harbour staff, running on the compact and affordable Psion handheld computers. 

Pilot Info 5 has been designed and extensively tested to ensure that it is both powerful but easy to use. All functions can be selected using buttons on the touch screen, for rapid and easy use at sea.

The Psion Series 5 computer is compact (weight 354 grams (12.5 ozs)) but is powerful and fits easily inside a pilot's coat when boarding or leaving a vessel, making it ideal for pilotage service use. Long battery life (1 month of typical operation using 2 AA batteries) means that the computer is always ready to use.

Handheld, for easy use onboard

Pilot Info 5 features include:

• TIDAL INFORMATION – Up to 5 years of local high accuracy tidal height and high and low water information can be stored in the program and is used automatically in all calculations. Tidal times are automatically corrected to your local time zone (e.g B.S.T) so that you can make all calculations in local time. Both a text output and a graphic tidal curve are shown. Tidal surge values ( negative and positive) can also be entered and stored and are applied automatically in tidal calculations. Tidal windows and single heights are also calculated.

  

• WAYPOINT DATABASE – Store, edit and use an unlimited number of waypoints, with location and depth information. (Automatically updated and downloaded from our PC Pilot Info software if required).

• NAVIGATION MARK DATABASE – Store, edit and use an unlimited number of navigation marks, with depth and characteristics information. (Automatically updated and downloaded from our PC Pilot Info software if required).

• ROUTE DATABASE – Store, edit and use an unlimited number of routes, for use in voyage planning. Routes can be created by either selecting the waypoints from a list or by clicking on the relevant waypoint on the chart diagram.

• SHIP DATABASE – Store, edit and use an unlimited number of sets of ship data, in an easy to use format for use in voyage planning. For each ship, the following can be stored:  Name, Gross tonnage, LOA (Length Overall) , Beam, Features ( e.g Becker rudder), Remarks, Ship's Agent, Speed, Draught, Windage area, Freeboard, Block Coefficient, Date of last pilotage.

• VOYAGE PLANNING – Planning a voyage is simply a matter of selecting a route and vessel from the internal databases then choosing the time and date of the start of the voyage. All waypoints along the route are displayed together with : Depth at Waypoint, Total distance to go, Distance to A/C (Alter Course) position, ETA at Waypoint, Height of tide at ETA, UKC (Under Keel Clearance) at ETA, UKC now and UKC at LW (Low water). Functions available from the voyage planning screen include:

• Anchorage Details, with automatic display of whether vessel is within limits. UKC graph, showing UKC at ETA, LW and Now (current Time/Date) at each Waypoint.
• Heeled Draught graph, showing increase in draught of vessel for 1 to 10 degrees angle of heel..
• Windage graph, showing the wind force, in tonnes, at 30,60 and 90 degrees (abeam) on the bow. 
  All graphic data is also available in text table form.

• VOYAGE MONITORING – The current plan and UKC graph are automatically updated for tidal height at 1 minute intervals, giving a real time forecast of UKC and ETAs.

• The passing time of waypoints is easily entered and the ETA and UKC at all subsequent waypoints is automatically adjusted, making it easy to monitor the progress of the passage and to make decisions based on progress.

• CHART DIAGRAM – The Chart diagram can be used to both display the planned route, display the characteristics of navigation marks by clicking on them and for route creation using easy "point and click" methods.

  

• INFORMATION EXCHANGE – Pilot Info 5 will produce a full passage plan, including chart diagram showing the route. The passage plan can be printed and also saved to file, making it ideal for the Master to Pilot information exchange. Passage plans can be e-mailed or faxed to the vessel in advance, so that the Master is informed of the plan early. (The Series 5 will print to conventional printers and also has an infra red interface, for wireless connection to a portable printer).

• NOTES – Short notes are stored and easily retrieved for the current passage plan.

• LOCAL INFORMATION –Up to several hundreds pages of local information, including local notices to mariners and navigational warnings can be stored and then displayed at the touch of a button or even printed using a portable printer.

• REGULATIONS – Up to several hundreds pages of local regulations can be stored and then displayed at the touch of a button, for easy recall of both small and large documents, in effect making the Psion an electronic book.

• PC SYNCHRONISATION – When more than one Pilot Info 5 unit is in use then you can automatically synchronise all units when updating navigation marks etc, using our PC Pilot Info software. The Series 5 computer is connected to the PC via a serial link or infra red connection and the relevant files are automatically updated.

• EXPANDABILITY - Pilot Info 5 can be expanded to include:
• Automatic real time communications and updates from the VTS via a mobile phone or other radio.
• GPS interface for real time display and monitoring of position when using a personal GPS.
• Automatic real time display of weather information from our shore based compact weather station or other compatible weather station system.
• Automatic real time display of tidal information from one or more shore based tidal gauges.
• Automatic display of other ship data when linked to a AIS (Automatic Identification System).

  Minimum System Requirements

  Psion Series 5 (8MB RAM Model) or Series 5MX with 2MB free internal disk space.

Copyright © 2005Dolphin Maritime Software