North up always.
I think you may find an age difference in the views here. In the old days every chart was paper. All printed charts are North up. When GPS started to appear about 25 years ago for recreational boats even the charts you purchase had very poor detail on the electronic charts. You had to compare your paper charts to your on screen position if you wanted to know about wash rocks etc. The old electronic maps only showed the larger islands and your position. So you had to run your unit with a North up orientation to be able to compare positions on a paper chart. That was the way I learned to run my units, and I've just stuck with that since my first Garmin over 25 years ago.
I grew up knowing what a map is and how to use it, so I ran North up for years. After years of complaints by newbies on my boat and their total inability to maintain spacial awareness and direction unless it looks like a first person shooter video game, I reluctantly changed. They kept going into my settings to try to change it to their preference and then they would mess up other settings. Now the video game generation is less prone to driving into things while I am resetting the fishing gear. It is amazing how many people have lived in an area their entire lives are and unless they are looking directly into a setting sun, they have no idea which way is west. LOL. I have trained them to bring gas money and some food/beer though. Now the challenge is listening to their whining that they can't understand grayscale images and why can't I get all my electronics in colour. Next they will want a joystick and some headphones to operate the boat.
Very well said. Couldn't agree more.I figure most guys who run heads up or course up are relying mostly on GPS for position. If you are also using other navigational techniques like ranges and bearings North up is your friend.
Guarantee you that if one learns North up, you'll be way better off in the fog if your gps dies. I admit that when I first started using North up instead of heads up there was a bit of a learning curve, but it is now just as "intuitive" as heads up ever was, along with the added benefit of having a better idea of where you are without relying on GPS. Maybe not so critical in areas that you know like the back of your hand, but in strange new lands and barely remembered haunts it can't be beat.
I figure most guys who run heads up or course up are relying mostly on GPS for position. If you are also using other navigational techniques like ranges and bearings North up is your friend.
Guarantee you that if one learns North up, you'll be way better off in the fog if your gps dies. I admit that when I first started using North up instead of heads up there was a bit of a learning curve, but it is now just as "intuitive" as heads up ever was, along with the added benefit of having a better idea of where you are without relying on GPS. Maybe not so critical in areas that you know like the back of your hand, but in strange new lands and barely remembered haunts it can't be beat.
North Up always for me. Course Up drives me nuts, constantly adjusting the entire map.
I figure most guys who run heads up or course up are relying mostly on GPS for position. If you are also using other navigational techniques like ranges and bearings North up is your friend.
Guarantee you that if one learns North up, you'll be way better off in the fog if your gps dies. I admit that when I first started using North up instead of heads up there was a bit of a learning curve, but it is now just as "intuitive" as heads up ever was, along with the added benefit of having a better idea of where you are without relying on GPS. Maybe not so critical in areas that you know like the back of your hand, but in strange new lands and barely remembered haunts it can't be beat.
Agreed, course up drive me nuts too. I have tried it a couple of times but always go back to north up. Maybe if plotting a course, course up would be okay.North Up always for me. Course Up drives me nuts, constantly adjusting the entire map.