The ORCA Display 2: (PART 3) Learning Curve and Real-World Performance

-

When we decided to go with ORCA for BlueJ, the Display 2 was the obvious choice for a permanent mast-mounted solution. But like most things in sailing, the path to getting there involved some learning and a few course corrections.

The Budget Tablet Experiment

Before dropping the cash on the Display 2, I wanted to validate the whole concept of a mast-mounted tablet. So I picked up a 700-NIT waterproof Android tablet from Amazon for about a quarter of the price of the Display 2. The specs looked reasonable, it was IP68 rated, and worst case, we'd have a backup device.

It actually worked pretty well – the ORCA app ran fine, and the waterproofing held up. But two issues emerged pretty quickly. First, 700 NIT rating was bogus, it was closer to 400. and it just wasn't bright enough for direct sunlight conditions. You could see it, but you had to shade it with your hand or squint. For racing, where you need to glance at mast mounted instruments quickly, that's a problem. Second, keeping it charged at the mast was going to be a hassle. We'd have to pull it down, charge it in the cockpit, and remount it. Not the end of the world, but definitely not the seamless solution we wanted.

So the Amazon tablet got reassigned to cockpit duty where it lives a perfectly happy life, and we bit the bullet on the Display 2 with the official charging mount.

The Display 2: What You Actually Get

The Display 2 is a purpose-built marinized Android tablet with a TRUE 1000-NIT display, serious battery capacity, and full waterproofing. It's not cheap, but it's designed specifically for permanent cockpit or mast mounting in a sailing environment.



Let me be straight about the brightness: the Display 2 at 1000 NITs is bright for sure, but JUST usable in bright direct sunlight. You can read it, but it's not perfect. The competing B&G Nemesis runs at 1300 NITs and is noticeably better in harsh sun. But to be fair, in every other condition – overcast, partial sun, shade, night – the Display 2 is perfectly fine. For us on Lake Minnetonka, it's working out. But if you're sailing in consistently bright tropical conditions, that extra 300 NITs on the Nemesis would be super nice.

In all other lighting conditions, the display is excellent. Sharp, responsive touch interface (works with wet hands), and readable from multiple angles.

The Charging Mount: Actually Clever

The ORCA charging mount deserves special mention. It holds the Display 2 securely – I'm talking rock-solid, no rattling, no concern about it falling off even in rough conditions. The mount provides custom 25-watt wireless charging, which is powerful enough to keep the Display 2 topped off even with the screen at 100% brightness. That's huge for all-day racing where you're running everything full-tilt.


The ORCA charings mount is available in two versions, one that is intended to be flush mount on a bulkhead or a mast bracket, and one that contains a RAM arm for deck mounting. The two mounts are IDENTICAL, except one contains the RAM hardware. As they are the same price, I strongly suggest that you buy the deck mount version, even if you don't need the arm. RAM hardware is great, universal, and you'll find a use for it someday.

Installation was straightforward, and here's a nice bonus: the charging mount fits perfectly in the old NKE TL25 bracket. We have made solid use of this versatile bracket for years. NKE doesn't make these anymore, but they're still floating around on the used market. If you've got one, or can find one, it's a perfect match for the ORCA setup. That's what we're using on BlueJ.

Android Compatibility: The Good and the Frustrating

The Display 2 runs a custom version of Android and is Google Play Store compatible. This means you can install your favorite Android apps directly on the device. Weather apps, tide tables, whatever you want – it all works. This is actually pretty clever, turning what could be a single-purpose device into something more flexible.

The frustrating part? The Display 2 is consistently several firmware updates behind your phone or a third-party tablet. Over-the-air updates for the ORCA app to the Display 2 roll out slower than ORCA's regular app updates, which means you're often running an older version of the ORCA software on the Display 2 than you are on your phone. It's annoying, and I wish ORCA would tighten up that update cadence. Part of it I understand; they use the 3rd party devices as 'beta testers' for the Display 2. But 2 months/ 4 releases behind? Not good. You paid premium money for the device; you shouldn't be waiting for features that are already available on the phone app.

Charting: A Significant Limitation

The Display 2 can absolutely show marine mapping and navigation charts. And in general, the world-wide ocean coverage is good, albeit with some territory misses (like Mexico) and it is generally lower quality charting then say Navionics or  Time Zero. The screen size, resolution and interface however make it a viable primary navigation device. There's just one massive problem for us personally: ORCA doesn't have charting for inland lakes; in the USA and rest of the world as far as I can tell.

This is a huge omission. This means that Lake Minnetonka, where BlueJ sails, isn't supported. Obviously neither are any other USA lakes. For racing on BlueJ, this means we're not using the charting features at all – we just run instrument displays. It's disappointing because the hardware is certainly capable. The charting is available from one of Orca's existing suppliers, they just don't have it as a priority.

On Northern Lights, our Beneteau 343 down on the Gulf Coast of Florida, it's a different story. The ORCA charts cover coastal waters just fine, and we'll absolutely use the ORCA system and the Display 2 for navigation there. But if you're primarily an inland lake sailor, this is a limitation you need to know about upfront.

The 4G SIM Game-Changer

Here's something I didn't initially appreciate: putting a 4G SIM card in the Display 2 transforms its usefulness. With cellular connectivity, you get remote tracking and monitoring. You can check on your boat from anywhere, see where it is, monitor systems – all the IoT stuff that's becoming standard on modern boats.

This also means weather updates, routing recalculations, and ORCA's cloud features work seamlessly without needing to tether to your phone. For an extra $5-15/month for a data plan, it's worth it. We run a separate SIM in the Display 2, and it's paid for itself in peace of mind.

The Bottom Line

The Display 2 is a premium product with a premium price. It's not perfect – the brightness could be better, the update cadence is frustrating, and the inland lake charting gap is a real issue for some sailors. But for a permanent mast-mounted solution that integrates seamlessly with the ORCA ecosystem, provides wireless charging, and will survive the marine environment? It's doing the job.

Would I buy it again? Yeah, I would. But I'd go in with realistic expectations about the brightness and would probably have some choice words for ORCA about getting inland lake charting sorted out. And thats not just a USA problem. Poland has a huge lake-sailing community. Lake Geneva, Garda? The list goes on. The hardware is solid; now they just need to catch up on the software and charting side.

For what it's worth, the budget Amazon tablet is still kicking around in the cockpit, and it's proven that the concept works. The Display 2 just executes it better – assuming you're willing to pay for the refinement.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting an International Certificate of Competence (ICC) in the USA

-
Image
If you are an American sailor with international sailing aspirations, you have probably heard of the ICC. Sometimes described incorrectly as an 'International Sailing Licence' or 'Global Charter Certification', its roots and purpose are more complex, and somewhat strange to Americans. I'll start with a little background. More ancient than automobile driving, mariners (in particular recreational mariners) have long enjoyed a tradition of loose or non-existent licencing of their activities world-wide. Even in well developed countries like the USA, there is very little in the way of formal requirements in order to operate a boat. This has led the world to view American charter skippers as 'Credit Card Sailors', due to the only thing needed with their name on it to sail is their credit card! As often happens in matters like this, the ICC got its start in Europe. The close proximity of countries and the mixing of languages, laws, and cultures made a mis...
Read more

LED Nav/anchor replacement bulb

-
Image
Depending on the build year and the market, the First 260 often came with a single light at the mast top, most typically a red/green/white navigation light. Designed for offshore/coastal use, the fixture placed the light source high where it was easily seen. The single light has its disadvantage however, the primary one being that there is no provision for an anchor light. You CAN replace the fixture to a stacked nav/anchor light, but beyond that being expensive, you still need to run another set of 12v wires to the top of the mast, and add a switch to your DC panel to control it. So most boats stayed rigged in the original manner. A later option was a LED replacement fixture from NASA Marine in the UK. Called the Combi-LED, this light had the innovative ability to be controlled by ONE 12V wire pair, meaning no new wires to be pulled. It did this by reversing polarity to get anchor light, and came with a small switch to add to your panel to control this. I looked at doing this for ...
Read more

Spinnaker Handling: Twings

-
Image
A recent addition to modern spinnaker handling are a set of control lines called 'twings'. Twings are used to control the position of the spinnaker sheet and guy to shape the sail, and although they are not standard rigging from Beneteau, they are easy to rig on a First 260 or First 25s.   In the picture, you can see both the sheet and guy. Although hidden on the port (guy) side, you can see the twing attached to the sheet of starboard, holding it slightly down to give a better lead angle to the clew. This gives better sail shape. On the pole side, the twing helps the pole-down line control pole position. This diagram gives a good feel for how the lines are laid out. Ideally, you can control the twing from the cockpit as shown. Looking back at the first picture, the control device (F) is a Harken 150 camcleat with a Extreme Angle fairlead on it, mounted on the outer side of the coaming. You can see it easily in the picture. Here it is easily accessible by crew, and ...
Read more