Aqua Compact Pro

The Aqua PC range uses a 10-30v DC system only so if you want to run at home you will need a 220v AC to 12v DC adaptor. These should be available at any electrical supplier.

Depending upon the model of Aqua PC you have, you will need a power supply that can provide up to 5 Amps of current at 12v.

They are simply not designed for the hostile marine environment with constant vibrations and momentum from the boat and of course they’re not designed for salty air. Laptops also consume large amounts of power and often you will need an inverter or adaptor to connect to the boat’s DC supply which introduces more losses and electrical noise. It’s a much neater solution to have a dedicated PC and display both in terms of functionality and reliability. With some simple engineering, you can install a monitor to swivel between chart table and saloon so it can become an entertainment as well as a navigation device.

The Aqua range of PCs from Digital Yacht are designed to be permanently installed and can connect direct to the boats DC electrical system. They consume minimal power and are completely solid state with no moving parts. Despite their impressive performance they are as affordable as a good quality laptop and can support multiple monitors.

The Aqua PC uses a special power supply designed for commercial lorries that senses when the ignition switch is turned on/off and then powers up/down the PC. We have used this feature to allow our customers to fit a remote power switch (replicating the switch on the front of the PC) which is useful on a boat when the PC system unit is buried away somewhere safe (but difficult to access).

When 12v is detected on the white wire, the PC will power up, as if you pressed the push switch on the front of the PC. When the 12v is removed from the white wire the PC will start its power down sequence. The power board will keep supplying power to the Aqua PC during the power down cycle but after 2 minutes, the voltage will be cut and the Aqua PC will be in a very low power <5mA state rather than the normal standby state that most normal PCs go to after shut down that continuously consumes 0.15 Amps.

So, to fit a remote power switch simply connect a conventional On/Off switch; either toggle on/off type or a push on/off switch (not momentary type) between the white wire and red wire (boat’s 12v or 24v supply voltage).

A normal hard drive on a PC consists of several moving parts.  Not only do these consume more power to run, but they are very sensitive to motion as all the parts must work in exact synchronisation in order for the data to be read, meaning a hard drive is not ideally suited for use on a pitching boat in heavy seas.

A solid-state drive has no moving parts at all – data is stored in Flash memory.  As there are no moving parts, a solid-state drive consumes less power and performs well under all sea conditions.