Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

[Luna Sea]

Geez, I know I’m looking into this a bit much but…………….<br /><br />There’s an online review on Yachtingnet, by Chuck Husick, regarding the new Si-Tex ColorMax Wide:<br /> “One small gripe: My polarized sunglasses interfere with the screens readability”<br /><br />There’s another one on the same site by Dennis Caprio regarding the Simrad CE33, granted they’re making the CX33 now but: <br />“At this stage, we encountered our first disappointment. Each of us wore a white shirt, and at some viewing angles the reflection of our shirts on the screen washed out the display as seen through our polarized sunglasses. The reflection was less of a problem when we removed our glasses, but it still annoyed us. We also discovered that our polarized lenses differed in how they let us see the display. Scott’s gave him the better view, angle notwithstanding.”<br /><br />Now, I recently purchased a Raymarine fishfinder (DS600x) and have had no problems whatsoever with my polarized sunglasses reading the screen. I brought my shades to the boat show, and experienced this screen “washout” on the Furuno I was looking at, that’s how I ended up with the Raymarine. I want a plotter that uses C-Map Max though (Raymarine is Navionics). I don’t know where to look at a Simrad right now so I’m gonna ask for some help here. Can anyone throw their 2 cents in as to a GPS that’s visible with sunglasses on? Surely I’m not the only one that wears sunglasses on the boat……….

 

[chuckz]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

LCD displays have a polarized filter in front of them, without it you wouldn't be able to read the display. A polarized filter allows light to enter only in one "polarization". I beleive horizontal is standard, but in practical application it doesn't matter as long as everything is polarized the same way.<br /><br />If you take two polarized lenses, like in sunglassses and turn them perpendicular to each other in the horizontal plane, they will turn black. This is because you are filtering out horizontal and vertical light.<br /><br />Now, if either your sunglasses or the display you are looking at are at a horizontal angle, the display will appear to fade because you are filtering out a portion of the light eminating from the screen.<br /><br />Some antiglare filters are also polarized and you will get the same effect.

 

[Luna Sea]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

Thanks Chuck,<br /><br />So maybe it's just a coincedence that my Maui Jim sunglasses view the Raymarine screen well? Whereas someone elses sunglasses may knot? <br /><br />Sounds like I'm gonna have to buy a GPS, hook it up to a battery pack, and bring it along to Sunglass Hut next time I wanna buy sunglasses? Or if I want to find some that are compatable with it?

 

[Darren Smith]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

This also happens with cell phone displays. L.I. chuck is correct on the way it works, but I have noticed more and more LCD displays going to a diagonal filtering, because sunglasses are not all the same, some use horizontal, some use vertical, so polarizing at a diagonal lets you view the screen, but can affect clarity. Maybe eventually there will be a standard accross the board... Until then, get a small battery pack!

 

[PAkev]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

Here's a boat load of shop talk for your consideration:<br /><br />All sunwear manufacturers use horizontal polarization to eliminate glare reflected from a 45 degree surface. The properties of a quality polarized filter utilize iodide crystals in a linear orientation so the polarized filter can manage reflected light similar to that of a venetian blind by enabling ambient light (needed for adequate vision) to enter from non reflective meridians while occluding (blocking) reflected light from flat surfaces. Unlike ophthalmic quality sunwear (manufactured to the same quality standards as prescription eyewear) which uses a suspension mold (better) polarization process, the less expensive laminate (substandard) polarized lenses have gross potential of warping, scratching, turning in a frame off the polarizing axis, etc. which often compromises optical performance of the lenses when viewing LCD screens.<br /><br />LI Chuck got it somewhat right.....LCD is an acronymn for Liquid Crystal Display which therefore also utilizes crystals instead of other non modern alternatives to manage a screen display for better visibility. Distortion is often recognized as the polarizing axis of the crystals in the sunwear conflicts with the orientation of crystals in a LCD screen. When this occurs, repositioning the horizontal angle by pushing the bottom of the fishfinder down will often make a noticable improvement when viewing the screen from a perpindicular angle. Most new TFT (transflective) color displays eliminate this problem.<br /><br />WAVE Technology (Wave Absorbtion Visual Enhancement) lenses from Costa Del Mar Sunwear were designed by fishermen for fishermen and therefore utilize technology that best diminishes distortion when viewing LCD and TFT displays.

 

[DangerDan]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

Ok so what make the little dots when I rub my eyes?

 

[Luna Sea]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

Wow, PAkev, that's some great info! Thanks to you other guys too. That's what's great about these forums, everyone's got a little "specialty info" to add, almost straying off the boat subject... <br /><br />I may check out those Costa Del Mar's next, I've seen them advertised but only considered them for "the look". I didn't realize there was more too it, figured polarized was polarized.<br /><br />For the record, travelled some mileage to get to an electronics shop that was open till 8 last night. Glad I cancelled the order for the Si-Tex, that displayed the most "washout" with my shades. Found out the Simrad doesn't offer the "perspective view" on the new C-Map MAX, and you can't get rid of the data windows in map mode so you don't really get a 6" chart window.<br /><br />I am, however, "sold" on the Furuno 7000. I saw for myself, and was told at the boat show, their fishfinder screens are a little behind some of the other manufacturers as far as sun vis. goes. Who knew the chartplotter screens would be of that much better quality. Could very well be a 7" "polarized sunglass viewable" screen on my dash next weekend....... <br /><br />Thanks again

 

[cbcrawford]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

If I wear my fishing glasses in the car I can't read any of the displays without turning my head 90degrees, then turning it the other way to read my cell phone!<br /><br />For the record: The little dots are the ?rods? I think (might be cones, whichever ones see color) readjusting back to normality and creating a negative afterimage- IE - if you stare at red you'll see green afterimages because your eyes naturaly began 'normalizing' to the red . . . same w/other colors!<br /><br />I knew that degree would come in handy one day! Now I can retire and fish for little red spots!

 

[briannh1234]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

If you have to twist your head 90 degrees to see the display then the glasses are defective. They lined up the lens wrong. I wore some perscription sunglasses for years with this problem. When ordering new ones from a new vendor she informed me of what the problem was. My new sunglasses do not have this problem. I won't by glasses at lenscrafters anymore.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

Si-Tex, Simrad CE33, DS600x, LCD displays, GPS, Maui Jim, C-Map MAX, Costa Del Mar's? Man, I just wish I could afford a good pair of Rayban's.

 

[Luna Sea]

Re: Polarized Sunglasses w/GPS Screens

BoatBuoy, you left out Furuno... <br /><br />Hopefully I'll be happy with my new GP7000...