GPS / Lap Top Interconnect ?

[Divecoz]

I did search for just that topic.. I got nothing for my attempt.. Did I read here that some have done this? How did you do it ? Will most units interconnect?
Is it more than the right patch cord / plug and play??
Do they really talk to each other or just relay the screen view? In a Morphed topic we got onto GPS versus Paper Charts.. If... this is possible to do ? Could you then down load (?) screen views, to a files for viewing? Could you then print these off.. to have and to hold from that day forward.....so to speak?

[March]

I am working on it. We're getting ready for a trip to the Bahamas and I want to have a backup plan for the Garmin 188 I am using. So far, I managed to get the SeaClear charts II (free!) from NOAA and installed them on my laptop. Great find. They are a neat alternative to Garmin BlueCharts. Now I am struggling with making SeaChart recognize the GPS (I have an old avionics AirGator bluetooth, but what the heck, a GPS is a GPS. There is no way to use the Garmin 188 GPS to interface with the SeaCharts (via Win7 patch) because the Garmin doesn't have a separate signal out port. I managed to make my laptop recognize the Bluetooth (it's a Socket GPS) but as for making the connection, zippo--probably because the AirGator hardware has a separate bluetooth connection to a WX weather antenna. But I still have a couple of tricks up my sleeve--plan to use an older Lowrance handheld GPS (which SeaCharts will recognize). Waiting for a usb to serial adaptor which is in the mail. Or: I will mess with the Windows Bluetooth ports until I manage to separate the WX signal from the GPS signal--for the time being, both BlueTooth devices are fighting over a COM5 port, and I haven't figured out a way to reassign different ports on my laptop. Maybe Seaclear will work with it, even though an email from the software producers told me that it will work only with Garmin, Lowrance or Magellan units. On the other hand, they never specifically tested to see that Socket will NOT work.

[Oskar 26M]

Should my Seiwa Seahorse GPS fail when cruising I have a separate bluetooth GPS and OziExplorer software on my laptop that provides me with redundancy . I now also have OziexplorerCE on my HTC-HD2 mobile phone which works great as a further backup system. OziExplorer uses any raster maps, including scanned paper charts and can also interface with Google Earth.

The Siewa has two input/output line pairs which interface using serial data NMEA 083 standards. One pair is dedicated to the proprietary depth/fish-finder black box, but I use the other pair to provide GPS data to various "listening" devices such as the Raymarine autopilot the Northstar fuel gauge and distance log and the VHF radio display.

I connect the Seiwa GPS to the OziExplorer software on my laptop (USB-serial (RS232) adapter at 4800 baud if I recall correctly) but I have only used the connection to exchange waypoint and route data between the Seiwa and the laptop. The same connection could enable the laptop to "listen" to latitude/longitude fixes from the GPS.

In the Seiwa's case it only possible to exchange NMEA data. It is NOT possible to transmit screen images from the GPS to the laptop or any other device.

[Sumner]

Maybe this will help.

Make sure the GPS is setup so that it is outputing NEMA at 4800 baud. With a Garmin Map 76S you do that under the "setup menu" and then "interface".

With the SeaClear under "Tools/Properties/Comm" and under the "NEMA Connection" I have the "TX/RX1" set to PC Port Comm 1 and the "BPS" set also to 4800. I have a cable going from the com1 port on the computer to the Garmin Map76. The same cable combination to the Map76 has 12 volt wires in it and separates before the computer and the 12 volt wires plug into a cig. outlet. Now the Garmin can send and receive to and from the SeaClear. If you don't have a serial (Com) port on your computer but only USB then you need a good USB to serial adapter and need to find what com port it is on the computer using the "control panel" and "device manager' in windows. You need to make sure of the com port before telling seaclear which one to use.

I also have a $35 GPS puck attached to the computer to a USB port. It is a GlobalSat BU-353 Waterproof USB GPS Receiver.....

http://www.amazon.com/GlobalSat-BU-353- ... 215&sr=8-1

Not sure who I got it from. It has software with it that will make it look like a com port to the computer. Again you need to find which com port it is using the 'control panel and device manager'.

Then in SeaClear I have it hooked to RX2. For my situation it is com port 6.

I usually have the SeaClear hooked to the Garmin and the puck at the same time and can't tell you which one it is using for position, but it works fine with either one hooked up or both.

Now you can plot a course very quickly with the SeaClear creating waypoints that can also be edited at any time and in 5 seconds or less send them to the Garmin. If you replot the course or download a new one just erase the waypoints in the handheld and send the new ones. I love it.

We leave the computer running SeaClear on all the time as it draws less than 30 watts and do most of our navigating from point to point using the handheld. If we are in a tight situation or narrow channel with no channel markers I'll sit in the companionway watching the seaclear on the large 9 inch screen and tell Ruth which way to go. As you know you can zoom very far in on the chart with the seaclear and see where you are to a matter of feet.

There is more on our low power ship's computer and using SeaClear on our site here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... index.html

One advantage to making our computer from scratch is that I could pick a motherboard that had lots of com ports and USB ports so I don't need USB to serial adapters. Also the board runs on 12 volts so doesn't need an inverter like a laptop does and is very low power, under 10 watts for the motherboard alone. The monitor is also a 12 volt monitor that only draws 10 watts. I added a DVD drive for movies and it has one card slot for further expansion if needed and it all fits....



...into a very small case, note the felt-tip pen by it for comparison. The router on top is low power 12 volt also and allows Ruth to also use the WiFi with her Dell laptop that is hooked to a 12 volt to 20 volt inverter. The WiFi has picked up over 4 miles out. Right now I'm about 1/8 mile from an unsecured hotspot and have DLS type speed.

We have found the SeaClear invaluable down here in Florida where we are 300 miles into the trip and it has all been new unknow waters anchoring in narrow shallow channels. It has never let us down and I wouldn't trade it for chartplotters costing more than a thousand dollars. The 9 inch screen is way better than most plotters that are under $2000.

I have all of the large paper charts for down here, but can't imagine navigating by them. The water is so shallow you are usually at least 1 mile off shore and from there it all looks the same. You can't even make out the entrances to channels. If you are going to Florida and say the 10,000 Islands areas or remote areas of the keys then make sure you have a chartplotter and hopefully something with a larger screen than a handheld. If you do have a handheld make sure you have the 'blue charts' and not the useless stock charts. We don't have the 'blue charts' on our 76 and without the SeaClear it would be very hard to use. a lot of the time it shows us on land when close in. If you download the waypoints to it it will be accurate and follow them even if it shows you on land.

Good luck,

Sum

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

[hoaglandr]

Great topic! I've got all the SeaClear charts on my laptop and have been thinking about hooking it up to my Garmin 421. NMEA seems to be the way to get it done.

Russell

[Sumner]

Great topic! I've got all the SeaClear charts on my laptop and have been thinking about hooking it up to my Garmin 421. NMEA seems to be the way to get it done.

Russell

Did you notice that it is pretty easy to convert any of the free USGS topo maps of lakes or land anywhere in the U.S. to work with SeaClear. I have a lot of Lake Powell done and other lakes in Idaho also. Takes about....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... Index.html

...10 minutes to convert a map once you get the hang of it. This would also work for any place in the world that you could get a map/chart for that has lat./lon. on it,

Sum

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

[mastreb]

Great topic! I've got all the SeaClear charts on my laptop and have been thinking about hooking it up to my Garmin 421. NMEA seems to be the way to get it done.

Russell

SeaClear only lists compatibility with NMEA 0183--which is nice because it's the cheaper way to do it compared to NMEA 2000.

To connect this to your 421, you'll need to break out the serial port on the 421 cable harness (probably inside your helm pedestal). Serial Port two is:

Grey wire: sp2 TX -- wire to DB9 Serial port female pin 2 (RX)
Violet wire: sp2 RX -- wire to DB9 Serial port female pin 3 (TX)
Black wire: Ground -- wire to DB9 Serial port femail pin 5 (GND)

Once you've got the cable setup, set your serial port settings to 4800/8/N/1 (SeaClear probably does this for you). If you don't have a serial port on your laptop, you'll need a serial-USB converter. These are cheap and widely available at places like Best Buy.

You should at that point be seeing NMEA 0183 sentences on your serial port. You'll also need to set the GPS sender digit resolution configuration in the 421--Look through the chartplotter manual for how to do that.

The 421 will also repeat some NMEA 2000 signals to NMEA 0183, so you may be able to pickup wind and depth on the serial port if you have those instruments.

Good luck and let me know how it goes--If you like it, I may do this on mine!

[Divecoz]

Sumner and Mastreb: and any and all others....
Thank You Gentleman.. IF NOTHING else..........I am going to copy, cut ,paste and print all this info and have one or both... of my sons... Make this happen.. BUT this time...they will just have to suffer through teaching me what they are doing in stead of just doing it for me..
Of all the things I Can Do... I have always shied away from Real Computer Stuff.. Time to begin learning......

[mastreb]

Sumner and Mastreb: and any and all others....
Thank You Gentleman.. IF NOTHING else..........I am going to copy, cut ,paste and print all this info and have one or both... of my sons... Make this happen.. BUT this time...they will just have to suffer through teaching me what they are doing in stead of just doing it for me..
Of all the things I Can Do... I have always shied away from Real Computer Stuff.. Time to begin learning......

Well... As easy as this stuff is for me, I have to say that serial ports are mostly obsolete. They don't come on any modern computers that I'm aware of. I don't think someone who begins now will (or should) pick this stuff up. It was all relevant 20 years ago when Sumner and I learned it.

If you've avoided computers this long, good for you! Get an iPad and forget about bothering with the obsolete stuff. A NMEA 0183 to WiFi interface and you've got everything you want on a computer you don't have to "learn" how to use that costs $500 (although definitely get the 3G model that has GPS and compass, the WiFi only models don't have either and you want both).

Spend $50 on the iNavX app and you've got a full chartplotter you can carry around your boat as a backup to your Garmin, plus Google Earth for free when you've got signal.

Matt

[C Striker]

I have nothing to add, just want to bookmark this topic. Hopefully once i post I'll be able to do so.

Have a great day folks

[hoaglandr]

Sumner!

I need to report success in converting a USG chart for use in SeaClear! It took me a while but I finally fumbled my way through it. Now that I know what I'm doing I'm sure it will go much easier the next time. I now have a pretty good chart of our local lake and I can even identify the spot where I drug my rudder last Saturday! The map clearly shows I was in a shallow spot! (Of course if I had been paying attention to my depth finder I would have avoided the problem as well!)

My next challenge will be to get my GPS working with SeaClear. It might take me a while to get to that!
Mastreb - thanks for the suggestion!

Russell

[Catigale]

Garmin let's your GPS talk to your computer through a software package that I think you can grab off their site

But by the time you have screen printed, weatherproofed the info if probably is cheaper to have just bought the chart!!

[Crikey]

I am approaching the same dilemma soon with trying to set up my laptop with chartplotting software for the spring season. I was hoping to try PolarNav software, based on good reviews, and received a reply from them that they were also NMEA 0183 only (same as Seaclear). I've already installed a fledgling system based on NMEA 2000 due to my new Suzi powerplant, and would like to ensure any future products I add are compatable with this. Does this mean I would have to run two pieces of protocol converting hardware into separate usb ports in order to run either of the above chartplotter programs and other hardware monitoring software based on the newer standard? Is it as simple as pointing the appropriate software at the relevant usb port?

Ross

[Hamin' X]

http://www.maretron.com/products/at10.php

http://www.actisense.com/HTML/Products/ ... /index.php

~Rich

[mastreb]

I am approaching the same dilemma soon with trying to set up my laptop with chartplotting software for the spring season. I was hoping to try PolarNav software, based on good reviews, and received a reply from them that they were also NMEA 0183 only (same as Seaclear). I've already installed a fledgling system based on NMEA 2000 due to my new Suzi powerplant, and would like to ensure any future products I add are compatable with this. Does this mean I would have to run two pieces of protocol converting hardware into separate usb ports in order to run either of the above chartplotter programs and other hardware monitoring software based on the newer standard? Is it as simple as pointing the appropriate software at the relevant usb port?

Ross

Many chartplotters repeat NMEA 2000 onto NMEA 0183 and vice versa. I'm pretty sure the Garmins do (not absolutely certain) but their NMEA 0183 port has to be manually broken out of the 25-pin connector cable as it's not a separate port on the back. Or you can get a bridge. Or you can encourage the software authors to update their software to support N2K.