Jack Erbes wrote:
Flemming Torp wrote:

snip As I do not
want to make physical changes to this set up, and as I do
have a notebook and a PPC with a GPS (a little RoyalTek RGM
2000-thing), I'm looking for a cheap solution to my
'cockpit-chartplotter-problem' ...

Since you have a PPC and a GPS receiver for it (the RGM-2000) you
might want to look at trying out a trial version of an application
like Ozi-CE (http://www.oziexplorer.com/). Ozi-CE may be able to use
the Maptech BSB charts you have now if they are on CD-ROMs. The BSB
chart files require some conversion for use by Ozi-CE, that can be
done using the trial version of Ozi Explorer PC (Ozi-PC).

You may also be able to use your DLSK charts if you can import them
into Ozi-PC and calibrate them for use. Once those are converted and
calibrated they can be used with either Ozi-PC or Ozi-CE.

Another possible avenue for using the DLSK charts is that if you can
export or save bit mapped images of the chart files, those can be
imported and calibrated with Ozi-PC (and a number of other
applications that get frequent mention here).

To get the most flexibility with Ozi-CE the Ozi Explorer developer
recommends also buying Ozi-Explorer for the PC. But you may be able
to get along without buying it. I purchased Ozi-CE to use on an iPAQ
3630 and am managing fine without having bought Ozi-PC also. I'm
using Maptech BSB charts and USGS topo maps (both come with
calibration data files) and those can be converted for use with
Ozi-CE by using the trial version of Ozi-PC. What cannot be done
with the trial version of Ozi-PC is to import and calibrate map
images or edit a map image.

A nice piece of freeware that you may want to look at that also has
good capabilities for importing and calibrating map images is
SeaClear II (http://www.sping.com/seaclear/). The process is a little
convoluted but I have been able to create routes on SeaClear II (using
Maptech BSB charts) and upload those to my handheld GPS (which was
being used with SeaClear for NMEA input).

I could then download the routes and waypoints from the GPS using GPS
Utility (www.gpsu.co.uk/) and then import the routes and waypoints
into Ozi-CE. Once you sort through the details of the various file
formats and the like, you'll find there are a number of GPS utilities
that data to be migrated from one platform to another.

My feeling is that the iPAQ screen size is okay for navigation in the
sense that you just glance at it occasionally to see if you're still
on track, in the same place you that your think you are, and are just
looking at the various details of data like course, speed, etc.

Route planning can be done on the iPAQ but it is much better done on a
laptop or other PC with a larger screen, a mouse, full sized keyboard,
and the other bells and whistles that make it easier and more
pleasant.

If your PPC has removable media (my iPAQ uses CF cards) you can more
easily store chart files and move data around between the PPC and PC.
I can store the Ozi-CE program and data files and hundreds of BSB
charts on a 1GB CF card.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)


The day is not far off when "head-up displays" as per the fighter pilot's in
an F16, will be available for we sailors!



--
Satellite photocharts of the UK & Ireland
available, excellent detail and accurate
calibration using Oziexplorer.
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