"luc" wrote in message
ups.com...
what's a bridge? I'm interested in all this stuff, but have no
experience in it.

The bridge in this case is a protocol converter that converts the Seatalk
protocol from Raymarine into NMEA and vice-versa. Navigation software uses
NMEA because it is "the" universal standard.

I just bought a Ray marine, wind/speed/depth combo,
but I think I made a mistake. It doesn't do NMEA without another
Raymarine gadget, costs $160. I'd like to be able to use my Gps,
(Garmin) depth, and a DSC VHF. What a mess this all appears to be! I
also imagine that NMEA sentences don't just "do" something on a laptop
without some software. Can anyone tell me if this is correct?

You need indeed a "bridge" to convert Seatalk into NMEA. And NMEA sentences
don't "do" something on your laptop, it is just sentences that contain data
from your instruments. You need software to make this info into something
meaningful, like displaying your position on a chart and displaying the info
of the other instruments.

Meindert
www.shipmodul.com