Daniele Fua wrote:

Is there an easy way to build a display that will show some chosen NMEA
data?
I have seen on the market programmable units that sell for several
hundred $ and I know that a computer is easily interfaced but what I
need is just a simple, cheap and weatherproof repeater at the helm to
display only few of the zillion data available at the underdeck main
navigation station. For example decoding just part of BWC and VTG and
displaying, say, four lines would be enough (COG, heading, bearing to
waypoint, and distance to waypoint).

Daniel

When you say 'build', what is your experience level with hardware and
software.

There are a number of microcontroller development kits that can do what
you want. Displays available range from 2x16 character backlit
alphanumeric LCDs to QVGA (quarter VGA) bit-mapped graphics.

This outfit: http://www.parallax.com/ sells a range of products that can
do what you want if you have the skill to cobble some hardware and code
together. If that's beyond your skill level or your time is worth too
much, a ready-made unit is a better choice.

The good thing about some of these kits is that there are enough users
groups on-line that someone may already have solved your problem for
you. Or something close enough.

--
Paul Hovnanian
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At some point it becomes necessary to behead all the architects and
begin construction. -- Abi-Bar-Shim (Project Mgr. - Great Pyramid)