gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

What's a good and not-too-expensive hardware/software combination
to use with a (bluetooth enabled) net/notebook running winxp for
a chartplotter application? Electronics on recent charter didn't
work right, and I'd like to put something together on my netbook
that's a little better than my handheld gps. I was looking at
gps receiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270630743828
software
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280312392457
Is that a good choice? And will that gps receiver play nicely
with maptech navigator lite, that came with my chartkit?
(And is there anything for linux? -- that's what I prefer running,
but dual boot my netbook with winxp for occasions where windows is
the only game in town.) Thanks,
--
John Forkosh ( mailto: where j=john and f=forkosh )

gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

On Mon, 6 Sep 2010 19:37:45 +0000 (UTC), JohnF
wrote:

What's a good and not-too-expensive hardware/software combination
to use with a (bluetooth enabled) net/notebook running winxp for
a chartplotter application? Electronics on recent charter didn't
work right, and I'd like to put something together on my netbook
that's a little better than my handheld gps. I was looking at
gps receiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270630743828
software
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280312392457
Is that a good choice? And will that gps receiver play nicely
with maptech navigator lite, that came with my chartkit?
(And is there anything for linux? -- that's what I prefer running,
but dual boot my netbook with winxp for occasions where windows is
the only game in town.) Thanks,

There is a relatively new (and free) charting package called OpenCPN.
It will work with just about any GPS:

http://opencpn.org/

http://opencpn.org/download

I don't have any experience with Bluetooth GPS units, however I
recently purchased a USB GPS that I'm very happy with:

http://www.amazon.com/USGlobalSat-BU-353-WaterProof-Enabled-Receiver/dp/B000V5TV22

It is very accurate, sensitive, quick to acquire satellites,
inexpensive, small, and water proof. It has worked with every
software mapping package that I've tried it with including Maptech,
Street Map (both USA and Europe), and OpenCPN. It also comes with
utility software and drivers which create a virtual COM port, displays
the port # of the GPS unit, displays satellite info, and displays NMEA
sentences.

gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

JohnF wrote:
What's a good and not-too-expensive hardware/software combination
to use with a (bluetooth enabled) net/notebook running winxp for
a chartplotter application? Electronics on recent charter didn't
work right, and I'd like to put something together on my netbook
that's a little better than my handheld gps. I was looking at
gps receiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270630743828
software
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280312392457
Is that a good choice? And will that gps receiver play nicely
with maptech navigator lite, that came with my chartkit?
(And is there anything for linux? -- that's what I prefer running,
but dual boot my netbook with winxp for occasions where windows is
the only game in town.) Thanks,
Have you tried google earth? it has e few cute gps modes, and is free...

gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

On Mon, 6 Sep 2010 19:37:45 +0000 (UTC), JohnF
wrote:

What's a good and not-too-expensive hardware/software combination
to use with a (bluetooth enabled) net/notebook running winxp for
a chartplotter application? Electronics on recent charter didn't
work right, and I'd like to put something together on my netbook
that's a little better than my handheld gps. I was looking at
gps receiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270630743828
software
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280312392457
Is that a good choice? And will that gps receiver play nicely
with maptech navigator lite, that came with my chartkit?
(And is there anything for linux? -- that's what I prefer running,
but dual boot my netbook with winxp for occasions where windows is
the only game in town.) Thanks,


I have a - no idea of the name of the thing, probably Chinese anyway
- Bluetooth GPS receiver. Came with a mini-disk with drivers which
installed a "Bluetooth serial port" and IIRC allowed one to change the
port number as required. Connected it up, configured the port and the
two chart plotter applications I have worked with no problems. As far
as I know the chart-plotter software all simply accesses one or
another of the serial ports to receive a data stream and doesn't care
what generates that data.

The problem I had was that the GPS had to be located above deck and
the battery in the Bluetooth GPS would run down in a few hours so I
adapted it to run on 12 VDC. But that was the only problem.



Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

On Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:10:44 +0200, Sjouke Burry
wrote:

JohnF wrote:
What's a good and not-too-expensive hardware/software combination
to use with a (bluetooth enabled) net/notebook running winxp for
a chartplotter application? Electronics on recent charter didn't
work right, and I'd like to put something together on my netbook
that's a little better than my handheld gps. I was looking at
gps receiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270630743828
software
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280312392457
Is that a good choice? And will that gps receiver play nicely
with maptech navigator lite, that came with my chartkit?
(And is there anything for linux? -- that's what I prefer running,
but dual boot my netbook with winxp for occasions where windows is
the only game in town.) Thanks,
Have you tried google earth? it has e few cute gps modes, and is free...


Does google earth display navigation aids, buoy and channel markers,
etc and water depth?

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

On Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:57:34 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 6 Sep 2010 19:37:45 +0000 (UTC), JohnF
wrote:

What's a good and not-too-expensive hardware/software combination
to use with a (bluetooth enabled) net/notebook running winxp for
a chartplotter application? Electronics on recent charter didn't
work right, and I'd like to put something together on my netbook
that's a little better than my handheld gps. I was looking at
gps receiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270630743828
software
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280312392457
Is that a good choice? And will that gps receiver play nicely
with maptech navigator lite, that came with my chartkit?
(And is there anything for linux? -- that's what I prefer running,
but dual boot my netbook with winxp for occasions where windows is
the only game in town.) Thanks,

There is a relatively new (and free) charting package called OpenCPN.
It will work with just about any GPS:

http://opencpn.org/

http://opencpn.org/download

I don't have any experience with Bluetooth GPS units, however I
recently purchased a USB GPS that I'm very happy with:

http://www.amazon.com/USGlobalSat-BU-353-WaterProof-Enabled-Receiver/dp/B000V5TV22

It is very accurate, sensitive, quick to acquire satellites,
inexpensive, small, and water proof. It has worked with every
software mapping package that I've tried it with including Maptech,
Street Map (both USA and Europe), and OpenCPN. It also comes with
utility software and drivers which create a virtual COM port, displays
the port # of the GPS unit, displays satellite info, and displays NMEA
sentences.


I've got a copy of OpenCPN but the version I downloaded does not
contain any utilities to create virtual ports. Is there an accessory
package that I should get?

I haven't used it for navigation but playing with it I noticed that
there doesn't seem to be any way to measure distance and heading to a
destination. Not a vital feature, but one I use a lot. (nice to keep
track of when ur gonna get thar :-)


Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

Wayne.B wrote:
JohnF wrote:

What's a good and not-too-expensive hardware/software combination
to use with a (bluetooth enabled) net/notebook running winxp for
a chartplotter application? Electronics on recent charter didn't
work right, and I'd like to put something together on my netbook
that's a little better than my handheld gps. I was looking at
gps receiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270630743828
software
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=280312392457
Is that a good choice? And will that gps receiver play nicely
with maptech navigator lite, that came with my chartkit?
(And is there anything for linux? -- that's what I prefer running,
but dual boot my netbook with winxp for occasions where windows is
the only game in town.) Thanks,

There is a relatively new (and free) charting package called OpenCPN.
It will work with just about any GPS:
http://opencpn.org/
http://opencpn.org/download

I don't have any experience with Bluetooth GPS units, however I
recently purchased a USB GPS that I'm very happy with:
http://www.amazon.com/USGlobalSat-BU...bled-Receiver/
dp/B000V5TV22

It is very accurate, sensitive, quick to acquire satellites,
inexpensive, small, and water proof. It has worked with every
software mapping package that I've tried it with including Maptech,
Street Map (both USA and Europe), and OpenCPN. It also comes with
utility software and drivers which create a virtual COM port, displays
the port # of the GPS unit, displays satellite info, and displays NMEA
sentences.

Thanks a lot for the recommendations, Wayne. I ordered that receiver
from Amazon (does it acquire satellites from the cabin, or only cockpit?),
and downloaded (windows, linux, source versions of) OpenCPN,
along with its documentation and their converted pilot charts.
And I'm surprised there's a linux version (but haven't had a chance
to install/play with anything yet). From the main page I see it
supports various chart formats, and assume the vector ones are better
than raster. Is there some reason OpenCPN had to specially convert them?
And are there some standard chart download sites, or, even better,
some inexpensive dvd's with them all? And some sites that explain the
formats, copyrights (I'm aware there are some proprietary ones), etc?
And, finally, I'm realizing I'll need a small efficient inverter
for prolonged use. You have a recommendation for that? Thanks again,
--
John Forkosh ( mailto: where j=john and f=forkosh )

gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

Sjouke Burry wrote:
Have you tried google earth? it has e few cute gps modes, and is free...

Am I missing something, or would that require internet access?
Maybe there exists some satellite access, but I won't have that
any time soon.
--
John Forkosh ( mailto: where j=john and f=forkosh )

gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:

I have a - no idea of the name of the thing, probably Chinese anyway
- Bluetooth GPS receiver. Came with a mini-disk with drivers which
installed a "Bluetooth serial port" and IIRC allowed one to change the
port number as required. Connected it up, configured the port and the
two chart plotter applications I have worked with no problems. As far
as I know the chart-plotter software all simply accesses one or
another of the serial ports to receive a data stream and doesn't care
what generates that data.

The problem I had was that the GPS had to be located above deck and
the battery in the Bluetooth GPS would run down in a few hours so I
adapted it to run on 12 VDC. But that was the only problem.

Thanks, Bruce. My handheld (and other handhelds I've seen)
also only work in the cockpit, which is why I thought bluetooth
might be preferable -- maybe leave the receiver in the cockpit
and the netbook at a nav station as near as possible to the
companionway. The ebay gps I linked to claims (repeat, claims)
to run 15 hours off a charge. Anyway, for the time being
I took Wayne's usb-wired gps recommendation, and will play with
that for a while.
Which two chart-plotter applications have you worked with?
My small amount of googling suggested
http://www.fugawi.com/web/products/f..._navigator.htm
might be best, but it sure ain't cheap. I'd rather play with
something way less expensive, at least until I know what I'm doing.
--
John Forkosh ( mailto: where j=john and f=forkosh )

gps receiver and software for netbook chartplotter
 

On Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:10:44 +0200, Sjouke Burry
wrote:

Have you tried google earth? it has e few cute gps modes, and is free...

It also requires an internet connection unless you have discovered a
way to download their imagery.