I was considering the march of technology and the computing power many
of us have on our boats, then considered the byzantine methods the
various mapping agencies use to create our nautical charts and how
out-of-date they really are.

Has anyone seen a project to collect position and depth data
automatically and periodically upload the data to a central server? I
vaguely recall someone who mapped one or more anchorages automatically
like that, and there's another project where large and commercial ships
sample and analyze the waters they're passing through.

I would love to participate, in exchange for charts that accurately
show what's ahead of our keel.

Yeah, yeah, it's a project that would in some way require the
cooperation of the various national agencies ... Or one of the map
sellers might be interested, as it would give them an incredible edge
over the other suppliers.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

On Sep 26, 3:45*pm, Jere Lull wrote:
I was considering the march of technology and the computing power many
of us have on our boats, then considered the byzantine methods the
various mapping agencies use to create our nautical charts and how
out-of-date they really are.

Has anyone seen a project to collect position and depth data
automatically and periodically upload the data to a central server? I
vaguely recall someone who mapped one or more anchorages automatically
like that, and there's another project where large and commercial ships
sample and analyze the waters they're passing through.

I would love to participate, in exchange for charts that accurately
show what's ahead of our keel.

Yeah, yeah, it's a project that would in some way require the
cooperation of the various national agencies ... Or one of the map
sellers might be interested, as it would give them an incredible edge
over the other suppliers.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages:http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips:http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

As I recall the MaxSea software has the ability to up date depth data
from the reading on your boats depth finder.


Capt. Bill

On Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:45:57 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

Has anyone seen a project to collect position and depth data
automatically and periodically upload the data to a central server?

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who is a member of the
US Power Squadron organization. Apparently his local chapter here in
SWFL does that sort of thing from time to time. I don't know how the
data is passed along and/or updated.

There is more to it than meets the eye. Each boat needs to have the
sounder precisely calibrated and the state of the tide needs to be
carefully noted.

On 2008-09-26 16:00:14 -0400, "Capt.Bill" said:

On Sep 26, 3:45*pm, Jere Lull wrote:

Has anyone seen a project to collect position and depth data
automatically and periodically upload the data to a central server?

As I recall the MaxSea software has the ability to up date depth data
from the reading on your boats depth finder.

That's cool!

Now, do they do anything with the data?

Their website sucks, can't find any of the usual stuff. I know they
used to support the Mac OS. Any idea if they still do?

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

A few months back, Navquest offered free downloads of coastal charts.
I wanted to cover teh Gulf of Texas, and the area up around the
Columbia River entrance.

I couldn't get them from my home computer for some reason.
But the local library computers worked fine.

I copyed off the entire Gulf Coast, the Left Coast, and some of the Right.

I don't think you can still download them for free, but I have themif
anybody really gets going on this.

They are in PDF format.

Ask for the list if you want.

The Excel index runs 804 _cells_ - most of which run up to eight lines
of text....



Richard

On 2008-09-26 18:18:17 -0400, Wayne.B said:

On Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:45:57 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

Has anyone seen a project to collect position and depth data
automatically and periodically upload the data to a central server?

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who is a member of the
US Power Squadron organization. Apparently his local chapter here in
SWFL does that sort of thing from time to time. I don't know how the
data is passed along and/or updated.

That sounds auspicious!

Could you perhaps try to find out what more you can? That might lead to
a more central database and something that I and others can contribute
to.

There is more to it than meets the eye. Each boat needs to have the
sounder precisely calibrated and the state of the tide needs to be
carefully noted.

It's possible to get around imprecisely-calibrated sounders. If a
particular boat consistently reads 1.075' below the norm, put that in
that boat's record and add that much to each of its readings.

Current tide can be calculated, or observed from others' soundings at
the same time.

Really, those problems are pretty minor, adjustments easy to apply.

I'm quite a bit surprised that someone else hasn't thought of this and
started the process.

I'm a fairly good programmer(*) and would be willing to donate my time
to get such a system up and running, but would rather help an innovator
than create an entirely separate system.

--
Jere Lull
(*) Actually, I'm a wizard system developer, creating complex systems
as a byproduct of the request. You guys know me as a sailor and can
evaluate me on those terms from my posts. I'm a MUCH better developer
than sailor, not that anyone I haven't worked with could understand my
capabilities.

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2008092615455816807-jerelull@maccom...
I was considering the march of technology and the computing power many of
us have on our boats, then considered the byzantine methods the various
mapping agencies use to create our nautical charts and how out-of-date they
really are.

Has anyone seen a project to collect position and depth data automatically
and periodically upload the data to a central server? I vaguely recall
someone who mapped one or more anchorages automatically like that, and
there's another project where large and commercial ships sample and
analyze the waters they're passing through.

I would love to participate, in exchange for charts that accurately show
what's ahead of our keel.

Yeah, yeah, it's a project that would in some way require the cooperation
of the various national agencies ... Or one of the map sellers might be
interested, as it would give them an incredible edge over the other
suppliers.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

There is a program called Ozidepths which works in collaboration with
OziExplorer, the best of all navigation software.

You could Google for it, and as Oziexplorer has programmable factilities,
you might be able to adapt Ozidepths to suit your purpose.


Dennis.

On 2008-09-27 04:18:32 -0400, "Dennis Pogson"
said:

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2008092615455816807-jerelull@maccom...

Has anyone seen a project to collect position and depth data
automatically and periodically upload the data to a central server? I
vaguely recall someone who mapped one or more anchorages automatically
like that, and there's another project where large and commercial ships
sample and analyze the waters they're passing through.

I would love to participate, in exchange for charts that accurately
show what's ahead of our keel.

There is a program called Ozidepths which works in collaboration with
OziExplorer, the best of all navigation software.

You could Google for it, and as Oziexplorer has programmable
factilities, you might be able to adapt Ozidepths to suit your purpose.

Sadly, OziExplorer doesn't support Mac, so I couldn't participate.

Friends don't let friends do Windoze.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Solve the problem by investing in a phased array, side scanning sonar. They
are very affordable and reliable. See the Interphase 180.
Steve

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2008092615455816807-jerelull@maccom...
I was considering the march of technology and the computing power many of
us have on our boats, then considered the byzantine methods the various
mapping agencies use to create our nautical charts and how out-of-date they
really are.

Has anyone seen a project to collect position and depth data automatically
and periodically upload the data to a central server? I vaguely recall
someone who mapped one or more anchorages automatically like that, and
there's another project where large and commercial ships sample and
analyze the waters they're passing through.

I would love to participate, in exchange for charts that accurately show
what's ahead of our keel.

Yeah, yeah, it's a project that would in some way require the cooperation
of the various national agencies ... Or one of the map sellers might be
interested, as it would give them an incredible edge over the other
suppliers.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

On 2008-09-27 15:03:37 -0400, "Steve Lusardi" said:

Solve the problem by investing in a phased array, side scanning sonar. They
are very affordable and reliable. See the Interphase 180.

Not needed. I don't mind finding a channel by the braille method.

But I won't even try if the chart says we won't fit.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/