Help testing new nautical software.

[MartinWaller]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone can help me please. I’m looking for people to help test a new bit of nautical software. The software runs on a PC and assumes that it has access to an NMEA data stream on a COM port. I’m based near Ipswich so boats sailing from any of the local River Orwell marinas would be excellent.

If anyone would be interested then please contact me at martin@the-wallers.net
Many thanks

Martin

 

[lustyd]

what does it do?

 

[chewi]

which nmea sentences, and on what data?
which nmea protocol?

 

[mjcoon]

which nmea sentences, and on what data?
which nmea protocol?

If it's NMEA 0183 then I could test it with my two anciant Garmin GPSs. But not at sea, I don't take a PC sailing, just my PPC.

I've been writing my own basic navigation s/w for years, for Psion PDA and PPC. (See Basic4PPC - GPS4PPC.)

So I am interested in functionality and know about testing and bug reporting!

Mike.

 

[snowleopard]

I'm all in favour of anyone who is prepared to go the extra mile with testing because there is so much half-baked half-tested software out there which, as an ex-programmer, offends me.

OTOH, it's been 10 years since I had a laptop with a com port on board. These days I have a 9-pin RS232 port on the chart table into which I plug a USB converter. On the NMEA 0183 bus I have a gps talking and DCS controller, PC and Autohelm listening.

If that fits your setup I'm happy to help - I'm normally in Cornwall BTW.

 

[Burnham Bob]

my gps dongle is usb but it has 'created' a virtual COM port - is that what you meant?

 

[chewi]

my gps dongle is usb but it has 'created' a virtual COM port - is that what you meant?

I hope so for the OP's sake, very few Laptops have genuine com ports nowadays, and nmea 0183 is on its last commercial legs.