Laptop navigation software

[resnova]

Hi guys,

What navigation software do you use on your laptops? Also, what GPs antennae do you use?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Just_sayin']

Navionics. iPad. None.

 

[Refueler]

My Android uses Captains Mate with inbuilt GPS (CA HLR)

My Acer One notebook has Seaclear with a Bluetooth GPS puck and AIS USB

My Acer 15" notebook has both OpenCPN and Seaclear with again the Bluetooth GPS puck and AIS USB.

I also have feed from my Lowrance Plotter to my VHF (and to my notebook if needed).

I have an eTrex hand held GPS that can feed via USB as well.

As regards calculation routines - I used to have my Palm with Nav apps on .. after my Ti59 battery failed. I have various excel sheets for rough stuff ... and if I need a map created of an area such as a river that no chart is available - I have vectorising programs to create from land maps for my Lowrance.

 

[resnova]

My Android uses Captains Mate with inbuilt GPS (CA HLR)

My Acer One notebook has Seaclear with a Bluetooth GPS puck and AIS USB

My Acer 15" notebook has both OpenCPN and Seaclear with again the Bluetooth GPS puck and AIS USB.

I also have feed from my Lowrance Plotter to my VHF (and to my notebook if needed).

I have an eTrex hand held GPS that can feed via USB as well.

As regards calculation routines - I used to have my Palm with Nav apps on .. after my Ti59 battery failed. I have various excel sheets for rough stuff ... and if I need a map created of an area such as a river that no chart is available - I have vectorising programs to create from land maps for my Lowrance.

Thank you for that.

How do you get on with OpenCPN? I've just downloaded it and am thinking of ordering the Charts.

 

[Robin]

OpenCPN is great, laptop visibility in bright daylight useless, so lappie banished to down below and proper marine olotter used 'up top'

 

[dune16]

Navionics on an android tablet syncd together with my raymarine axiom plotter. Dont really use a laptop much anymore

 

[Robin]

Navionics on an android tablet syncd together with my raymarine axiom plotter. Dont really use a laptop much anymore

Me too but the laptop is still there as an independent with it's own usb GPS puck

 

[Robin]

I took OpenCPN off my notebook because I couldn't work out how to transfer charts to it from the laptop.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I'm a fan of Navioincs, seems very good, and the mobile app version is great vakue at about 40 quid a year. On the boat or in the pub I use Navionics on a tablet (built in GPS) and my phone (ditto) to supplement the chartplotter. Access to Navionics routes also available on any computer via any web browser. Never tried to use the laptop with Navionics Web on the boat but no reason why it wouldn't work as long as it has GPS. Most modern laptops do.

 

[david_bagshaw]

position and ais from a digital yacht class b unit to signal K to a wifi router. (but using NMEA) To which connect a laptop , tablet and phone using open cpn on laptop and marine navigator on tab and phone. all using charts for visit my harbor since 2013.

 

[Hurricane]

I'm a great fan of OpenCPN
I even make my own charts.
I don't buy charts for it because it isn't my main navigation system.
I tend to georeference my own scans but more recently I've been using the new MBTiles format which contains all the georeferencing.

You can use even the cheapest of GPS receivers/dongles.
I've used this one lots of times - Plug and Play under Windows 10.
GPS USB Dongle Receiver Windows 10 8 7 Vista XP CE Linux Google Earth Sat Nav | eBay
They are even cheaper on eBay from China.

I have a ships PC which feeds video to all the nav displays.
So I can switch between PC navigation and Raymarine navigation systems.
I've been doing this for 12 years now.
OpenCPN is so good now it is often used more than the Raymarine system.
For example OpenCPN's AIS feature is way easier to use than the Raymarine system.
Here's an example of CPA under OpenCPN

OpenCPN runs under Windows, Mac and Linux - and there is a version for Android mobiles.
The software is free and it reads loads of different chart formats.
I mostly use .KAP (BSB) format charts but the CMAP CM93 Vector charts are good.
OpenCPN quilts charts of different scales and types - even mixing vector and raster charts on the same page.
The latest version now incorporates multiple windows like this:-

See this forum thread for the latest features.

OpenCPN Version 5 Released

 

[Hurricane]

position and ais from a digital yacht class b unit to signal K to a wifi router. (but using NMEA) To which connect a laptop , tablet and phone using open cpn on laptop and marine navigator on tab and phone. all using charts for visit my harbor since 2013.

Agreed
But I found that SignalK was a step too far.
I don't really "get" SignalK
That said, I do use that concept - using Kplex to distribute NMEA (inc AIS) over the ships WiFi LAN
And OpenCPN is really good at handling this kind of thing.

 

[david_bagshaw]

Agreed
But I found that SignalK was a step too far.
I don't really "get" SignalK
That said, I do use that concept - using Kplex to distribute NMEA (inc AIS) over the ships WiFi LAN
And OpenCPN is really good at handling this kind of thing.

I only really use the signal k box as a very stable method of getting wired nema to the router.
Like many others I imagine the wireless distribution method became necessary as the USB contacts became more and more sloppy, to the extent last year I have used the downloaded version, unified charts from visitmyharbour. As to signal K it self, it works incredibly well for displays in a browser environment. signal K will probably in my view , in the distant future lead to the end of medium priced yacht displays.

 

[Refueler]

Thank you for that.

How do you get on with OpenCPN? I've just downloaded it and am thinking of ordering the Charts.

I prefer Seaclear .... but Seaclear cannot load Navionics and later formats.

OpenCPN ... I find strange after using ships ECDIS ....

Nigel

 

[oldgit]

previous system was old laptop and GPS ant and Software supplied by Visit my Harbour.Gave sterling service for years.
Laptop died and forced to update to Ipad and Navionics.
Should have bought another laptop and updated the charts.

 

[Montemar]

Navionics on iphone and tablets all vector charts this is used when underway
Belfield chartplotter on laptop using Admiralty charts (raster) this is used for passage planning
Standard Horizon chartplotter on boat linked to autopilot
Too much time spent transferring passages from one device to another!

 

[Boo2]

...I have a ships PC which feeds video to all the nav displays.
So I can switch between PC navigation and Raymarine navigation systems....

Is it possible to control OpenCPN from the Raymarine MFD in your setup, Hurricane ?

Boo2

 

[Hurricane]

Is it possible to control OpenCPN from the Raymarine MFD in your setup, Hurricane ?

Boo2

It is for me but I don't think my solution would work for others.
My Raymarine system is a G Serios Glass Bridge system.
My screens are not the same as the usual Raymarine plotters - essentially, they are just monitors.
The Raymarine "inelegance" is handled inside a black box that Raymarine call a GPM.
All my displays are fed with different inputs.
A quick push of a button will change the display from (say) Radar to (say) OpenCPN.
Or from (say) Raymarine Plotter to (say) Docking Cameras.
It all works really well.
Especially the OpenCPN bit - I have a "Ships PC" which is fed to all the displays so OpenCPN becomes an integral part of the navigation system.
Running it this way provides a parallel navigation system without compromising the reliability of the dedicated Raymarine Nav System.

 

[kevingreystones]

Hi guys,

What navigation software do you use on your laptops? Also, what GPs antennae do you use?

Thank you in advance.

Navionics on iphone ( brilliant charts and very easy to use )
Navionics platinum plus on my Simrad 12inch NSS EVO 3 plotter on board my Nimbus
Cannot fault it

Imray paper charts as back up ( like their clarity )

 

[karl.e]

I use I-Boating on Windows.
For GPS I recently bought a uBlox USB gps dongle for 7 dollars from eBay.

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