laptop navigation

[Guest]

I have been given, yes given, a Compaq laptop computer.
As it happens I am also in the market for a new GPS. Question is, should I buy a handheld, connect it to the laptop, buy some software, etc. etc. Or would I be better off with a Garmin 128. ?
The computer is a bit old with a free memory of 115MB.
I would prefer the laptop option. If, as a result of this enquiry I decide to go down that route, am I going to be limited in the software which I can use or is there sufficient memory?
By the way its a 75meg pentium processor
Oh, I realise that there is a lot of debate about software packages, but given my machine what would you buy? Thanks in advance for your thoughts

 

[Guest]

We're just starting on this road and am going to try the very low cost and very flexible Oziexplorer(www.oziexplorer.com), which can be down loaded from the net for about $80 Austrailian and it will accept most cd held charts. It even shows methods of scanning in your own......so given a system which runs windows 95 or above it could cost as little as the above to try the method to see if it suits. Then there is the potential for weather fax and navtext through a very simple receiver.....all for relativly little outlay.

 

[david_bagshaw]

Buy the Garmin 128 (for its superior signal aquisition as it has an active antenna) and connect it to the lap top, & better still buy a yeoman as well to also connect to the garmin.
On my site , under voyages you can see some charts that I self scanned and overlayed with the track routes retrieved from the garmin using ozi.

However for the actual navigation I always use the yeoman as lap tops are not particularly robust at sea, and battery life is quite limited in terms of voyages at displacement speeds, and with the yeoman you have a mark on the chart when the electrics fail.

The lap top is great for seeing an overview of many charts, or a large days voyage, plus a good store for waypoints plus interesting for looking at at the end of the day for good steering, amount of tide carried etc

David psTake a look at my site www.yachtman.co.uk

 

[Guest]

I'm going through the same exercise at the moment. On the cheap software stakes go for Oziexplorer or Fugawi. Both are available for evaluation on the web. There is even a version of Fugawi that will run on Windows 3.11 which may be more appropriate for your laptop. The cheapest place for charts is the Fugawi site from a French supplier these are supplied in Maptech BSB format which is used by both the above. If you bought a macmillans almanac this year there was a free cd offer included which gets you a good demo version of the Maptech software.

On the GPS front all these progs work with both Garmin and Magellan as well as many other makes. The different makes are supported with different features and so make sure you get the best combination of GPS and software.

Colin

 

[Guest]

Agree with David - particularly as the 128 is a barain price. (£188 on YBW Marine Store - may be worth looking at MES in Bristol) A decent handheld will cost £120+ and assuming that you've got an enclosed wheelhouse an external antenna would cost another £70+ not forgetting that Garmin's mount bracket is around £30 and you'll need the 12volt adapter for the handheld...

BTW I had a look at your site David - great project, enjojed it!

Regards,
Rich.

 

[Andy]

David, i had a look at your page ref. ozi. My computer skills are limited to say the least! Could you run through how to project a chart on the laptop ant give the boats position on top? thanks.

 

[david_bagshaw]

How to:-

with paper chart scan it , usually in a number of bits and stich together with Paintshop pro or similar and Panavue to put the bits together seamlessly

Down load ozi explorer or similar and open the chart prepared above, has to be in BMP format if I rightly remember for un registered ozi, full details on his site, go through the examples that come with the software

then effectively register the chart image with known positions, ie lat longs & save

wire up the gps so it will feed data to the computer, and set up the corrrect data transfer type, acording to make., for immediate position output a nema data output is required

set ozi to moving map mode, and he presto chart centres on your position, assuming you are somewere on the chart.

It sounds complicated if not done before, but follow the examples in the tutorial and all will become clear.

The hardest part is the data lead, where one has to remember data out wire from the gps connects to the data in wire for the lap top. Plugs into the com port.


Com port plugs either come on the data lead from gps manafacturer,(expensive) or bought from Rs components, who if asked will supply a pin out diag as well . A bit fiddley soldering them up. You dont indicate age/ compatance with leccy, so if you feel doubtful buy the ready made version.

Allow loads of time fiddling with the program before using for real for the first time

Hope that helps, if not send me an e mail.(addy on site)

David psTake a look at my site www.yachtman.co.uk

 

[robp]

I also started the electronic way this year and am still looking at all the options. Learnt more again from this thread. However I bought a very simple programme from Neptune Navigation: www.neptune-navigation.com. It has inbuilt tidal data and therefore simply takes care of the math for you when you least need to be doing it. Basic outline charts so you use your paper ones for detail. Simply click on say, Bridge Buoy, drag and click on CH1, Cherbourg and it'll show you optimum departure time, passage time and COG. You can enter date and time, future or past. It'll also interface with your GPS. £65.00

I'm pleased with it but would be interested in more experienced comparitive viewpoints.

Rob