Laptop navigation

[Jeepster]

I made up a system with Seapro Lite, which I think supports AIS. I got an ancient laptop and buried away (in a cool place) so it was protected from vibration etc....... then connected a nice big monitor and used a wireless keyboard and trackball. Worked a treat and never let me down. It was all powered from the boat batteries as invertors are not ideal. Having said that, if you must have 240v then that's the only option, but you can often dispense with the laptop power adapter and wire it straight into the 12v, assuming obviously it's a 12v laptop and monitor.

I am a newbe to all this electronic navigation malarky and I have to say I've learnt loads just reading the first page of this thread. I had never heard of AIS before...Did a wesearch and was pleasently supprised to find I can now see where the big ships are at a stroke...Brilliant!
Also I had no idea Maplins did GPS dongles for £20 or what you could do with them...I will certainly have to look into that.
I have a question to ask though and to save me trudging through every single reply in this thread to find the answer I'll ask the question here...I wonder if there is some kind of in-line automatic voltage regulator available to allow me to run equipment requiring a 12v supply safely from the DC supply from the boats single main lead acid battery, when it could be being charged by the engine at up to 16v?
The fear of the high charging voltage frying delicate and often expensive electronic items is always at the back of my mind, so any solutions that are'nt too expensive would be very welcome...Apart from the basic resistor- on-a-heatsink way to drop the voltage, any better ideas or off the peg solutions?
Can a 12v inverter run at up to 16v input safely?
I have a 24v inverter too but 16v would probably be too low a voltage to power it.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Belfield Plotter/Tides ref: Amulet ....posting 38 above.
In fear of purchasing something that didn't do what I required of it.... i.e. passage planning considering tides, I telephoned Belfields this a.m.
My mind was put at rest that the plotter together with tides did what I wanted it to.
I understand from Belfields that to look forward to tide information, in simple terms all I need do is to use a drop down box and put the date in required.
It is also compatable with my AIS engine.
I still have to unwrap my purchase but my mind has been put at rest and I'll attempt my download asap.
I have advised Belfields of this thread and have invited a response.

S.

 

[Joker]

You can buy 12V adaptors for almost any laptop - designed initially for car use, they plug stright into a cigarette lighter socket. A laptop does, of course, use more power, but a chartplotter can't be far behind.

 

[Jeepster]

You can buy 12V adaptors for almost any laptop - designed initially for car use, they plug stright into a cigarette lighter socket. A laptop does, of course, use more power, but a chartplotter can't be far behind.

#

Thanks...I now see that Maplins sell them.
After reading a few more replies...I downloaded OpenCPN, which is free, but did'nt have any charts. Then I found a site where charts are available for it, apparently free, but I downloaded one and when I pointed it to look for the chart it reverts back to the default OpenCPN chart of a very basic country outline of blue lines on a black background...That does'nt even show the I.O.W!
Are there really any free charts available for OpenCPN?
I then found another site with short reviews of marine navigation software, where they also listed Open CPN, but they also listed one called Polarcom, which is also free.
There is no help file with it explaining how to use it and it seems none is available on their website either. When I click the desktop shortcut all I get are some instruments in a blue box, showing lat/long, speed and compass bearing. Does it require a GPS dongal to show charts and the like, like the screenshots for the program show?

 

[LadyInBed]

You need a GPS input for the program to know where you are, it will then load the chart from the database you have pointed the program to.

The program also has to be told which port and what speed the GPS device is working.
If you are using a COM port, the PC COM port also needs setting to the speed the GPS device is working at.

http://opencpn.org/download has links to free US Pilot Charts

 

[st599]

#

Thanks...I now see that Maplins sell them.
After reading a few more replies...I downloaded OpenCPN, which is free, but did'nt have any charts. Then I found a site where charts are available for it, apparently free, but I downloaded one and when I pointed it to look for the chart it reverts back to the default OpenCPN chart of a very basic country outline of blue lines on a black background...That does'nt even show the I.O.W!
Are there really any free charts available for OpenCPN?
I then found another site with short reviews of marine navigation software, where they also listed Open CPN, but they also listed one called Polarcom, which is also free.
There is no help file with it explaining how to use it and it seems none is available on their website either. When I click the desktop shortcut all I get are some instruments in a blue box, showing lat/long, speed and compass bearing. Does it require a GPS dongal to show charts and the like, like the screenshots for the program show?

If the charts you downloaded were in a RAR file, you need to download all the files in the set, then use something like 7-zip to uncompress them. Then point OpenCPN at the decompressed files.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I am a newbe to all this electronic navigation malarky and I have to say I've learnt loads just reading the first page of this thread.

I will certainly have to look into that.
I have a question to ask though and to save me trudging through every single reply in this thread to find the answer I'll ask the question here...

With all due respect, why not? I've read this one over and over again and learned a lot. I also posted a link to a discussion I had that might help you. Good luck.

 

[Amulet]

I have used laptop navigation for years

I agree......

This is the only answer to the Laptop problems on board.

http://www.premiergent.co.uk/pages/notebooks/PanasonicToughbooks.asp
or here...

http://www.sterlingxs.co.uk/scpages/panasonictoughbooklaptopcf27.html

Tom

If your laptop is the thing you interact with in your wet oilies you are asking for disaster.

It is (at least on my boat), possible to send everything along a wire from a laptop below to a fairly primitive (GPS72) display in the cockpit. No sweat. Obsolete laptops can do the job. I always carry 2, and 2 of everything that I depend on from chargers to GPS. Actually I'm so naturally anxious that when doing something difficult I carry three(!) of everything including laptops.

I have a piddling wee boat where the water gets places it shouldn't, and I haven't had a laptop fail in five years of using them to navigate.

You can buy a hell of a lot of adequate laptops for the price of a rugged one.

And I have paper charts and their compass roses entered as waypoints.

 

[westhinder]

I have a mini-pc designed for use in trucks or buses, running straight from the 12v supply, and a big fixed 12v monitor. The pc is mounted where water cannot reach it and I use a flexible rubber keyboard.
I am very satisfied with Seapro navigation software. GPS data comes from a USB dongle, internet from another USB dongle, with separate SIM cards for the countries I visit. AIS will be the next step.
System has been working for three years to full satisfaction.

 

[LittleShip]

You can buy a hell of a lot of adequate laptops for the price of a rugged one.

But why would you, when the rugged one can be obtained for £199.00...... might as well get one to start with and remember these are "water resistant". IMHO I feel these are the best laptops for boating and I have been using one for the past 6 years.

I agree that they are slow and outdated but they will run a navigation programm fast enough for any boat........ unless you own Bluebird?

Tom

 

[Joker]

Old rugged or new cheapie?

You can argue that both ways. On the other hand, new cheapie has other uses such as watching DVDs as the rain tips down, with which your old and rugged may struggle.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Tom

what rugged one do you recommend that also does DVD??

 

[fireball]

what rugged one do you recommend that also does DVD??

Any that you can plug an external USB DVD drive into ....

I don't use a rugged one because I've got a netbook which I find suitable - mount it so it isn't sitting on the chart table and use a remote mouse & waterproof keyboard ...

 

[Csail]

Ref. the inverter i got a cheap pure sine wave from Maplins for £150

 

[scottie]

I have used an iPad with navionics now for several short trips just to see how it works and the result
Very well better detail than the ray marine e series and more intuitive to operate for ais I have Ship AIS
Bad point the 12v charger only works whilst it is sleeping but battery life is 10hours approximate.
What I have not got yet is a proper waterproof box which would make it just about perfect.

 

[fishermantwo]

Any that you can plug an external USB DVD drive into ....

I don't use a rugged one because I've got a netbook which I find suitable - mount it so it isn't sitting on the chart table and use a remote mouse & waterproof keyboard ...

Yes the secret is to mount it so that water on your hands runs/drips away from the keyboard.

Funny how advocates of paper charts don't have problems with moisture!

 

[Jeepster]

Yes the secret is to mount it so that water on your hands runs/drips away from the keyboard.

Funny how advocates of paper charts don't have problems with moisture!

But paper charts can be put is a waterproof mapcase.
Perhaps a similar solution would work for laptops? Say placing the laptop in a clear polythene bag and folding and taping the open side? The tricky bit would would be waterproofing the small opening/s necessary on the underside to allow for cooling fan airflow.
Even if 100% waterproof is'nt possible, I think splash resistant would be acceptable.

 

[fireball]

A waterproof laptop isn't really needed though - when a waterproof keyboard can be bought for less than a tenner ....

 

[Jeepster]

A waterproof laptop isn't really needed though - when a waterproof keyboard can be bought for less than a tenner ....

What about the monitor though as they wont be waterproof.

 

[syfuga]

Laptop solutions

We have used a laptop on board for 7 seasons using C-Map and would not be without. It is 'integrated' with our Raymarine seatalk, via an NMEA/RS232 interface and we use USB dongles for the serial interfaces. We have a separate feed from a NASA AIS engine - and again this can be invaluable negotiating shipping. We started off fully legit with Winchart software and NT+ C-Map cartridges, although Winchart has gone downhill since parent company went bust and Seacom took over.
We use an ordinary Dell notebook secured away from the water down below, closed up and underneath the chart table, with a separate flat screen monitor. We switch this off to save power when not needed, while the notebook continues to run to keep the autopilot fed with waypoint information.The screen is one of the most power hungry elements. Running off a pure sinewave inverter. About 4A draw at 12volts. We have a wireless mouse and keyboard, but for most chart work you do not need a keyboard: we never enter waypoints from pilots etc. as this can be a source of error. It is better to point and click, so that you understand what potential hazards lie in your path.
We have found NavmonPC (which does not include chart plotter) to be very good, particularly for its AIS display, and for use as an anchor watch tool. We are now using OpenCPN for routine navigation, and found it to be very straightforward to use, although occasionally it can be unstable. Having given up on Winchart which had a great user interface and features, we also tried a version of Maxsea (10).