laptop software and connection

[bromleybysea]

Hi. I'm working up to getting a laptop-based chart plotter to complement the existing garmin GPS and Lowrance plotter on the boat. I need software that will work with Navionics charts and I am thinking of going for the SeaPro package as a starter system. Any observations on this option please. I also need to get the GPS output from the Garmin or the Lowrance into the Laptop. At the moment, there is a feed from the Garmin to a yeoman plotter and I could tap into that, but how would I connect to the laptop? I know this is all a bit basic, but it's quite advanced for me!

 

[masterofnone]

Hi I use seapro basic edition, no tidal on basic but easy enough to plot and use. Presume no serial port on lappy, only usb . You will need usb dongle version, it should come with a seral plug to wire on end. Lynx cables supplied serial to usb 232 adaptor, easy enough but is v. basic in operation. Richard

 

[willie4646]

I use seapro lite 3000 series, it comes with all charts for the UK. I have a Garmin gecko wired to a hub and that supplys the GPS nmea signal to my laptop and the DSC radio. I use a USB dongle supplied by seapro. the link from the hub to the laptop is serial/USB.
Willie

 

[Artemis_C2121]

I also use Seapro 3000 find it an excelllent packge. run from a furuno gp32 made up my own serial cable pretty straight forward

 

[yoda]

Hi

I successfully linked my Garmin 12 to a laptop using a cable from 'GPSBITZ' who advertise on Ebay. Comes down to the conections available on the laptop as to what you need. I had a 9 pin serial conection available which made it all straight forward. you will also need to configure the GPS (I set mine to NMEA/NMEA) which by following the hand book is also very easy.

Yoda

 

[qetoo]

I use a Garnin 128 GPS connected to my laptop. I show the electrical connection at:

web page

 

[qetoo]

I also gave a presentation on this subject at the 2008 Seattle Boat Show.
You can view the slides at:

web page

 

[cnh]

I'm less convinced by SeaPro. I installed it on an oldish IBM laptop which used XP, and which I had previously run Maptech software and also the SeaTrak program. I've used the laptop for the usual run of stuff, including photo editing large pictures, and it was fine. SeaPro took 80 seconds to redraw the screen! It ran like a tranquillised tortoise. It was using the same BSB charts that the Maptech software used.

SeaPro said that it was because the laptop was only 256Mb RAM, so I upgraded to 512Mb. Now runs like an untranqullised toroise.

Nicholas Hill