eMap GPS to OpenCPN 2.3.1 Charts

[ewanfish]

Hi
I have just got the OPENCPN2.3.1 & i'm having trouble conecting my Garmin emap to show on the chart, i have just got a 9pin to USB cable to adapt it to use on my computer.
I went on to the prolific website wher it told me to go on to from the OPENCPN website Welcome to Prolific but it came up with a page full of other links/downloads so i do not know which one to choose to download.
I'm getting my position on my Emap GPS but the computer does not seem to be getting the info, ive also looked into the computers device manager but cant find the GPS info there. I'm not much of a computer guy so if you have any info try & make it simple
Hope some one can help
Thanks in advance
Ewan

[ewanfish]

Hi
Can someone tell me what a BU-353 is. The stage im at now is i have downloaded the prolific download & have done what it says in the (setting up GPS) & have found the port (com6) which the GPS is working in but its still not picking my GPS signal up & putting it on the opencpn charts. Its saying in the troubleshooting at the end of (setting up GPS) That there is led light i'm wondering where this led light is, is it on the top right hand side of the charts.
Thanks

[HappySeagull]

Originally Posted by ewanfish

Hi
Can someone tell me what a BU-353 is. The stage im at now is i have downloaded the prolific download & have done what it says in the (setting up GPS) & have found the port (com6) which the GPS is working in but its still not picking my GPS signal up & putting it on the opencpn charts. Its saying in the troubleshooting at the end of (setting up GPS) That there is led light i'm wondering where this led light is, is it on the top right hand side of the charts.
Thanks

Hi ewanfish.Which gps do you have?The Garmin emap?or the "BU-353"
Is the Prolific driver for the cable you connect it to as a serial-to-Usb adapter?
anyways,
Try a separate program to see if the gps is working ok.That'd make the problem specific to OpenCPN or something else..Google "VisualGPS",or "Simple GPS Tester" or "XPort" among others.Xport is cool because you can run the gps in two apps at once !

The gps connection in OpenCPN is pretty evident.The Position Boat turns red with a fix and up in the right corner there's a satellite thingy that shows if all ok.You'll know.

As to BU-353 its a gps but google it and you'll find a ton of stuff...a lot of it is on the OpenCPN thread...but don't you have a Garmin?

[roger.waite]

No expertise with the Garmin interface, but a couple of quick suggestions. Apologies if this is off track. We don't have much info yet to identify the issues you are facing. [1] An issue several people have had setting up OpenCPN is that the computer is receiving a GPS signal, but they have the wrong (default) COM port set (Tools/GPS/NMEA Port). If this is an issue, you should get a message from OpenCPN v2.3 on start up along the lines of 'no signal on COM3'. (I no longer get this message on v2.4.) Windows 'Device Manager' can tell you what port the GPS is attached to (some of the port labels are a bit cryptic), then just enter this in 'Tools'. [2] If all else fails, you can buy a GPS USB stick pretty cheaply. Other folk here are more knowledgeable on this stuff, so I hope they chime in ...

[ewanfish]

Hi, Happy Seagull & Roger Waite
Its the Garmin emap GPS i have & is the serial to USB port cable i have to connect the emap to laptop. I downloaded Visual GPS & Xport, Xport said it could not find a GPS & Visual GPS i could not even get started, pressed a few buttons but did not know where to start with it. So after getting on a high before downloading these programs im back on a low again . My boat is still Gray on CPN. I notice beside the Satellite on CPN there is another icon that you can turn red or blue when you click it, whats that for.

I did think of buying a GPS stick but was not sure if it would work inside as the GPS needs to see the satellites on the emap to get a signal so just thought i would stick with the emap. but wee fellow is painting it blue some time soon. i thought the prolific program showed you the port the USB cable was in for the GPS if thats the case i know what port (com) the GPS is in its just not sending the info down it. dont know where the 'tools' icon is that your meaning but have been into the device manager to see the prolific port the GPS is using.
Thanks for coming back to me, maybe something needs a kick to get it working.

[roger.waite]

OK, let's start at the beginning. Garmin devices I have used do not put out NMEA data sentences, until you tell them to do so. OpenCPN looks for NMEA data.

[1] Have you set your Garmin EMap to output NMEA data? If not, go to the Interface Settings page (see p28 of the attached EMap manual), and set up NMEA output. See if the Baud Rate is stated or selectable (the OpenCPN default is 4800; OpenCPN can also receive at 9600 and 38400).
http://www.tramsoft.ch/downloads/gar...ers-manual.pdf

As I read your manual, your cable is set up using standard serial port connections. So wiring between EMap and PC should not be an issue.

[2] Do you now know the COM port your computer is receiving the data on? As I understand your last post, you found this in device manager or some other program.

[3] Go to 'ToolBox' in OpenCPN (spanner icon on top menu bar). When ToolBox is open, click GPS (second tab from left). Set 'NMEA Data Source' to correct COM Port (first data entry window from top), and set 'NMEA Baud Rate' to correct rate (third from top). Click OK.

Does OpenCPN work now? (Plugging the Garmin cable into a different USB socket can change the COM port, so begin by using the same USB socket all the time.)

Again, apologies if this is off track. Just trying to help ...

[ewanfish]

Hi
All the help is greatly appreciated & worked, your lucky your not standing beside me or you would of got a big kiss from a seaman . All is working now, i had to change the emap to NMEA never thought you could change it. Cant wait to get home from the North sea & get the boat out & try my plotter & hopely catch a few clams & pawns, wee fellow will be chuffed to. Thanks for all the help as i would of still been at the same stage at Christmas time.
Thanks Again.

[roger.waite]

My pleasure. One trick you might like to use in OpenCPN is to set three or four 'radar rings' at 1 nm spacing. This makes boat position conspicuous, and allows you to judge distances to hazards as you change scale and zoom of charts.

Select ToolBox. Go to 'Etc.' tab. Set number or rings to desired number & spacing. Click the 'show rings' box.

[ewanfish]

Thanks, saw that been messing about with the charts & the Master is wanting a copy for his boat now & his mapsource was not as good as this for tracking & plotting his boats position. Maybe i will get an extra stripe for telling him about it.
Only 3 weeks to go to try it on my boat.
Thanks Again, I'm one happy guy