Has anybody tried open CPN on a Microsoft surface pro Tablet?

[rkarakai21]

Hey Guys, just wondering if anybody has used a surface pro for open CPN. I really like using Open CPN, and have Vector and Raster charts for the world, curtesy of an officer friend who works in Freighters, so I really don't feel like subscribing to an enormous amount of pay for use charts on an ipad app. The cost of those stupid things seems to go up by the month.

I do however like the convenience of a tablet, and obviously Open CPN doesn't run on apple products. I havn't had much luck tracking down a rugged sort of tablet supporting windows and with a good stout waterproof case. Seems like apple has the market cornered on those.

I could use my laptop down below, but I can't yet charge AC appliances underway, as we don't have an inverter, and Laptops are pretty vulnerable, I might consider building a fold up nav table that chocks the laptop down solid but would like something in the cockpit in a good case ideally, atleast for coastal work.

[Corsair63]

I'm running OpenCPN on a Surface Pro X (ARM64) and runs smoothly also I had in the past one Surface Pro 4 (Intel) and run OpenCPN without any issue.

for not having any trouble with drivers, because Pro X being ARM64 all them must be signed and specifically compiled for that version, should be much easier the version Pro (intel), absolutely both of them work like a laptop/computer with touch-screen.

FTB I'd been able to run the program and all plugins without any problem.

[rkarakai21]

Thanks for the Response. What do you use for a GPS transceiver? As I don't think from what I understand that the surface pro's come with one built in.

I was considering one of those Bad Elf GPS transponders that transmits the signal via bluetooth.

[Corsair63]

Originally Posted by rkarakai21

Thanks for the Response. What do you use for a GPS transceiver? As I don't think from what I understand that the surface pro's come with one built in.

I was considering one of those Bad Elf GPS transponders that transmits the signal via bluetooth.

Surface Pro X comes with 4G modem so there is GPS/GLONASS/Galileo fitted but it's really difficult to reach it because hasn't COM port defined for it, like in previous Broadcom modems and Windows x64 that you have it enable as I had in my old Lenovo laptop.

there is a program in Github called GeolocationTCP-r9.exe that running in the back will give you the NMEA sentence RMA (but only this sentence) and very easy to configure and read by OCPN.

I use in my boat with Shipmodule and reading the output via network.

in case of emergency I have one Android mobile with app called "Bluetooth GPS output" (it isn't free) and it gives you all the NMEA sentences needed and received by mobile via Bluetooth in any device connected, e.g. my tablet in OCPN

[BigThicket]

Been searching for a bit and haven't found a waterproof case for the Surface Pro X. Any suggestions or will another work as well (ie 8)?

[Tedd]

I've been using OpenCPN on a Surface Book, with the laptop kept down below and piped up to a display in the cockpit. It's an interim solution but it's actually working pretty well. Could you perhaps just get a waterproof, touch screen display and connect that to a laptop down below?

[Plastic-Fantast]

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3850591

I'm trying to work this out myself. Anyone here can help?

[Corsair63]

Originally Posted by Plastic-Fantast

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3850591

I'm trying to work this out myself. Anyone here can help?

complicated, I have Surface Pro X (Qualcomm SQ1 with modem and GNSS included).
what is the problem to get positioning? is that o.s. doesn't install the COM port to access to GNSS.

FTB only way to access to positioning but only with NMEA 0183 RMS sentence is via external software in GitHub, instructions of use in the same web page:
https://github.com/floviolleau/geolocation-tcp

[Plastic-Fantast]

Amazing, that worked straight away!!

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by BigThicket

Been searching for a bit and haven't found a waterproof case for the Surface Pro X. Any suggestions or will another work as well (ie 8)?

What about a Panasonic FZ-G1 Toughpad. Tough, water proof and wifi for instrument input. No GPS and is a bit heavy but otherwise works fine.

[Plastic-Fantast]

Looks good, Reason i got the surface was because it's blurred the lines between pc(docked), laptop(snap the type cover on), tablet (device only)
Annoying the windows app store is so underdeveloped, so i'm having a learning curve with open cpn. Doing my day skipper in January
I will set up with cheapish screen repeater on deck. or maybe try and mount it out of the weather.
I'm taking the ferry Portsmouth to Bilbao in spring. Will do some off grid testing then with it's native gps

[stevead]

FTB only way to access to positioning but only with NMEA 0183 RMS sentence is via external software in GitHub, instructions of use in the same web page:
https://github.com/floviolleau/geolocation-tcp

There is another plugin, totally untested, that uses the Windows Sensor API to provide position data directly to OpenCPN. It can be downloaded from the following link, and is installed from the Plugin Manager, using the "Import Plugin" option. If you would like to test this, I would be interested in any feedback and determining whether it actually works.

[Corsair63]

Originally Posted by stevead

There is another plugin, totally untested, that uses the Windows Sensor API to provide position data directly to OpenCPN. It can be downloaded from the following link, and is installed from the Plugin Manager, using the "Import Plugin" option. If you would like to test this, I would be interested in any feedback and determining whether it actually works.

I've tested this year that plugin, it was really promising one, but it doesn't work with my Surface Pro X, maybe because is windows ARM64 and you know, sometimes complicates with devices.

I'll really wonder to have that plugin working in my tablet and my computer on board, both with w11 ARM64

[Corsair63]

Tried again with Windows sensor plugin

and only got attached screenshot.

should be done any connection and the parameters to do it?

I'm using O 5.9.0-0 and win 11 23H2 ARM64, because the tablet is the only one that has modem included with GNSS positioning too.

[stevead]

should be done any connection and the parameters to do it?

There is nothing to configure.

It just uses the Windows Sensor API's, but as I said totally untested on x64 devices, and no idea whether x64/x86 emulation on Arm64 supports the same sensor API's.

If it happens to work, there might be entries in the NMEA Debug window and there should also be some information in the OpenCPN log file.

Nonetheless, thanks very much for testing, which is something I can't perform as I don't own a Surface Pro.