Open CPN on Apple iPad

[hans-martijn]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Please people, stop using USB GPS’s. Their time has gone many years ago.

Even Bluetooth GPS on a sailboat is obsolete. Use a wifi gateway connected to your nmea network and pipe all data incl. GPS to your computers, tablets and phones wirelessly.

Yacht Devices sell these for nmea2000 as well as nmea0183.

Not that I use a usb/bluetooth gps, but why is that wrong?

-Hans

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by hans-martijn

Not that I use a usb/bluetooth gps, but why is that wrong?

-Hans

I didn’t write it was wrong… I wrote “obsolete”. The lack of new updated drivers is because nobody is developing them anymore.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Please people, stop using USB GPS’s. Their time has gone many years ago.



Even Bluetooth GPS on a sailboat is obsolete. Use a wifi gateway connected to your nmea network and pipe all data incl. GPS to your computers, tablets and phones wirelessly.



Yacht Devices sell these for nmea2000 as well as nmea0183.

On a side note, not responding to the OP in direct reply to this comment.

If you only use one computer or a tablet or a phone for navigation, the USB or Bluetooth GPS are super simple to use.
Plug it in, done. At least on a PC, can't comment on Apple or Linux.

No need for servers or network or the like.
One can cruise perfectly well with one computer and a tiller pilot.

KISS

[nohal]

There is no lack of new and updated drivers for the current generation of USB-to-whatever chips and most of them are supported out of the box by macOS, so no third party drivers are needed at all. Nobody of course develops new drivers for something that is not in production for 10 or 20 years.

Yes, I of course connect to the onboard data feed over wi-fi, when it is possible. No, it is not always possible for various reasons and that is the moment to take the USB puck out and simply use it instead of not having it in the kit because it is "obsolete" and there should be no boats without data shared over network.
Not to mention that even on boats with all the fancy stuff it is a readily available independent backup solution, which you will probably agree is not a bad thing to have.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Franziska

If you only use one computer or a tablet or a phone for navigation, the USB or Bluetooth GPS are super simple to use.
Plug it in, done. At least on a PC, can't comment on Apple or Linux.

No need for servers or network or the like.
KISS

But… but… you don’t have an nmea network? How do you get depth, wind, speed over water, heading etc. and wouldn’t you like to get all that in your plotter app instead of just gps data?

Also, the USB gps has a USB cord… I don’t even think it’s possible on a tablet or phone…

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

But… but… you don’t have an nmea network? How do you get depth, wind, speed over water, heading etc. and wouldn’t you like to get all that in your plotter app instead of just gps data?



Also, the USB gps has a USB cord… I don’t even think it’s possible on a tablet or phone…

Personally I do have a network and the GPS is plugged in via USB directly into the PC.
It's not essential though to have a network.

No problem.
Many phones have their own fully functional GPS chip.

So there is also SOG, COG and Position data.
Even redundant, PC via USB and phone via its own chip.

I just set the autopilot manual to a heading and that's it.

Except of the position and depth data all other data (windspeed and so on) is nice to have, but not essential in my view, especially if you have a cockpit instrument displaying this info, it does not have to be displayed on the PC. As stated, nice to have.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Personally I do have a network and the GPS is plugged in via USB directly into the PC.
It's not essential though to have a network.

No problem.
Many phones have their own fully functional GPS chip.

So there is also SOG, COG and Position data.
Even redundant, PC via USB and phone via its own chip.

I just set the autopilot manual to a heading and that's it.

Except of the position and depth data all other data (windspeed and so on) is nice to have, but not essential in my view, especially if you have a cockpit instrument displaying this info, it does not have to be displayed on the PC. As stated, nice to have.

The problems with internal GPS chips are their big power consumption and for some boats the need for a clear line of sight with the sky (metal boats).

I think every cruising sailboat has an nmea network. Maybe the older ones it is nmea0183 but there’s a perfect wifi gateway for that as well.

Nice to have is great when it doesn’t require buying obsolete hardware (hard to find), fighting with drivers etc. and enjoying a full wireless plotter. I didn’t even mention 2-way communication yet, like controlling your AP from tablet, phone or even wristwatch.

[CarCode]

More than 10 years ago there was announced a new NMEA network system called OneNet. Until now it is still unknown. @Jedi, what do you think why?
As you already mentioned the very old NMEA0183 is still in use in large numbers.
Your assumptions doesn't reflect the reality.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by CarCode

More than 10 years ago there was announced a new NMEA network system called OneNet. Until now it is still unknown. @Jedi, what do you think why?
As you already mentioned the very old NMEA0183 is still in use in large numbers.
Your assumptions doesn't reflect the reality.

Please just try to read my posts accurately. I am not saying that all boats have nmea2000 and I agree that many have nmea0183.

Or are you suggesting that many boats go without nmea? If so, then I think it is up to you to support that with citations because almost everyone will agree that “every” (except maybe your) cruising sailboat has nmea0183 or nmea2000.

We don’t need OneNet to get instrument data on a tablet, you are complicating the issue.

Here is a nmea0183 to wifi gateway: https://www.yachtd.com/products/wifi_0183_gateway.html

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The problems with internal GPS chips are their big power consumption and for some boats the need for a clear line of sight with the sky (metal boats).



I think every cruising sailboat has an nmea network. Maybe the older ones it is nmea0183 but there’s a perfect wifi gateway for that as well.



Nice to have is great when it doesn’t require buying obsolete hardware (hard to find), fighting with drivers etc. and enjoying a full wireless plotter. I didn’t even mention 2-way communication yet, like controlling your AP from tablet, phone or even wristwatch.

Why would I want to control my autopilot on a PC?

It's has 4 buttons to push set the course and x amount of hours later you adjust to reach the next way point.

Sorry I will never get why one wants to steer a number of way points automatically on a sailboat. Someone is on watch who can adjust anyway.

On a powerboat maybe. But on a sailboat you need to tend the sails anyway.

Where I can see a little bit of use is if you need a remote when on the fore deck. But there are simple remotes available for that.

Regarding the old NMEA networks, for many they still work fine, as well as with the associated hardware.
I do not see why I should spent thousands on new products if the old work fine. Yes the new ones might be able to do a few tricks more, but we are not racing, so these are not essential to me. Nice to have, but not essential. I can use the saved money for other stuff.

Another example.
My phone is 5 years old. I have no urge to buy a new one. It is working fine and does all I want. Unfortunately I will be forced to change it one day due to no more security updates.

[Paramotorgreg]

Originally Posted by CarCode

Since macOS 10.15 there is no 32bit support anymore and you will need 64bit drivers. However if you use a Bluetooth GPS you will never need any driver for any OS and using without cable is a better solution for a portable computer.

Can you recommend a Bluetooth GPS that will work with a Mac running the latest OS?

When you have connected the GPS to your Mac can you then link the GPS positioning data with OpenCPN, if so- how?

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by Paramotorgreg

Can you recommend a Bluetooth GPS that will work with a Mac running the latest OS?

When you have connected the GPS to your Mac can you then link the GPS positioning data with OpenCPN, if so- how?

Any Bluetooth GPS will work with any OS. It is a standard protocol for wireless. Since several years I use the XGPS160 from Dual which supports the usual US GPS as well as Glonass but not Galileo and send the data to up to 5 different devices at the same time all via Bluetooth.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Paramotorgreg

Can you recommend a Bluetooth GPS that will work with a Mac running the latest OS?

When you have connected the GPS to your Mac can you then link the GPS positioning data with OpenCPN, if so- how?

Bad Elf, Dual and Garmin are the three choices. None of these have been updated the last couple of years so they all lack features compared to modern maritime units that should be used connected via NMEA.

So the cheapest is probably the best choice and that’s the Garmin: https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-GLO-Bl.../dp/B07M9CZYTD

[s/v Jedi]

So here is a modern GNSS sensor: https://www.hodgesmarine.com/verb000...-receiver.html

72 channels, 10Hz, does GPS + GLONASS + GALILEO simultaneously and satellite based augmentation.

It sells for $147 and they even have a version that includes Bluetooth as well: https://www.hodgesmarine.com/verb000...-receiver.html

[nohal]

It is nice to see that even some "marine" products can use up to date stuff, but AFAICT there really is nothing special about that unit, it is the same GPS module as the $16 one linked above (Navilock M8) or something very similar - specs are identical, just 10 times more expensive.
To get full USB/Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/NMEA2000 connectivity using stock parts, we will have to add $3 for an ESP32 with CAN bus transceiver, $3 for a M12 connector and a few bucks worth of something to make it waterproof, if necessary. The rest is time, skill and gained experience, all highly individual metrics hard to valuate.