Guest Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Hi I am considering including a laptop, usb gps reciever and electronic charts/navigation software. Any words of wisdom on charts & software? Regards Paul T Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I use Open CPN. It's freeware and not a cracked copy so safe and legal. It reads the whole range of electronic charts. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Same as Pete, Open CPN. I do quite like it. Easy to set up and cheap. I got a USB receiver and it came with a CD of a few programmes (freeware) and all the NZ charts (for the various options) off TradeMe for $70 odd. The receiver works on up to 10 channels and even inside my house, something my Garmin handheld won't do. I sussed all the software options and Open CPN got good things said about it so went that way and to date all has been all good. I use it on my laptop but have been wondering about putting it all thru a netbook, mainly for size reasons. Just knot too sure on screen size when using it though. Works well and a good size on the 15" laptop. After playing with this it does make one wonder why you'd spend many K on a dedicated plotter. Even when in Wifi range you can't get the British Touring Cars, the KFC menu nor even porn on a plotter Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Sea clear is free software. Download it off the interweb. Then download the raster charts for free from the LINZ site (all NZ charts are available as TIFF files) and calibrate them in Sea clear. Great thing is, a new version of a particular chart comes out, download it and calibrate, then delete the old chart. Link to post Share on other sites
tuffyluffy 76 Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Sea clear is free software. Download it off the interweb. Then download the raster charts for free from the LINZ site (all NZ charts are available as TIFF files) and calibrate them in Sea clear. Great thing is, a new version of a particular chart comes out, download it and calibrate, then delete the old chart. What he said. Plus I added a flip down 15 inch, 12v screen in front of the hatch so i can see the details while on the helm. Buggar paying $6K for a 15 inch plotter!!!! FYI - 100%Marine do a nice, permanently mounted, waterproof GPS antenna with usb plug Link to post Share on other sites
shanson 0 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 OPENCPN and Oziexplorer running on a laptop. BTW the OpenCPN guys have released a pack of all NZ marine charts already configured. Cheers SHANE Link to post Share on other sites
Bad Kitty 249 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Sorry for the hijack paultux but while you guys are here: Anyone running any of this on Apple? Link to post Share on other sites
ScottiE 174 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 oh god - not the apple vs pc debate. Those battle lines are almost as bad as the multi vs leadswinger debate! There's always an iPad if you can live with the power demand and accuracy! Link to post Share on other sites
Fusion 0 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Sorry for the hijack paultux but while you guys are here: Anyone running any of this on Apple? Not allot of options on the Mac OS platform. Although the iPhone and iPad have some cool applications, integration with other instrumentation on-board is not easy. So more of a had held option. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Anyone running any of this on Apple? Knot me. I think, and it's only a 'think', those 2 programmes are windows based. Link to post Share on other sites
Bad Kitty 249 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 oh god - not the apple vs pc debate. Those battle lines are almost as bad as the multi vs leadswinger debate! There's always an iPad if you can live with the power demand and accuracy! Hey ScottiE, it's the ipad that started it all really. Everything we have is pc based, then got an ipad and "omg the ease with which it all happens now" But they are a bit limited for offshore, predict wind, sat downloads etc so I was considering an apple laptop for that. Sounds like I'll have to keep a pc laptop, Link to post Share on other sites
Bad Kitty 249 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 And thanks for the thread lend paultux Link to post Share on other sites
Farrari 4 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Take a look at the GPSNavX Marine Navigation software. I have no idea what it is like but it works on the iPhone, iPad and Mac. At $59.99 USD it's still a lot cheaper than a plotter. Try this URL. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gpsnavx-marine-navigation/id402762686?mt=12 Link to post Share on other sites
Mothership 6 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Bad Kitty, You can run Windows programs on a Mac in several ways. Firstly, there's CrossOver, which runs the applications directly on your Mac. You can also dual boot Macs into Windows, where you select whether you want Mac OS X or Windows a boot. Lastly, and probably the best way is to run a virtual machine (VM) such as Parallels Desktop which allows you to run Windows inside of OS X and use it just as a normal Windows machine. There's even an app for iPad/iPhone which allows you to remotely access the Parallels VM on your machine while you're out and about. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Isn't 'GPS' on iphones, so assuming other smartphones (what a wank of a name) as well and ipads, more a triangulation thing from cell sites rather than true GPS off satellites? Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Pope 243 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Bad Kitty, There are several threads re open CPN on the cruiser forum a couple specifically to do with running it on a Mac. Link to post Share on other sites
Fusion 0 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Isn't 'GPS' on iphones, so assuming other smartphones (what a wank of a name) as well and ipads, more a triangulation thing from cell sites rather than true GPS off satellites? My old paper Wises Map in the Car is a GPS (Global Positioning System) point your finger at a spot and that is a position on the Globe. Yes the majority of mobile GPS is Cell Site Triangulation. no coverage no position. Link to post Share on other sites
JK 28 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 KM - later iPhone's and other Android based phones have a physical GPS inside. With my iPhone it will show my position to within 10m when sitting at home & observing with the overhead photo display - at times has me in the neighbours kitchen. I have the Navionics software - http://www.tradeaboat.co.nz/View/Article/Navigation-by-iPhone/1026.aspx Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 With my iPhone it will show my position to within 10m when sitting at home & observing with the overhead photo display - at times has me in the neighbours kitchen. So are you denying that you were actually in the neighbours' kitchen or elsewhere on their premises? Link to post Share on other sites
erice 732 Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 bump on this just downloaded opencpn into a win7 laptop from http://sourceforge.net/projects/opencpn ... p_redirect downloaded all the nz charts in raster from http://www.linz.govt.nz/hydro/charts/di ... /nzmariner unzipped the charts and told opencpn where to find them with options/charts/add directory/apply can now play with it for free and if like it enough for the boat will probably buy 1 of these to provide the gps position to the laptop http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 339756.htm Link to post Share on other sites
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