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Open CPN ver 4.0 released


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Open cpn, The opensource navigation program (free!!) has just released the new version. If you have been using the stable ver 3.2 this new version gives lots of improvments. Available for Windows, Linux and MAC. NOT Andriod. Download from here http://opencpn.org/ocpn/download

What's new in version 4 is listed here;

http://opencpn.org/ocpn/release4.0

I'll be trying it this weekend..:-)

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There are lots of chart sources, including the whole world. They can take a bit of finding, but the NZ ones are easy. Many sources are listed here http://opencpn.org/ocpn/chart_sources 

and all NZ charts are here http://www.linz.govt.nz/sea/charts/nzmariner-official-raster-navigational-charts-rncs

Let me know if you need anything further...

Matt

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Cheapest not necessarily best! Do you have a GPS on the boat now? If so you can use the NMEA output from that. 

 

If you want cheap, you can share the GPS on your phone via bluetooth - free! Several apps available to do this. But IMO bluetooth is an unreliable solution. Cabled to a GPS with a good number of satellites and a decent refresh rate is best. The dongles work OK in area's with good coverage, not so good in some remote locations. An external GPS mushroom antenna works best.

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I am looking for cheap to play, have 3 gps's on boat plus ipad and iphone...... lots of backup already.  just looks a cool toy to play with the free nz chart pack still looks a little rough anything you can buy thats finer detail , i think my main chartplotter uses navonics charts its a lorance

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Look on the open cpn web site for other chart formats. OCPN supports quite a few.

 

If you think that the free nz charts are "a little rough" it is because they are raster charts - drawn with dots. vector charts - like your navionics- may look better, but are, in fact, often less accurate. The free NZ ones are as accurate as any charts currently available.

 

To connect your existing gps units all you need is a suitable rs232 to usb adapter, available on trademe, or your local it supplier. NMEA 0183 output from the gps can go directly to the rs232 serial port. 

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They dont see out well thru metal or carbon fibre. A proper, external GPS mushroom is under $200.00. How important to you is your primary nav source? Different of course if it is a backup as above...

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Quick question for those in the know, does Open CPN work on an old 32bit laptop with XP?

 
Im thinking of loading this up tonight for the weekend cruise after Seaclear died with the old hard-drive and I'd rather not take the 'good' laptop on the boat.
 
Cheers
TL
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Lazy question here, as I have not read any instructions.

I spent 2 mins downloading, installing this the other night, and downloaded the raster charts from linz.   When I open the software, and zoom around etc, I see only one chart at a time.  Can it be set up to show multiple charts at a time?

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TL, yes it runs fine on XP.

Clipper; Turn on chart quilting;

Go to Options -> Display ->General -> Enable Chart Quilting. Tick the box. Another, simpler way is to use the "Q" short key to toggle quilting on/off.

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