Cheap Chart Plotting ???

[Shilbottler]

For a couple of years I’ve pondered building my own simplified chart plotter. A microprocessor system linked to a small LCD and simply displaying a bitmap image of a chart with superimposed GPS position on it. I already run Seaclear on a big laptop but it’s still too bulky, heavy and the battery life is limited. For me the ideal solution would be something like Seaclear running on a very low power dc supplied PC. These are available but still cost around £200 and don’t come with a monitor.

A potentially good DIY solution is on the horizon, in the form of a new computer educational initiative called the Rasberry Pi. This is a credit card sized computer PCB i.e. no case and runs off 5V dc at about 300mA. (1.5W). The system is still in development but it is due to be released very shortly (January 2012). Unlike your standard PC this device will run a GNU/Linux operating system, something I’m clueless about. Windows in any form will not run on it. It looks like the OS will be the Debian form of Linux but other versions will be supported by various forums.

It would have been great to run Seaclear on this little device, whilst Seaclear can be made to run under Linux using Wine, a programme that lets Seaclear think its running on Windows, Wine will not run on this device.

There is an alternative Called OpenCPN this is another sophisticated free chart plotting program which runs under Windows and Linux and it is already running under Debian.
Rasberry Pi is expected to sell for $25 for the non-network version, this may translate into £25 but £16 has been mentioned. Thus it would seem a very low power and very low cost computer can be put together to run OpenCPN.

The only wave on the horizon is the monitor, I’m looking at what would fit with the system. Low power monitors do exist, I think around 8-10W. Although low power this computer is not slow, it is fully capable of running full HDMI video and is provided with an HDMI connector. Convertors exist to go from HDMI to VGA so connection to a monitor is not an issue. The best solution would be a hi-brightness LCD display around 7” these can be bought. Monitors meant for in-car video may be one cheap option.

I doubt getting the software up and running with the OS will be entirely straightforward but it should be very do-able then it’s simply a matter of fitting the PC and bits in a box. I have a portable 17AH battery I use to pump out the boat. If this was used to power the PC only, then that would give something in the region of 40 hours use …. easily, and obviously a bit less when running a monitor as well. Theoretically I should get 204 WHours so for a 10W load my battery should last about 20 hours, more than enough for an 8 hour fishing trip. I realise I won’t get that figure I’m simply trying to get a rough estimate for the system.

My single boat battery starts my 25 HP outboard and runs my radio and fish finder when I’m out. I like to conserve the battery so I always use the pull start on the engine hence the portable battery running the chart plotting system

Happy New Year

[oldessox]

I could do that

Atually, in all honesty, I haven't got a clue what you are talking about , well I know you are trying to "make" a chartplotter , but the description of how you are proposing to do it might as well be chinese to me
I'd have thought someone with your ability with techy things would be able to sell his services to people like me who find difficulty in setting up a new out of the box pc never mind making one and use the money to buy a chartplotter?
I just got an ipad for christmas , it was a present from the wife who will no doubt take it everywhere she goes from this day on , and there is an app for the navionics charts which were in my raymarine plotter , I now have this in my iphone, ipad and ipod which cost £15for all three all of which will be on the boat with me when I go out (unless the wife has nicked the ipad) as backup for my garmin plotter.
I am thinking about a wall mount for the ipad somewhere in the cockpit of the boat so I can track my progress over a wreck without having to stretch my neck looking into the cabin , but to be honest I managed ok last season so whether I actually do it or not is another matter.
Good luck with your plotter, if I could do stuff like that I would, I hope you get one up and running

[Shilbottler]

Ray

The chart plotter market is definitely going down the route of IPods, Phones and Pads. We will soon all be able to run a chart plotting application on our phones, for standby use of course but it is still relatively expensive. An I-phone is still, what, £300, I don't have one nor am I tempted .. yet. I think the Tablet type PC will be the perfect solution, when fitted with nice bright daylight use displays. Daylight display are available but again it depends upon how much money you want to waste.

This little system could set you back perhaps as little as £50-70. I only want a system in case I get caught out in the fog, which has happened once. It has the appeal of low cost and very low power usage.

PCs are not my forte, I struggle along like everyone but there is plenty of information out there. I have little enough time to actually get out fishing never mind trying to get software working, hardware is my thing but with cheap electronics it's a dying trade.

[lingking]

ian,good luck with the venture,how i wish i could dabble in such stuff
i fell at the first fence(would never even have thought of it) theres at least a couple of lads on here will have a good input if they pick up on the post

[Kev1n]

That looks interesting, it’s beyond what I could build but the kind of thing my little-un is into, he’s busy building a fluxgate compass with NMEA output to link into my Garmin plotter. I don’t know if it’s any help to you but he uses Arduino boards with other bits soldered on to run all sorts of devices and programming. Cigarette lighter USB chargers give the required steady 5v supply from a 12V automotive or boat system. You can interface some of the boards with their own display; resolution and brightness may be a problem though. Have you seen the thread on YBW about making an AIS plotter? YAPP (Yet Another Pointless Project) - Yachting and Boating World Forums

Good luck with the project.

Kevin

[wgry234]

netbook

i put a system in my old boat consisting of bottom half of a netbook (samsung nc10) it got 5hours use on 1 charge also with it was a 12volt charger which i used when needed a 12volt 17 inch monitor on a tv bracket so i could put it out the way when not in use and a wireless mouse,software was admiral 7 which is very good and usb antenna

[Captain Cod]

I Liked the bit where you add wine!!!

[mark]

I'm watching the raspberry pi with interest. one initial issue with it straight away is the linux distro it runs with has a very cut down set of of API tools. so getting WINE to run will likely never happen.

don't see the point of it anyway - WINE is just a way of making a good operating system into a bad one to run windows rubbish.

OpenCPN is way ahead of seaclear, I'm involved in the sourceforge development and ported it to the Mac last year, the linux version is a very neat, fast and stable system.

Slightly more expensive, but a lot more sophisticated device is the gumstix PC and available now, stuck a few of these together for commercial boats earlier on in the year.

if you are playing with opencpn and need a set of vector charts.... let me know

[kittyyak]

The chart plotter market is definitely going down the route of IPods, Phones and Pads. We will soon all be able to run a chart plotting application on our phones, for standby use of course but it is still relatively expensive. An I-phone is still, what, £300, I don't have one nor am I tempted .. yet. I think the Tablet type PC will be the perfect solution, when fitted with nice bright daylight use displays. Daylight display are available but again it depends upon how much money you want to waste.

This little system could set you back perhaps as little as £50-70. I only want a system in case I get caught out in the fog, which has happened once. It has the appeal of low cost and very low power usage.

PCs are not my forte, I struggle along like everyone but there is plenty of information out there. I have little enough time to actually get out fishing never mind trying to get software working, hardware is my thing but with cheap electronics it's a dying trade.

you can get an app now for chart plotting on iphone or androd navionics around £20 and it is spot on tried and tested

[mister whiskas]

Got opencpn running on laptop with world charts,(every wreck charted) runs on 12v supply with llidl universal power supply, split charge a separate battery and you've cracked it. Think 50% on power consumpsion when calculating, charge second battery with solar panel when not boat is not in use, Hope this helps.