GPS chartplotter on the cheap

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Peter Ennis

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May 19, 2010
5
Hunter 25 Havre de Grace
I have a 2009 Hunter 25 and plan to do some bare bones cruising on the upper Chesapeake. Rather than invest $400 or more in a small screen chartplotter I thought I could use my small tablet computer. Its like a laptop or netbook except its a 9 inch touch screen that rotates and folds flat onto the keyboard/processor. If I plug in a GPS "puck", download the free NOAA RAST chart of the area, get the right software and put a removable mount on the pedestal, I think it would be a nice system for cheap.
1) can anyone reccommend a particular "puck" and chartplotter software? 2) do GPS pucks include an electronic compass that interfaces with chartplotter software to keep the chart oriented "heads up" with the boat direction?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions,

Peter
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,049
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
That will work fine, Peter.. the "heading up" display is a software thing and not a puck thing .. Some of the software that is not free can do that, but I don't think that the free stuff includes that feature..
I have two pucks, one that talks to the computer through its blueteeth and the other is a USB plug in.. Both work fine, but I like the plug-in since it is powered by the computer battery and not its own internal.. I used these guys and was very happy with service and price: http://www.buygpsnow.com/bu-353-353...rf-stariii-usb-gps-water-bu-353-waas-455.aspx
Two problems with the computer/netbook/tablet are visibility in sun and waterproofedness in the not so sun. A zip lock can help with the water.. a bimini can help with the other.. visibility will continue to be trouble..
 
BarryL

BarryL

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May 21, 2004
1,057
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 Mt. Sinai, NY
Hello,

SeaClear is a free nav program that I use. It works Ok, but I don't believe it has a 'course up' feature, instead North is always up. I use it with a cheap GPS puck and it works fine. I believe I paid under $50 for it. I don't remember where I bought it. I use it on a laptop that I keep down below at the nav station. I use it more for playing than for actual navigation.

Personally, I prefer (and use) a real chartplotter that is mounted at the helm. I like this because it is waterproof, visible in bright sun, doesn't crash, and is easy to use.

Good luck,
Barry
 
Bob Poff

Bob Poff

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Dec 4, 2006
279
Hunter 34 Havre de Grace
As Barry says, SeaClear doesn't do Course Up.

But you can select a position icon that looks like a boat, and it will turn to your heading as shown on the chart.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,986
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Heading up?

Just for information sake, why do you need a course up? All my paper charts are North up and I rarely turn 'em around when navigating. I use North up on my Garmin GPSMap76Cx.

My wife does that with road maps though...;););)
 
Rick D

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,182
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
Course Up

What you are suggesting is what I have. I use a GPS puck that I've had for years. I just purchased a CanMore GPS dongle but have not tried it out yet. Got it on e-bay. I run all this on my netbook.

Anyhow, Open CPN has a beta version that has a course up feature. I downloaded it and the current stable version both. I don't use course up, so I can't comment on how well it works. Seaclear ll which I also use does not have the feature that I recall.
 
kenn

kenn

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Apr 18, 2009
1,271
CL Sandpiper 565 Toronto
On our small boat, we currently just use a handheld GPS (Garmin eTrek Vista - $100 a couple years back on ebay) to occasionally back up our navigation using charts. The vista has a compass so it will do course up on its itty bitty screen, as well as providing an arrow in a compass display. Also useful as a knotmeter, VMG and CMG.

I'm thinking of either using the vista's serial out, or buying a usb puck, to run one of the free Linux chartplotter apps on our eee, but it would mainly be used for decisionmaking or course planning. I'll post the results if I ever get to it. I have some friends who slavishly sail to their chartplotters, but that's 'cheating' in my book ;)
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,986
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
kenn said:
I have some friends who slavishly sail to their chartplotters, but that's 'cheating' in my book ;)
Click to expand
Thanks for the post.

But, I need your help, 'cuz I don't understand what you mean by this.

Thanks.
 
Tom L

Tom L

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Jun 24, 2004
56
Hunter 23.5 & 29.5 Baltimore, MD
I am using a Delorme LT-40 gps unit. Cost is about $70 (online direct from Delorme.com). It plugs into your USB port. You can use the software from Delorme or I got it to work with SeaClear. To get it to work with SeaClear, I had to download a serial port emulator, but I got it to work without too much trouble.
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,162
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
The biggest issue you will face with your plan is battery consumption. Since you're cruising "barebones" and will probably have limited battery power, you might do some analysis in that area. If your outboard won't charge the batteries I'd consider rigging up a solar system or adding an extra battery to get you between marinas. Just a thought.
 
Dan Johnson

Dan Johnson

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Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
Stu...

on the Chesapeake, which is a whole lot narrorer at the top of the Bay where a bunch of us sail than SF Bay (not counting the Delta). It's a great deal easier to understand where you are in relation to the land masses and the chart plotter picture when you run it "course up".

MHO, but when a thunderstorm closes in you don't want to be trying to figure out which way you need to go to run for cover on a north-up plotter or a paper chart that can blow overboard.

Come East in August and we'll give you a "practical" on this experience! :)
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,986
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Yeah, Dan, sounds like a road map to me. If I do North-up, east is always to the right.

Now, if I'm going south, does that still apply?

Thanks. Do you guys really sail out of sight of land a lot?

Maybe 'cuz you don't have so many mountains on the coast...;):D

I kinda figure that if your spatial relationships require that kind of approach, you may be missing the concept of the compass - oops, I'm wrong, that makes sense now. Follow the revolving disc (disk?).
 
D

donker

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Dec 2, 2009
32
Beneteau Moorings 38 San Francisco
A friend just sailed from Ft. Lauderdale to Bridgeport, Conn. with just his paper charts and an iPhone with Navionics software ($9.99 on the apps store.) I'm using same for SF to Cabo this fall.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,986
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Rick, NOW you tell me they came with that option?!? Darned those salespeople at West Marine never told me about that!
 
richk

richk

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Jan 24, 2007
495
Marlow-Hunter 37 Deep Creek off the Magothy River off ChesBay
Peter Ennis said:
I have a 2009 Hunter 25 and plan to do some bare bones cruising on the upper Chesapeake. Rather than invest $400 or more in a small screen chartplotter I thought I could use my small tablet computer. Its like a laptop or netbook except its a 9 inch touch screen that rotates and folds flat onto the keyboard/processor. If I plug in a GPS "puck", download the free NOAA RAST chart of the area, get the right software and put a removable mount on the pedestal, I think it would be a nice system for cheap.
1) can anyone reccommend a particular "puck" and chartplotter software? 2) do GPS pucks include an electronic compass that interfaces with chartplotter software to keep the chart oriented "heads up" with the boat direction?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions,

Peter
Click to expand
I have a Garmin GPS 48. It has no graphics. It is as precise as other units. You can either plot lat/lon on paper or use a laptop w/appropriate s/w. I recommend a cheap laptop with Seaclear II.
1. Seaclear's free (http://www.sping.com/)
2. There is an online, responsible govt source for free charts (http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/download.htm)
3. replace laptop when it breaks
 
Mark Ferrick

Mark Ferrick

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Mar 18, 2010
91
O'Day 222 Smith Mountain Lake, VA
I plan to use my car GPS. I have a Mio Moov and use a package called MioPocket ( free) that loads and turns the GPS into a WinCE device ( multipurpose) w/ GPS. I then load OziExplorerCE ($40) on it, along with the NOAA charts (free) and I have a very nice , small, GPS chartplotter. Works Great...
 
W

wufibugs

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Aug 16, 2009
1,000
Hunter 1986 H31 California Yacht Marina, Chula Vista, CA
You all overpaid. I got "Battleship" at a yard sale. It has a life-like representation of my boat [more or less], the red pegs are shoals, the white are land masses, north is always right, or wait, maybe left, hmm, where was I . . . .
 
Prime Time

Prime Time

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Sep 25, 2008
544
Bristol 43.3 Perth Amboy
Gotta be able to see it!

I am a firm believer in being able to see your chart plotter from the helm. That is a key disadvantage to the down-below computer. Although the big screen of your laptop is enticing, it should be balanced against not being able to have it outside when you need it, during the storm and weather! Just my opinion.
 
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