OpenCPN help!

[Hayden Watson]

The hardest part of any new thing is getting enough knowledge to know what to ask and where to look.
I am considering OpenCPN on a tablet for backup to my Garmin system. Disclaimer, I own no tablets and have never enven touched one so I am starting form total ignerance. I would like the hardware to be as low cost as possible and still be functional.

Is there anyone who can point me in the right direction. I am not tech ignorant, just have never had the need for a tablet. My cell phone is Android if that matters and I have Star Link on board for connectivity.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Hayden, ALL of the REAL Open guys that are knowledgeable are over at Cruisers Forum, they have their own whole section. Please go there:

OpenCPN - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

OpenCPN - OpenCPN is a robust and free navigation software platform. Create concise charts, participate in development discussions, troubleshoot or get support help here.

www.cruisersforum.com

 

[dlochner]

What Stu says.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Thanks for the info. I went there and there are thousands of posts, so it is drinking from a firehose, and my problem is that when you are starting from ground zero, it is like trying to understand an adult on any Peanuts cartoon. "Wah, wah, wah, wah..." Anyone know of a good YouTube video that does first steps?

 

[dlochner]

Thanks for the info. I went there and there are thousands of posts, so it is drinking from a firehose, and my problem is that when you are starting from ground zero, it is like trying to understand an adult on any Peanuts cartoon. "Wah, wah, wah, wah..." Anyone know of a good YouTube video that does first steps?

The difference between the tablet and the computer version will be small. Get the OpenCPN computer version work with it at home and then go with the tablet.

The problem with tablet navigation is short battery life and readability in sunlight. You'll probably want a tablet with a built in GPS rather than trying to network it, although you can probably network it the boat's instruments if you have onboard wifi.

In terms of cost, an Android tablet will be less expensive than an Apple tablet. Don't go too cheap, you'll want memory and processing speed, low end tablets won't have that. If you are comfortable using Windows, then Android will be more to your liking. If you are used to using a Mac, then stick to Apple products, more expensive, but the learning curve will be much flatter.

 

[Hayden Watson]

The difference between the tablet and the computer version will be small. Get the OpenCPN computer version work with it at home and then go with the tablet.

The problem with tablet navigation is short battery life and readability in sunlight. You'll probably want a tablet with a built in GPS rather than trying to network it, although you can probably network it the boat's instruments if you have onboard wifi.

In terms of cost, an Android tablet will be less expensive than an Apple tablet. Don't go too cheap, you'll want memory and processing speed, low end tablets won't have that. If you are comfortable using Windows, then Android will be more to your liking. If you are used to using a Mac, then stick to Apple products, more expensive, but the learning curve will be much flatter.

Thanks, I am a PC guy all the way and my phone is android so nothing I or Mac for me.

• Is there any place that lists the minimum requirements for an android tablet?
• I have both MNEA 2000 and SeatalkNG on my boat. What do I need to interface to those. My autopilot is Raymarine and my plotter, depth and wind are all Garmin.
• I use Boat Beacon for my AIS. Can that be interfaces to the OCPN?

Part of my challenge is that I am heading out on a cruise up to the Gulf Is and my Garmin does not cover that area so it is looking like OCPN might be a good alternative, but I have a lot of firehose drinking to do in a few short weeks.

 

[dlochner]

Any system requirements should be on the OpenCPN website.

Be aware that Boat Beacon is only as good as a cell phone connection and shore based AIS stations that feed data to its network. It is in no way the equivalent of an AIS transceiver. To start, AIS is only sort of real time, especially for seeing other Class B AIS boats. Adding the loop from a ship's AIS to the shore station to the network server and then to the Cell network and then to your cell phone adds lots of places to lose data and to delay the report.

OpenCPN Official Site

Official site of OpenCPN Chart Plotter Navigation software. Thousands of boaters already use OpenCPN as their main navigational tool. You can too. Its open source.

opencpn.org

 

[dLj]

Look for SV Soggy Paws - Dave and Sherry have, well Sherry has, some great tutorials on OpenCPN. If you can't find them shoot me a PM and I'll look for a link... (I'm in London at the moment and don't have a computer with me)...

dj

 

[Hayden Watson]

Any system requirements should be on the OpenCPN website.

Be aware that Boat Beacon is only as good as a cell phone connection and shore based AIS stations that feed data to its network. It is in no way the equivalent of an AIS transceiver. To start, AIS is only sort of real time, especially for seeing other Class B AIS boats. Adding the loop from a ship's AIS to the shore station to the network server and then to the Cell network and then to your cell phone adds lots of places to lose data and to delay the report.

OpenCPN Official Site

Official site of OpenCPN Chart Plotter Navigation software. Thousands of boaters already use OpenCPN as their main navigational tool. You can too. Its open source.

opencpn.org

I realize that but it has been working for me in my region for the past dozen years.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Hayden, sure, a completely specialized forum section devoted to your "subject" WILL have lots of posts. That's called a successful forum.

Please, just ask your question there. R Gleason started there at your level a few years ago ad bow he's a featured contributor and OCPN editor.

Please. All you're doing here is talking in circles. As dLj notes, indirectly.

 

[colemj]

OCPN tablet version is only android. Any android tablet will work. I'm running it on a galaxy tab A9+ that cost $200. Our use of the tablet is as a backup and supplement to the main plotter, so sounds similar to your need.

While CF has the OCPN forum, it is primarily for the computer version, and mostly filled with linux questions and issues.

Android has its own forum: OpenCPN Android Forum for the Purchased App You will need to register before you have access.

I agree that getting used to OCPN on a computer is much easier than doing so on a tablet. Larger screen, easier to poke around and try things out, less buggy, don't have to use your fingers, etc. Once you are comfortable with the computer version, the tablet version is exactly the same, only with the normal phone/tablet gestures and such.

You can use the internal GPS of the tablet (get one with that), but it is even better when connected to the boat instrument network, where AIS, heading, wind, and all other data are present. The easiest way to do this is put a NMEA2000-Wifi device on the network. We have this one: A032 NMEA 2000/0183 Bi-directional Gateway + USB + WiFi

It is possible some of your existing instruments might repeat NMEA data over Wifi. Some plotters and AIS units do this. If so, you can use that.

Mark

 

[BCsailor-skier]

I am a regular user of Android OpenCPN (and the PC version).

I do agree that first starting out on PC version would make learning OpenCPN easier.

I find CF forums to be faster with help for OpenCPN than the Android OpenCPN specific forum. The CF forums are not just for PC/Mac/Linux. They help with Android version too. (There has been a move to making android version more-and-more similar to desktop version.)

The actual developers of OpenCPN are active on CF.

Many complain that OpenCPN is hard to learn. Partly because OpenCPN does (almost) everything.
My suggestion for learning OpenCPN: Start SIMPLE! Don't add connections until you are familiar with basic functions. If using Android OpenCPN, start simple, using internal GPS and no external connections. Add them after being comfortable. At first, keep charts simple and only for the area you need (if in USA, that means free NOAA ENC/vector charts; if in Canada, inexpensive O-charts) before adding the many possible types of charts.

 

[Hayden Watson]

OCPN tablet version is only android. Any android tablet will work. I'm running it on a galaxy tab A9+ that cost $200. Our use of the tablet is as a backup and supplement to the main plotter, so sounds similar to your need.

While CF has the OCPN forum, it is primarily for the computer version, and mostly filled with linux questions and issues.

Android has its own forum: OpenCPN Android Forum for the Purchased App You will need to register before you have access.

I agree that getting used to OCPN on a computer is much easier than doing so on a tablet. Larger screen, easier to poke around and try things out, less buggy, don't have to use your fingers, etc. Once you are comfortable with the computer version, the tablet version is exactly the same, only with the normal phone/tablet gestures and such.

You can use the internal GPS of the tablet (get one with that), but it is even better when connected to the boat instrument network, where AIS, heading, wind, and all other data are present. The easiest way to do this is put a NMEA2000-Wifi device on the network. We have this one: A032 NMEA 2000/0183 Bi-directional Gateway + USB + WiFi

It is possible some of your existing instruments might repeat NMEA data over Wifi. Some plotters and AIS units do this. If so, you can use that.

Mark

I believe that I will be able to link to my Garmin EcoMap plotter. It does WiFi updates and is always trying to connect to my phone.

 

[colemj]

I believe that I will be able to link to my Garmin EcoMap plotter. It does WiFi updates and is always trying to connect to my phone.

I don't think that will work. I believe the wifi there is only to connect to other plotters and Garmin's mobile app to share routes, waypoints, etc. You will need a N2K-Wifi converter on the network for wifi data.

Mark

 

[Hayden Watson]

Android has its own forum: OpenCPN Android Forum for the Purchased App You will need to register before you have access.


Mark

I just attempted to get into this forum and must say it was very frustrating. It took at least 5 tries to get their secret verification filled out correctly. I was beginning to think I was color blind and must be missing some hidden letter or number.
Then once I completed the registration, I was unable to log in, even though I carefully double checked that I was using the correct user name and password. Now I have exceeded the max attempts and am locked out before I can even try to contact the admin.

 

[BCsailor-skier]

I just attempted to get into this forum and must say it was very frustrating. It took at least 5 tries to get their secret verification filled out correctly. I was beginning to think I was color blind and must be missing some hidden letter or number.
Then once I completed the registration, I was unable to log in, even though I carefully double checked that I was using the correct user name and password. Now I have exceeded the max attempts and am locked out before I can even try to contact the admin.

Go on CF and direct/private message BDBCAT, who is Dave Register, for help with registering on Android OpenCPN forum. Dave is responsible for Android OpenCPN and hosts the bigdumbboat Android OpenCPN forum.

 

[colemj]

The OP has asked for tablet recommendations for OCPN, and how to get NMEA data to a tablet. These are not really deep or technical OCPN questions, and this type of question on the CF forum usually goes six ways to sunday, with more confusion generated than helpful information.

They are easily answered questions on smaller forums containing casual users like the OP. The Soggy Paws website recommendation for getting started is much more helpful than CF recommendation. https://www.svsoggypaws.com/files/presentations/Getting the Most Out of OpenCPN v1.9.pdf

Sending him away instead of providing some simple answers seems unhelpful.

Mark

 

[Dave]

I just attempted to get into this forum and must say it was very frustrating. It took at least 5 tries to get their secret verification filled out correctly. I was beginning to think I was color blind and must be missing some hidden letter or number.
Then once I completed the registration, I was unable to log in, even though I carefully double checked that I was using the correct user name and password. Now I have exceeded the max attempts and am locked out before I can even try to contact the admin.

Many forums, including SBO, screen all new registrants based on criteria determined by the forum. If your registration set off a flag it is likely being reviewed by a human. Forum admins and moderators are usually volunteers and take care of forum business in their spare time. I don't know for certain if that is the practice at CF, I do know that on occasion it takes as much as a day for new registrations on SBO to be approved.