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08-20-2015, 11:25 AM
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#1
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Member
City: Jacksonville,Fl
Vessel Name: Wandering Star
Vessel Model: Chien Hwa Senator 43
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 24
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Laptop Marine Navigation
Hello all,
Brand new here but see tons of great info. Who use what in laptops and what software do you like? Any info will be greatly appreciated.
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08-20-2015, 11:36 AM
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#2
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Guru
City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,348
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Welcome!
Scroll on through or do a search many many threads here on this. Enjoy!
__________________
George
"There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and what some guy says he's gotten away with"
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08-20-2015, 11:49 AM
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#3
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Valued Technical Contributor
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,775
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For Windows and Macs, Coastal Explorer is one of the best full featured nav products available. But it is commercial and costs money.
For Windows only, OpenCpn is a very complete freeware nav program. I used it as a backup to my Raymarine plotter for several years and I got to use it for real when the Raymarine display went haywire. It is very good. But since almost all laptops, netbooks, etc do not have a built in GPS you have to use a USB gps. These have a problem with OpenCpn which has been around for years. I don't know why the problem doesn't get fixed- it is a driver incompatibility issue and it seems someone would have fixed it by now, but alas no. A small program Xport will get around the problem nicely however.
But for the last two years I have used MxMariner on my Nexus 7, an Android tablet, for backup. It also works well but isn't very full featured and requires switching NOAA chart regions when you move from region to region. It does support Active Captain data which you download the entire AC database and update periodically.
There are iOS (iPad and iPhone) apps that do the same thing. Navimatics is one of these and it uses vector charts. It does cost $20 for the east coast US charts.
Today most of the action in free or commercial nav apps is in the Android and iOS tablet sphere due to their compact size and flat form factor that fits up on the helm easily and the built in gps.
I usually keep my Nexus 7 near the helm when navigating with the vector graphic based Raymarine system. If I want more detail, particularly shore definition, I pick up the Nexus and in a few seconds I have it at hand with its raster chart graphics.
David
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08-20-2015, 12:00 PM
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#4
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Guru
City: Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Vessel Name: Moana Huaka'i
Vessel Model: Selene 53
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 816
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For PC I've found NobelTec to best great. On iPad we use Garmins BlueChart
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08-20-2015, 12:33 PM
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#5
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TF Site Team/Forum Founder
City: League City, Tx
Vessel Name: Floatsome & Jetsome
Vessel Model: Meridian 411
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,332
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OK folks. For those that use iPad. I am assuming you have an iPad with cellular data for positioning???
__________________
Prairie 29...Perkins 4236...Sold
Mainship Pilot 30...Yanmar 4LHA-STP...Sold
Carver 356...T-Cummins 330B...Sold
Meridian 411...T-Cummins 450C
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08-20-2015, 12:36 PM
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#6
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Guru
City: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,438
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baker
OK folks. For those that use iPad. I am assuming you have an iPad with cellular data for positioning???
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Or: Collections - Bad Elf
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08-20-2015, 12:37 PM
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#7
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Guru
City: Hotel, CA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8,323
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baker
OK folks. For those that use iPad. I am assuming you have an iPad with cellular data for positioning???
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Nope. Just GPS enabled.
I do admit to looking out the window as my primary means of navigation.
__________________
Craig
It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled - Mark Twain
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08-20-2015, 12:40 PM
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#8
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TF Site Team/Forum Founder
City: League City, Tx
Vessel Name: Floatsome & Jetsome
Vessel Model: Meridian 411
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,332
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CPseudonym
Nope. Just GPS enabled.
I do admit to looking out the window as my primary means of navigation.
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What do you mean be "GPS enabled"??? iPad without cellular has no GPS
__________________
Prairie 29...Perkins 4236...Sold
Mainship Pilot 30...Yanmar 4LHA-STP...Sold
Carver 356...T-Cummins 330B...Sold
Meridian 411...T-Cummins 450C
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08-20-2015, 12:41 PM
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#9
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TF Site Team/Forum Founder
City: League City, Tx
Vessel Name: Floatsome & Jetsome
Vessel Model: Meridian 411
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,332
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt.Bill11
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Awesome!!! Thanks!!
__________________
Prairie 29...Perkins 4236...Sold
Mainship Pilot 30...Yanmar 4LHA-STP...Sold
Carver 356...T-Cummins 330B...Sold
Meridian 411...T-Cummins 450C
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08-20-2015, 12:49 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: Hotel, CA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8,323
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baker
What do you mean be "GPS enabled"??? iPad without cellular has no GPS
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I'll have to have my kid explain it to me John as I do not have a clue. My iPad mini has no cellular ability and is wi-fi only but it runs Navionics on the boat no problem at all.
__________________
Craig
It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled - Mark Twain
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08-20-2015, 01:10 PM
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#11
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Guru
City: Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Vessel Name: Moana Huaka'i
Vessel Model: Selene 53
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 816
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baker
OK folks. For those that use iPad. I am assuming you have an iPad with cellular data for positioning???
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We do, yes. I mostly use it for planning, especially since the app interfaces with Active Captain. We use the laptop once underway really
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08-20-2015, 01:35 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
City: San Diego and Gabriola
Vessel Name: Skookum Maru
Vessel Model: Ed Monk design #1924
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 228
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Quote:
Originally Posted by djmarchand
For Windows only, OpenCpn is a very complete freeware nav program.
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Just to point out that OpenCPN also works with Mac OS X 10.7 and later, and any Linux distribution. And there is a beta version for Android, but I haven't tried it.
Quote:
But since almost all laptops, netbooks, etc do not have a built in GPS you have to use a USB gps. These have a problem with OpenCpn which has been around for years.
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Here I've been using a Shipmodul MiniPlex-Lite to multiplex slow (GPS) and fast (AIS) NMEA data to USB. It has been working flawlessly with OpenCPN on my Windows 8.1 PC. AIS data is very nice to have on the OpenCPN display...
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08-20-2015, 01:36 PM
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#13
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Guru
City: Satsuma FL
Vessel Name: No Mo Trawla
Vessel Model: Hurricane SS188
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 2,300
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CPseudonym
I'll have to have my kid explain it to me John as I do not have a clue. My iPad mini has no cellular ability and is wi-fi only but it runs Navionics on the boat no problem at all.
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Please post his explanation! I did not think that was possible either.
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08-20-2015, 02:55 PM
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#14
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Guru
City: Sitka
Vessel Model: Transpacific Marine Eagle 32
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 519
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I have used a lap top for 13 years and currently use Nobletech. One of the best and smooth integration with Furuno.
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08-20-2015, 05:08 PM
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#15
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Guru
City: Sarasota,FL/Thomasville,GA
Vessel Name: Steppin Stone IV
Vessel Model: Marine Trader Kelly Trawler 46
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,815
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I was on a friends boat the other day and he had Garmin bluecharts Vision
It was amazing has anyone used the Vision version?
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08-20-2015, 05:09 PM
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#16
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Guru
City: Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Vessel Name: Moana Huaka'i
Vessel Model: Selene 53
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 816
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Didn't know there was a new version....going to check it out
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08-20-2015, 05:18 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: Inside Passage Summer/Columbia River Winter
Vessel Name: Alaskan Sea-Duction
Vessel Model: 1988 M/Y Camargue YachtFisher
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 8,046
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I plan to buy me a cheap laptop from Wally World, get a GPS antenna, load up Active Cap't and use it as a 3rd back up (already have a C97 and HDS-7 Chartplotters) and planner for my trip to Alaska next year. I looked at Coastal Explorer at the boat show and they wanted $300 for the program. AC is $38 I believe and free for my smart phone which will be the 4th backup.
The laptop will only be used for navigation purposes and will not be connecting to the internet.
Anyone see any issues.
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08-20-2015, 06:31 PM
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#18
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Guru
City: Sidney BC Canada
Vessel Name: RochePoint
Vessel Model: 1985 Cheer Men PT38 Sedan
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,744
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donsan
Please post his explanation! I did not think that was possible either.
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If your Ipad has cellular capability it has a built in GPS even if you don't install the cellular sim card, works great and accuracy is amazing. Nobletec Time Zero app on the Ipad is great, free app just buy the charts, very reasonable compared to the digital Canadian charts from the government.
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08-20-2015, 07:18 PM
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#19
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TF Site Team
City: California Delta
Vessel Name: FlyWright
Vessel Model: 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,728
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Is there a new AC that's now intended for navigation? I always thought of it as a marina planning/hazard/user info aid more than a navigational tool.
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08-20-2015, 07:28 PM
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#20
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Guru
City: St Augustine,Fl
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,789
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I wonder if he means OpenCPN, rather than AC?
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