Lap top chart plotting

[Bendit]

We like Fugawi also. It's a low cost program which has head up capability, unlike*some other low cost options.
Here in NZ, we don't have NOAA or the equivalent free charts, so I use a Navionics Gold SD card which covers all of NZ and the Pacific Islands.
Our*ancient laptop (Gateway Pentium*2, 500) is a bit slow updating sometimes, but since we rarely travel faster than 9.2 kn, it doesn't matter.

 

[Egregious]

I have an update on all the USB/serial port /drivers etc questions.*

I downloaded Fugawi 10 day free trial software.* Then I plugged in my Garmin GPSMap 76Csx*via the USB cable I always use to upload/download charts/waypoints to the device.* Once I set the GPS Realtime setting to "Garmin GPS" it picked up my position.*

The point here is that I didn't need a Serial to USB converter cable, or any special drivers, nothing.* I literally downloaded the software, plugged in the GPS via USB cable and I now get live GPS info on my laptop.

Bluecharts charges hundreds of $$ for their electronic charts, now I will never buy another one, and I will have a 17" display to boot.** This is great!

 

[Woodsong]

Woody,
As more and more people realize the capacity and reliability of laptop chartplotting ad GPS, they will be buying less and less of the dedicated chartplotters. I was going to buy one for our Monk but seriously....for a couple hundred dollars, if not less, one can get a BIG screen GPS via their laptop! Since you've got a Monk 36 like me you should do what I'm doing...hard wire a monitor cable up to the bridge and use a rocket launcher mount to mount a flatscreen up on the bridge! If you do that and combine it with a wireless mouse like I am doing (no problems getting a signal to laptop from bridge via the wireless mouse) you can control the laptop from the bridge, have the same flatscreen display capacity, and be able to keep your laptop inside and protected from the weather the entire time. I almost spent thousands on dedicated chartplotters but now....NO THANKS!

 

[Egregious]

I already use a wireless mouse (bluetooth).* Please fill me in on the "rocketlauncher" mount.* Is that just a hot-shoe for a flat screen monitor?

 

[Capn Chuck]

Egregious wrote:

I have an update on all the USB/serial port /drivers etc questions.*

I downloaded Fugawi 10 day free trial software.* Then I plugged in my Garmin GPSMap 76Csx*via the USB cable I always use to upload/download charts/waypoints to the device.* Once I set the GPS Realtime setting to "Garmin GPS" it picked up my position.*

The point here is that I didn't need a Serial to USB converter cable, or any special drivers, nothing.* I literally downloaded the software, plugged in the GPS via USB cable and I now get live GPS info on my laptop.

Bluecharts charges hundreds of $$ for their electronic charts, now I will never buy another one, and I will have a 17" display to boot.** This is great!

Woody, There are many of the newer GPS models such as Garmin that come with a USB cable and will work as you describe. That is why many recommend the pucks. But none of the older models will work with a straight USB cable, and many of the newer still will not, so one has to look at their specific unit. Chuck


-- Edited by Capn Chuck on Saturday 11th of December 2010 08:46:41 AM