I have a 48' CnC Landfall. I'm looking for ideas on PC-based
navigation components. Currently, I have two laptops running Maptech
Offshore Navigator, both of which are configured to use a Serial-USB
converter and a handheld GPS. I also already have installed Raymarine
ST60+ wind/speed/depth instruments.

I am hoping to get suggestions on the following:

o an autopilot - interfaced to the pc for waypoint creation and
control
o a radar - interfaced to the pc for MARPA target overlay on top of
charts
o ways to integrate GPS and other NMEA data onto a 2nd pc mounted
elsewhere in the boat
o a ruggedized, daylight display either
a) mirroring the pc display which in turn is controlled by a
wireless trackball, or
b) an ultra mobile or pocket pc which can by itself diplay NMEA
data and drive the autopilot

Just wondering if anyone else has set up a system remotely like these
items. I've heard both good & bad about the panasonic toughbook which
mirrors a pc screen, but cannot verify the source. I have no input on
the ultra mobile pc nor pocket pc idea.

Another idea which occurs to me is to simply buy an autopilot which
has it's own wireless control, and then just use a Garmin GPSMap 76 as
the handheld. It won't display the wind/speed/depth, but then again,
it's simple and portable to the dingy.

Has anyone used the MARPA target data overlay on top of charts
feature? I've seen how this is done in the all-in-one products, but
haven't seen it on a PC program. How does this work? Does the radar
itself prune echos from land masses? In layman's terms, how does the
radar select an echo to be a MARPA target?

Many thanks...

I'm doing some of this with a Brookhouse multiplexer. I use a Garmin
GPSMap76 as the handheld, through the mux it becomes a single USB connection
to the PC with all the data and drives the autopilot. I also put in a switch
to drive the AP directly from the GPS - lets me take out the PC and save
power for long runs offshore etc. after I download my routes and waypoints.
It also displays the Seatalk data on my PC.

MARPA would be nice, but the only one for PC I know of is Nobeltec. I think
I'd go for AIS instead - I also connected a basic JRC radar which shows
waypoints and speed etc. from the mux.

I'd be interested in a wireless repeater setup like you describe, probably
to some handheld device. Hopefully someone else on here has some ideas?

Cheers
wrote in message
...
I have a 48' CnC Landfall. I'm looking for ideas on PC-based
navigation components. Currently, I have two laptops running Maptech
Offshore Navigator, both of which are configured to use a Serial-USB
converter and a handheld GPS. I also already have installed Raymarine
ST60+ wind/speed/depth instruments.

I am hoping to get suggestions on the following:

o an autopilot - interfaced to the pc for waypoint creation and
control
o a radar - interfaced to the pc for MARPA target overlay on top of
charts
o ways to integrate GPS and other NMEA data onto a 2nd pc mounted
elsewhere in the boat
o a ruggedized, daylight display either
a) mirroring the pc display which in turn is controlled by a
wireless trackball, or
b) an ultra mobile or pocket pc which can by itself diplay NMEA
data and drive the autopilot

Just wondering if anyone else has set up a system remotely like these
items. I've heard both good & bad about the panasonic toughbook which
mirrors a pc screen, but cannot verify the source. I have no input on
the ultra mobile pc nor pocket pc idea.

Another idea which occurs to me is to simply buy an autopilot which
has it's own wireless control, and then just use a Garmin GPSMap 76 as
the handheld. It won't display the wind/speed/depth, but then again,
it's simple and portable to the dingy.

Has anyone used the MARPA target data overlay on top of charts
feature? I've seen how this is done in the all-in-one products, but
haven't seen it on a PC program. How does this work? Does the radar
itself prune echos from land masses? In layman's terms, how does the
radar select an echo to be a MARPA target?

Many thanks...

wrote in news:d8bb1621-c5c1-4757-8101-ccae1e9fb3b8
@l1g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:

I am hoping to get suggestions on the following:

o an autopilot - interfaced to the pc for waypoint creation and
control
o a radar - interfaced to the pc for MARPA target overlay on top of
charts
o ways to integrate GPS and other NMEA data onto a 2nd pc mounted
elsewhere in the boat
o a ruggedized, daylight display either
a) mirroring the pc display which in turn is controlled by a
wireless trackball, or
b) an ultra mobile or pocket pc which can by itself diplay NMEA
data and drive the autopilot


The system I have installed on Lionheart, an Amel Sharki 41 ketch is a
combination of existing and newer equipment we installed a few years
back.

Raystar 120 WAAS GPS----(seatalk)--------|------------------|
Raymarine 2KW radom-----(control cable)--| Raymarine RL70CRC|
Raymarine Smart Heading Sensor w/compass-| Radar/Plotter |
|NMEA A OUT--------|
|
A
Garmin GPS 185 GPS/Sonar/Chartplotter-----B|_| (NORMAL/EMERG)
(network standby GPS source) out
|
|A---------------|
| Noland NMEA |
B&G Yeoman paper chartplotter--------------B Multiplexer |
| |
B&G Network Pilot/Wind/Data/Speed/Sail-----C |
| |
wireless routerWebfoot EthernetRS232--RS-232 port |
| |
D--MUX OUTPUT----|
Multiplexer out goes to all NMEA IN ports systemwide. It also
has a switch to select NORMAL/GARMIN DIRECT in case whole system
crashes.

Computer is Dell Latitude laptop running The Cap'n nav software from a
virtual serial port background program over wireless to the router, an
Ethernet connection. VSP connects wirelessly to Webfoot's IP on network
to send/receive Cap'n serial data in/out without wires from anywhere on
the boat....even on the beach if you like.

Currently, we're also using a SR161 AIS receiver wired via serial-USB
cable to feed AIS data at SR161 speed to Cap'n's AIS upgrade. Another
Webfoot Ethernet to RS-232C converter will soon wireless this serial
connection over another IP and VSP in the Dell. If you go portable,
now, you lose AIS data in.

The Yeoman plots our course on a Maptech chart book with preprogrammed
Yeoman chart points. This paper trail is emergency nav/course logging
if everything explodes and we have to drag out the sextant
offshore....to everyone's dismay if it ever happens...(c;

Any chart plotter can waypoint a route, but "normal" is to use The Cap'n
on the Dell to plot/run all courses/routes. The other chart plotters
act as slaves. The Garmin and Yeoman came off an old boat the owner
had. I got the Yeoman out of the trash, pulled it apart and integrated
it under the chart table top as its foam portable came apart in the hot
sun. The Garmin and RL70CRC color radar are mounted in a custom-made
console the owner made in his extensive wood shop side-by-side. Amel's
big compass was moved to a custom-made binnacle behind them to make
reading the B&G Network modules much easier.

B&G Network Pilot uses an electro-hydraulic ram to directly steer the
rudder under the aft cabin. It also has the handheld controller for
manual steering and docking. Getting rate of turn and drift information
from Raymarine's smart heading sensor, it steers like a ghost is at the
helm...simply amazing.

We'd put in more stuff, but the wireways are stuffed....(c;

You can lay out on a beanbag in the bow and drive wirelessly with the
laptop....or from the comfort of your favorite berth...shouting orders
to the sail slaves in the cockpit...(c;

wrote in message
...
| I have a 48' CnC Landfall. I'm looking for ideas on PC-based
| navigation components. Currently, I have two laptops running Maptech
| Offshore Navigator, both of which are configured to use a Serial-USB
| converter and a handheld GPS. I also already have installed Raymarine
| ST60+ wind/speed/depth instruments.
|
| I am hoping to get suggestions on the following:
|
| o an autopilot - interfaced to the pc for waypoint creation and
| control
| o a radar - interfaced to the pc for MARPA target overlay on top of
| charts
| o ways to integrate GPS and other NMEA data onto a 2nd pc mounted
| elsewhere in the boat
| o a ruggedized, daylight display either
| a) mirroring the pc display which in turn is controlled by a
| wireless trackball, or
| b) an ultra mobile or pocket pc which can by itself diplay NMEA
| data and drive the autopilot
|
| Just wondering if anyone else has set up a system remotely like these
| items. I've heard both good & bad about the panasonic toughbook which
| mirrors a pc screen, but cannot verify the source. I have no input on
| the ultra mobile pc nor pocket pc idea.
|
| Another idea which occurs to me is to simply buy an autopilot which
| has it's own wireless control, and then just use a Garmin GPSMap 76 as
| the handheld. It won't display the wind/speed/depth, but then again,
| it's simple and portable to the dingy.
|
| Has anyone used the MARPA target data overlay on top of charts
| feature? I've seen how this is done in the all-in-one products, but
| haven't seen it on a PC program. How does this work? Does the radar
| itself prune echos from land masses? In layman's terms, how does the
| radar select an echo to be a MARPA target?
|
| Many thanks...

Hi,
Books could be written on this subject (some do).
Maybe I can give you some ideas as I have just installed a new
Northstar/Navico auto pilot on my boat, to replace a Raymarine ST6000+. You
will also have to integrate Seatalk instrument, auto pilot and computer, so
you may find some of this of interest to yourself:
http://brookhouseonline.com/pdf%20fi...lot%203100.pdf
Wout

On Sun, 3 Feb 2008 10:30:26 -0800 (PST), wrote:

I've heard both good & bad about the panasonic toughbook which
mirrors a pc screen,

The Panasonic Toughbooks are laptop PCs. I've been using one for a
couple of years and so far, so good - even after a few sal****er spray
incidents and one 3 ft drop to a teak deck.

The best way to get most of what you want is to purchase a Furuno
NavNet2 integrated radar/chartplotter with optional ARPA functions.

Wayne.B wrote in
:

The best way to get most of what you want is to purchase a Furuno
NavNet2 integrated radar/chartplotter with optional ARPA functions.



He can always beg his banker to increase his credit card limit, right?....
(c;

On Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:02:40 +0000, Larry wrote:

Wayne.B wrote in
:

The best way to get most of what you want is to purchase a Furuno
NavNet2 integrated radar/chartplotter with optional ARPA functions.



He can always beg his banker to increase his credit card limit, right?....
(c;

Of course, if that's what it takes.

If you *really* need things like chart/radar overlay, AIS and ARPA
functions, it pays to do it right in my experience, and not with a
kluge of haywired components. We have all that on our trawler because
we make quite a few multi-day passages, which necessitates that my
wife be able to confidently stand solo watches at night without waking
me up every 15 minutes. Otherwise we could easily get by without it.