"Alec" wrote in message
...
Raymarine made a multifunction display which uses the sea talk bus.

The Raymarine ST60 Graphic is very flexible in what it can display.

"Luc Habert" wrote in message
...
Daniele Fua :

what I need is just a simple, cheap and weatherproof repeater at the
helm

I am affraid the weatherproofness and the general robustness are hard to
achieve, and you will be better off buying a moderately expensive
commercial
product.

I am a big fan of the TackTick products: you just plug inside the boat an
nmea receiver that forwards over wifi the data it receives, and then you
can
hang as many wireless repeaters as you like in the cockpit. The repeaters
are entirely wireless, using solar power (they have enough battery to run
through the night), and wifi to communicate with the base.

One minor correction: TackTick does not use Wifi to communicate. That would
simply be impossible with solar powered instruments. They use their own
extemely low power RF system.

Meindert

On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:33:29 +0200, Daniele Fua
wrote:

Is there an easy way to build a display that will show some chosen NMEA
data?
I have seen on the market programmable units that sell for several
hundred $ and I know that a computer is easily interfaced but what I
need is just a simple, cheap and weatherproof repeater at the helm to
display only few of the zillion data available at the underdeck main
navigation station. For example decoding just part of BWC and VTG and
displaying, say, four lines would be enough (COG, heading, bearing to
waypoint, and distance to waypoint).

Daniel

A navigation data repeater was presented in the italian
Bolina sail magazine issued on March 2008, number 251, page
79. A four row LCD display with decoded NMEA data.
But the author has missed the schematic and the listing for
the programmable microcontroller. The project is useless.
You can check with "Bolina".

Ciao, Dino

Dino ha scritto:
A navigation data repeater was presented in the italian
Bolina sail magazine issued on March 2008, number 251, page
79. A four row LCD display with decoded NMEA data.
But the author has missed the schematic and the listing for
the programmable microcontroller. The project is useless.
You can check with "Bolina".

Ciao, Dino

Thank you Dino, this is exactly what I was asking for. I will do some
research and hope to obtain more information.
If you are also interested I will keep you posted.
Ciao e grazie
Daniel

I've put together a Parallax micro controller with an lcd display. It
receives the NMEA data from the GPS and displays what you want on the LCD.
Simple remote station for the flybridge.


Mark

"Daniele Fua" wrote in message
. ..
Dino ha scritto:
A navigation data repeater was presented in the italian
Bolina sail magazine issued on March 2008, number 251, page
79. A four row LCD display with decoded NMEA data.
But the author has missed the schematic and the listing for
the programmable microcontroller. The project is useless.
You can check with "Bolina".

Ciao, Dino

Thank you Dino, this is exactly what I was asking for. I will do some
research and hope to obtain more information.
If you are also interested I will keep you posted.
Ciao e grazie
Daniel

m ha scritto:
I've put together a Parallax micro controller with an lcd display. It
receives the NMEA data from the GPS and displays what you want on the LCD.
Simple remote station for the flybridge.


Mark


Great! Would you be so kind to help me replicate it or... whatever.
Daniel

Daniele Fua wrote:

Is there an easy way to build a display that will show some chosen NMEA
data?
I have seen on the market programmable units that sell for several
hundred $ and I know that a computer is easily interfaced but what I
need is just a simple, cheap and weatherproof repeater at the helm to
display only few of the zillion data available at the underdeck main
navigation station. For example decoding just part of BWC and VTG and
displaying, say, four lines would be enough (COG, heading, bearing to
waypoint, and distance to waypoint).

Daniel

When you say 'build', what is your experience level with hardware and
software.

There are a number of microcontroller development kits that can do what
you want. Displays available range from 2x16 character backlit
alphanumeric LCDs to QVGA (quarter VGA) bit-mapped graphics.

This outfit: http://www.parallax.com/ sells a range of products that can
do what you want if you have the skill to cobble some hardware and code
together. If that's beyond your skill level or your time is worth too
much, a ready-made unit is a better choice.

The good thing about some of these kits is that there are enough users
groups on-line that someone may already have solved your problem for
you. Or something close enough.

--
Paul Hovnanian
------------------------------------------------------------------
At some point it becomes necessary to behead all the architects and
begin construction. -- Abi-Bar-Shim (Project Mgr. - Great Pyramid)

Paul Hovnanian P.E. ha scritto:
When you say 'build', what is your experience level with hardware and
software.

There are a number of microcontroller development kits that can do what
you want. Displays available range from 2x16 character backlit
alphanumeric LCDs to QVGA (quarter VGA) bit-mapped graphics.

This outfit: http://www.parallax.com/ sells a range of products that can
do what you want if you have the skill to cobble some hardware and code
together. If that's beyond your skill level or your time is worth too
much, a ready-made unit is a better choice.

The good thing about some of these kits is that there are enough users
groups on-line that someone may already have solved your problem for
you. Or something close enough.


Thank you Paul, now I understand better also what Mark was telling me.
I have a pretty good experience in hardware and software but I have
never programmed a microcontroller. I have worked with most of the high
level programming languages (old fashion... fortran, C, IDL, etc) and I
have "played" with discrete analog electronics all my life. A little
also with IC's and digital components.

I will go ahead and try to find someone who can help me update my skills
and provide some more precise information on the Parallax kits.

Thank you all
Daniel

On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:33:29 +0200, Daniele Fua
wrote:

Is there an easy way to build a display that will show some chosen NMEA
data?
I have seen on the market programmable units that sell for several
hundred $ and I know that a computer is easily interfaced but what I
need is just a simple, cheap and weatherproof repeater at the helm to
display only few of the zillion data available at the underdeck main
navigation station. For example decoding just part of BWC and VTG and
displaying, say, four lines would be enough (COG, heading, bearing to
waypoint, and distance to waypoint).



I think what you are looking for is a CruzPro RP-60 Intelligent NMEA
0183 Remote Data Repeater:

http://www.mpsadventurer.com/cruzpro...a_repeater.htm

http://www.mpsadventurer.com/cruz%20prices.pdf

It seems reasonably priced at about $200 USD. I don't think you
could build anything cheaper than that considering development costs
and equipment.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:33:29 +0200, Daniele Fua
wrote:

Is there an easy way to build a display that will show some chosen NMEA
data?
I have seen on the market programmable units that sell for several
hundred $ and I know that a computer is easily interfaced but what I
need is just a simple, cheap and weatherproof repeater at the helm to
display only few of the zillion data available at the underdeck main
navigation station. For example decoding just part of BWC and VTG and
displaying, say, four lines would be enough (COG, heading, bearing to
waypoint, and distance to waypoint).



I think what you are looking for is a CruzPro RP-60 Intelligent NMEA
0183 Remote Data Repeater:

http://www.mpsadventurer.com/cruzpro...a_repeater.htm

http://www.mpsadventurer.com/cruz%20prices.pdf

It seems reasonably priced at about $200 USD. I don't think you
could build anything cheaper than that considering development costs
and equipment.


FWIW, I have been using one of these for the last couple of years. It
has performed as advertised, and the manufacturer was responsive to my
queries.