Josh,
just googled Openplotter, now that's way cool. Powered brain and generic
wireless tablet repeaters is the way to go.
I have a neighbour at the marina, cool guy, owns an IT outsource company,
works remotely and has a nav-lab on his boat - raspberry pi tinkerer also,
currently for a weather station and old school video games IIRC. He kinda
primed the pump for me on the whole open source thing (OpenCPN/Navigatrix)
and prodded me away from analog-instrument-think when approaching this
stuff, after I had spent some cash on Raymarine/STng unfortunately.
Gonna get my n2k network sorted in a familiar OS before exploring something
like linux or Openplotter. Looks like openplotter does not yet support
nmea2000.
I have heard a logitech trackball makes a good interface at the nav station.
Please post updates as you progress!
Dave
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2016 14:52:10 +0000
From: Josh Muckley <muckl...@gmail.com>
To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com
Subject: Re: Stus-List Best new tablet for nav/general use
Message-ID:
<ca+zacrazluz7zt3wzt_1whsiyqtkybwmrqdxs-avub4fjm0...@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
It's a little bit of a different angle here but I'm getting closer and
closer to an OpenPlotter install. I've been assembling and burning in the
system for about a year now. For me I've concluded that I want a below
decks system that handles all of the "heavy lifting" and runs headless to
reduce power consumption. I'll be able to RDC/VNC in via WIFI from any
device on board. Since the heavy lifting is done on the OpenPlotter, the
remote hardware (cell phone, laptop, ipad) won't need special
software/hardware or a lot of processing power. The really cool part is
that any device that connects remotely will be able to create
routes/waypoints, review the track, and see all the instrument data. As it
is now a tactician needs to work over/through the steering wheel while the
helmsman is driving. With the new system the tactician can use a cell
phone/tablet while moving freely about the boat (navstation, dodger, helm,
bow) and control the plotter which is also being controlled and displayed
at the helm. Since simple remote desktop software and TCP/IP is being
used, If one device is destroyed or the batteries die then any other device
is capable of immediately replacing it and upgrades are just as
non-invasive. I plan on having an older laptop at the navstation which
will act as the normal control head with full sized screen and keyboard.
The laptop is a bit power hungry but will sleep 95% of the time.
Admittedly, its not a perfect system. There are some clunky things about
remote desktop and interfacing a mouse/keyboard on a touchscreen device.
Additionally a couple of factors affect the response time of the remote
desktop connection. I expect that these weaknesses will be overcome in the
next few years.
Josh Muckley
S/V Sea Hawk
1989 C&C 37+
Solomons, MD
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