Do you use a tablet with open CPN and internal GPS offshore?

[RaymondR]

The early BU353s used an interface chip for which no driver for Win 8 was written. The later versions used a different chip for which a driver was written. I found the other BU353 and the Holux and both of these work with Win 8 using the same driver so it looks like both use the same interface chips. The old BU353 will have to be dedicated to the Asus eee which runs Win 7.

I really like the idea of a wifi multiplexer. I have just upgraded my fishfinder and the new one has nmea capability and I also have a AIS receiver that needs hooking into the system. The flexibility that wifi provides is fantastic.

[bustermaw]

I have a Samsung androidTab 4 and Garmin GLO bluetooth device.
They work well together.
I bought the Garmin because I was having trouble getting GPS on my android.
The Navionic vector charts are great ( and cheap ).
The 10.1 screen is so much better than my Raymarine 5.7 inch plotter.
Added to which I got a Survivor silicone case which does a rreally good job of protecting my tablet.
Also , because I'm not using the tablets Gps
The battery last a lot longer.

[SeaSon]

I have an HP Notebook running Vista, a Dell running Windows 8 and an old ibm ThinkPad running XP as my extreme backup. All run Polar Navy nav software which I like much better than opencpn.

I've crossed the Pacific with opencpn with no issue, as well as the Caribbean. I don't bother to hook it to the autopilot as I prefer to dial in my own course changes thank you.

All run off bu353 gps pucks laying on the dash - no issues.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by bustermaw

I have a Samsung androidTab 4 and Garmin GLO bluetooth device.
They work well together.
I bought the Garmin because I was having trouble getting GPS on my android.
The Navionic vector charts are great ( and cheap ).
The 10.1 screen is so much better than my Raymarine 5.7 inch plotter.
Added to which I got a Survivor silicone case which does a rreally good job of protecting my tablet.
Also , because I'm not using the tablets Gps
The battery last a lot longer.

I had a discussion with the Simrad tech rep at the Chicago All Sail boat show a few years ago. He said that all of the nav computer chartplotter makers use old hardware, chips, displays. All of the tablets etc. are way ahead on tech & capability especially screens and resolution. At the time, they were using the only displays with LED backlight.