Seaclear??

[hellosailor]

Not surprising it works there, Paul. With all the variations, maybe it is the Aero interface causing the failure. Maybe it is the power control systems. Maybe something unique to Vista Ultimate or a Lenovo widget of some sort. But, it is SOMEthing, and I've spent most of the past week making Real Damn Sure this is about a clean installation as can be.

Is your install on a laptop or desktop? Have you tried hibernate and sleep, and been able to power down and resume back from both of those modes without incident?

On XP's tombstone date...well, WIn95 was scheduled to die also, but look how mnay times they postponed that under the "Win98" name. XP has been given an extension, in that the "limited" minimachines with 4-8GB flash drives (no hard drive, no spindels, Acer eeePC and the like) will still be shipping with it. Apparently those makers have explained to MS that unless Vista can fit in a small footprint--they'll ship something else.

(4GB, small. ROFL!)

[mgbk]

Does somebody knows how to set-up the date in Seaclear?
All the waypoints and routes created in Seaclear receive the date 01 jan 2003. The PC date is correct.

[Saltyrope]

Originally Posted by StevenPalmer51

Great thread, I like the info. I picked up (downloaded) SeaClear II while in Port Townsend and have been stumbling around with it an paper charts plus my small Garmin "chart plotter" GPS. I am in Eureka, CA and decided to get an antenna that will plug into my laptop via USB port. The SeaClear program won't recognize the antenna, has anyone dealt with this issue and have any ideas on it. I opened the Comm tab in the software but don't see any way to direct it to the USB port, I tried all of the Com ports that are listed there with no success. The software that came with the antenna recognizes the antenna and it is working for that but won't work with the SeaClear. My Garmin GPS has a data cord with serial port plug and that will work with SeaClear but then don't have a way to keep the small GPS powered unless I keep feeding it batteries.... Any help is certainly appreciated. I think what I need is a way to direct SeaClear to use the USB port but don't know how to do this.

Suggest you try an antenna with a known output at 4800 bps as I think that is what Seaclear accepts. Your antenna may be say 9600 bps.

[phiggins]

mgbk

Does somebody knows how to set-up the date in Seaclear?
All the waypoints and routes created in Seaclear receive the date 01 jan 2003. The PC date is correct.

I've been a bit puzzled by this question. When I create a route in SeaClear its the name I choose and the waypoints start with WPx. How are you creating these routes and waypoints? Are you downloading them from a GPS? If so, perhaps its date is not set.

Paul

[hellosailor]

Ah, guys? No matter what misinformation you get on the internet, a GPS "Antenna" does not plug into a USB port. Not ever. A GPS may plug into a USB port, but you are not plugging a simple antenna into the USB port. (Kinda like buying a VHF antenna and then wondering why you can't plug a microphone into it. You need more than an antenna.)

From what I've seen in SeaClear-II, it only works with COM ports, not USB ports. No USB support in it at all. If your USB GPS comes with software that redirects the USB data to a COM port, or has a "serial port emulator" of some kind, then you need to use that software and set it up so your GPS is sending data to a COM port address, and then tell SeaClear-II to look for that address.

Even that may not work, because that kind of redirection software is often buggy and ill-tempered. You can get a free 14-day trial of GPSGate from GPS splitter, simulator and logger. Serial port splitter. - Franson GpsGate and one of the many things that does, is redirect GPS data to different ports and programs. Including Garmin USB-GPSes to COM ports.

[CharlieCobra]

Okay, I recently got Seaclear II to work fine with two different GPS units on an old 300 Mhz Panasonic Toughbook. I bought a Navibe II GPS off Ebay and a USB conversion cable with software that mimics RS-232. I also bought a cable for my Lowrance H2O GPS. The deal with the little Navibe is that ya need that USB cable with the software that works as a Com Port. You can set which Com Port that ya want Seaclear to use in Seaclear. Either GPS works fine but I keep the Lowrance unit as backup while using the laptop, easier to see for these old eyes. The baud rate for either is 4800. Any other speed isn't seen by Seaclear. To make sure it's working, open the NMEA Input window to check it.

[Gene1234]

Originally Posted by mgbk

Does somebody knows how to set-up the date in Seaclear?
All the waypoints and routes created in Seaclear receive the date 01 jan 2003. The PC date is correct.

On my installation the date seems to be automatically picked up. I have never had to set the date.
But the manual says:
SeaClear_2.INI File Settings
Most settings are updated from within SeaClear. However a few settings can be set with a text editor.
Startup:
Set system time. Use GPS. Updates the system time from the GPS at startup.
Hope this is some help.
Gene

[Gene1234]

SETTING SEACLEAR TO DISPLAY CHART NUMBER
I have found how to display the Chart Number with the Chart Name on Chart lists in SeaClear.
The manual says:
[Program Setup] section
; Use chart numbers in name. For BSB/KAP and GEO/NOS files, the chart number will be added to the chart name. Useful if charts have the same name but different numbers.
; Default is 0, Off. 1 is On. Used by MapCal. If changed you must recreate the Autoload list.
Use Chart Numbers=0
NOTE:
If you modify the configuration file, save a copy first. If you mess it up, it is easier than a reinstall!
------
The number displayed is not the KAP chart number!
There are two map numbers for each chart.
for instance
1006_1.KAP = 44
1009_1.KAP = 378
11312_1.KAP = 2885
The second number is displayed ->> UPPER GALVESTON BAY:88
There seems to be no available cross reference.
------------------------
I have compiled a master list of KAP file name, Coast Guard District, chart name, and map number.
This LIST is in the form of an Excel spreedsheet containing information on 2167 Kap Charts that I have compiled from NOAA downloads.
Some of these are text files with chart text information.
Sometimes it is nice to be a computer programmer!
If anyone wants a free copy of this list let me know through the member profiles section of cruisersforum.
Time frame for reply may vary based on number of requests.
File size is 352k
Thanks everyone for the help you contribute for the common good.
Gene

[mgbk]

Originally Posted by phiggins

mgbk


I've been a bit puzzled by this question. When I create a route in SeaClear its the name I choose and the waypoints start with WPx. How are you creating these routes and waypoints? Are you downloading them from a GPS? If so, perhaps its date is not set.

Paul

I create the routes in the SeaClear route edit mode, and I´m not downloading the routes from GPS.
The GPS is with the correct date, and the PC too, but all the way point in the list of waypoints are with the jan 01 2003 date!

Max

[cantxsailor]

on the back of my laptop.
I actually use Seaclear and I guess it uses a USB port AS a comport. Either that or the fairies have been messing with me again.

The antenna plugs in and when I fire up Seaclear,after some minor first time configurations, it now automatically finds where on the planet I am and shows me on a chart(if I have the correct chart on file).

I have added an AIS receiver and antenna recently and it too plugs into a usb port(same magic 'puter) and when correctly configured says it is on COMPORT7.

I did have to get some progeek help to figure out all the minutia of using Seaclear and the AIS but I am fairly confident I now know what I'm talking about although I may not be able to express it well. I can now muddle my way through most of the Seaclear features without to much swearing.

I do not have a specific GPS program on the computer just Seaclear and it seems to communicate with the heavens just fine. No extra magic just plug and play.

Perhaps you are doing something incorrectly or just, as I was, are in need of some pointers from a pro.

I can suggest, if you are near Kemah Texas, Boris Jones at Elite Yacht Electronics. He spent several hours(4+) working with me until the light went on and the info penetrated my thick head and stuck.

I can't tell you what antenna I have as it's on the boat and I'm not but next time I'm there I wil get a part number for you.

I like Seaclear and once you figure it out it works very well. It's the figuring it out which can be a bit of a pain. Some of the instructions are a bit confusing as they may be being translated from another language I think.

Don't give up on it. If a Ludite like me can "get it" you should be able to as well.............martin

[mgbk]

Originally Posted by Gene1234

On my installation the date seems to be automatically picked up. I have never had to set the date.
But the manual says:
SeaClear_2.INI File Settings
Most settings are updated from within SeaClear. However a few settings can be set with a text editor.
Startup:
Set system time. Use GPS. Updates the system time from the GPS at startup.
Hope this is some help.
Gene

Hi,
I use SeaClear for planning new routes and waypoints, without the GPS device conection. In next time I´m going to transfer the routes and waypoints to the GPS.
Al my routes and waypoints, when I export them to a text file, appear with the same "default" day month and year, and not with the "creation" day month year. Why this happens?
Take a look above:

Version 2:G7T
D WGS-84
M DMM
W CNC S22 56.0060 W043 06.4339 Wed Jan 01 00:01:00 2003
W TAPUTERAS S22 55.5529 W043 06.6599 Wed Jan 01 00:01:00 2003
W MORCEGO S22 55.2519 W043 07.2239 Wed Jan 01 00:01:00 2003
W PT-JURUJUBA S22 55.3450 W043 07.5229 Wed Jan 01 00:01:00 2003
W PTSTACRUZ S22 56.1976 W043 08.2654 Wed Jan 01 00:01:00 2003

[hellosailor]

Cantx-
"Strange, hellosailor, but my gps antenna plugs into a usb port.....
on the back of my laptop."

Sorry, not physically possible. An antenna plugs into a radio, not a computer. I would bet that what you are calling your "gps antenna" is in fact simply a complete GPS that plugs into the USB port on your computer. Whether that is a "puck" with the GPS circuit and a patch antenna all in one little piece, or a separate GPS with an external antenna plugged into it, doesn't matter.

If you could name it by name and model number, the odds are you'd see the manufacturer calls it a "GPS" not an "antenna", too. (And if they call it an antenna, I'll guarantee you the seller is some ambitious importer full of broken YnGlitch.)

The point is, a GPS antenna must be plugged into a GPS itself to work. And then the GPS has to be plugged into your computer.

The terminology DOES matter, because GPS antennas and GPSes with integral antennas are different critters, with different options and different performance criteria. Very much the way that your "anchor" is different from your "anchor rode", and your genoa sheet is different from your genoa.

[scotte]

Originally Posted by mgbk

Al my routes and waypoints, when I export them to a text file, appear with the same "default" day month and year, and not with the "creation" day month year. Why this happens?

OK, now that this is fully explained, I see what you are talking about. Yes, when SeaClear exports waypoints it just uses a dummy value for the timestamp. No way around it I'm aware of, but does the tracklog have timestamps? If so that's probably what you really want anyway - the time/date you were at a particular place, not the time/date you clicked to create the waypoint. Worth a try, anyway...

[cantxsailor]

but I can at least claim to have been mislead, if ever so slightly. The seller I'm sure didn't want to burden me with details. The "antenna" that I have been plugging in is, in fact, a 20satelite WAAS receiver. It's a USGlobalSat BU353W RIF2 (what ever that means). I do however plug it into the usb port on the back of the 'puter and it is listed as using comport7, the AIS is comport8.

See, I told you it was the fairies messing with my mind again.

Now if someone can explain to me why once the magic smoke comes out of an electronic item you can't ever get it back in again I'll be a happy guy.
How do the fairies get it in in the first place?
Ah, these are the questions..........m

[mgbk]

Originally Posted by scotte

OK, now that this is fully explained, I see what you are talking about. Yes, when SeaClear exports waypoints it just uses a dummy value for the timestamp. No way around it I'm aware of, but does the tracklog have timestamps? If so that's probably what you really want anyway - the time/date you were at a particular place, not the time/date you clicked to create the waypoint. Worth a try, anyway...

Hi, thanks for the fast reply!
The timestamp in the tracklog is correct, only the created wp and routes are with the dummy timestamp, but it´s not a big problem.
Anyway, SeaClear is, for me, the best "free" navigation software.