Recycling Obsolete Tablets?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Question: where (from what devices) would you get wireless NMEA data, to display on your tablet? I'm a few years behind on what hardware is boasting this wireless capability but from a short search it seems to me that what wireless data interfaces available now, especially for NMEA2000, are still proprietary closed format and $$$.

This suggests that the price of the wireless NMEA adaptor plus a cheap tablet, and maybe a non-free app, is probably what it would have cost to just buy a small marine MFD anyway.

I'd love to be wrong about this. Cos then it would be simple to produce such an app.

There are lots of devices now which stream N2K data over WiFi. I have the Navico GoFree, which costs less than $200.

It works great with INavX -- INavX does everything including AIS when connected by GoFree.


Ironically, I don't have it working for the GoFree interface yet, because my IPlod is too old. It's a conundrum because I want a tablet I can run OpenCPN on, and these are non-intersecting sets (GoFree Apple or Android; OpenCPN PC only). I can root an Android tablet and run OpenCPN on Linux, but I'm not sure I'd want to do that to a brand new tablet, plus I'm not sure whether I can then easily switch between regular apps or not.

It's something I need to decide soon, because I'll be in the U.S. next week and will start acquiring the hardware.

[colemj]

Why OCPN on a tablet specifically? If it is for freedom of chart choices, SeaIQ uses CM93, S57, S63, BSB/KAP and several other formats - vector and raster. You can even make your own charts and use them.

It also has built-in Google Earth overlay (really neat - just push a button and it downloads and overlays GE images), automatic download and overlay of GRIB and weather data, tidal data, AIS functionality, VRM, EBL, routing and POI markup, built-in Active Captain, etc.

It has numerical instrumentation with wind/COG/Bearing vectors shown on chart and takes all data off Wifi or UDP and can act as a NMEA server and also share AIS over internet.

To me, it is basically OCPN on a tablet with additional functionality, although it costs $40.

It has much more useful functionality than our $3000 chart plotter.

Mark

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by colemj

Why OCPN on a tablet specifically? If it is for freedom of chart choices, SeaIQ uses CM93, S57, S63, BSB/KAP and several other formats - vector and raster. You can even make your own charts and use them.

It also has built-in Google Earth overlay (really neat - just push a button and it downloads and overlays GE images), automatic download and overlay of GRIB and weather data, tidal data, AIS functionality, VRM, EBL, routing and POI markup, built-in Active Captain, etc.

It has numerical instrumentation with wind/COG/Bearing vectors shown on chart and takes all data off Wifi or UDP and can act as a NMEA server and also share AIS over internet.

To me, it is basically OCPN on a tablet with additional functionality, although it costs $40.

It has much more useful functionality than our $3000 chart plotter.

Mark

Thanks; hot tip!

Why a tablet? On long passages in bad weather, I keep watch from under my sprayhood -- I typically stand on the companionway with my head sticking out, which puts me at just the right height to look out ahead through my fixed windshield. I have four B&G tritons there, but no plotter. I don't want to put a plotter there because (a) three plotters on board would really be overkill; and (b) it would be really hard to pull power and ethernet cables to that place. So a tablet would be perfect; best of all one of the Sony Vaio tabets which are waterproof. I can also take it to my bunk when off watch. I presently use an old IPad with INavX for this function. The Sony would be able to run GoFree, so I could mirror my plotter screen on that tablet, and even use and control the radar (unfortunately they block pilot control over GoFree).

Why OpenCPN? The fact that it is free is hardly a consideration -- it's just a fantastic program, superlative for planning, with a superlative AIS implementation, able to use any kind of chart -- I just love it.

But I will check out the program you recommended; thanks.

Why OpenCPN

[Dockhead]

Unfortunately, SeaIQ only works on apple -- no Android

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

You'd lose! I'm not a tablet, smart phone or latest electronic whizbang guy, but I ARE a sailor!

Even my 87 year old father has a tablet and smartphone!

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I bet there's not a sailor afloat who doesn't have an obsolete Android tablet lying around in a drawer doing nothing..............

I don't have a tablet, obsolete or otherwise.

I do have a pair of networked Garmin plotters though so I have the information I need where and when I need it.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

There are lots of devices now which stream N2K data over WiFi. I have the Navico GoFree, which costs less than $200.

...

Ironically, I don't have it working for the GoFree interface yet, because my IPlod is too old. It's a conundrum because I want a tablet I can run OpenCPN on, and these are non-intersecting sets (GoFree Apple or Android; OpenCPN PC only). I can root an Android tablet and run OpenCPN on Linux, but I'm not sure I'd want to do that to a brand new tablet, plus I'm not sure whether I can then easily switch between regular apps or not.

Ah. Thanks.

There are 3 free GoFree apps on the Google Play store. So maybe you could sell the iPlod, or bestow it on a worthy niece/nephew, and buy a new Android tablet. I bought a "refurbished" Lenovo 8" tablet last year for around $140 from Newegg.com.

This still doesn't give you OpenCPN on the tablet, but assuming you have it installed on a PC laptop, it's a nice bit of redundancy.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Question: where (from what devices) would you get wireless NMEA data, to display on your tablet? I'm a few years behind on what hardware is boasting this wireless capability but from a short search it seems to me that what wireless data interfaces available now, especially for NMEA2000, are still proprietary closed format and $$$.

This suggests that the price of the wireless NMEA adaptor plus a cheap tablet, and maybe a non-free app, is probably what it would have cost to just buy a small marine MFD anyway.

I'd love to be wrong about this. Cos then it would be simple to produce such an app.

Vesper XB-8000 AIS transponder echoes NMEA2k and 0183 data over WiFi. Their WatchMate app is free, runs on 'droids and Igadgets, and displays AIS and NMEA2k and 0183 data from the Vesper transponder.