Transfering Routes from OPEN CPN

[earless]

i use both open cpn on my laptop and a si-tex ec7 chart plotter on the boat. is there a way to transfer routes between them? i would appreciate all help on the matter.

[Sumner]

I've transferred routes from SeaClear to one of our handheld Garmin 76S all of the time. We are switching over to OpenCPN and it looks to be the same basically and I think you can also.

Look on pages 112 to 114 and page 119 of the manual ....

http://www.si-tex.com/product_manuals/EC-Plotters.pdf

....for how to run the wires between the computer and the plotter. You will need a serial cable so if you computer doesn't have a serial port then you will need to use a USB/Serial adapter.

With the wiring in place it looks like pages 54 and 55 of the manual...

http://www.si-tex.com/product_manuals/EC-Plotters.pdf

...imply that the plotter can receive a route (our Garmin can). Create the route in OpenCPN and then name it and then go to 'route manager' and save the route and on the right you can send the route to the GPS/Plotter.

That should work but I'm not sure if you will find a way to go from the plotter to the computer. We can't do that with our setup.

We run the computer below and the Garmin in the cockpit and they are connect in case we want to modify the route and resend it. If the computer is running you can have it save the track as it is taking place if you want with OpenCPN,

Sum

[earless]

hello sumner. thank you very much for your detailed reply. "nereus" is at present under bubble wrap, and i have no access to the si-tex. i will try out the solution you propose as soon as i can in the spring.

when i started cruising (more than a few years ago) a well appointed navigation kit consisted of paper charts, a compass, a pair of dividers, parallel rules, a good watch, and a well-sharpened pencil. i still carry these on board, but i will not forego the advantage of electronics, even if for me it means a sometime difficult apprenticeship.

so... thank you again for your help.

[Sumner]

Originally Posted by earless

... i will try out the solution you propose as soon as i can in the spring...

When you hook up the USB to Serial adapter you are going to have to find out which com port it is using so you can give that info to OpenCPN. If you aren't sure how to do that and are using windows you need to go 'the control panel' and the 'device manage' and look there for serial devices and there you should find which com port it is using.

I've used this....



....USB to serial adapter...

Special Price! NEW Tripp Lite USA-19HS Keyspan High-Speed USB to Serial Adapter on eBay!

... with good results before. You might find cheaper, but some have problems. You will then need a serial cable to plug into that and will have to probably cut a plug off the other end and find the wires you need using an ohm meter on the wires and the pins. Intimidating but not that bad. Then wire to the chart plotter. Or buy just a bare DB 25 plug and wire to the couple pins on it you need.

Another one of interest that I haven't used is this one...



....that has....

Digital Yacht NMEA Adapter f/PC

... the wires coming out of it that you could then attach to wiring to the chart plotter. I might try one of these at some point. Anyone else use one? This adapter is a little more, but it is smaller as the USB to serial is all in the little USB plug and you wouldn't have to buy another cable and mess with cutting it and finding the right wires and so on. It is very appealing for this application.

The ship's computer I made has serial ports so I don't have to mess with the USB to serial on for it, but do have the Keyspan one I linked to above and have used it between a laptop and the Garmin and it is our backup if the ship's computer went down.

If I'm by the internet when you are ready to hookup and you have a question let me know and I'll see if I can help. Looks like your boat is about 50 miles up the coast from where my sister lives ,

Sum

[earless]

hello sumner. first, let me wish you the happiest of holidays, and to thank you for all your help, as well as for the generous offer to walk me through the installation, though i'm afraid that this last will not be possible until early spring. at this moment, i am leaning towards your suggestion of a usb to serial connector ending in bare wires, and soldering these to the appropriate pins in a db9 plug. this seems simple enough and should be within my limited capabilities.

[Sumner]

Originally Posted by earless

.. at this moment, i am leaning towards your suggestion of a usb to serial connector ending in bare wires, and soldering these to the appropriate pins in a db9 plug. this seems simple enough and should be within my limited capabilities.

You won't need to solder to a plug if you go with...



...the adapter above which I think is what you have in mind. The wire would be soldered to extender wires that would reach to the wires coming out of the chartplotter unless if has a place to use a db9 plug (if so I missed that in the manual).

In our case on the Mac I needed to get GPS location to the VHF radio for DSC. I extended the wires from the...



...GPS/Fish-finder back into the cabin...



... to a terminal strip (top right arrow). Then went from the strip up to ...



...the VHF. You might also consider a terminal strip at some point in the path between the computer and the chartplotter.

The connection between the computer and the handheld Garmin was pretty easy as we just bought an off the shelf cable that plugs into a serial port (computer end) and into the back of the Garmin on the other end. It also splits the lines off the Garmin into the serial line and a power line that uses a stock 12 volt plug.



I extended the lines with two stock extension type cords (one for the 12 volt and the other for the serial) so that the Garmin could also be used back at the tiller. If anyone is interested in running a computer below and a handheld in the cockpit this is a very cheap way to go. You can pickup a handheld for less than $60.00 and just download the waypoints into it in a couple seconds and you are good to go. We went over 400 miles in Florida this way in waters we had never been in with no problems at all. Another laptop and handheld and you have cheap backup.

Good luck,

Sum

[earless]

true. with bare wires. i can make the connection directly to the junction box for the si-tex as you point out, the only problem is that the usb to serial converter is rather pricey, but i'm afraid that a constant cash outflow goes with the territory as far as boats are concerned. thanks again.