Help / FAQ

[emenskl]

Newbie, so point out any transgressions.

I have downloaded NOAA charts to My Documents.

In openCPN, under Charts>Available Chart Directories, there are a lot of things listed, but not "My Documents" How make it available? Maybe it's a Windows question. I'm running Windows 7. Or, maybe they need be moved or downloaded to somewhere else?

Anticipating the next issue. I have dowloaded USCG District 05 and 07 charts, each district contains may charts. Will openCPN be able to work with those files, or will each chart have to be procesed individually?

Ken

[dacust]

Originally Posted by emenskl

Newbie, so point out any transgressions.

I have downloaded NOAA charts to My Documents.

In openCPN, under Charts>Available Chart Directories, there are a lot of things listed, but not "My Documents" How make it available? Maybe it's a Windows question. I'm running Windows 7. Or, maybe they need be moved or downloaded to somewhere else?

Anticipating the next issue. I have dowloaded USCG District 05 and 07 charts, each district contains may charts. Will openCPN be able to work with those files, or will each chart have to be procesed individually?

Ken

To answer your second question first, once you find your charts, you can specify the top level folder and it'll walk through and find all the valid charts. You can, of course, specify just one (or more) sub-folders to cut down on the number of charts loaded.

As to My Documents, you'll have to browse the levels to find it. I'm on XP here at work, but it'd be somewhere like C:\Documents and Settings\emenskl\My Documents\etc...

Could be your user name (like emenskl) or maybe "All Users".

Other way to find it is start another download. Where it says it is going to save it, browse to see what the path is. In some browsers, you might have to Google to find where to go change the default download path, and go find it there.

-dan

[emenskl]

Thanks. I could identrify the set of files on my C drive that openCPN was looking at, and move the charts there. I don't understand why openCPN was looking at only a sub set, but the hurdle was passed and the charts were then available to openCPN. It seemed to accept them.

1. Next hurdle. While the openCPN toolbar has appeared for me in the past, when I now try to open openCPN, just a small icon like picture appears on a bar on the bottom of my screen. How to get it to open, or at least to get the toolbar to reappear?

2. And, how can I download the openCPN manual, so I can look at it when I am not (and can't be) on the internet?

Ken

[emenskl]

As a follow up question -

For openCPN under Properties, the Size of the folder is 1.81 KB, Size on Disk 8.00 KB.

I don't know what the difference would be, but either one seems small given all the functionalities that openCPN offers. What is the size of it for other users?

For the moment, I'm dead in the water on using it.

Some good news is that my GlobalSat BU-353 seems to be working fine, per the test program that came with it. It picks up six or seven satellites right through my roof (or maybe it is through my windows?).

Ken

[HappySeagull]

Originally Posted by emenskl

Thanks. I could identrify the set of files on my C drive that openCPN was looking at, and move the charts there. I don't understand why openCPN was looking at only a sub set, but the hurdle was passed and the charts were then available to openCPN. It seemed to accept them.

1. Next hurdle. While the openCPN toolbar has appeared for me in the past, when I now try to open openCPN, just a small icon like picture appears on a bar on the bottom of my screen. How to get it to open, or at least to get the toolbar to reappear?

2. And, how can I download the openCPN manual, so I can look at it when I am not (and can't be) on the internet?

Ken

per "1" I'm guessing from your description.It may be this?if you minimised OpenCPN beforehand...worth reading anyways.Can you post a screen capture?a picture is worth a thousand words .

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post759983

Per "2",there's a manual IN Opencpn.Click the questionmark in the toolbar and then the "Help" Tab.It'll open in your browser.It's offline,so you don't need internet connection,but the deeper subjects will maybe want to take you online.

and also:
OpenCPN User Manual | Official OpenCPN Homepage from where you can save the particular pages you think you'll need.

[emenskl]

I'll respond to two suggestions, then work on the Program Won't Open suggestion.

Don't want to post my desktop for the world. The picture that appears in the bar along the bottom of my screen when I open openCPN is the same picture as the shortcut - a map and an O.

Good to know that the manual is part of what is available as part of the openCPN download. So, if I can just get it to open, that issue will be solved.

Ken

[emenskl]

I looked at the "Program Won't Post" messages. Made my eyes glase over.

I decided to try an Uninstall and a new download. The download was directly via Internet Explorer. I think the previous one was via AOL.

In any case, it seemed to work. And the charts worked and the GPS worked. So, I'm up and running and exploring the program.

Thanks to those who offered suggestions to get me started. I'm sure I'll have more hurdles and questions in the future. Hopefully at some point be able to help others.

Ken

[HappySeagull]

Originally Posted by emenskl

Don't want to post my desktop for the world. The picture that appears in the bar along the bottom of my screen when I open openCPN is the same picture as the shortcut - a map and an O.

Ken

perfectly reasonable.Crop the picture...as in:



did it look like this?as in "minimised".Not "on screen".Just here in the taskbar.
The thing is,I'm afraid this'll pop up again,if not you,someone else.
Make sure you Maximise(on-screen,in your face)before closing OpenCPN.

And don't shut the computer down with OpenCPN "minimised ".You won't get it restarted without the fix I linked above...

[emenskl]

The picture in the task bar was like the one in your e-mail, without any name or words next to it.

I think the source of my particular problem will remain a mystery. May have been the closing while minimized issue, or not.

However, you are correct about the closing while minimized issue being an on-going one if not corrected. It sure would be easy to shut down while openCPN was minimized, or be shut down involuntarily. The problem has not been there for any other software that I have ever used.

I would seem good for the group if you could document the recovery method in a way better followed by those not so computer literate.

Thanks again for your help.

Ken

[prroots]

I'm dedicating a recently purchased used Fujitsu ST5112 tablet PC running OpenCPN as a DIY chartplotter. I prefer to orient it in the portrait (vs landscape) mode. Unfortunately, when I do so, the text on the status bar is too small to read since OpenCPN squeezes everything together to fit. Is there a solution? Actually the only item on the status bar I care about is 'From Ownship' since everything else is found on the Dashboard. Suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks
Pete

[Groggys]

Hi,

im new to this forum but bin using opencpn on my work daily.

now to the problem i has. i have connected my nav computer to my autopilot, it gets corrections but never what Heading to steer.

The autopilot im using Navitron Systems Ltd - NT921 MKII Autopilot

is there a way to make opencpn to send "HSC (Heading Steering Command)"?

thankful for help!

[emenskl]

Well the first time I went to use openCPN on the boat, it failed me.

Got a message "Could not open serial port COM3." The program seemed to be dead in the water. No options were offered.

The software seemed to work fine through several on/off cycles on land (including in the car to test it "under way"). I was not in a position to do a reinstall out on the boat.

The GPS was plugged into the same USB port as before. So, should be COM3, unless the assigned numbers change around.

1. Suggestions on a fix (short of a reinstall) and what to do to prevent this in the future?

2. Can a copy of the installation software be kept on a memory stick to facilitate a reinstall when the internet is not available?

I'm using Windows 7.

Ken

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by emenskl

Well the first time I went to use openCPN on the boat, it failed me.

Got a message "Could not open serial port COM3." The program seemed to be dead in the water. No options were offered.

There's an "OK" button to click when you see that message. Then OpenCPN will go ahead and run, but without a GPS connection.

Originally Posted by emenskl

The software seemed to work fine through several on/off cycles on land (including in the car to test it "under way"). I was not in a position to do a reinstall out on the boat.

The GPS was plugged into the same USB port as before. So, should be COM3, unless the assigned numbers change around.

Usually what causes that is Windows hasn't detected the GPS yet. I find it helps to plug in the GPS and give Windows two or three full minutes before I try to start OpenCPN. You can also visit the Control Panel to see if COM3 is active before continuing.

The assigned numbers don't change so long as you use the same USB port.

Originally Posted by emenskl

1. Suggestions on a fix (short of a reinstall) and what to do to prevent this in the future?

Before I shut down OpenCPN I change the GPS source to "None". That way I won't get the message about the com port being unavailable when I start it. When I connect the GPS I try to wait until Windows has recognized it before starting OpenCPN. Then I try to set OpenCPN to the correct com port. If it isn't in the drop-down list I know Windows hasn't made the port assignment yet. If that's the case I'll exit OpenCPN and restart it.

Incidentally, connecting the GPS is much easier with 2.5 than with earlier versions, in case you're using an earlier one.

Originally Posted by emenskl

2. Can a copy of the installation software be kept on a memory stick to facilitate a reinstall when the internet is not available?

Absolutely. There's no problem with that. But unless you're short on hard drive space you can also keep the installation file on your hard drive and reinstall from there. The installation file isn't removed during the installation process. Nor is it removed when you uninstall.

Fabbian

[dacust]

Originally Posted by emenskl

...
2. Can a copy of the installation software be kept on a memory stick to facilitate a reinstall when the internet is not available?

I'm using Windows 7.

Ken

Another comment just in case...

Instead of clicking on the install link and then choosing "run", choose "download" or "save" instead. then you can run it from disk anytime you want.

-dam

[emenskl]

Fabbian,

Thanks for the response. See you have a Gem. My favorite boat.

When I clicked OK to the error mesage, openCPN did nothing. It didn't just continue without the GPS function. It showed as "Running" in the Task Manager, but was not visable to me.

The GPS had been plugged in and had a "working" signal.

I did have the installation program on my computer. Tried to reinstall from there, but that did not work. (Maybe if I had checked all the reset boxes it would have.) I tried uninstall, but it did not get rid of all the openCPN fliles. So, I deleted what I could find and tried a download. That time I checked all the reset boxes. openCPN seemed to reinstall OK and seems to be working.

It is disconcerting to not know why it could not open the port and just stopped working and to not know if a reinstall from my pc will work if needed. Guess I could test the latter if I find the time.

Just speculation, but I feel like it was a Windows 7 problem. Wonder how many openCPN users are using Windows 7.

Thanks again for the help.

Ken