Inexpensive heading sensor?

[Turbofly]

Is anyone having any luck with the cheaper heading sensors? If so what models is everyone using?

Also I couldn't find much direction on how they connect and are configured in opencpn. Am I missing something in the manual? I plan on connecting it directly to the pc's serial port. Is it really as easy as power and ground and connecting the db9 pin 2 and 3 to the nema?

[George64]

It depends on the type of heading sensor. I have build one based on a Arduino board, it has nmea output strings and ttl logic to connect it to a computer or, in my case, the S2 Shipmodul.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Turbofly.

[mrohr]

WTF ??? I thought one had a compass on board to give the heading.

"One does not need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows'---Bob Dylan

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by mrohr

WTF ??? I thought one had a compass on board to give the heading.

"One does not need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows'---Bob Dylan

Obvious troll is obvious

[mrohr]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Obvious troll is obvious

Au contraire mon ami ; but rather an observation and an opinion , even if not yours.
regards Bob

[David M]

He is obviously looking for an electronic compass with a NMEA out. You can get them with just a bare wire that can connect in through a db9 connector or you can get them with a USB 2 connector to your computer.

I found these by doing a Google image search, "compass NMEA".

NMEA Compass Sensor

http://www.pdqconnect.com/flugate-co...digital-yacht/

[rgleason]

Someday you might be able to have two cheap GPS puck sensors at each end of the boat and two nmea feeds to opencpn with a plugin, that would calculate direction.

You might even be able to calculate pitch and yaw with two more sensors, but since they don't have gyroscopes they won't have acceleration and thus won't be as accurate in all probability.

[Turbofly]

Originally Posted by George64

It depends on the type of heading sensor. I have build one based on a Arduino board, it has nmea output strings and ttl logic to connect it to a computer or, in my case, the S2 Shipmodul.

Thanks for the info, a quick google search returns this.

Build Your Own Solid State Compass for $60 | Matrix Mariner Blog

Is this similar to what you are using? I ordered the parts. I figured it was cheap enough to try.

rgleason

Way to think outside the box. However with a 26 foot boat and lets say +/- 2meter accuracy of gps on a good day. That might not work that well. However if you have a 100' schooner, Well..... that's a different story.

Ill give this Ardino board a try and give you guys a update.

[George64]

Originally Posted by Turbofly

Thanks for the info, a quick google search returns this.

Build Your Own Solid State Compass for $60 | Matrix Mariner Blog

Is this similar to what you are using? I ordered the parts. I figured it was cheap enough to try.

rgleason

Way to think outside the box. However with a 26 foot boat and lets say +/- 2meter accuracy of gps on a good day. That might not work that well. However if you have a 100' schooner, Well..... that's a different story.

Ill give this Ardino board a try and give you guys a update.

Search the forum and you'll find an explaination of what I've buld with arduino

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Someday you might be able to have two cheap GPS puck sensors at each end of the boat and two nmea feeds to opencpn with a plugin, that would calculate direction.

You might even be able to calculate pitch and yaw with two more sensors, but since they don't have gyroscopes they won't have acceleration and thus won't be as accurate in all probability.

Its already done , it's called a satellite compass. ( Furuno , simrad)

Dave

[rontom]

Does the do it yourself Arduino Board Compass Module, Setup work for Stabilizing Chart Overlay, on the OpenCpn Radar system? Seems Inexpensive enough.
Any Help appreciated.

Thanks

[Freedom45]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Someday you might be able to have two cheap GPS puck sensors at each end of the boat and two nmea feeds to opencpn with a plugin, that would calculate direction.

You might even be able to calculate pitch and yaw with two more sensors, but since they don't have gyroscopes they won't have acceleration and thus won't be as accurate in all probability.

That day is already here.
I just bought a small "quadcopter" that has gps, roll/yaw/pitch/barometric sensors/compass all built in...it will hold position and altitude in the wind like it was mounted on a pole and fly itself back and land...the whole thing was less than $500 u.s.
Use it for video......neat stuff
By the way, the compass is less than 1/2 inch square, about 1/8 inch thick!

Chuck

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Its already done , it's called a satellite compass. ( Furuno , simrad)

Dave

Yep in use for many years now. Especially around the magnetic poles where magnetic compasses are less useful.

Also check out the Airmar PB150 and PB200 etc.. Heading, roll, pitch, wind, etc. etc. all in one package. Very reliable, not cheap... but hassle free NMEA 2000 or 0183. Maretron make one too I think.

[rebel heart]

Doesn't a normal GPS with nmea have the cog?