Lowrance 4G Radar, HDS-Gen3 Wi-Fi, & OpenCPN

[MRArnold]

How do uninstall a plugin? not through the Windows 10 'Programs' menue, I can only uninstall the whole OpenCPN from there.....I think

[Hakan]

If not in Win10 control panel applications check here: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN
If no Uninstall BR24radar_pi there you have to go to

C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\Plugins
and delete all named BR24Radar......
Håkan

[MRArnold]

(Side Note: I SUCK AT THIS STUFF!)(I just googled how to take a ScreenShot and attach it, FIRST time for everything, and I am learning fast...)



Here is me Plugins Screen after the BR24 Pupup warning goes away.

[MRArnold]

Sweet, thanx. BR24 PI is gone. Popup on Plugins window is gone.


So I should be able to "see" a "pretend" radar screen by choosing Emulator as Radar Type without being connected to any network receiving any GPS Position or Heading Data or any Radar data, correct?


I must be missing something, and I don't know what I am looking for or what the screen will even look like once I have radar (real or pretend/emulated).

[Ivanm]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Ivanm..

So obviously no network found to search for a radar. Start to check your wifi connections.
And maybe try the radar type Emulator to check the O and radar_pi functions.

Wi fi connections work ok as I get Ais and Gps data in O with this
In Emulator everything seem to work

[MRArnold]

It seems that I may have things set correctly to see radar now.....
I will go back out to the Boat tomorrow and see if the Wifi works again....

[contrail]

Uh, surely Navico technical support can help? I have always found them helpful.....

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by MRArnold

It seems that I may have things set correctly to see radar now.....
I will go back out to the Boat tomorrow and see if the Wifi works again....

Well done!
As you can see in the info Window you'll need a heading into OpenCPN to overlay the radar picture. It may be you have that in your MFD system? Can be achieved via NMEA beside the GPS and other stuff or via the radar data traffic. The latter is set in radar preferences:
Radar menu->Advanced->Preferences->"Pass radar heading to OpenCPN"
But Radar menu->Window->Show PPI Window can always be used also without heading.

Good luck.
BTW: Win10 has very usable screen shot tool. Lock for "Snipping....." in apps.

[merrimac]

I'm pretty sure that Navico sales does not appreciate the use of their radars with OpenCPN very much, and very much doubt that Navico tech support (or any other radar manufacturer) will help you with getting the plugin to work. They have enough issues with helping customers with WiFi as it is.


Anyway, I also doubt that the built-in WiFi cards in the MFDs will transmit radar data. There is no official Navico use case where this is useful, and indeed it is just harmful to performance. There are no settings you can make on the builtin WiFi cards that address this.


So let me re-iterate our support statement as plugin authors:

- Wired connection is highly recommended. IT WORKS. If WiFi doesn't work, we will ask you to test with a wired connection.
- If you feel adventurous and don't mind various issues getting it to work, feel free to try wireless, but do not complain if it does not work.


We will give hints as to what you can do to get wireless to work, but there are no golden bullets here, other than we know certain cases where it worked and others where it did not work.


So far success has been reported more with dedicated simple cheap Wireless Access Points, preferably on 5GHz (=802.11 AC). Not so much success (aka sometimes total failure) with MiniPCI cards, GoFree wireless (depending on firmware revision.)



I will do a test with Zeus3 WiFi somewhere in the coming days to confirm that it does not work.

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by Ivanm

Wi fi connections work ok as I get Ais and Gps data in O with this
In Emulator everything seem to work

Strange. Well, some tests:

• You've the most resent radar_pi, v5.0.1? https://opencpn.org/OpenCPN/plugins/radarPI.html
• Select another radar type, e.g. 4G, for a test to see if the plugin find a network to search in. See the Radar Info Window.
• Listen to merrimac. Use first of all a wired connection to see how everything works. More hints here: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2819800

[Ivanm]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Strange. Well, some tests:

• You've the most resent radar_pi, v5.0.1? https://opencpn.org/OpenCPN/plugins/radarPI.html
• Select another radar type, e.g. 4G, for a test to see if the plugin find a network to search in. See the Radar Info Window.
• Listen to merrimac. Use first of all a wired connection to see how everything works. More hints here: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2819800

Ok yes newest pi if I change to other radar tipes ot scannning interface 192.168.76.7
Wil try and get a cable in meanwhile and try with cable connection as well

[Ivanm]

Originally Posted by Ivanm

Ok yes newest pi if I change to other radar tipes ot scannning interface 192.168.76.7
Wil try and get a cable in meanwhile and try with cable connection as well

What I dont understand the other radars show scanning but Halo show initializing

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by Ivanm

What I dont understand the other radars show scanning but Halo show initializing Attachment 189788

Let's see if merrimac can sort that out. The Halo logic is not clear for me. And again, your Halo48 type is not explicit supported so.....
Håkan

[Hakan]

All..
My thoughts about wifi and safe navigation:
Wifi is a nice (pet?) tool for playing with data connections at home or when a reliable connection is not of outmost importance.
A navigational system in a cruising boat could be a real safety issue. Not less a radar system. If you don't have a radar you may do your best to avoid situations without sight like fog or darkness. But if you've a radar you may feel safe and tend to go on even in these circumstances. Then you've to do what you can to set up a reliable system.

I wouldn't count a wifi system on board as the most reliable system. A wired system built in a good way to avoid moisture intrusion is probably more reliable.
So if you are to set up a play tool you may go for wifi. If you are to set up a reliable navigational system to trust even when the fog suddenly appear every part of your chain must be as good as possible. In that situation it's no time to play with a broken wifi net.
Håkan

[Ivanm]

Thanks for info will definitely get a cable connection