Need a Little Help Deciding on my Setup.

[eightyape]

I have currently installed on the boat- a 100/300 raymarine course computer with st6000+ head unit for the autopilot


- a linux laptop running xubuntu 12.04 and opencpn

- i have yet to add the gps antennae and i would like to hook it up to the autopilot if possible/simple enough
- the autopilot is happy with the rmb/rmc outputs of opencpn so no problems there(besides buying a usb tio serial whatsit thingammy

but what about the old head unit? as this displays my compass too and it will be kept if necessary? what about conflicts?
data from both theautopilot and opencpn?

I have a few questions though...whats the best way to hook it up?
and options for the gps/transfer protocols and cabling?
the autopilot is"seatalk" enabled- is there option inopen cpn to use this protocol?
basically the main quandary i have is
_ do i hook up the gps to the autopilot or hook up the gps via usb to the pc(1.6ghz atombased netbook) and then onto the autopilot?_

as im able to buy an nmea or usb gps depending on this choice which do i go for?

will the itty bitty usb dongles work as they are 20 quid (thinking of bluenext)?
or do i need a raymarine 125 or equivalent quality expensive job?
vhf shielded acid proof idiot proof waterproof etcetc etc?
- is vhf interference a big issue if i go with the cheap dongle...?

on a tight budget so cheap is a priority...

btw anyone got a spare raymarine fluxgate too for cheap? as mine is unfortunately dead.

thanks for reading and for the help if its forthcoming!
really wouldnt mind not having the opencpn controlling the autopilot if it makes things easier.

should i build one of these?

YAPP: Homemade Seatalk to USB interface - Yachting and Boating World Forums

would it do the whole shebang so i can even have the compass displaying in opencpn and anything else i add to the 100/300?

[JesperWe]

Originally Posted by eightyape

the autopilot is"seatalk" enabled- is there option inopen cpn to use this protocol?

No, OpenCPN does not support seatalk, it is a closed Raymarine protocol.
/j

[nohal]

Originally Posted by eightyape

_ do i hook up the gps to the autopilot or hook up the gps via usb to the pc(1.6ghz atombased netbook) and then onto the autopilot?_

as im able to buy an nmea or usb gps depending on this choice which do i go for?

will the itty bitty usb dongles work as they are 20 quid (thinking of bluenext)?
or do i need a raymarine 125 or equivalent quality expensive job?
vhf shielded acid proof idiot proof waterproof etcetc etc?
- is vhf interference a big issue if i go with the cheap dongle...?

on a tight budget so cheap is a priority...

If reliability is a non issue, you can feed the position from the notebook with the usb puck through a usb to rs-485 converter, but I would really never ever do it in a situation other than testing the setup in a lab. Way too risky to depend on it as the primary and only source of position data. VHF interference is a non issue, especially if the VHF antenna is on the top of your mast and the GPS somewhere else.
The correct way to do it is a (waterproof, expensive, etc.) GPS connected to the course computer, then it's NMEA out to the Notebook and the puck inside the navtable just because it was cheap and is small and sometimes comes handy.

should i build one of these?

YAPP: Homemade Seatalk to USB interface - Yachting and Boating World Forums

would it do the whole shebang so i can even have the compass displaying in opencpn and anything else i add to the 100/300?

Sure! It's fun... But if you have no idea what it is and how it works, study a little bit first. And of course first build Main

Pavel

[eightyape]

Thanks Pavel, very helpful indeed! other fella- well... not so much.
If seatalk is "closed" then smash it open i say- all perfectly legal too- in europe anyways through the interoperability legislations.
from what i can see raymarine are more like a parasite than a business- you install their kit and are forced to let it breed through compatibility issues and dont they help make those automatic flying murder robots too? you know -the ones that gangster rapper running america is so keen on sending to destroy the poor brown people in yemen?

I thought it would be best to keep the systems separate as possible(for now)- so its a cheap dongle to the pc over usb(i will upgrade to a proper marine puck at some point)- and just treat the autopilot as a standalone addon and maybe setup opencpn to transmit nmea to it through a usb/serial converter.


personally i dont quite trust the autopilot anyways to do much more than save me from manhandling the wheel! i have heard some terrible stories and having a steel hull it can be out up to three degs on the fluxgate.
so got to get a swung compass anyhow.

Am planning on setting up my other instruments into opencpn too but they are old school analogous kit so i will need the actisense converter to get them dancing to the nmea tune next month.

as any sensible mariner i got paper charts as well.

is there a midrange option on the gps beore i buy me a dongle? a preferred more reliable chipset?

[eightyape]

Hi again,thanks for the tips- i got my dongle for the gps and it works sweet as a nut!
bluenext dongle- set baud rate at 9800 -all working fine-
now im going to have a go at the autopilot!
i dont have a serial port to output over so i need a converter- will this one do?
USB to Serial 9-Pin Male Adaptor : USB Adaptors : Maplin Electronics
you mentioned rs-485? or did you mean rs-422
the manualfor my headunit(st6000+) which has an nmea listening port that is rs232-im confused.
apparently some of the cables have compatibility issues...
the unit from maplins is nikkei i think..will try and find out which chipset it uses...
consider me your lab assistant if you will...

[eightyape]

the chipset is the prolific...ive heard there aresome issues with this even if it the most common chipset...

[manitu]

How about bying a cheap gps with a ps2 connector, just splice the NMEA signal directly from the cable.. Then use a ps2-usb adapter for the computer.. only problem I can see is that the gps will need a 5v VCC supply if not connected to a computer..

.manitu

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by eightyape

-the ones that gangster rapper running america is so keen on sending to destroy the poor brown people in yemen?

This is not an appropriate place for political rants.

Shame on you.

I was tempted to help you with your setup but you just blew it.

Yes, I am an American and served 27 years in the US Army.

Terry