OpenCPN General

[subie]

Luck favours the stupid it seems.
After reading lots of posts from people who struggled to install OpenCPN on android I started the install this morning very halfheartedly thinking this is going to be an endless ordeal for me.
Downloaded the app from google playstore, copied my mapfile onto tablet and imported it into the program, adjusted the settings how I like it and switched the gps on. That was it,working perfectly

[rgleason]

Isn't it available at opencpn.org downloads?

[subie]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Isn't it available at opencpn.org downloads?

Not for android phone and tablets.
I wanted OpenCpn on my Xperia Z2 tablet.
Used it on my laptop (Windows) for around 2 years.
Cost 9 dollars only, android version is not free anymore.
I don't know any other navigation program so not qualified to compare
but have just been a fantastic reassurance for me on our rocky bit of coast.

[phiggins]

The next version of GE2KAP allows the user to select the Depth Units in their own language and I put that in the chart header. But if I display the chart on OpenCPN it does not display it in their language.

For instance if I set GE2KAP to German and select the the Fuß (feet in German) and create a chart. The chart header has UN=Fuß and the DU=1 but OpenCPN (in German language) display nothing in the depth watermark. (see first and second attachments)

On the other hand if create the chart in English with the header having UN=Feet and DU=1 and display the chart on OPENCPN (again set to German), It does display Fuß as the depth watermark. (see third attachment)

So is this an OpenCPN bug? Or should Depth Units always be in English in the chart header? Maybe its some sort of international standard like all airline and ship radio traffic being in English)?

[nohal]

Paul...
The DU in the chart header should definitely always be in English.

Pavel

[phiggins]

The DU is a number. What about the UN?

[nohal]

English. Everything is English with the "exception" of the name of the chart which is simply free text. The chart header format is agnostic to language - nobody seems to be releasing dozens of versions of the same chart with the units translated.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[phiggins]

Ok thanks

[nohal]

To be even more precise: BSB is an old standard, I can imagine problems with multibyte unicode characters in the header in some systems trying to display your charts, you should try to use normal ASCII even in the chart name


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[fboz]

Originally Posted by nohal

English. Everything is English with the "exception" of the name of the chart which is simply free text. The chart header format is agnostic to language - nobody seems to be releasing dozens of versions of the same chart with the units translated.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

On my newly installed 4.4 I now can see my canadian charts thanks to a BSB4 pluggin download but I can't seem to get the AIS to show up with windows 10.

I know my AIS works as It shows on an older laptop with a previous version of Open CPN

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by fboz

On my newly installed 4.4 I now can see my canadian charts thanks to a BSB4 pluggin download but I can't seem to get the AIS to show up with windows 10.

I know my AIS works as It shows on an older laptop with a previous version of Open CPN

The reason might not be the newer version of OpenCPN but the newer version of Windows where the driver of your AIS device does not work.

Gerhard

[DITB]

As Hong Kong cancelled all third party charts in Hong Kong waters a few years ago, the only available chart is the local hydrographic office version:

https://www.hydro.gov.hk/eng/ENCWeb/www/aboutenc.php

It says it's ECDIS charts, "compiled in accordance with the IHO (International Hydrographic Organisation) s-57 and s-52 standards."

If I subscribe to this service, will OpenCPN be able to read it? On Mac? On iPads? On typical chart plotters (like RayMarine?)

I couldn't find the answer to that on the OpenCPN page - probably because I don't know enough about it.

[nohal]

Yes, OpenCPN will be able to read the charts, even if by S-57 they actually mean the encrypted S-63 (in that case you will need to get a user permit from o-charts.org and the S-63 plugin), much more info is in the OpenCPN manual, which you can start reading from Chart Formats | Official OpenCPN Homepage if you are particularly curious about the supported chart formats. The S-57 and S63 charts are supported even on Mac.

There is no OpenCPN version for iPad. There are some apps for iPad that can use S-57 charts as far as I know, not sure about the encrypted S-63.

There is no OpenCPN version for typical chartplotters like Raymarine. Some chartplotters can display S-57 and/or S63 charts, depends on manufacturer/model.

Pavel

[DITB]

Originally Posted by nohal

Yes, OpenCPN will be able to read the charts, even if by S-57 they actually mean the encrypted S-63 (in that case you will need to get a user permit from o-charts.org and the S-63 plugin), much more info is in the OpenCPN manual, which you can start reading from Chart Formats | Official OpenCPN Homepage if you are particularly curious about the supported chart formats. The S-57 and S63 charts are supported even on Mac.

There is no OpenCPN version for iPad. There are some apps for iPad that can use S-57 charts as far as I know, not sure about the encrypted S-63.

There is no OpenCPN version for typical chartplotters like Raymarine. Some chartplotters can display S-57 and/or S63 charts, depends on manufacturer/model.

Pavel

Wow, fast answer, thanks!

I didn't really get it - is S-57 or S-63 the encrypted ones?

My main concern is - if I DO pay that subscription, what else must I do to be able to use the charts? It doesn't specify on their page, only what I wrote above (ECDIS and S-52/S-57). Could I put those S-52/57 charts on a memory card and use it in my old Raymarine E120? I doubt it ...

[nohal]

S-57 = Unencrypted vector charts, supported by OpenCPN out of he box
S-63 = Exactly the same charts, but encrypted and once bought fixed to your hardware, need a plugin to be used in OpenCPN, you need a user permit to even be able to buy them.

On Raymarine E120, you can directly forget about both.