OpenCPN on Windows 8 Tablet?

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by artisthos

Wow, cool, just having the opportunity for a simple coordinated system.

Additional information about the installation:
4800 baud, 8 bits, Parity None, 1 Stop Bit, Flow None set for computer the same protocol for the HX850S and activated the NMEA output sentences. Can surrounding ships sent AIS through the HX850S?
The connection is NMEA 0183 not serial. The cable I have does both but the NMEA 0138 selection is not highlighted in the OpenCPN connections window. The cable is recognized as a serial connection not NMEA 0138.

The HX850S has no AIS. NMEA0183 is not a communication protocol. NMEA0183 communicates with RS422 ("A" line and "B" line) or RS232 ("A" line and Ground). The HX850S seems to use RS232 (serial). You have to connect the blue cable (+) and the green cable (ground) of the HX850S to your serial/USB converter to get the GPS signals from the HX850S to your laptop.

Gerhard

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by artisthos

One other point: I would not bother to connect the brown wire on the radio. You already have GPS in the radio, so there is no need for it.

After you get your communications up and running correctly on the blue wire, you could try hooking the converter's orange wire to the autopilot (if you have one) so your boat can navigate a course that you plot in OpenCPN. Check your autopilot's manual to verify whether it supports this, and what sentences you should filter out so you don't confuse or overwhelm the autopilot. Typically, you'll send crosstrack error, bearing to waypoint, distance to waypoint, etc. It's also VERY helpful to send speed over ground (or over water, if you have it), because some autopilots will adjust their rudder gain and/or response speed based on your speed. Many older autopilots will require 4800 baud, so you'd have to set that speed for both directions.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

This is my problem. Bought a cheap USB GPS device some years back that has the USB-Serial adapter built into the device. Uses a Prolific chipset. Worked great for the last several years. But the chipset is old and Prolific will not provide Win-8 drivers for it.

So now it looks like I'm going to have to buy a new GPS device, or wipe my new laptop and install Win-7 on it. What a pain!

I researched that on the Amazon reviews of the Garmin GPS/USB puck and an off-brand one. Seems the Garmin one was a plug and play whereas the off-brand one gave problems.

[artisthos]

The problem was I did not have the water hazard LED turned off on the HX850S, once off, every thing worked. AIS information on surrounding boats is not fed to OpenCPN from the HX850S only the Matrix series fixed mount radios have AIS receive capabilities.
Thanks for a great forum and Juan the Tech guy at Horizon.