OpenCPN w Garmin Inreach Mini?

[derfy]

I need a gps for my Dell laptop for OpenCPN, and have a Garmin Inreach Mini, which has a USB port. Has anyone been able to integrate this device with OpenCPN? I searched the OpenCPN manuals and CF and did not find a way.

[nohal]

No, InReach does not output position data on the USB port.

[Corsair63]

Derfy,

Have you tried?
GeolocationTCP-r9.exe from https://github.com/floviolleau/geolocation-tcp
with Bluetooth connection, I don't know that GPS, if you'd be able to connect it maybe you can receive the RMC NMEA sentence, but only that one.
If you success you'll have to follow instructions to get that sentence that OCPN is able to receive.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by nohal

No, InReach does not output position data on the USB port.

Thanks for the confirmation. I couldn't find a way, either.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by Corsair63

Derfy,

Have you tried?
GeolocationTCP-r9.exe from https://github.com/floviolleau/geolocation-tcp
with Bluetooth connection, I don't know that GPS, if you'd be able to connect it maybe you can receive the RMC NMEA sentence, but only that one.
If you success you'll have to follow instructions to get that sentence that OCPN is able to receive.

Thank you very much. This looks like a critical piece of code. Converts Windows Geolocation API stream to NMEA. I looked all over for this in the OpenCPN Manual. Thought it might be a plug in. Maybe I missed it?

Now I just need a GPS working on my laptop.

I know I can buy a dedicated GPS device, but my boat is literally awash in GPS receivers - cell phones, tablets, trackers, chart plotter. I don't want to use the helm chart plotter and NMEA2000. I want a completely redundant set up with just a laptop, OpenCPN, and an Android cell phone. Maybe there is an Android App that streams the cellphone GPS to my PC, preferrably over USB. I found that Bluetooth is not reliable. I will search for such an app.

I always have to wonder - why does it seem I am the first and only person to ever want to do this? Have I missed an important release note somewhere?

[Corsair63]

If you have a Android cell phone you can use this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...meowsbox.btgps

the one unlimited:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...sbox.btgps_aml

it will convert your cell phone into a BT GNSS, very useful as emergency GNSS, the fee for the unlimited version is less than 2 USD, I guess.

I have installed in my cell phone and working really fine with OCPN and any navigation software admitting COM ports (BT)

and if you have an apple, for sure that would be similar apps.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by derfy

...I want a completely redundant set up with just a laptop, OpenCPN, and an Android cell phone...

You can run OpenCPN on the Android phone, and be independent of the laptop.

Better still, an Android tablet. Or, if you're into that sort of thing, a (gasp!) iPad.

You can still use the laptop connected to your existing NMEA network when everything is working and you don't need the redundancy of a backup system.

[stevead]

Thank you very much. This looks like a critical piece of code. Converts Windows Geolocation API stream to NMEA. I looked all over for this in the OpenCPN Manual. Thought it might be a plug in. Maybe I missed it?

I am not familiar with the Garmin InReach and have no idea whether it supports the Windows Sensor API.

However if it does, or for those interested in providing position data to OpenCPN via the Windows Geolocation Services (aka Windows Sensor API), there is a Windows Sensor plugin. Not well advertised, nor largely tested.

Source Code is available here and a tarball that can be installed from the Plugin Manager is available here Note that this version has not been updated to support OpenCPN v5.8.

[Corsair63]

Originally Posted by derfy

Thank you very much. This looks like a critical piece of code. Converts Windows Geolocation API stream to NMEA. I looked all over for this in the OpenCPN Manual. Thought it might be a plug in. Maybe I missed it?

It isn't a big deal to run it and doesn't needed any plugin, just follow the instructions of the program, if it works for you:

How to use
Download GeolocationTCP-r9.exe and start the program.
Open OpenCPN, go to Options > Connections and create new Network connection with Adress 127.0.0.1 and DataPort 15555.

if it works you should be able to see something like attached picture.

you only need to run once because when you close it, it will work minimised.
in the NMEA window you should see the data stream if available.

but if you have an Android cell phone best is the option of the app sent you in previous message.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by Corsair63

If you have a Android cell phone you can use this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...meowsbox.btgps

the one unlimited:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...sbox.btgps_aml

it will convert your cell phone into a BT GNSS, very useful as emergency GNSS, the fee for the unlimited version is less than 2 USD, I guess.

I have installed in my cell phone and working really fine with OCPN and any navigation software admitting COM ports (BT)

and if you have an apple, for sure that would be similar apps.

Thanks. I will try it. I search a lot of apps that will do this. There are not many.

I tried a Bluetooth app from a cell phone to PC a couple of years ago (forgot which one), but the link was unreliable and would drop after a few minutes. Hopefully this one works better.

There was an old app called Share GPS, but it will not run on my Android Moto e, and was designed to work with USB, but it has not been updated since 2016. Too bad. It had very good reviews. Nobody like wires, I guess.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by Corsair63

It isn't a big deal to run it and doesn't needed any plugin, just follow the instructions of the program, if it works for you:



if it works you should be able to see something like attached picture.

you only need to run once because when you close it, it will work minimised.
in the NMEA window you should see the data stream if available.

but if you have an Android cell phone best is the option of the app sent you in previous message.

Thank you.

Yes, I will try the btGPS app first. But this program looks useful.
I am surprised the Microsoft-provided Android app called Link to Windows does not handle GPS info. Or, maybe it does. It attempts to integrate the PC and phone.

[derfy]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

You can run OpenCPN on the Android phone, and be independent of the laptop.

Better still, an Android tablet. Or, if you're into that sort of thing, a (gasp!) iPad.

You can still use the laptop connected to your existing NMEA network when everything is working and you don't need the redundancy of a backup system.

Yes, but I use Navionics on my tablets and phones. Also have AquaMap (for Bahamas Explorer charts and USACE survey layers in the ICW). My tablets cannot handle another nav app and my fingers are too fat to work OCPN on a touchscreen.

I steer the boat with a Raymarine Axiom running NOAA charts and routes created on the tablet.

I really like a completely diverse nav view on the PC (which is just sitting on the nav table doing nothing useful), so I like OpenCPN with free NOAA raster charts on a completely separate GPS. When NOAA quits doing raster charts, I probably won't use OCPN anymore, I am sorry to say. Raster shows hazards more clearly.

[Corsair63]

Originally Posted by derfy

Thank you.

Yes, I will try the btGPS app first. But this program looks useful.
I am surprised the Microsoft-provided Android app called Link to Windows does not handle GPS info. Or, maybe it does. It attempts to integrate the PC and phone.

Please don't point the finger inside the wound, I had quite a lot of fights with Microsoft developers for such reason,

1 . don't allow a COM port in Windows ARM64 Surface pro X when the tablet was able to have a GNSS connection, and it was offered in their web page as inherit to its tablets (Qualcomm)
2. not clear access to GNSS connections
3. well a fight of more or less about 5 years that I was working with these kind of tablets.
4. I'm feed up of fighting with it when at those times there were Android and even more Nokia app that sends you the GNSS data over BT and Nokia even better trough USB, but nobody from Microsoft was able to develop something similar.

I was one of the costumers that I had to leave Microsoft phone o.s. and I could say that could be the best phone o.s. ever built (it will depend of costumer) and I had to swift to Android, and what was my surprise that in my first day I found an app for such purpose.

don't say anything else.

as we say in Spanish ("no me tires de la lengua")

[derfy]

Originally Posted by derfy

Thanks. I will try it. I search a lot of apps that will do this. There are not many.

I tried a Bluetooth app from a cell phone to PC a couple of years ago (forgot which one), but the link was unreliable and would drop after a few minutes. Hopefully this one works better.

There was an old app called Share GPS, but it will not run on my Android Moto e, and was designed to work with USB, but it has not been updated since 2016. Too bad. It had very good reviews. Nobody like wires, I guess.

So I got BT GPS working w my Moto e phone and Dell Laptop on OpenCPN. Yippee! Had to buy the 99 cent license (it would just stop in a few minutes before I could get the setup debugged). Thanks to all for your assistance.

I just had to keep guessing at the comm port in OCPN until it worked. Had to change OCPN's baud to 9600. That was all. All the other setting were fine in the App and OCPN. It's been running about 30 min. Hope the connection is robust.

Finding the correct comm port in Win11 is a PITA. Finally found it buried in the Win11 BT setup, although the one that works in OCPN is labeled "Outgoing moto e 'SPP Slave'". Why the port that receives GPS data is labeled "outgoing" by Windows 11 is beyond me.

[Corsair63]

Originally Posted by derfy

So I got BT GPS working w my Moto e phone and Dell Laptop on OpenCPN. Yippee! Had to buy the 99 cent license (it would just stop in a few minutes before I could get the setup debugged). Thanks to all for your assistance.

I just had to keep guessing at the comm port in OCPN until it worked. Had to change OCPN's baud to 9600. That was all. All the other setting were fine in the App and OCPN. It's been running about 30 min. Hope the connection is robust.

Finding the correct comm port in Win11 is a PITA. Finally found it buried in the Win11 BT setup, although the one that works in OCPN is labeled "Outgoing moto e 'SPP Slave'". Why the port that receives GPS data is labeled "outgoing" by Windows 11 is beyond me.

Yep, it uses to create two COM ports one is the SPP and another one is "income" no so much problem, you try one and if not working the other one, I've set-up as 4800 and I get the data, but I guess that sometimes I also setup at 9600 at there was not problem.
the standard NMEA baud rates are 4800 and HS 38400 (for AIS data stream) all other baud rates are not NMEA standard.