OpenCPN Won't Listen to My GPS Data

[Ima Winner]

I can't get my GPS antenna recognized by OpenCPN. I have tried it with OpenCPN as well as SeaClear II just to see if it was a software bug. In both cases I got the same result: I have seemingly legitimate sentences flowing into my computer from the satellites (I can see it flowing in the data stream window) but my GPS status stays red and I cannot get any positioning of my boat on the chart. I have triple checked the baud rate and com port and all seems to be as the directions ask them to be. I added the debug line to [settings] and I have lots of logged received NMEA data in the log with no problems listed. What can be causing my lack of connection? I have the exact same situation with SeaClear so I don't think it's a problem with OpenCPN... I just can't think of where to go from here. I'm very excited about using this software to start marking the hot fishing holes and explore the wealth on info available from the satellites, but right now I feel powerless! Is there any wisdom out there that I can glean from you all? Many Thanks.

[SethDart]

It might be a problem with checksums, or maybe a NMEA sentence not recognized by OpenCPN?
Can you post a sample of NMEA log data, or a screenshot of the data stream window showing NMEA data.

Thanks,
Jean-Eudes

[Ima Winner]

I got a private message telling me that my NMEA sentences do not contain all of the required information so I need to pick up another GPS device. Seems that there wants to be values between all of the commas and I have a lot of blanks in the line. Thanks to those who cracked the code for me. Here is a sample of my data stream so others can see what to look for if similar problems arise for them:

9:30:56 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...6,,01,16,094,*7B


9:30:56 AM: Unrecognized NMEA Sentence...6,,01,16,094,*7B


9:30:56 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPGSV,3,3,12,14,05,152,,23,00,025,,09, 00,203,,31,-5,183,*62


9:30:56 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPGSV,3,3,12,14,05,152,,23,00,025,,09, 00,203,,31,-5,183,*62


9:30:56 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPRMC,163056.584,V,,,,,,,090910,,,N*42


9:30:56 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPRMC,163056.584,V,,,,,,,090910,,,N*42


9:30:56 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPVTG,,T,,M,,N,,K,N*2C


9:30:56 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPVTG,,T,,M,,N,,K,N*2C


9:30:56 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPGGA,163057.574,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0 000*56


9:30:56 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPGGA,163057.574,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0 000*56


9:30:56 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*1E


9:30:56 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*1E


9:30:56 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPRMC,163057.574,V,,,,,,,090910,,,N*4C


9:30:56 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPRMC,163057.574,V,,,,,,,090910,,,N*4C


9:30:57 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPVTG,,T,,M,,N,,K,N*2C


9:30:57 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPVTG,,T,,M,,N,,K,N*2C


9:30:57 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPGGA,163058.574,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0 000*59


9:30:57 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPGGA,163058.574,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0 000*59


9:30:57 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*1E


9:30:57 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*1E


9:30:57 AM: NMEA Sentence received...$GPRMC,163058.574,V,,,,,,,090910,,,N*43


9:30:57 AM: MEH.NMEA Sentence received...$GPRMC,163058.574,V,,,,,,,090910,,,N*43

[richardhula]

Yes as I said in PM no position data in GGA & RMC sentences. The "V" in your RMC sentence & the first "0" in GGA sentence also indicate invalid position data as if that wasn't obvious to your chartplotter

[Ima Winner]

Quick update: Genius that I am I took the computer outside and put it on the trunk of my car and the missing info showed up! I figured that if I was hearing the satellites, I was getting all the info they were sending. I went outside and suddenly OpenCPN said, "Oh, there you are!" and put the boat right on my head. All is well now... when in doubt, GO OUTSIDE!!!

[richardhula]

Yeh that really bucks the odds with GPS