Wifi GPS/AIS

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I don't know, but somehow.... I've been able to get from point A to point B quite easily over the past 6 years with just a simple IPad. Nearly everyone we've met while out cruising is doing the same thing. Cellular IPad = simplicity.

Beyond doubt. And without one you could too!

But the exercise is "how to feed NMEA data wirelessly without buying an (expensive) NMEA wifi router". Give or take this or that.

b.

[fogmachine]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the turn-key Vesper XB-8000 (http://www.vespermarine.com/xb). Yes, it costs more (and I didn't have to pay), but if DIY isn't the point it eliminates dongles and other bits of complexity.

I've used one a few times and it worked great with OpenCPN. We were offshore out of cell range but close to shipping lanes and fishing grounds, so the AIS capability was really useful - much better than radar. That boat also has a mixed NMEA-0183/2000 environment so the gateway function came in handy, too.

[rgleason]

I mentioned it in the NMEA 2000 thread, as a question but got no response, really. http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/....php?p=1817871

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[rgleason]

I liked Sean's ideas but would be challenged putting it together even with his plugins. http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/....php?p=1820840

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[barnakiel]

The least expensive I have found on the web is here:

vYacht Yacht automation

USD 100 for bare bones, 150 boxed.

I am not related and I have not tested.

According to their website:

"...
vYacht WiFi Router mk III

New in April 2015

• NMEA 2000 with additional NMEA 0183/Seatalk options!
• Hardware ready for user selectable Seatalk or NMEA input.
• Support for multiple wireless clients
• Seatalk bridge, NMEA 2000 gateway and multiplexer
• Galvanically isolated inputs
• Multiplexing data from all inputs
• Optional ethernet ports and internet routing

..."

Cheers,
b.

[hhmcsv]

@ Barnakiel,

Thanks for bringing this thread back to where I started, unfortunately the thread very quickly got derailed by someone either suggesting complicated do-it-yourself hardware and software solutions with no evidence of the function or to solutions to equipment at 10 times the cost of the vYacht router.
So I will just repeat, at by me the vYacht-router works perfectly plug-and-play from NMEA0183 input at 38400 baud for Opencpn and other app's (Seapilot).

/Hans-Henrik

[muttnik]

Originally Posted by rgleason

I liked Sean's ideas but would be challenged putting it together even with his plugins.

Sean's cost estimates may be correct for his part of the world, but for some of the accessories possibly a little low for the UK once delivery is taken into account.

That being said the pi route is still cheap, viable, and most importantly for me, flexible. If the OP already has AIS (as I do) then the sdr can be taken out of the equation and things become simpler. My current set-up consists of the following:
- raspberry pi v2 (my original model B suffered from intermittent hangs when the USB got loaded)
- Edimax Edimax EW-7811un wifi adaptor: really small and can be used to create an access point. No-name adaptors with the same chipset can be had for under €10 delivered on ebay
- usb to serial adapter for the ais. My AIS has an rs232 out, but you can buy rs422 to usb adaptors with terminal blocks if you're dealing with bare wire output.
- A usb gps would work but I'm using an adafruit usb breakout board connected to the pi's UART (for reasons discussed below). The OP could use another serial to usb adaptor (or a multiport serial to usb adaptor).
- I'm currently using a 12v cigarette-lighter-to-usb adaptor and usb to micro usb cable for power, but have a very cheap 12v to microusb adaptor I intend wiring in to make things more permanent
- micro sd card (I have 32GB, 4GB is plenty). Case (mine's a nice one which set me back €18).
- powered usb hub. Probably unnecessary but there because I also have my "external" big antenna thingy.

I use kplex to do all the multiplexing (it'll also do prioritised failover between GPS sources if you want that). I can get my NMEA data over IPv4, IPv6, TCP or UDP. If I had a pre-existing boat network, the pi could join it. I don't, so it acts as an access point. I also have an "external" USB adapter: By connecting to the outside world via the pi, not only do I get increased range, but also it appears as though I have a single connection to the marina wifi (which is all my marina allows per boat) when multiple devices are connected internally.

Why not the simple cheap usb GPS? No PPS wire :-) I don't own a watch so have to make do with this:

# ntpq -p
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
==============================================================================
*GPS_NMEA(0)     .GPS.            0 l   14   16  377    0.000  -88.257  42.720
oPPS(0)          .PPS.            0 l   12   16  377    0.000    0.002   0.002

Then there's all those other geeky projects for when it's raining. I also have the pi linked up to the stereo and am using shairplay to play tunes from my mac or iPod (though even with an additional cheap usb audio adaptor I still have unresolved noise issues).

..but I'm getting carried away. The primary purpose is to multiplex nmea-0183 data and send it wirelessly to a laptop running OpenCPN (or the tablet I don't yet have) and it does that admirably for under €100 all in.

The vYacht offering seems a really good value proposition for anyone who wants something more plug and play. Bernd seems like a very smart guy. If I didn't like mucking about with this stuff that device would be high on my list of candidates for this task.

[rgleason]

I guess the first step for me would be to try to get ais recieve going with rtlsdr_pi. Last time I could get no signal, will connect to vhf antenna on mast this time. Then maybe I should look at vyacht because I have a Seatalk bus (the first one for ST60 inst.

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[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by hhmcsv

(...)

bringing this thread back to where I started, unfortunately the thread very quickly got derailed by someone either suggesting complicated do-it-yourself hardware and software solutions with no evidence of the function or to solutions to equipment at 10 times the cost of the vYacht router.

So I will just repeat, at by me the vYacht-router works perfectly plug-and-play from NMEA0183 input at 38400 baud for Opencpn and other app's (Seapilot).

/Hans-Henrik

@ HH:

Well, I 'helped' to drag the thread astray so I think I am happy to help bring it back to vYacht wifi router !

I may get one unit for testing here. I like what I see on the website and the company has been around for a time now and stepping up the design too (now it comes with N2K bus too).

All pluses in my book.

Hugs,
b.