I have written some notes on my existing
instruments and
navigation set up. This addresses all of my set-up including my
instruments (most STng/NMEA-2000, some legacy ST/0183). It includes
OpenCPN and an alternative to
OpenCPN, being another open-source plotter
software called AvNav. My notes also discuss the chart issues and options. Oh, and gateways.
From a device perspective my notes include things running on Win10, things running on stock Android tablets, and things running Android on Pi.
The notes also include my experiences beta-testing in my exposed
monohull cockpit (no sprayhood, no bimini) a piece of 'plotter'
hardware called "OBP-MAP4". This is an open-source plotter
hardware containing a RaspberryPi CM5 with a fantastic 10” glove-friendly touch-sensitive (~1200 nits)
screen in a weather/waterproof housing with a large passive heatsink on the back. As well as being touch-screen it has
sensor keys for easy operation, either on the
screen or on a small handset that is secured to the
cockpit pedestal with a
rope lanyard. The version that I am testing includes a wired (but isolated)
NMEA 0183 (or in principle
NMEA 2000) gateway running on a M5Stack CANbus interface module located inside the housing.
For my beta test the OBP-MAP4 ran AvNav on Android. In principle that could alternatively run OCPN on Android but I have not tested that. The OBP-MAP4 is OS-neutral and application-neutral so other applications could be run on it.
My notes also set out how I have evolved to this setup, what has worked well, worked less well, or not worked at all. My note also sets out what I think the next challenges are.
I have posted my notes as a pdf that can be downloaded from the Corbin 39 Association website:
https://corbin39.org/wp-content/uplo...S-06-06-25.pdf
I have no
commercial relationship with anybody that I have written up. I've paid real cash for everything you see in my notes. I'm not a hardcore geek, just a normal sailor stumbling through stuff. Many thanks to everyone in the open source community who has contributed in their various ways, I appreciate all your efforts.
(I've got OCPN running on Raspbian on a pi4 at home on a desk, but that is not included in these notes.)