Help / FAQ

[wdkester]

Windows has the ability to turn off power to USB Ports and Bluetooth Radios. This will cause problems when you try to use GPS with OpenCPN.

The cure-

Control Panel>Device Manager>Bluetooth Radios>Generic Bluetooth Adapter>Power Management>(Deselect)Allow computer to turn off device to save power

Control Panel>Device Manager>Universal Serial Bus Controller>Generic USB Hub>Power management>(Deselect)Allow computer to turn off device to save power

Control Panel>Device Manager>Universal Serial Bus Controller>USB Root Hub Hub>Power management>(Deselect)Allow computer to turn off device to save power

I don't believe this is in the Help manual but should be.

[Nevo]

I'm new to Opencpn, I tried but couldn't find chart installation guide for mac.
I would like to know how to begin after the first installation of the software.
Thanks

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by Nevo

I'm new to Opencpn, I tried but couldn't find chart installation guide for mac.
I would like to know how to begin after the first installation of the software.
Thanks

It's the same as for other operating systems. You may use the Chart Downloader plugin or you copy your charts to a new folder in your Documents section of Mac OS X. In the settings of OpenCPN you have to announce the folder and not a single chart.

Gerhard

[BluegillBoy]

CarCode

the manual posted on opencpn.org will be very helpful. upper left corner of the home page.

[CarCode]

Problems with OpenCPN or don't understand these silly developers?
Go to Joey Talley: We Talked to a Witch Who Casts Viruses Out of Computers With Magic | Motherboard

She helps all...

Gerhard

[longjonsilver]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Dear Jon, Sorry you find it difficult. If you would please take a moment to explain where you are finding difficulty, I can assure you that you will have our attention and help. We would like to have this easy to install, and your help will help others who follow. Computers do not have to be difficult

this is the kind of attitude that i appreciate. thank you for understanding my plight. now for my rant:

i have never found anything as frustrating as computers. they allegedly can do all sorts of neat stuff, but never is it as easy as the gurus say. i have met so many dead ends in computers that i quit as soon as i find a blockage. why frustrate myself? i tried for over a year to install a music software package, complete with an active forum, only to end up frustrated every time i tried. i have never been back. winduds is the worst, linux better and mac the best, but i failed to install open cpn on mac.

whats the line in the instructions about experienced users will know where to store the charts. why doesn't it store them (and remember where) for me? why is it so often that the makers of software think that the users can or want to fiddle with the programs? car manufacturers don't demand that i be able to or assume that i want to wrench on the motor! they assume that i just want to drive the car that they are producing! and then the instructions say that the screen will say this and that, but MY screen doesn't have those GUIs. so what am i supposed to after trying it several times and getting the same results? bang my head against the wall or quit?

why doesn't open cpn ask where i will be sailing, and then get the charts for me, store them for me, organize them for me, so i can get on with sailing? thats what i want to do, not fiddle with some exasperating computer program. navionics does that. it certainly is worth the nominal extra cost not to have the hassle of open cpn. i'm certain there are those that want the have the "flexibility" of configuring a program like open cpn, fine! but why aren't there warnings for those of us that don't want to fiddle with the computer? "WARNING! Advanced skill level required for this program. (Beginning users will just be frustrated..."

rant over
signing out
jon

[rgleason]

Dear Jon (longjonsilver)

We really are trying and do get your 'rant' (your choice of words) and we actually don't see this as a rant. It is an incredibly instructive and helpful paragraph.

We will continue to work towards your ideal. I just wanted you to know that we have been working on a section of the Manual "Getting Started" which is targeted towards new users. I am not suggesting it is perfect, but our focus has been to make it easier for new users. These goals have also been enhanced by a very clever Chart Downloader which finds free charts and installs them.

We will continue to work on the User experience, and hope that you might try OpenCPN some other day, but do understand your need to use a commercial program. I would suggest waiting sometime after 4.2 has been released.

Thank you for taking the time to tell us your thoughts!

[Ivanm]

H

Sent from my SM-G920F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Ivanm]

What number pins do I use to send data to autopilot on a usb to serial? ( Is it 3 and 5)

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[bcn]

Serial RS232 (DB-9)
2-Rx
3-Tx
5-GND

If you want to transmit to the AP then the Tx (3) pin from the USB-serial has to go to the Rx (2) pin of the autopilot.
To get data from the AP into the PC you have to connect the other two crossed.

So in short: pin 5 to pin 5, pins 2 and 3 crossed.

[Jon Hacking]

And remember that while RS-232 Serial uses a +/-9v signaling scheme, NMEA uses 0-5v. Only good quality Serial/USB converters will switch on 0-5v, so don't try to get by with a cheap one. We've used Keyspan converters since our first AIS in 2006 with no problems.

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by Jon Hacking

... so don't try to get by with a cheap one. We've used Keyspan converters since our first AIS in 2006 with no problems.

Correct, Keyspan are first choice. However mostly because of driver problems with the cheap ones for the poor Windows people...

The small difference between RS422 and RS232 doesn't matter.

Gerhard

[Ivanm]

Autopilot show hi and low on input pins, which is positive and ground

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[bcn]

Originally Posted by Ivanm

Autopilot show hi and low on input pins, which is positive and ground

Sent from my SM-G920F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Ivan..

What do you want to explain? Or ask?
Something you did not understand from the previous posts?

bcn

[Ivanm]

The input pins on the autopilot show no tx /rx or gnd only hi and low but on the output from ocpn are tx and gnd . Which should be on tx-rx the hi or low

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