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02-05-2013, 18:17
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 5
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Inexpensive heading sensor?
Is anyone having any luck with the cheaper heading sensors? If so what models is everyone using?
Also I couldn't find much direction on how they connect and are configured in opencpn. Am I missing something in the manual? I plan on connecting it directly to the pc's serial port. Is it really as easy as power and ground and connecting the db9 pin 2 and 3 to the nema?
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02-05-2013, 22:54
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 298
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
It depends on the type of heading sensor. I have build one based on a Arduino board, it has nmea output strings and ttl logic to connect it to a computer or, in my case, the S2 Shipmodul.
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03-05-2013, 05:26
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#3
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Senior Cruiser

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 51,781
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Turbofly.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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03-05-2013, 06:18
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Hudson Valley N.Y.
Boat: contessa 32
Posts: 826
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
WTF ??? I thought one had a compass on board to give the heading.
"One does not need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows'---Bob Dylan
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03-05-2013, 06:33
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#5
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Nearly an old salt
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lefkas Marina ,Greece
Boat: Bavaria 36
Posts: 22,801
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrohr
WTF ??? I thought one had a compass on board to give the heading.
"One does not need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows'---Bob Dylan
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Obvious troll is obvious
__________________
Interested in smart boat technology, networking and all things tech
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03-05-2013, 09:25
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Hudson Valley N.Y.
Boat: contessa 32
Posts: 826
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
Quote:
Originally Posted by goboatingnow
Obvious troll is obvious
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Au contraire mon ami ; but rather an observation and an opinion , even if not yours.
regards Bob
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03-05-2013, 09:45
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus

Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Eastern Tennessee
Boat: Research vessel for a university, retired now.
Posts: 10,405
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
He is obviously looking for an electronic compass with a NMEA out. You can get them with just a bare wire that can connect in through a db9 connector or you can get them with a USB 2 connector to your computer.
I found these by doing a Google image search, "compass NMEA".
NMEA Compass Sensor
http://www.pdqconnect.com/flugate-co...digital-yacht/
__________________
David
Life begins where land ends.
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03-05-2013, 17:39
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boston, MA
Boat: 1981 Bristol 32 Sloop
Posts: 18,211
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
Someday you might be able to have two cheap GPS puck sensors at each end of the boat and two nmea feeds to opencpn with a plugin, that would calculate direction.
You might even be able to calculate pitch and yaw with two more sensors, but since they don't have gyroscopes they won't have acceleration and thus won't be as accurate in all probability.
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04-05-2013, 17:11
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 5
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
Quote:
Originally Posted by George64
It depends on the type of heading sensor. I have build one based on a Arduino board, it has nmea output strings and ttl logic to connect it to a computer or, in my case, the S2 Shipmodul.
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Thanks for the info, a quick google search returns this.
Build Your Own Solid State Compass for $60 | Matrix Mariner Blog
Is this similar to what you are using? I ordered the parts. I figured it was cheap enough to try.
rgleason
Way to think outside the box. However with a 26 foot boat and lets say +/- 2meter accuracy of gps on a good day. That might not work that well. However if you have a 100' schooner, Well..... that's a different story.
Ill give this Ardino board a try and give you guys a update.
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07-05-2013, 10:23
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 298
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turbofly
Thanks for the info, a quick google search returns this.
Build Your Own Solid State Compass for $60 | Matrix Mariner Blog
Is this similar to what you are using? I ordered the parts. I figured it was cheap enough to try.
rgleason
Way to think outside the box. However with a 26 foot boat and lets say +/- 2meter accuracy of gps on a good day. That might not work that well. However if you have a 100' schooner, Well..... that's a different story.
Ill give this Ardino board a try and give you guys a update.
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Search the forum and you'll find an explaination of what I've buld with arduino
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07-05-2013, 12:29
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#11
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Nearly an old salt
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lefkas Marina ,Greece
Boat: Bavaria 36
Posts: 22,801
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rgleason
Someday you might be able to have two cheap GPS puck sensors at each end of the boat and two nmea feeds to opencpn with a plugin, that would calculate direction.
You might even be able to calculate pitch and yaw with two more sensors, but since they don't have gyroscopes they won't have acceleration and thus won't be as accurate in all probability.
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Its already done , it's called a satellite compass. ( Furuno , simrad)
Dave
__________________
Interested in smart boat technology, networking and all things tech
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09-11-2013, 07:22
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Alaska
Posts: 79
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
Does the do it yourself Arduino Board Compass Module, Setup work for Stabilizing Chart Overlay, on the OpenCpn Radar system? Seems Inexpensive enough.
Any Help appreciated.
Thanks
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09-11-2013, 07:49
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Somewhere in the Pacific
Boat: Kristen 52
Posts: 304
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rgleason
Someday you might be able to have two cheap GPS puck sensors at each end of the boat and two nmea feeds to opencpn with a plugin, that would calculate direction.
You might even be able to calculate pitch and yaw with two more sensors, but since they don't have gyroscopes they won't have acceleration and thus won't be as accurate in all probability.
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That day is already here.
I just bought a small "quadcopter" that has gps, roll/yaw/pitch/barometric sensors/compass all built in...it will hold position and altitude in the wind like it was mounted on a pole and fly itself back and land...the whole thing was less than $500 u.s.
Use it for video......neat stuff
By the way, the compass is less than 1/2 inch square, about 1/8 inch thick!
Chuck
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09-11-2013, 09:19
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 847
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
Quote:
Originally Posted by goboatingnow
Its already done , it's called a satellite compass. ( Furuno , simrad)
Dave
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Yep in use for many years now. Especially around the magnetic poles where magnetic compasses are less useful.
Also check out the Airmar PB150 and PB200 etc.. Heading, roll, pitch, wind, etc. etc. all in one package. Very reliable, not cheap... but hassle free NMEA 2000 or 0183. Maretron make one too I think.
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09-11-2013, 09:28
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,185
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Re: Inexpensive heading sensor?
Doesn't a normal GPS with nmea have the cog?
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