Open Cpn on Garmin or Lowrance chartplotter

[Vino the Dog]

Is there a way to get Open Cpn to read out and/or otherwise integrate with Garmin or Lowrance chartplotters?

I have Open Cpn on a zip drive with all NOAA charts and an HDMI cable hooked up to a 24" TV for a huge chartplotter in the cabin. Also have Garmin 740s with sonar and radar in the cockpit and a second Lowrance NEMA plotter in the cabin (the Lowrance is mounted, but not hooked up yet).

I would like to get the Open Cpn charts to read out on the Garmin MFD and the Garmin sonar/radar to display on the computer/tv monitor.

Is this possible, and if so, how?
Or if not totally possible, which part might be?

If not at all.... RATS... big ones! Why not? The hook up I mean... already know why not rats!

[Aikiguy]

Gradar add in will get you the Garmin radar on the pc. There is no way that I know of to get charts onto the Garmin unless you buy them from Garmin or get cracked copies from someone that has them. That is the whole idea behind Garmins or anyones proprietary systems, you have to buy the charts from them.

Wind depth etc, are all easy, just use the nema 0183 output on the 740 to feed the PC, with Gradar insalled with the right hardware (the Gradar add on for Open CPN shows you how to do it for less than $50.00).

So you can have a below decks system that displays everything on the PC, but not sharing charts.

Guy
:-)

[Vino the Dog]

Guy,

Thanks for the info. I have heard of Gradar, but only during development stage.

Can you suggest links to get Gradar and whatever equipment/information necessary to get 0183 data into the computer? I assume a device, program, or wiring diagram is needed to get the little colored wires of 0183 correctly into a usb connector?

I understand proprietary marketing tactics and expected as much. Went with the Garmin package for the sole reason that you can not buy a radar with display these days that is not an mfd. Found that used radar is just about as expensive (if it really works) as the Garmin 740s/HD18 package once it is all added up and working.

I can do without NOAA charts on the 740s. Might be cheaper and easier to get another throw-away laptop or tablet to put at the helm with Open Cp than it is to buy Garmin charts, then just use the 740s for radar/sonar display at the helm.

Does that sound to you like a reasonable approach? I am trying to build up redundancy to back up each system.