Monday, December 13, 2010

Chart Plotter on Laptop


This is a view of the laptop screen with OpenCPN displayed.  The location is showing where I was parked at the boat ramp in my pickup with the GPS from my Microsoft Streets and Trips on the dash.  This is soooo cool. 

The GPS plugs into the USB port and uses com 7.  The OpenCPN recognizes the GPS input and positions it on the chart.  It also shows direction, logitude and latitude, and speed of travel.

The charts are free from the NOAA web site.  They are in zipped format and you have to unzip them and install them in a file and then move them into the OpenCPN chart bin.  You can quilt the charts together and then just scroll from one to another.  I downloaded the charts for the North Pacific and then the Columbia River system. 

Some details: 

The GPS is PHAROS GPS360.  The 360 and the 500 are on Amazon for $18.99.  Pharos has a web site.  Pharos.com

The NOAA web site is http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/

The OpenCPN web sit is opencpn.org.