Laptop and Marine navigation

Gregg Hales

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Jul 14, 2003, 1:42:21 PM7/14/03

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Hi,
chasing information, advice and suggestions. (...be nice)

I am actually a computer tech, and am trying to help someone out, who
has asked me if it is possible to set up a laptop to assist with
navigation.

I don't know anything about yachts or boating in general, but said I
would see if I can source some information to give him a head start.

I know this chap has a very old laptop at home in good working
condition, I think a 486 or early pentium, and on his yacht is a gps
device, while he uses physical paper marine charts while yachting.

Does anyone know of free software that would:
1) put marine charts on the laptop

2) allow conection to a gps device

3) have any other suggestions regarding navagation and the use of
laptops and free software etc.

4) waterproofing a laptop (I remember reading some time ago about
a spray on compound used to waterproof the inner workings
of a
laptop to be used in a marine situation. Unfortuneately I
did not
take notes at the time, as I never thought I would be asked
for
advice in this particular area.)

5) links to schematics for the creation of any cables if
required.

What he actually wanted was to plot courses at home, and print them
out to take with him, but surely there is a way to waterproof the
laptop, load free software on it, and take the whole lot with him, to
run and reference live.

I know it is a multi faceted question, but I thought someone out there
has probably done this all before, and there is no point in
re-inventing the wheel.

I am in Australia, but I am sure marine charts are available on the
internet somewhere, that would cover Australian waters too.

Thanks in advance for any assistance anyone can give.

best regards
Tropicaltech
Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia
up top down under

Alan

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Jul 14, 2003, 4:18:35 PM7/14/03

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I don't know about waterproofing the laptop. However the best place to
start for you is www.OziExporer.com You can download the program for free,
with limitations. There are also links to many sites that will have some of
what you are looking for.

Hope this helps.

Alan

"Gregg Hales" <t...@kiss.com.au> wrote in message
news:d4a139c.03071...@posting.google.com...

Dave Patton

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Jul 14, 2003, 4:24:03 PM7/14/03

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t...@kiss.com.au (Gregg Hales) wrote in
news:d4a139c.03071...@posting.google.com:

> Hi,
> chasing information, advice and suggestions. (...be nice)

Gregg - please learn about crossposting, and when to use it :-)
I already answered your same question in sci.geo.satellite-nav,
but because you didn't crosspost, nobody reading this group
will see any replies in that group, and vice-versa.
http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/usenet/xpost.html

--
Dave Patton
Canadian Coordinator, the Degree Confluence Project
http://www.confluence.org dpatton at confluence dot org
My website: http://members.shaw.ca/davepatton/
Vancouver/Whistler - host of the 2010 Winter Olympics

Burnie M

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Jul 14, 2003, 6:19:06 PM7/14/03

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There are a number of moving map products and you might want to look
eg Oziexplorer or Fugawi.
These 2 can take scanned maps but copyright is an issue.

A phone call to Brian at GPSoz in Sydney will help you a lot.
Details on his website http://www.gpsoz.com.au/
Brian also sells GPS to laptop cables etc.

Unless this is a large airconditioned vessel then
robustness/waterproofing of the laptop is going to be an issue.

Cheers,
Burnie M