Thanks to members on this site, I use a laptop with a cable and some software to provide a HUGE color readout that equals GPSs that sell for over 5 grand!

A common, B & W Garmin chart plotter GPS is the sender. A cable (available on eBay and elsewhere) provides DC power (instead of batteries) while also sending the signal to my laptop. Free Garmin 'N-Route' software does the rest. I did have to purchase a Garmin Mapsource CD (and they charge 100 bucks to unlock its code, the thieves). All in all, a very satisfactory set up that I enjoy playing with.

Jeff

I am interested in this laptop gps idea, Where can one find specific information about what is needed.

I have a laptop and a garmin street gps. Will I have to buy a chartplotter and what cables will be needed.

I think I do not know enough to ask good questions.

I noticed you are on Lake Barkley, which marina? We have our boat on the Ohio River at Gaulconda.

John

A friend of mine has a GPS linked by serial connection to his boat pc, which displays on a large plasma tv screen. The screen shows the chart with his boat at the center, and the chart moves as he trucks along. Folks sit in his saloon and watch it for hours. There is a gps receiver, a pc, the software, and that's it. This is incidentally not on a Marinette, but a larger boat. I plan to do the same thing on mine, with a smaller screen of course.

There are lots of options these days for a gps, but I would consider one of the ones that has the whole thing built into the sensor. Perhaps you could get a usb unit to mount outside and run the wire in to the laptop. Then you would just need the charting software and the digital charts themselves. This seems to be precisely what FastJeff has done, with his customary economy.

Incidentally, my cellphone has a gps and maps built in, and displays where I am. Unfortunately, the built-in charts are street maps and not marine charts. But this has saved me from unnecessary walking in DC a couple of times....

..."This seems to be precisely what FastJeff has done, with his customary economy."

Hoo-boy! I like it when it's put that way. ("Cheapskate" is so....negative.)

Bill:

Not sure which unit yours is by the model number, but it there a spot for a jack in the back (a round plug) you can do what I did.

Jeff

I got to put a new system together. I got a small lowrance talking car gps. I can buy a $100 map cd to load any part of the country's lake or coastal areas into it. I can also use it to load maps with depths etc. onto my laptop. Gps devices put out plain text serial strings of location info. So any old handheld gps with computer output will work. You may have to buy a device to convert the serial plug to a USB if it is really old. I got a neat laptop power supply to replace the one that burned out. It has both an AC plug and a 12 volt DC plug (Targus $150) so I can run my laptop in a car or boat.

You could buy Raymarine's gps sensor with NMEA output, but it will set you back around $300. I have installed several of them (they mount like an antenna) and they are excellent.

I plan to use something cheaper: Maybe Garmin's GPS - 18x OEM USB - GPS receiver module, which is a waterproof gps with a usb cable to the computer. Unfortunately, it has a magnet built into the base, not so useful on an aluminum boat and I have banned magnets from mine.

There are a couple of suitable units available at Buy GPS Now I think that This one looks pretty good. for under $30 bux.

If the sensor puts out NMEA 0183 via usb, then any charting software that I have seen will read it.

I have gps serial output from my alarm system and I have used it successfully with laptops. But laptops are not so convenient when they belong to someone else, and I plan to put a cheap, dedicated computer on board for tasks like navigation. I would like to buy a real plotter from Raymarine, but I just will not have thousands for it. When I get thousands, I will spend a year in the Bahamas, forget plotting.

Ok I was a bit confused when I typed my original post... I have a GARMIN GPSMAP 182 B/W screen. It has a 7 pin connector on the rear.

This is it:HERE

There is a data cable available for it: HERE

and for my computer I would also need one of these: HERE

That should physically get me hooked up... NOW...What do I need for software on my computer to be able to do this? I want to be able to cover the Chesapeake Bay. Any help would be GREAT! Thanks

I have a netbook and not a real pc -- it runs linux and is not very powerful.

Therefore I am going to try using the inexpensive sensor from GPS Now along with a simple software program from http://www.marine.com/na...rts-entire-p-34592.html .

The cNOAA harts themselves are at http://www.nauticalchart.../download_agreement.htm

If I can get that to work, I will try something more ambitious. I will report on how things go.....

Bill,

I have an nmea output from my alarm system. It is there because the system not only locks the engine start circuits, but it sends a message if someone tows the boat more than about fifty yards. I believe that it is the same nmea 0183 that you get from almost any gps that uses a serial interface.

This can then be plugged into the computer and any charting program will read it and display position on a chart. I have not done this yet, but I have seen it work. As I said, a friend puts it on his plasma display in his saloon, to entertain guests. He has my same alarm system, and uses PC charting software.

I plan to give it a try: I have ordered the sensor with a usb cable to connect to my eeePC, and I have downloaded the (free) trial software from NavGator consumer products http://www.navgator.com/ConsumerProducts.html and I will see how it works. More later.

Doug

Jeff, Im sorry but I cant...I can only do it on the weekends...I may not have told you all ..I am working again, got a job driving a school bus for the local school district where I live. Its not the most hours or $$$ but its work!!! ut next time your going for any weekend time...let me know