SeaClear II to Garmin interface

[svsoutherncross]

Hi all!

Has anybody had experience using Seaclear II as a planning/routing tool, then trying to upload said routes to a handheld Garmin unit? Here's my problem: I have all my routes and such planned out in Seaclear. I also have a Garmin Legend, with a serial cord adapted to a USB port. The first problem is, sometimes, the Garmin cannot be "seen" by the computer, even the the Mapsource (Garmin) software. This problem comes and goes. Next, I've tried using GPSBabel to translate the Seaclear route file (converted with G7toWin) into the Mapsource file type. It either gives me an error message that there is missing waypoint data, or just translates it and leaves the coordinates blank. I've been at this for three days, and am in desperate need of some help. Any other software recommendations and such would be great as well. Thanks in advance!!

-Kyle

[AdriftAtSea]

First, you'll have to make sure the Garmin is setup properly. The serial port on the Garmin should be set to NMEA 0183 data, with the settings 4800, 8, N, and 1.  Once you've done that, you can check the setup by running a terminal program, like Hyperterminal, and connecting it to the serial port, and seeing if you see the NMEA data coming in. If you do, then you should be good to use SeaClear.  You need to then configure the Seaclear II software to use the port that the USB-to-serial adapter is setup as.

Be aware that the Garmin uses the 12VDC ground as the signal ground, and if that wire isn't connected to PIN 5 on the DB9 connector, you'll have some issues with it.

[CharlieJ]

Hi all!

Has anybody had experience using Seaclear II as a planning/routing tool, then trying to upload said routes to a handheld Garmin unit? Here's my problem: I have all my routes and such planned out in Seaclear. I also have a Garmin Legend, with a serial cord adapted to a USB port. The first problem is, sometimes, the Garmin cannot be "seen" by the computer, even the the Mapsource (Garmin) software. This problem comes and goes. Next, I've tried using GPSBabel to translate the Seaclear route file (converted with G7toWin) into the Mapsource file type. It either gives me an error message that there is missing waypoint data, or just translates it and leaves the coordinates blank. I've been at this for three days, and am in desperate need of some help. Any other software recommendations and such would be great as well. Thanks in advance!!

-Kyle

ROFL. Just read this to Laura.  Shecracked up and said "give it up! It's a piece of poop!!"

She wound up purchasing OziExplorer after we bought our new netbook and SeaClear refused to load with Windows 7. She's happy with that.

[Captain Smollett]

First, you'll have to make sure the Garmin is setup properly. The serial port on the Garmin should be set to NMEA 0183 data, with the settings 4800, 8, N, and 1. 

Not if you are using G7toWin.  If you are using G7toWin as the communications back-end for SeaClear, have to set up both the GPS and SeaClear to use the Garmin protocol for your GPS.

Using NMEA with SeaClear only allows one-way communications (sending data TO the GPS), at least with my Garmin 72.  When I installed G7toWin and set up with the Garmin protocol, this was fixed.

I'm using SeaClear with the G7toWin backend with a Garmin 72 (setup using the 76 protocol, which works for the 72).  I'm running both SeaClear and G7toWin under wine on Linux and have no problems sending data to or receiving data from the GPS. 

Incidentally, I'm also running through a USB-serial adapter.  One interesting thing:  If I run this in Windows, I need a driver for the device, and SeaClear needs to be set up to look for the GPS on Com 3.  When I run SeaClear under wine in Linux (my preferred configuration), no external driver is needed (so much for Linux having hardware issues not seen in Windows), and Sea Clear has to look for the GPS on Com 4.

So, you might want to double check what serial port your usb-serial adapter is emulating, and make sure this is consistent.

For what it is worth, I don't use GPSBabel to do any file conversions.  So far, up and downloads have "just worked."  I've uploaded routes and downloaded tracks, for example.

Incidentally, all this works as well with MapTech's ChartNavigator (also under wine in Linux).  The free version of 1.0.7 is what I use, and it works quite well.  However, that version is no longer available from the Maptech site, and I have never gotten the 1.0.8 version to download.

In my opinion, Chart Navigator is superior for planning (I just like the interface better, but I'm getting used to that of Sea Clear), but CN does not show real time GPS position on the chart - so is useless for using as a 'chart plotter' if that's your goal.  The 'full' $$ version of CN may allow this; I don't know.

Hope this helps.

[Frank]

Quote

"First, you'll have to make sure the Garmin is setup properly. The serial port on the Garmin should be set to NMEA 0183 data, with the settings 4800, 8, N, and 1.  Once you've done that, you can check the setup by running a terminal program, like Hyperterminal, and connecting it to the serial port, and seeing if you see the NMEA data coming in. If you do, then you should be good to use SeaClear.  You need to then configure the Seaclear II software to use the port that the USB-to-serial adapter is setup as.

Be aware that the Garmin uses the 12VDC ground as the signal ground, and if that wire isn't connected to PIN 5 on the DB9 connector, you'll have some issues with it"


W O W    I have issues just reading that     ;D ;) :o :o

Now where are my parellel rules

[svsoutherncross]

Well, here's an update:

I managed to get Seaclear to display the little boat symbol with the GPS on and transmitting in NMEA. The NMEA input monitor show all the sentences coming in as well. While this is nice, what I REALLY want to do is be able to get my waypoint data from routes in Seaclear and upload them to the GPS so I can read it in the cockpit. I gave up on the Mapsource software, it only recognizes the GPS is connected 1/15th of the time.

Anyway, I'm going to try it all under Linux with G7toWin per Captain Smollett's suggestion later tonight, maybe there's a driver issue I'm not seeing here. If I can't get it tonight, it'll be a while before I try again, as the weather is finally turning for us to head down the ICW Saturday morning.

Thanks for all the knowledgeable responses everyone! And I'll make sure to post what works, for future reference.

-Kyle

[Captain Smollett]

If you don't get it, send me a PM with a phone number and a good time to call.

One suggestion:  get the GPS communicating with G7toWin before you add SeaClear to the mix.  For me, that was pretty much out-of-the-box, on both Windows 2000 and under wine on Linux.  I was actually amazed at how easy it was...I was convinced I was in for a rough road.

Best of luck...

[Godot]

Anybody try OpenCPN?  Works both under Windows and Linux.  I've played with it a bit, and it seems decent; but I don't know how it compares to other products.

[AdriftAtSea]

It's not bad... IIRC, only opens ENC not the raster-BSB charts. IIRC, there are threads on both Sailnet.com and Anything-sailing.com about OpenCPN at the moment.

Anybody try OpenCPN?  Works both under Windows and Linux.  I've played with it a bit, and it seems decent; but I don't know how it compares to other products.

[Captain Smollett]

Nope.  OpenCPN works with both raster BSB and ENC charts.

I've tried it, but I don't care for it all that much.  It pretty much is JUST a chartplotting tool - far, far less useful for 'planning' (entering routes, waypoints, etc), though it does have rudimentary support.

It's nice  because it's a native Linux application, but it is far inferior to both SeaClear II and Chart Navigator (under wine) in my opinion.

YMMV.

[Godot]

 I downloaded SeaClear and played with it some and didn't find it any easier than openCPN, and in many ways (crossing chart boundaries, for instance) more difficult.  Which might just mean I don't understand something (read the manual?  Bah!).  Although I suppose if you haven't tried openCPN program in awhile things might have improved there, too, as it is in rapid development.

<shrug>

I really don't have a need for either at the moment.  But my geek side comes out once in awhile.

[Captain Smollett]

  Although I suppose if you haven't tried openCPN program in awhile things might have improved there, too, as it is in rapid development.

My version: 1.3.4
Current version: 1.3.6

Maybe the interface has improved, but...

Some of this "which one" is going to be personal preference.  All I'm saying is that *I* prefer SeaClear to OpenCPN as a planning tool, and I like ChartNavigator better than both in that role.  That is not an absolute statement that one IS better than the other...just my own preference.

If *ALL* you want is browsing charts, adding waypoints, routes, notes, etc and no real time position plotting, the ChartNavigator interface is FAR FAR more intuitive (in my opinion) than either SC or OpenCPN.  CN does allow loading points and routes to/from the GPS.

Tool for the job...SC and OpenCPN have a real-time chart plotting focus, whereas CN is more of a planning tool with no real-time support (at least in the free version).  That's my conclusion from several years of using both CN and SC (though very limited experience with OpenCPN).

[Captain Smollett]

I've tried it, but I don't care for it all that much.  It pretty much is JUST a chartplotting tool - far, far less useful for 'planning' (entering routes, waypoints, etc), though it does have rudimentary support.

It's nice  because it's a native Linux application, but it is far inferior to both SeaClear II and Chart Navigator (under wine) in my opinion.

Update:

Newer versions of OpenCPN are NICE! 

OpenCPN is now my favorite 'planning' tool, though it is going to take me a while to get out of my Chart Navigator habits and get used to the new interface.

The free version of the Chart Nav viewer has not been available for years (though it you already had it, it worked) and now it is very sketchy to get working on Linux under wine.  In my opinion, CN is no longer even on the table.

While SeaClear II works, I've never gotten used to the way it does things as a 'planning' tool.  It's cool for 'live chart plotter' work, but admit it's been a while since I've used it.

OpenCPN has matured TREMENDOUSLY since I last tried it.  Now includes tide integration, better waypoint/route interface, AIS integration, etc.