Navigatrix (Linux Marine OS)

[cap-couillon]

Just ran across this while doing some other research.  Navigatrix Marine Operating System

Been plinking around setting up a lightweight Linux distro for use primarily as a navigation  system on an older laptop.  Low and behold, these guys have got what looks to be a pretty good one out there already., Debian based running LXDE and open box, it will run off a 4 gig USB stick or you can install on a drive (dual boot if ya gotta have window$) Ran quick enough on my elderly test machine as a live stick. Nice feature is if you run it on the stick underway you can shut down your HD saving power and possible damage while underway. When your on the hook go back to the HD. 

Too many included applications to mention here, but they are listed in the above link. Available in English Spanish and French. The default desktop is not the prettiest I have ever seen, but being Linux, you can customize it pretty much anyway you want.  Uses OpenCPN for chart plotting and navigation which takes advantage of NOAA's free charts. Also includes the plugins to scan or photo existing paper charts, scale them and import into OpenCPN

Remember, the "Live-USB' will let you run it without having to mess with your other os.  And it's 100% free.

[skylark]

Do you have any suggestions for what type of used laptop to get for a small boat without a lot of power generation? 

[cap-couillon]

Do you have any suggestions for what type of used laptop to get for a small boat without a lot of power generation? 

I am looking round for an Asus 1015PE netbook. Seem to be easily available on Craigs and Ebay in the 100-150 dollar range. Plus side.. Very low power use Minus side ... small screen. Looks like it will work for me though. Planning on building dedicated dc/dc power supply and taking the batteries out of the loop except for shoreside excursions and emergencies.

This seems to be the best solution I have found so far. Have found some stand alone boxes out there that are lower power use, but once you add a display it is back up in the same ballpark. Not to mention 2-4 times the price.

Still open if anyone else has a better option?

[skylark]

I asked for an old junker laptop at work, and got a Dell Latitude C640.  I had to use plop to boot from usb, and installed Navigatrix to hard drive.  Seems to work pretty well, I am posting from it.  Wifi not working yet.

I was wondering about how to power it, for now probably I will just use an inverter and the 120V power supply.

[cap-couillon]

I was wondering about how to power it, for now probably I will just use an inverter and the 120V power supply.

One of these would be way more efficient than 12VDC to 120VAC to 20VDC. Cut out the middle man and save energy.

[skylark]

ordered, thank you

I'm going to figure out how to get charts next

[cap-couillon]

Quick (simple) tutorial on downloading and installing charts from NOAA for use in Navigatrix and OpenCPN. This tutorial is for raster charts (RNC) that look like typical paper NOAA charts. I have not used ENC (electronic navigation charts) but they are also available from NOAA and download and install features should be same (similar?). Discussion of which chart format is preferable is one for another thread, but could be interesting.

Go to http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/RNCSelect/Default.aspx which is NOAA's RNC download page.

Select Chart Region and hit "Get List Of Charts" button to populate list. Eg: Region 13 - Lake Michigan

Select up to 20 charts and hit "Add" button to right of list.  Hit "Create Zip File" button and download created file. Repeat as required.... First time will take a bit, but best to download all available charts in your region(s) of interest. They're free, don't take up a lot of room, and you have them if you need them. (Not always the case with my paper charts)

Unzip the charts (One zip file at a time) somewhere temp. Move all directories under BSB Root to where ever you want do store your chart files. In Navigatrix the default is ./CHARTS/

After you have unpacked and moved all your chart files, start OpenCPN and go to Options -> Charts -> Loaded Charts and if your chart directory is not listed use "Add Directory" button to add it.

When chart directory is showing and all chart files have been added to directory, check "Scan Charts and Update Database" then click apply. The update will take some time depending on how many charts you have added, wait for it to finish then go to Options -> Display and make sure that "Enable Chart Quilting" is checked.

Click ok to close dialog and restart OpenCpn.

That should do it..  If for some reason you mess something up you can always delete all the chart files and start over using the "Force Database Rebuild" option. I usually stash all the zip files on a stick just in case of emergency. Also easy to pass along to a fellow cruiser when net is unavailable.

Still playing with OpenCpn myself. As with most open source projects, it has so many options that it can be overwhelming at times. Let me know how things work out.

[skylark]

OK, got the Lake Michigan files. 

Do you know what type of GPS is the best/cheapest to attach to the laptop to get a position on the charts?

[cap-couillon]

Do you know what type of GPS is the best/cheapest to attach to the laptop to get a position on the charts?

This is one recommended by folks over at OpenCPN. Might be able to get it cheaper somewhere else on the interweb.

[skylark]

Downloading NOAA Charts for Navigatrix

I am putting this here so when I forget I can find it again

Create a temp folder, for example /home/username/temp

Go here:
http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/RNCSelect/Default.aspx

Select the Region
Select all the charts
Click Add
Note that number of charts is limited, note last chart that is included
Click Create Zip File, wait
When screen changes. look for zip file at bottom right of frame, example: 20130803_083938.zip
Click on the zipfile, Open with Archiver
Click on Extract
Navigate to username/temp
Click on Extract
Show the Files
in file manager username/temp, select all of the chart zip files
Right click
Extract Here
wait, watch for it to complete, there does not appear to be a notification
Go into folder username/temp/BSB_ROOT
Select the Chart folders
Copy
Open file manager, /home/username/Charts/bsb
Paste Charts
Go to file manager, /home/username/temp
Delete all files and folders in temp
Go back to web browser, get more charts starting at where your last download ended, repeat

[Godot]

If you want to get ALL the charts at once, go here: http://www.charts.noaa.gov/

Click the link to download Raster charts (or the ENC if that is your preference). There is a large zip with everything ready to go (1971 MB at this moment).

[cap-couillon]

Never noticed the "All" option.... Duh!

Tks Godot

[skylark]

The "All" zip file worked very well, much easier, thank you.

[skylark]

I also got all the inland waterways enc's from the Army Corps, a bit of a pain but got them all.  I should have the entire Great Loop at this point.

[skylark]

Do you know what type of GPS is the best/cheapest to attach to the laptop to get a position on the charts?

This is one recommended by folks over at OpenCPN. Might be able to get it cheaper somewhere else on the interweb.

I plugged it in and it works.  So far my Dell Latitude C640 is doing pretty good and I think it will be a good nav system.  I was going to buy a GPS plotter but the laptop looks like it will work fine with Navigatrix.  It draws about 1 amp but that includes the loss related to my heavy duty 12 V powersupply which is about .25 amp.  I am watching the power usage with a Kill-A-Watt.  Powered direct from a battery I might get .75 amp.

So far I bought the gps puck above, a 12 V power supply, and I will be getting new batteries for the laptop.  Maybe $120 all together.  So its not free but still cheaper than a GPS plotter.  I already had the Wifi usb thingus and a usb hub.  I did have thermal shutdown a couple of times or maybe it was a bad connection at the power supply plug.  I am using a ventilator base under the laptop and since then it has not done a thermal shutdown.

I thought the laptop ventilator base, usb flash drive, wifi usb and gps usb puck would take a lot of power but they seem to be reasonable with a total draw of 1.1 amp, more or less.  I can work with that if the laptop is stable.  It is pushing the processor a bit, when I play music it skips once and a while.  OpenCPN does not take a lot of processor power.  I could see running OpenCPN and music all the time while under way. My usb flash drive has all the information needed to reconstruct civilization after the fall but in a better way.

From a power use and solar power perspective, I can do a quick analysis of what the laptop needs.  1 amp per hour, assume 12 hours a day of run time makes 12 amp hours.  I also have LED lighting but that is very low power so I am going to ignore it.  No other heavy power draws (no fridge mofos).  The battery needs to be 2 to 3 times the daily amp-hour draw, so 24 to 36 amp-hours.  The solar panel needs to replenish 12 amp-hours per day over 4 hours solar gain (rule of thumb) so 12 a-h / 4 h = 3 amps.  20 V solar panel * 3 amps = 60 Watts.  But wait some days have no sun so double or treble that to 120 to 180 Watts for a solar panel.

As a true SailFarer, I will be stingy and try to use as little power as possible and go with a 12V 40 amp-hour battery and a 120 W solar panel.  The laptop will have an additional 9 amp-hours so I have a buffer. I have plotted a course which is called Excape From Chicago.  I plan to blast the ghetto with the sounds of Marley as I pass through.  Detroit power makes me a badass as I pass through the valley of the shadow of Death and the Chicago Sewage Treatment System on the Sanitary and Ship Canal.    Well I wish anyway cause I still be workin to payoff the mortgage man for a while, wish me luck.  Soon, my friends, soon.

[marujo_sortudo]

Just looking at your calcs, skylark, I'd consider a bigger battery.  Don't think you'd necessarily need a 120W panel, but if the price is right, go for it.  The biggest problem will be power when you have a bunch of cloudy days in a row.  Also, only 50% of the capacity of a lead-acid battery is really usable, if you want to get a decent life out of it (you can discharge flooded batteries a bit more than sealed ones, of course.)  Still, you don't really need a chartplotter a lot of the time, so you could save tons of power by putting your laptop in sleep mode.  Just expect it to take a while to warm up and for the GPS to get a new fix.