How to Sail Digital for CHEAP with Raspberry Pi | Sailing Balachandra S02E32

[@davidlawson5937]

How is the raspberry pi working out? I guess its been about a year or so? Curious how well it performs in saltwater conditions? Thanks for posting btw!

[@SailingBalachandra]

VERY GOOD QUESTION- as a matter of fact, even though i purchased a second Pi for when the first one failed, it has not! We sail at least once a week or more going on 1 full year of cruising and the Pi has held up perfectly with no issues. Still very pleased with the Pi system :)

[@SailingBalachandra]

Just posted a video on exactly this topic, thanks for the idea! :)

[@davidlawson5937]

Awesome, thank you for the updates!

[@dizzyy1234]

@@SailingBalachandra Great video. Is there any chance you would have (or could make) some sort of diagram of how all these parts are connected?

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

@@dizzyy1234 The NMEA 2000 network has the boat data, plus the Pi acting as a wifi gateway. Everything else goes over wifi. In other words, they're 2 standard computer networks, 1 NMEA and 1 wifi, with a gateway between them to translate the NMEA 2000 data to wifi and vice versa.

[@rtonce]

Having worked as a tech in government, and as someone who enjoys the water and sailing, companies that provide sailing navigation equipment fleece everyone and have been massive bloodsuckers for some time now. Applause, kudos and even rose petals at your feet for going a practical DIY and making a vid to show others that they do not need to be stuck paying nutty prices.

[@gatecrasher1970]

same goes for ink catridges they a complete ripoff too

[@urmommawasfun]

I think one of the best parts about this, is that it’s very future proof in comparison to other marine grade systems. Other systems require over hauling the whole unit just to add a new piece of tech. This on the other hand is totally plug and play!

[@appick01]

You forgot to mention the warning! When you do this and brag about it at the marina or anchorage everyone is going to want you to build one for them lol. I did this about 3 years ago to our boat. Then showed it off and promptly had 5 orders from friends around the marina. Everyone was in the same situation as me. Older boat older instruments but didn't want to spend close to $3k for a new wind depth speed and gps. Especially when you only use your boat like most do for the weekends and maybe a couple of trips a year. Great job showing all the basics for this type of system and giving a great overview.

[@charonstyxferryman]

I think that one could easily sell a book about that topic.

[@jessemartin8566]

Videos are very informative, simple, easy to follow and my daughter loves them. Keep up your excellent work. My daughter sends her best. Jesse Martin / Miami Fl

[@larsscreenpicture2016]

Super Nice walk through :) Thanks. I didn't own a boat jet but i was concerned about the expensive electronics on a Sailboat. Raspberry pie is so much versatile ;) great solution

[@guesswhotoo6]

Great video on use of a Pi for Marine service. Just a fyi, I have a similar setup for aircraft nav and traffic data which uses a Pi3 also. I suspect that you may encounter a similar issue with the Pi3 as I have. This is the switching regulator inductors for the power supply on the board are undersized for the application They are way under rated for the current draw and will over time overheat and eventually fail. If the circuit board has a cooked aroma your on the way to a failure. I have had to replace these inductors with a 3-4x size bigger to solve the issues. Also, the circuits should be in sealed containers to avoid salt air, otherwise corrosion will be a big issue.

[@SailingBalachandra]

Wow, thanks for the tip! A bit over my head- we plan to sail with a backup PI in case of catastrophic failures :)

[@bayanicustodio3998]

About time someone got interested in using a raspberry pi on their boat... 👍🙂.... nice touch.... you can even afford to get another machine as a backup just in case....

[@SailingBalachandra]

Yes, exactly. You can create a backup Pi with a mirrored SD card and stick it in your oven to isolate if from lightning :)

[@atw98]

Isnt it gr8? The RPi has been being used as an AIS since its release, lets you not have to pay for a registered AIS. But still broadcasts and receives AIS. Im thinking og going RPi and a Pixhawk for Navigation and GPS for a cheap system. Looking for thoughts. I know RC grade but with just using the brain on the Pixhawk combine with RPi should have a full system for under 1/4 price of a full boat Nav and GPS system.

[@bayanicustodio3998]

Angus Whitehouse don’t mind me... I’m an old airplane and computer geek. Just think distributed processing with several computers doing separate jobs just like an airplane. I’ve been using, repairing, programming and sorta diy digital thingies since computers were made of discrete parts consisting of some transistors. I’m glad some diy folks got it into sail boats.

[@philkelsey1483]

Video jam-packed with info. Very interesting.... I didn’t even previously consider a Pi. Thanks.

[@gregrepac6654]

I've been fooling around with openplotter and open cpn and it is very easy to get started, there is a learning curve but it's not too bad.

[@tylerdrown]

thanks... i've been working on one off and on of these since 2016 for my boat with mixed success.

[@atw98]

Very cool, a little to quick, but very cool. This is exactly what I want to do. I was given a 28ft boat, no one knows the make even though registration is mandatory. Meaning it would have been registered when first floated with same boat number and brand/make. Anyway I have gutted the entire boat and am going to try setup with a RPi and a Pixhawk for all my electronics. Pixhawk is a RC autopilot that is open source and amazing, not really built for full scale but using its brains and larger electric motors should do fine for GPS and nav. Long winded but yours is the first video Ive seen using a RPi for anything other then AIS. So now Im at the stage to start planning electronics have boosted my enthusiasm knowing others are doing the same. Thanks and Fair Winds.

[@SailingBalachandra]

amazing! What a big job - Gutting a boat is no joke, but very rewarding. RPi is a great way to go if you don't mind a bit of trial and error, but its' very versatile. The Autopilot you're building sounds awesome - good luck!!

[@lakesidebc]

That is quite the accomplishment, nice system you've built. Congrats! Very very cool stuff, I learned a lot. Thanks for sharing.

[@haywood12]

To be extra fancy you can have touchscreen in every berth with a raspberry zero behind it, all connected to a server pi with music, films, audio books and how to guides on an external hard drive, for less than 400 buckeroos great for boats with kids

[@paulogorab7047]

Loved the idea Allan. Can you explain further how to do it? ;-)

[@haywood12]

Paulo Gorab sorry I answered late but best/easiest would be to buy 7" touch screens from Amazon. Each touch screen gets a Pi or Pi Zero (the Z is slow but gets the job done with KODI installed, there are directions here on YT somewhere on how to connect these together through wifi/ip addresses. I would recommend a Lenovo pad set up with open cpn for the person on watch. This is NOT rocket science computer stuff. Also dAISy hat for the RP gives you AIS reception for less. Bundled together with a ssb radio receiver and you have weatherfax. I'm positive, total Rasperry build cost will not exceed 1000USd in parts.

[@SailBeforeSunset]

The is one of the best explanations of how to use a Raspberry PI on a boat. I have a few of them that I have played with, and although we have Raymarine and OpenCPN as a back up, I think I'll incorporate this, too!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Computer friends keep telling me to get those things, but I’m just old school and like stuff to be mechanical. Cool to actually see what the raspberry pi looks like!

[@SailingBalachandra]

I know what you mean! - When I set mine up I made sure that we could still read all our cockpit instruments even without the computer assistance. Still I wouldn't mind having a descent Windvane like yours :)

[@RiggingDoctor]

All it takes is a bit of rope, some bolts, and too many boat bucks!

[@charleschamberlain53]

Love your channel

[@haywood12]

Imagine reefing with a touch of a few buttons from the comfort of your v-berth Raspberry pi can help to do that. Takes a few e-motors rand a few lines of code but it's very possible

[@RiggingDoctor]

Despiser Despised very cool! I currently have 6 switches in the boat. Like I said, I’m pretty low tech but this technology is really awesome!

[@mymobile5014]

You need this interface, and this adapter, and a serial port, and a power supply and a USB hub and...the list just went on and on and I thought...I would get lost just trying to work out what I needed let alone getting them and making them work. I bet this video is fabulous for some people though.

[@richardnwilson]

Huh? Fascinating video even though I didn't understand a word of it!

[@barcosavelacom]

Uau! really interesting that open source gets to sailing world!

[@davidpearson8954]

Great stuff. I might give it a go.

[@deborahdoyle6743]

Very cool. I already have a raspberry Pi. This will get me using it.

[@sk4256]

That was a really good one. Thanks for sharing. Makes me think maybe i could do it😁🤓. We’ll see. SK in the UK

[@brianross4948]

Very cool, was wondering if I could do this, now I know. Summer project here we come!

[@Duxa_]

If you have wifi you dont need an external USB port, you can copy files over WIfi to the Pi. something like scp via ssh.

[@remote3652]

following your journey!! amazing content thanks

[@callmebigpapa]

Cool thing about this is at this price point you can have a backup for most everything for cheap!

[@jeffersds1]

That's an awesome use for a Pi! Congrats!! You will probably want a fan for the SOC though. They have cheap cases on amazon that function as a heat sync and come with a small GPIO driven fan. It will probably last quite a while like it is but will eventually crap out.

[@Duxa_]

you dont want moving parts in a marine environment. doubt that Pi is getting hot at all. Should be fine. Salt is what you want to keep away from it.

[@fulltilt2ca]

This is very interesting Dan!

[@jvodan]

You might want to get the heat sink pack (two heat sinks ) for your pi and allow for air flow, or better still thermally couple the heat sinks to a metal case. I played around with opencpn on a pi and found on a 40'C day it overheated. It depends on the pluggins installed, some like weather routing max the CPU out and drive the temperature up. High cpu loads drive the CPU temperature up, the PI lowers the clock rate (speed) to reduce the heating which slows the system and unless the CPU loads drops the OS will become unresponsive and eventually freeze. Note Raspberry Pi and Arduino are separate universes. The PI is a small computer with an OS while the Arduino is a microcontroller (board) with just a single program running.

[@thomasbentsen8885]

Great content. Awesome walk through. Inspiring. But... BREATHE, MAN! The natural pauses are there for a reason.

[@grakkerful]

Once everything is working, make an image of that sdcard and put it somewhere safe.

[@stevenday2067]

Like, on GitHub and link it for us all! :)

[@mattrice3055]

I would even go so far as to have a second mirrored Pi sitting in a waterproof box and ready to plug in when/if anything goes wrong. Hell maybe even just install a complete mirror system with all the key components, so if something goes wrong all you have to do is switch a few plugs over instead of sitting on a lee shore trying to trouble shoot in a panic since the price is fairly small in comparison to most marine purchases.

[@Floridificator]

Excellent idea. Update periodically as it evolves.

[@JPerry-jw9ik]

Totally! Let us know where we can git it!

[@DoubleWW]

Backups with pi's are super important. Them SD cards have a tendency of corrupting

[@stevesheliflying]

I am interested in seeing how this works for once under way and using it. I have looked at the Pi for doing this exact thing. Currently I am using Arduino for my boat projects. All DIY for sure. Looking forward to your next video. Thanks for sharing your Pi setup.

[@SailingBalachandra]

I'll definitely post a video about this once we're using this system underway.

[@brice5542]

Thank you very much, great info for sailors. Cheers Pop"s

[@mathewmacpherson857]

Thanks very much for that video.. I feel like Alice in Wonderland with a new rabbit hole to go down!!

[@expresso3163]

Thanks I will be doing something about this soon. I followed some of the info but being very limited in this sort of stuff, decided to send the link to my very tekke kids. They will be able to explain it to me in English! LOL Well done!

[@SailingBalachandra]

Good Luck with it! - All of the info is on the Open Plotter website, and the Forum there is very helpful as well. (links are in the show notes)

[@findingsimon]

This is AWESOME~! thank you for posting

[@AndyKopac]

Conformal coating. Use the rpi 3 b+. Better WiFi. Move from sd card to m.2 drive. Safer and faster.

[@RayCasey2010]

AWESOMENESS!

[@KarlKarsnark]

Wow! I just found your channel. Great info. Thanks for the pro tips.

[@GrinsInc]

Thanks for posting

[@gobbledegookydokey]

Check also BBN Marine OS for raspberry pi4. Many free and opensource boat software packages preinstalled and preconfigured.

[@JaganChalla]

This is awesome!!

[@rayjay1770]

Your channel is really underrated. Also, you might want to change your wifi password.

[@jonathanherbster835]

Have you seen the PICAN-M - NMEA? It will power the PI and give you your 2 types of NMEA. Nice little piece. I am trying to figure out how to integrate it into my Wake surfing boat and control things like the lighting, ballast and so on. Hope I can figure it out.

[@deankoch7305]

Very cool.

[@andyagogo9713]

Excellent presentation. Just right level of info to get an average newbie (like me) started. Would you consider doing the same for a remote boat monitor/controller... e.g. battery condition, location/geo-fencing, bilge pump, movement detector... turning on and off the odd device? There are a bunch of resources on line, but I can't 'decode' them. They assume too much RPi / electronics base knowledge.

[@SailingBalachandra]

We were thinking about setting up the pi to cloud share temperature and bilge pump so we could access it from work. Open Plotter has a tab for custom actions where you'd likely have to enter some code... however I'm not crazy about leaving the pi running 24/7 where I'd like it to be in tip-top shape when we're underway :)

[@andyagogo9713]

@@SailingBalachandra... good point. I was thinking about a separate system. Maybe even powered independently by a solar charged battery. It might be better done with an Arduino or ESP.

[@PrivateUsername]

And be sure to discuss the types and specs of micro SD cards as they have a very limited number of write cycles; cheap sd Cards will die really quickly when used as primary storage. You'll want a High Endurance branded microSD card, and you want to get 3-4 of them from a reputable source since they are often counterfeit. Back up/copy your running image often, as a failing SD card will suddenly die and will offer no option to attempt to read from it.

[@misterprofessor3511]

I've never heard any of these tips, and never had a failed card. The number of writes is too low.

[@atw98]

Your right. A cheap card in a Pi is a nightmare. It effects the read/write speed ridiculously, I made this mistake in my first RPi magic mirror build. But once upgraded SD card it was 10x faster and so much smoother.

[@atw98]

Your right. A cheap card in a Pi is a nightmare. It effects the read/write speed ridiculously, I made this mistake in my first RPi magic mirror build. But once upgraded SD card it was 10x faster and so much smoother.

[@WindoverWater]

I see this video is almost two years old but I am embarking on a similar path for our boat Windover. How did yours work for you? We hope to print a case for a 7" touchscreen at the helm and a 10" one at the nav centre. We will use a Raspberry Pi 3 with Daisy Hat AIS receiver, GPS dongle of some sort and a USB to 12V power supply for the Pi. We will feed data to the helm using Wifi which we can pick up on our devices as well. We will hard wire the 10" touchscreen. This is the plan. Any suggestions? We will do this build on our channel Wind over Water this summer. Any help would be gratefully received.

[@markuskoarmani1364]

can you create a video of your setup in more detail? Are you using new pi4b board?

[@azhar201]

hi, nice info. thanks, azhar malaysia

[@checkyourbrakes]

Do you have heat sinks and fans for the Pi? We don’t have a boat yet, but we’ve done a few Pi projects. Pi is awesome. From experience though they’re prone to overheat if a cooling system isn’t added

[@SailingBalachandra]

Jennifer Thomas Nope, we’ve been running the Pi for well over a year as our onboard Nav computer without heat sync and it has never overheated even here in the hot Caribbean. I have a second backup Pi with a backup duplicate sim ready to go if it ever dies. I was told that the Pi doesn’t need it unless you are running TV or Video Games through it.

[@ralph9987]

this is a great overview to this technology. will you be doing a more indepth video/s on connecting individual sensors and also have you thought about AIS, weatherfax/mail via HF and VARA applications to name a few. Tia

[@davethemmp]

Guys I saw in one of your videos you installed a Digital Yacht wind instrument how reliable is it would you recommend it ??

[@ralph9987]

Are all nmea sources 0183? Do all the nmea's have to be connected via a serial 2 USB converter? I did see the build of the multiplexer you mentioned at the beginning. Many many questions. Any chance you can do an in-depth video on this? Thanks

[@SailingBalachandra]

You can use nmea2000 or seatalk too but you would need to convert seatalk to NMEA with a 'bridge' which are available in marine shops or online. OpenPlotter takes NMEA2000 directly. You will need a serial to usb adaptor. I have 3 on mine. They are dirt cheap on Amazon, i think mine is a dtech rs422. The in depth instructions are found at www.sailoog.org

[@ralph9987]

@@SailingBalachandra thank you so much. Does open cpn take nmea0183 directly as well?. I want to add a Ublox GPS, so just use a serial to ism and plug it into the PI4 right? Cheers

[@Liszkalaw]

How do you "mirror out" the RPI to a phone or laptop? The video says you can do it, but you don't say specifically how. Thank you!

[@nomadequipment2177]

WOW looks complicated. I just use a smart phone and dental floss on my shrouds 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@rynolivier]

Thanks for the info!

[@patrickwelch620]

I really like the set up! I am worried that few if any of those connections are marine grade. (Shock, corrosion etc) What are your expectations of them in heavy seas?

[@JosedaVeiga-magosh]

Pretty much the best overview I've found so far. I have a very similar setup as far as the existing instruments/etc. My next step is to connect this to my autopilot, which from what I can see is exactly like yours. Would you be willing to send me some pointers? I'm getting lost on the wiring (i see a resistor on your DTECH dongle) and on setting it all up on Open Plotter/Kplex/etc Thanks in advance for the help! :)

[@charonstyxferryman]

The resistor is used for termination of the RS422 / RS485 electrical signals. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_termination A NMEA 0183 network are based on RS422 signals. A NMEA 2000 network are based on the CAN bus, where CAN means : Controller Area Network - which are used by cars. RS-422/485 Termination and Biasing deltamotion.com/support/webhelp/rmcwin/Communication_Types/Serial__RS_232_422_485_/Configuration_and_Wiring/Serial_Term_and_Biasing.htm Sort of useful "RS485 Line Termination Resistor Calculator" www.alciro.org/tools/RS-485/RS485-resistor-termination-calculator.jsp

[@fastlink]

how did you figured out what cables were coming from each equipment? like SoG, DF, autopilot, wind? My chart plotter got stolen and the cables were cut.

[@SailingBalachandra]

woh... that's really sh*ty. Chances are you only had one or two cables running to the plotter that fed NMEA, NMEA 2000 or Seatalk depending on the brand (Raymarine?). The rest of your SOG, Depth, wind, etc, wouldn't trace back to your autopilot directly but would meet somewhere at a hub or backbone if you have one. One of the cables out of the plotter might be going to the autopilot. My best advise is to trace the cables or unplug each device and use a line testor. Hope that helps!

[@fastlink]

@@SailingBalachandra I have to look it up because there is the cable coming from the radar and there is other 2 or cables that I have no idea where they go to.. I will find out and let you know.

[@thecatofnineswords]

I hope you have learned the words "conformal coating" for waterproofing the electronics. Raspis are not particularly rugged and i can imagine they'll fail eventually.

[@PyeGuySailing]

Great video. I Bought the cable you suggested. I connected it to a laptop running windows 10, connected it to the computer (nmea). I'm using open cpn. Its not working, the raymarine computer isn't receiving commands from my laptop and pypilot isn't showing as being connected. My questions are, #1. Does it have to be a raspberry pi computer and #2 do I connect to nmea or seatalk at the raymarine computer? Thank you

[@ETIC-U]

Yes dude windows ten has Linux but a dedicated opencpn os on android can be easily set up. Costs less than laptop too You can probably use a laptop but that has less support vs these Linux communities

[@jamiefl]

I just found this video. Great stuff. Subscribed... I followed each of the links in your description. And nowhere can I Find a basic parts list for what you need to get started. Which Pi? SD card? Power supply? Cooling? Case? Screen? Etc... Id like to get the basics just to get up and running, then expand a sensor at a time. Please make another video, or add some Amazon links to this vid.

[@joaoteixeira6276]

Thank you very much!! Very nice, and inspiring video (the updated version as well!). "Powered" by your video, I went it to it: build my own system!....but I get very disappointed: it seems that the only charts available from Portuguese waters, are only the o_charts ones. Not only paid, but - worst! - they only work in windows 8-)...and I would like to keep it running in the Pi!?...any suggestion? Thank you, and keep going!

[@felipegross]

I have one of those rs485 adapters and was about to buy a CAN transceiver. Is that one compatible with CAN? Have you used it with SignalK or Openplotter?

[@SailingBalachandra]

Not sure. What is a CAN tranceiver?

[@felipegross]

@@SailingBalachandra Oops, I meant "transceiver", but it doesn't matter. I guess my real question is about that rs485 adapter that you showed. Did you use that as a CAN to USB adapter, or could you have done that? Or did you just show it because you actually had an rs485 device in the system?

[@sailingbrewer]

Awesome video. I love the step by step instruction without the baby steps(and now I'm stripping and installing the wires). I found a good deal on a Simrad Autotiller. Have you had or heard of any issues with OpenCPN and SImrad/B&G products?

[@ericwoolery9815]

Have you learned of any compatibility issues between OpenCPN and B&G products?

[@sailingbrewer]

@@ericwoolery9815 I'm still building up my system. I'll keep you posted.

[@DStrayCat69]

Fantastic! Hmmm... I have a Raspberry Pi-2B, why wouldn't that work? I just answered my own question... The only differences between the two are Speed... So, a RB Pi-2B will work just a bit slower... 250 MHz vs 450 MHz... Oh! And the 3 has Built-in Bluetooth and WiFi. No Biggie... Without trying it out, I don't know if those would be significant... We'll see :-) Btw: Great video and insight. Thank your friend for me... And, thank you. Great video, Topic and presentation. :-) I love hacking :-)

[@ETIC-U]

Would work as you said. Slower usb bud and be careful converting the nmea to that usb but the adapter exists. It may be considerably slower

[@kenproulx8276]

Have you been able to interface your radar?

[@californiakayaker]

I have a Kenwood D-710ga VHF ham radio. I was looking at the specs and noticed it had a GPS and is capable of NMEA output. I'm not sure what all the NMEA would be capable of and whether its useful in this app but it does do APRS which is a land based location system used by Ham Radio. Someone would have needed to hack it to make it do more ?

[@SailingBalachandra]

Sounds really cool! You can always hook it up to your pi and open plotter and read the outout NMEA to see what sentences you get. My guess is GPS data

[@californiakayaker]

@@SailingBalachandra As it is now I've only heard of GPS data but it seems like it could be capable of more with all of the modules it has. I'll be researching to see if someone has written anything for it.

[@codraven57]

Great channel, I binge watched all of it today. I was just in Halifax on Jan10-15 / 2019 and drove into the marina you were at last winter. Is this where you are now? I did see a boat that was covered in plastic like you were. I'm wondering now if that was you. I haven't heard either of you say what you do or did for employment. Just wondering.

[@patsimmondsnz]

Excellent video. Have you had any connection issues with corrosion?

[@traviskinney9988]

If corrosion is a concern then the use of conformal coating on the board and all connections would seal them from moisture. In can even be purchased in aerosol cans.

[@MarcoYolo420]

0:23 never give away your wifi password 😂

[@kirenireves]

Some links... Another nav system using Raspberry PI: www.allaboutcircuits.com/projects/make-a-gps-navigation-system-for-a-boat-with-a-raspberry-pi/?fbclid=IwAR07tjfC-w3gsZ5b8Zgj91izHTrWPD-LPDIazUnVjc-25MVl-zbgyd12-hc/ A Facebook group "Raspberry PI for Boats": facebook.com/groups/1666364153609573/?ref=br_rs Have fun!

[@leiflindqvist9095]

I got some inspiration and started up a pi/opencpn system. It basically works.....but I am having an issue with very slow zoom& pan, so much that I don't really find it usable. Any experience from sluggish graphics?

[@joaoteixeira6276]

I think you can configure the zoom response on the configurations (interface?) menu.....? Tried its already?

[@leonardcarter6656]

Using a raspberry pie makes a lot of sense

[@freakent]

How did you power the Pi? The newer Pi’s need a good power source otherwise they become unstable.

[@SailingBalachandra]

I ran power from my 12V system through a breaker (for protection) then through a Fuse (to protect it) THEN through a 12V to 5V downconverter. It's VERY IMPORTANT to choose the right Amps. A PI needs 3A to operate. If you just use a Cell Phone plug you will not get adequate amps.

[@ApresSail]

I also have a Pi with Openplotter on my boat but I was concerned that people would turn off the power as we were leaving for the day and not shut down the pi properly, which would corrupt the SD card pretty quickly. first, I added a momentary switch but that assumes somebody knows to press the button and so then I looked for some sort of UPS that would power down the Pi when power was removed and only the Pi juice fit all my needs but it is quite expensive. So I came up with a circuit that costs about $10 and powers down when the breaker is turned off and powers back up when the breaker is switched on again. made a little video about it if you are interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/amasqaN7lpWNma8

[@JohnBraman413]

can you use multiple monitors and choose what shows where?

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

You need a Pi to take data over USB into OpenCPN, then you can send data over wifi or Ethernet to various tablets, etc., each running OpenCPN. I think he described that very briefly in the video. Really this is analogous to a commercial chartplotter that takes physical NMEA (serial data) but can then support additional MFDs over the marine equivalent of Ethernet.

[@petecod05]

Hi, great videos, keep them coming. I have the same Raymarine course computer and want to do the same. Have you been successful controlling it from the raspberry py through NMEA 0183?

[@SailingBalachandra]

yes - plug the NMEA output into the computer's NMEA input #2 (not #1). The output sentences come from OpenCPN into the NMEA data stream (signalk) - message me on FB for details if you have trouble :)

[@petecod05]

Magic, thanks for the reply, will be getting on to the installation in the summer, can’t wait...

[@joaonunes6608]

Hello nice tutorial. You talk about Seatalk, my wind instruments output on seatalk, does the Raspberry recognizes it?

[@SailingBalachandra]

Not directly- you need a seatalk to NMEA converter. “Seayak” makes a cheap one.

[@patsimmondsnz]

What is the cheapest way to buy a RPI in Canada? Canakit works out to be quite expensive.

[@SailingBalachandra]

I just bought the pi standalone- no heat sink, case, etc. I bought a cheap plastic box to use as a case. The pi alone is not expensive

[@patsimmondsnz]

@@SailingBalachandra From Canakit?

[@KarlKarsnark]

I guess heat isn't an issue with the Pi being enclosed in a box behind a panel?

[@lanGPr]

Great Video, how do you get the tablet look on Rasbian ? On my 7inch screen it's still a laptop look so it's too small to see anything Thanks

[@ETIC-U]

He bought a special pi 3b plus tablet link in description

[@DirewolfKY]

How did you power your Pi? Did you use 12v or run it off your inverter?

[@SailingBalachandra]

Great question! The Pi runs on only 5v so you must downconvert power from 12v using a converter you can buy on amazon for a few dollars. Make sure the converter will give you enough amps. 1 amp is iPhones, 2 amps is android. You’ll need at least 2.5 amps

[@DirewolfKY]

@@SailingBalachandra I found one on Amazon that hardwires in and has a USB C for the output side. Thanks for the great video man. I'm going to give this a shot.

[@TheFlyingPlectrum]

If you are using a tablet as your plotter then there is limited reason for a pi. Just wifi your data. I use vYacht wifi plugged into NMEA2000. The only thing I don't have compared to this overly complicated instal is autopilot as I I use a tiller pilot when motoring and a wind pilot when sailing.

[@SailingBalachandra]

Raspberry pi are “do anything” type devices. I’m only using a tiny fraction of it’s potential for monitoring every system on the boat. Thanks for watching :)

[@DoubleUp9999]

Will the charts be up to date or accurate or is raspberry pi totally independent from chartplotters updates?

[@SailingBalachandra]

It's independent. It's up to the individual to update your charts as necessary.

[@MrRourk]

Does your C&C have rod rigging? If so how do you like it? Thanks for the PI info.

[@SailingBalachandra]

Yes it’s rod. I like it but I think riggers prefer cable nowadays?

[@seanmiller8565]

My C&C does and I love it!

[@SailingBalachandra]

Nice, I just found a FB page supporting Raspberry Pi on Boats: facebook.com/groups/1666364153609573/

[@ilonaharvey5095]

Y

[@redwood1957]

Do you still use this and would you do it again now? Thank you

[@SailingBalachandra]

Yes and yes but be warned- it can be complicated and time consuming. This is for the tech-savy sailor

[@ElectronicMarine]

it make no sense using the actisense for trasducers... the classic airmar 200khz for depth cost 80 euro... the log is 100... with a used tridata you are cheaper and consume alot less energy...

[@cwlbroeders]

Awesome setup Something to keep in mind tho, Im looking at a lot of adapters and bare metal/copper being exposed to salty sea air (including the rpi3). Has anyone come up with a good way to protect the electronics and connections against this? U could put it all in epoxy to protect it from corrosion, a basic step producers will take, but with the SD card, thats a not an option i think

[@SailingBalachandra]

Your best bet is to store all of the components and connections in a water tight box. Mine is the second best method- a box within a box in the dryest part of the boat :)

[@caldenc]

@@SailingBalachandra spray or paint-on conformal coating is like $10 a can and will seal the board itself. Super simple and has worked for me in the past, even leaving them in the field for work for months at a time.

[@SailingBalachandra]

Great idea!

[@anonymousanonymously997]

While everybody's crazy about the Pi I'm going to offer the apposing point of view. Theres nothing as easy and versitile as using a standard large samsung or apple tablet for a charplotter. Unlike the PI, its also easier to use for other apps. You can even 3D print brackets and holders for them at the helm to shield form sun & rain. By using a tablet... Other than loading the app there nothing to worry about such as configuring the USB gps to work with the Rasberry Pi. The rasberry pi uses archaic "dos" like setup commands to configure daughterboards, screen format, If you want to work on electronic projects this is great for you. If your not into computers and electronics i wouldn't bother. If you just want a chartplotter then just go buy a tablet. Not only do you have to buy the rasberry pi, but you need a keyboard, HDMI cable, external power source (phone one will do) and/or mouse and extra monitor which puts the total cost near a chartplotter anyway. Figure on a few hours figuring out how to get it to work. I don't like actual "Chartplotters" becaue i think the maps chips are a ripoff.

[@SailingBalachandra]

Chartplotters are faster and easier than a. Entire Pi system, however you'd still need a backbone or multiplexer. I think if you're not tech savy go with something simple or just use the tablet but you won't get the boat data unless you wifi stream it.

[@claasriese1036]

Thanks for the video. Does these systems work on Mac OS as well?

[@gregrepac6654]

No' it is linux based system.

[@gregrepac6654]

But you can mirror it to your mac os products

[@silvanocometta9760]

Amazing, what you can do if you understand the system! Where do you get the charts for Open CPN from? Regards, Silvano (from Switzerland)

[@SailingBalachandra]

If you go with OpenCPN for your chart plotter software they have a list on their website of web addresses where you can download charts.

[@silvanocometta9760]

Yes, thanks but unfortunately there is not much on European waters...

[@SailingBalachandra]

You may have to pay for charts then... Also, you can use just about any chart plotter software that accepts boat data over wifi. OpenCPN is just one option

[@SuperDirk1965]

@@silvanocometta9760 You may want to try o-charts. They offer charts at a very reasonable price.

[@silvanocometta9760]

Many thanks Dirk, I did not know of this source for Open CPN-charts. Best regards, Silvano

[@ijustwanttogosailing8248]

It is a VERY brief overview - to the point of harming your cause! Your presentation leaves 'I dont know what that guy is talking about' aftertaste and it is the best way to convince folk with no Linux/electronics background to go for an 'out of the box' commercial solution. You know the topic, but introduction video is not the place to show off your competence. Or a close-ups of spaghetti wiring.

[@PaulusPHM]

Cool subject

[@shaivong]

Damn and with a $40 pi you could set up two and keep one as a spare on board.

[@SailingBalachandra]

Exactly- in a watertight Tupperware, with an extra imaged SD card

[@PeteJobson]

@@SailingBalachandra I already have a spare with spare SD card onboard! Only use it as a chartplotter/AIS with a re-purposed laptop screen but now I might look at other applications - Thanks!

[@sailingcallisto3791]

Great video! Interested in this solution but we need radar, and this is one technology that seems to be pretty well locked in by vendors. Would love to hear if anyone has found a solution.

[@AndyKopac]

The radarpi add on works awesome with a lot of radar types

[@sailingcallisto3791]

@@AndyKopac Thanks, I will have to give it a try when I find a radome. I got a good deal on a B&G plotter with wind and DST sensors, so just looking for a Navico radome now.

[@AndyKopac]

@@sailingcallisto3791 I’m in somewhat of the same boat. Our radar went south. I was looking at the garmanxhd, the went through a whole bunch of research the Sunday before cyber Monday. Turns out all the Navico distributors have a minimum price agreement with navico. My research lead me to several interesting findings. 1. WiFi radomes don’t work well with opencpn. 2. B&G is navicos sailing branded hardware 3. No radar units will give you the advertised range 4. The Halo 20+ is unique in that it’s solid state (no spinning parts). It has dual range transmitters for better target clarity at all ranges and has Doppler for telling you the targets relative speed and direction to your course and location. It’s extremely low power relatively speaking. It does have standby, guard ringed and variable timed wampum modes. Because it’s solid state there is no waiting for warmup... it’s almost instant on. The data and power cable are all in one, but the cockpit end splits out to a standard Ethernet cable and 12v power making it easy to extend or whatever. You should also checkout: github.com/opencpn-radar-pi/radar_pi/wiki Links at bottom of page are really important!!!

[@sailingcallisto3791]

@@AndyKopac Good to hear about the Halo radar. If I can't find a deal on an older 3G/4G unit, I may have to spring for the Halo20. I believe my Vulcan plotter will support any Simrad/Lowrance/B&G unit 3G or newer, but there are not many on the used market. I don't mind paying for a good unit, as we will probably move it to our next boat when we head offshore.

[@FeelItRising]

Linux FTW!

[@simonjones388]

the cost of the control electronics were ststarting to alarm me