DataLinker and Sail Racer come to us from Lithuania

SailRacer UAB is a small Lithuanian company founded in 2013 by a team of experienced developers and regatta passionate . They design solutions for the sailors and clubs, both software and devices, focusing on developing applications and essential accessories to the processing of navigation data for mobile devices and their operation through the Cloud. They provide an application specifically dedicated to the regatta, Sail Racer, and the first Bluetooth NMEA gateway in the market, DataLinker.

DataLinker, a Bluetooth NMEA gateway

On September DataLinker allows to receive data from the instruments on a smartphone, a tablet or other compatible mobile device, thanks to the Bluetooth Smart technology (¹). Wind data can be used, compass, speedometer, sounder and GPS with a dedicated application while remaining connected to the internet via Wi-Fi and thus share this data via the Cloud.

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Miniplex-2Wi and Setup Utility for Mac OS X [Update-2]

The company ShipModul website has made a Mac OS X version of the configuration utility MPX-Config configuration utility for the multiplexer Miniplex-2Wi (¹). It is now available in Downloads section of their website. This utility allows you to make the settings of the multiplexer without going through Windows.

[Update 2/11/2014] MPX-Config V.3.70.0 is compatible with OS 10.10 "Yosemite". He manages the firmware 3.30 and sup. of Miniplex-2Wi. You'll need to connect your Miniplex to a Mac (as Windows PC) with USB cord, after downloading and installing the latest version beforehand, as well as the latest USB driver provided on the ShipModul website (²). You must be connected to the Internet, or in WiFi, either in 3G/4G, in cellular connection sharing if necessary.

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Combine instruments NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183

Actisense ngw-1In a previous entry I talked about NGW-1 by Actisense company (¹), an NMEA 0183 gateway converter to NMEA 2000 bidirectional.
Since then, This footbridge has been declined in several versions. Each of them allows you to connect to the NMEA network 2000 A range of special instruments, and so combine their data with other NMEA 2000 instruments already present on the network. This can be particularly interesting, in an installation mixing both protocols, to facilitate data transfers in iNavX. Read more …

iNAVConnect links iPhone or iPad to Raymarine chartplotters

inavconnectThe company Digital Yacht continues to offer new products for yachting (¹). One of them, iNAVConnect, allows to connect by WiFi iPad or iPhone, featured iNavX, Navionics Marine, or any other compatible application, to Raymarine MFDs C and E series. This allows waypoints and routes to be transferred from Raymarine systems to apps on iPad or iPhone, and vice versa.

It's a start, Digital Yacht hopes other manufacturers implement these transfer functions in the future. Read more …

Seasmart WiFi connects NMEA network 2000 to your iPad

SeaSmart WiFiOn September SeaSmart WiFi, presented by iTabNav.fr at the Nautic de Paris last week, allows a WiFi connection to iPad , iPhone or other computer over WiFi to a NMEA network 2000.

Designed by Chetco Digital Instruments, Brookings, Oregon (USA), SeaSmart is a wireless transmitter NMEA2000 and NMEA0183 compatible consists of an USB/serial gateway, a WiFi transmitter 802.11 b/g and an embedded CGI/AJAX web server. Compatible with web browsers on most smartphones, like iPhone, iPad or Android, SeaSmart.Net translates NMEA 2000 (PGNs) messages through an open protocol in HTML pages updated in real time and sent streaming to web server. The transfer is bi-directional. In addition, NMEA 0183 connector allows to interface instruments that use this protocol, like an AIS, their data being multiplexed and added to the flow of data powered by SeaSmart.net. Read more …

Connect Miniplex-2USB with GPSNavX/MacENC

Multiplexer Miniplex-2 USB (¹) by ShipModul company can connect all the instruments on board directly to a USB connector on your Mac. GPSNavX and MacENC software can receive and display NMEA instruments, and if necessary forward to an autopilot, a VHF DSC, chartplotter, a Radar or any other repeater.

A “Miniplex2” utility allows you to configure the input and output channels of the device, choose from several operating modes, and offers advanced options for complex installation.

For a classic configuration the implementation is quite simple, and one Miniplex2 Help in French is integrated into software for detailed explanations of the various options available. follow the leader… Read more …

A test onboard with Navigation Mac

During a somewhat sad weekend in January, we joined the port of L'Herbaudière, Isle of Noirmoutier, via the picturesque Gois passage at low tide.

We, that is to say, a boating journalist, my wife and myself.

Welcomed by two “naturals” of the country, Henri and Jean-Etienne. The latter putting his superb Océanis at our disposal 347 for the first on-board test, In France, navigation applications on Mac, iPad and iPhone. A great first, somehow. Read more …

Receive AIS data wirelessly with iNavX

iais

I explained, in a recent post, how to receive NMEA data from on-board instruments without using a Mac (or a PC) on board. It is now possible to do the same thing for receiving AIS data with an iPad or iPhone.

Digital Yacht has developed a new AIS receiver for use with Apple mobile devices. iAIS, is its name, transmits navigation data received from ships via WiFi to dedicated applications on iPhone or iPad via the TCP/IP protocol. Featured with AIS dual-channel A and B receiver, it also allows compatible applications access to NMEA data from on-board instruments. Read more …