[mrgnstrn]

Does anybody have a simple grapher for NMEA data.

Like plotting wind direction trends.

My ultimate plan is to have a monitor mounted so that I can see the trend from the helm while racing.

Thanks,

M

[cyberhusky]

Hi

The only program I know that does this accurately is MaxSea. It calculates the best route using data from tidal streams and wind directions data (GRIB files) which has to be downloaded from MaxSea's servers.
But MaxSea isn't cheap, especially if you do use these features which are sold as separate modules.
Furuno has bought MaxSea and the latest chart plotters do have MaxSea 3D implemented.

But if you want it cheaper, why not use MacENC or GPSNavX on your Mac laptop and connect it via an external monitor (8" or 10" check ebay). Although these Mac navigational apps can't calculate the trends they can show you wind data using free or commercial downloadable weather GRIB files. (Works great with WiFi but with mobile phones too!)
The only problem I see is that the free GRIB data isn't accurate enough for racings as it only shows data over several hours and not minutes.
MacENC can also calculate the best route between 2 waypoints using the actual NMEA data from the ships instruments and performance polars.

As for the external screens from ebay, they are touchscreens but aren't waterproof.
I have one placed under the sprayhood, and if weather isn't too bad, it works great.

Regards,

Manou

[Jade]

Take a look at RusalkaSoft's performance package:
http://www.laurence.com/rusalka/

It may have what you want.

[ReeferJon]

I bought this software ages ago, and it doesn't work under Leopard. I'm not even sure that its still being updated by the author.. I've emailed them on several occasions and not received a response.

I'd wait for email confirmation that the software is compatible with your Mac, before parting with any cash.

[jagasail]

I've tried several times over the past few days to click on the 'buy now' button just to see how much it cost, but the link is broken. Not a good sign.

[Jade]

Sorry for posting the reference to Rusalkasoft without checking it out first. (FWIW, I used their polarentry.osx in the past and it does run under OSX 10.5.)

[jagasail]

Too bad as it looked interesting. Now we're back to 'M's' original question. Is there any other NMEA graphing program out there? Back to a post I did some time ago, I'd like to find one to track wind speed and direction over time to see trends. Would be very useful while holed up waiting for a storm to pass, and all sorts of other things.

Scot

[Jade]

While we are looking for a viable alternative, there is a work-around as long as you don't need instantaneous results. You can use either GPSNavX or MacENC with either Excel or Numbers. Your wind instrument must output NEMA 0183 messages to your Mac.

Although I haven't been able to test this (my wind instrument is really old), you should be able to capture the track information with the Instrument option in GPSNavX or MacENC. The track records include wind angle and wind speed data. Then export the track records using a CSV file into either Excel or Numbers for graphing.

[mrgnstrn]

Really, it's not very useful for me if it isn't real-time.
And it's not GRIB files I wish to plot, but the data from my own instruments.

Is it feasible to use applescripts?
I am not proficient on these, but note that MacEnc is fully compatible with scripts?
I wonder if excel, or if apple-works is?
Can anyone think of a way to use scripts to keep a plot continually updated based on NMEA0183 data streaming into the mac?

Yes, the ruskasoft thing seems to be DOA.

-M

[jagasail]

Really, it's not very useful for me if it isn't real-time.
And it's not GRIB files I wish to plot, but the data from my own instruments.

That's what I'm after too, so if someone comes up with a solution I'd be very interested.

Scot

[GPSNavX]

The live processed NMEA data is available through scripting..

http://www.gpsnavx.com/MacENC/help/applescript.htm


I am no expert on scripting, but Apple has online guides..

http://developer.apple.com/documentation...-date.html

[mrgnstrn]

Is scripting crippled in the trial/demo version of MacENC?

-M

[GPSNavX]

No

[mrgnstrn]

hm....having problems with scripting.

I am just trying to get data out of MacENC as a first step, and if that is successful, put it on a clipboard.

The following script doesn't work:

tell application "MacENC"
connect gps
get cog of gps
end tell

it give an error:
"Can't get cog of gps."

:/

Any idea how one even starts to crack into the data?
GPS is my Garmin GPS45, connected to a Micro Innovations serial to USB, with a demo version of MacENC running.
GPS is showing up on MacENC, so I know that part of the connection works.

-M

[GPSNavX]

Sample Script

For MacENC use tell application "MacENC"

[mrgnstrn]

Ah HA!

THANKS!

-M

[Jade]

Hi,

I sent you a private message (see My Fusion) above. It contains a sample script to get GPS data from GPSNavX in simulate mode .

Hope it is of some help.

[mrgnstrn]

Folks, Here is what I have come up with.

1. a script
2. and excel worksheet.

The two work in tandem to plot wind direction.

The scrip is pretty straight forward (with the exception of a little trickery to get the data in a format that excel can deal with)

The worksheet does have a little excel trickery to allow the data to be updated, and have the charts "follow" the most recent data.

feel free to edit and use for whatever you want to.


-M

[jagasail]

This is a sweet new NMEA display for Windows by one of the SSCA members:

http://www.sailvalis.com/misc/NavMon/index.html

Would be great to have a Mac Version. Much of this is also displayed by MacENC but it does have a strip chart option for wind speed/direction, which I've always been after. More discussion of it can be found on the SSCA board:

http://ssca.org/DiscBoard/viewtopic.php?t=7835

Scot

[darren.achim]

Hi

thanks for the plotter, I have modified your excel sheet and script to add some instruments as well as create tacking angles on port and starboard as well as header and lift info. Basically your 1 min graph is on top followed by a readout of instruments, the last column is MWA - Median Wind Angle and can be increased or decreased by the two macro buttons just below it, the number to the left of PORT and STARBOARD is your upwind tacking angle and the number to the right is your downwind jibing angle for spinnaker, the number to the top is just dead run for downwind main and jib. The sailing angles are based on Windspeed, so there are three conditions LIGHT AIR <10kts MED AIR 10-14 Kts HEAVY AIR >14kts, you can change the boat data values (off to the right of the spreadsheet) to suite your boat. Once you set your MEDIAN WIND ANGLE it will display if you are on a HEADER, AVERAGE, LIFT and will display the amount of the header or lift in degrees. Thanks for figuring out how to do the chart strip using applescript and excel. I'm looking forward to trying this out on the race course once my boat goes back in the water. I've enclosed my changes in the interest of sharing!!

cheers

Darren

[iquik]

Thanks for the script. I am getting the following error:

In dutch:
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AppleScript-fout
Microsoft Excel kreeg een fout: «class pval» of cell "D70" kan niet worden ingesteld op "059".
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Translated to English:
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AppleScript-error
Microsoft Excel got an error: «class pval» of cell "D70" can not be set to "059".

Looks like the script gets information from MacENC but is not able to write it in the excel file. What am I doing wrong?

Regards,
Igor
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