Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

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ozenine

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
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325
Guys,
Has anyone seen/used a laptop as the fishfinder/gps? To me this is pretty cheap and simple -
needed -
- usb gps unit (seen those around 100 bucks)
- usb transducer (i do not know if it exists)
- software for the maps and to put everything together and maps (does it exist?)

Benefits:
- Price
- Large screen
 

tlynch99

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
179
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

I haven't seen anyone doing it, but it does interest me as lot of the newer tablets etc are touch screen. That would be pretty cool, and would be interested in such software that would convert a laptop to a decent chart plotter.
 

DBreskin

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
799
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

I've seen a laptop used a GPS on large boats where there's room in the cockpit and low risk of the laptop being directly exposed to water. My concern would be the longevity and reliability of the laptop in a high-humidity environment. Make sure you have a backup navigation plan in case the laptop fails.

(you should always have a backup navigation plan whenever you go out in a boat, regardless of you main navigation system.)
 

Woodnaut

Chief Petty Officer
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Jul 4, 2007
Messages
634
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

AS DB noted, the best application would be in a cabin. Based on my experience on small boats (and my laptop experience in the oilfield), I am not so sure the laptop would be a good fit unless it was in a relatively protected environment. There is a lot to be said for the durability and reliability of a purpose built system - particularly when the weather turns really ugly.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,417
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

How are you getting the 600-2,000 watts RMS needed to power a transducer?

Where are you getting your Fish finder detection algorithm?
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
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9,715
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

In a small boat, the laptop is exposed (high risk high dollar) and in the way; you have power problems (short battery life) and a screen that is hard to read in the sunlight.
In a large boat, you will invest in the right equipment to protect your investment.

Think of a GPS fish finder as a laptop made for your boat, and go that way. It's the better mousetrap, already invented.

Some people take laptops out in small boats, but they keep them weather proof, only use them in good conditions, generally not running around, and for short times. On large boats, a laptop or PC is typical, but not for GPS/fish.
 

superbenk

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Oct 27, 2008
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Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

Navionics has an app for the iPad (and iPhone) that will do chart plotting with GPS very nicely. No fishfinder built-in though.
 

ozenine

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
325
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

How are you getting the 600-2,000 watts RMS needed to power a transducer?

Where are you getting your Fish finder detection algorithm?

Looks like you know what you are talking about, I am not, but will try:

1) USB for transducer can be for data transfer only and it may have separate 12v input
2) I would think that somebody may have created/embedded these algorithms in the software.

For everyone who mentioned durability, I agree. However there are weatherproof models (they cost a lot thought - 4-5k ). I have access to almost free older laptops that still work, so can change them every month if needed.

Lets leave the fishfinder alone and concentrate the gps capabilities. Does anyone know the good software for chartplotting for PC?

Here is interesting link:
http://fishwrecked.com/forum/tutorial-added-pics-make-your-laptop-powerfull-marine-chart-plotter
 

Adjuster

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 27, 2008
Messages
233
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

Lots of free software on the net to turn a laptop into a chart plotter. I believe the most popular software is called SeaClear??? All you need is a usb gps antenna. I got mine off the net for $7.00. I don't think there is any way possible to turn a laptop into a fishfinder. If you have constant internet connection you can use a laptop for weather radar which is very nice.

http://www.sping.com/seaclear/
 

CR CRUISER

Seaman
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
64
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

One other downside to using a laptop in a small boat is the hard drive really doesn't like the pounding and vibrations typically found in a high speed planing hull.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

How are you getting the 600-2,000 watts RMS needed to power a transducer?

Where are you getting your Fish finder detection algorithm?

external power supply to the transducer, with a usb data interface. as far as the detection algorithm, you obviously would need OTS software to provide the interface to the transducer as well as display the results. The actual algorithm is pretty easy if you are the type that likes writing your own software. (i've done VERY similar research/software using high frequency echolocation in free-air. basically bat software!)
 

Shife

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
404
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

I have a Panasonic CF28 Toughbook I use as a plotter on occasion. There are sounder options out there to pipe into a PC based system, but they are big money. Like $2k money. At that price point you've got your pick of some pretty nice stand alone sonars that don't carry all the negatives of a PC.
 

scipper77

Commander
Joined
Sep 30, 2008
Messages
2,106
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

If I was at work and had to design that system I would need the following (This is off the cuff so may not be as adequate as I think)

An analog to digital converter for the signal.

Software such as labview to turn the laptop into basically a scope.

An external power supply for the transducer.

At this point I would need to rewire the tranducer cable into the computer via the a/d converter.

Next I would need to understand how exactly a fishfinder works. What I mean is how does it interpret a signal? At this point I am thinking that the transducer sends out a series of pulses at a high frequency (add a signal generator to the list). So 1 pulse can give more than 1 return if it bounces off of more than one object--> (how does the fish finder show a fish and the bottom at the same time??)

As you can see this could be more complicated than it initially seems.

I'm sure that what I have posted so far is likely not the best way to do this but if it is the sort of thing required to make your own fish finder it would be WAYYY cheaper to just buy one.:)
 
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erikpn

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 23, 2009
Messages
325
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

If I was at work and had to design that system I would need the following (This is off the cuff so may not be as adequate as I think)

An analog to digital converter for the signal.

Software such as labview to turn the laptop into basically a scope.

An external power supply for the transducer.

At this point I would need to rewire the tranducer cable into the computer via the a/d converter.

Next I would need to understand how exactly a fishfinder works. What I mean is how does it interpret a signal? At this point I am thinking that the transducer sends out a series of pulses at a high frequency (add a signal generator to the list). So 1 pulse can give more than 1 return if it bounces off of more than one object--> (how does the fish finder show a fish and the bottom at the same time??)

As you can see this could be more complicated than it initially seems.

I'm sure that what I have posted so far is likely not the best way to do this but if it is the sort of thing required to make your own fish finder it would be WAYYY cheaper to just buy one.

Find a way to power a transducer and connect it to your laptop, and people would find a way to emulate a fishfinder. Your laptop can be a playstation 3, a gameboy, a dvd player, you don't have the write the whole code.

Some programmer buff would crack the software, and get the laptop to emulate it.

You go to any torrent website and find software to make your laptop run highly protected games, dvds, that multibillion dollar industries have spent hundreds of millions on to try to make uncopyable, and unreadable by anything other than the correct platform. If the demand is there, people find a way. Lowrance wouldn't stand a chance.
 

shrew

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Messages
1,309
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

this sounds like one of those "great ideas.......................on paper". I'm not convinced it would be very pratically applied. the laptop hard drive is going to be susceptible to shock while on plane. It could very well cause the OS to crash at the least, and damage the hard drive at worst. The laptop would need to be secured when under way. The screen doesn't do well in sunlight. The laptop battery has a relatively short life, and it will be a larger drain on battery if you run it off of an inverter than normal marine electronics. You have the challenge of finding a way to interface the GPS software with the laptop (not that hard anymore) as well as the fish finder. Find a way to power the fish finder itself. Avoid tripping over cables for the laptop if you are running from an inverter and, in general, keep from knocking it over. If you secure it you need to be able to reasonably see where you're going as still keep the laptop out of the way.

Sometimes an inexpensive idea becomes an expensive idea. More often, an inexpensive idea tends to be worth about what it cost. I'm sure it can be done. I'm not discouraging you, just trying to point out some potential downsides.
 

superbenk

Commander
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Oct 27, 2008
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2,022
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

If I were to pursue something like this, I'd look very seriously at something like the Panasonic ToughBook and make sure I got SSD instead of a regular hard drive with spinning platters. Other than that, most of what you want could probably be done with some off-the-shelf software for GPS & smart wiring/mounting.

I do agree that screens in the sunlight tend to be hard to read, though some laptops are better at this than others. I'd definitely want a power-source, but you can get 12v auto/plane power supplies for laptops, so that's not really a big deal. You could use an inverter also.

I still like the idea of the iPad with Navionics on it, though. No clumsy keyboard. If you're really inventive, you could hack away at an Android powered tablet running Linux & make your own transducer drivers, etc. & it'd be cheap (money-wise, not time-wise).
 

Sixmark

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Jul 11, 2010
Messages
890
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

Using the Panasonic Toughbook series laptops would be the way to go as they have a hard drive shock absorber built into the hard drive caddy, as stated earlier, it would be best still to switch to a solid state hard drive.

As far as Navionics goes, I use it on my Android phone and it works great, combine that with my simple Humminbird 550, and it's more than enough for use in my 16ft bowrider here on Minnesota's lakes.
 

Fl_Richard

Lieutenant
Joined
Jan 21, 2005
Messages
1,428
Re: Laptop as Fishfinder/GPS???

External power won't cut it the signal sent from the ff is 600 to 1kw. Simply adding a power source with more current than USB won't cut it.

Now maybe using one of the black box sonar modules with nema 2000 and a network translation interface would work. Possibly a router with custom firmware ....
 
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