Garmin to iNavx

P

PicoGoss

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
47
Fluid Motion Model
C-28
Hull Identification Number
FMLT25171910
Vessel Name
Nano
I bought the Garmin wifi adaptor and the Bluechart Mobile app. I'm very disappointed with the meager data being sent to my iPad. I have used iNavx for years and am looking to purchase an Imux that will send NMEA 0183 and/or 2000 data over wifi. There are several options: ShipModul, Brookhouse, Digital Yatch, DMK, and maybe others. Does anyone have personal experience with them?
 
Also take a look at vYacht. Comes from Sweden and took awhile to get here but simple to install. I think it was around $150. Can't give you more of a review as all our lakes are frozen.
 
I'm running Garmin's BCM app on an iPad2, without internal GPS. I use a Garmin GLO which provides GPS to the iPad via Bluetooth. This is fine for location and saving tracks, but that's all you're going to get out of BCM, regardless of the external device. You cannot display a route and a track on the screen at the same time, you can't display a saved track and the active track at the same time, nor is there any provision (that I'm aware of or have found during use) for displaying AIS or any other data during active tracking. Garmin markets BCM primarily as a "planning" tool; allowing those with compatible Garmin chart plotters to share data over a common, onboard, wifi network. I would like to see Garmin expand the features of BCM to be competitive with iNavx, but until they do, based on my understanding and use of the app, you're not going to get any more data to display on BCM with the addition of any of the "muxers" because the BCM app doesn't support those functions. I eventually intend to upgrade to the new SH Matrix GX-2200 fixed mount VHF radio which has built-in GPS & AIS (receive only). At that point, if Garmin hasn't updated the performance of BCM to support AIS, I'll look into the iNavx app and integration of a mux unit to get the GPS & AIS data from the VHF to the iPad. Ultimately, I'd prefer to have a dedicated Garmin chart plotter with wifi capabilities to support use of the iPad, because as much as I love my iPad, it is not ideal as a chart plotter, but that's based on my personal use, your milage may vary!
 
As I'm landlocked, most of my use will be river cruising. My goal was to provide NOAA Inland Waterways vector charts, AIS, GPS, and Active Captain to one or more larger color displays.

I'm using a Lowrance Mark-4 grayscale chart plotter ($169) for GPS data which feeds a Standard Horizon GX2150 ($239). AIS and GPS then feed the vYacht NMEA WiFi Router ($148) which multiplexes 2 data streams routing to an Ethernet port and wifi. The Ethernet port feeds a FitPC2 running Windows 7 Pro on a 15" monitor/TV, while the wifi serves the data to multiple wireless devices simultaneously. In my case that would be a Windows 8 tablet, quad core iPad Mini, and iPhone 5s... plenty of screen real estate without the need to purchase a MFD, at least for my simple needs.

Both iNavX and SEAiq support AIS and Active Captain. SEAiq provides the NOAA Inland Waterways vector charts with automatic updates. I can't seem to make that happen with iNavX, at least not for free.

I'm taking Chilidog to Lake Powell the second week of March for a shakedown cruise before an extended river trip in April/May. I won't be able to report back as to how well all of this works in the real world until after then.
 
Vesper has an interesting product, the XB-8000 AIS Transponder, that also has WiFi, NEMA 2000/0183, USB, and gateway features. It can act as an access point for several clients or as a client to an existing WiFi router. It is compatible with iNavX, SEAiq, and many more apps. A local boater is installing one this spring and will let me know how it works. Vesper seems to be highly regarded for their other products.

http://www.vespermarine.com/transponder ... nder.html/

Howard
 
HRowland":2fzza1ln said:
Vesper has an interesting product, the XB-8000 AIS Transponder, that also has WiFi, NEMA 2000/0183, USB, and gateway features. It can act as an access point for several clients or as a client to an existing WiFi router. It is compatible with iNavX, SEAiq, and many more apps. A local boater is installing one this spring and will let me know how it works. Vesper seems to be highly regarded for their other products.

http://www.vespermarine.com/transponder ... nder.html/

Howard
Click to expand...


That looks like quite a nice product compared to the Garmin AIS600. If it does all it claims it will be a super product. I wonder how well it will interface with the Garmin Chartplotters. When you put one on Little Debbie, give us a full report.
 
Update. I had to replace my failed Garmin VHF and chose a Standard Horizon Matric 2150 with AIS, but not GPS. It was easily connected using schematic from SH. Now I've fed both into a DMK IMux using NMEA 0183 and get AIS on my iPad using iNavx. Next will be connecting a Garmin NMEA 2000 drop to the IMux hoping to get engine data to iNavx. BTW: I chose the DMK since it will also support Raymarine Seatalk for use on my other boat.
 
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