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Subject: TWL: Deluo GPS, Capn Voyager compatibility, WAAS
From: Pisciotta, Peter P, RTLSL (pisciotta@XXX.XXX)
Date: Thu Jan 02 2003 - 10:33:21 EST
I recently installed a Deluo USB GPS ($99 - shipping included - deluo.com).
Here are some personal observations and issues:
1. Capn Voyager. Needed to make some changes to the gps.ini file to specify
the comm port the Deluo was installed on. This is a 6 line file, very easy to
change but still, I thought USB took us past having to do stuff like this.
2. My system keeps crashing due to device driver conflicts. Deluo has a patch
listed on their website, I will install and see how it goes sometime in the
next few weeks. I also run Street Atlas 9.0 on the same PC - I have had issues
getting the Deluo to integrate to this very popular land-based program.
3. Switching between permanent-mounted (Garmin) GPS and Deluo. I have a
hard-wired GPS (interfaced with the autopilot) on my boat with a serial
interface. I have not re-tried using this original configuration, though I
suspect I will need to manually change the gps.ini file to do so which may
cause more device driver conflicts. Also, a USB/Serial adapter (Belkin - $50)
is used and I originally had issues getting this device to work. I suspect I
will revisit these issues now that I have made subsequent changes.
4. WAAS. With selective availability turned off, the accuracy is pretty damned
good. In fact, I seem to remember Mike Maurice posting a message 6 months ago
that he toggled WAAS on/off and found no change in accuracy on the unit he was
using. I would not let WAAS be my determining factor for purchase.
Overall, my experience in general has been far from "plug n play." I'd imagine
my problems stem from having two different GPS's (and associated drivers)
compounded by using a USB/Serial adapter. My computer prowess is slightly
above average and it has been frustrating. Capn Voyager SW steadfastly
maintains the NEMA standard specifies a serial port at the physical interface
(Layer 1) level. Personally, I think this is a cop-out: SW compliance to
standards is a fantasy - SW developers eschew standards, it's in their nature.
But still, it's the only way to get AP/GPS/PC interfacing at this point
without going to a proprietary system like Raymarine. Ultimately, they will
need to be more flexible or it will just drive the market to the proprietary
systems.
Bottom line is this stuff is temperamental and not for the faint of heart.
Maybe my experience is atypical but I don't think so. While I will keep
plugging away with the Deluo (it is sooooo cool and convenient - I drive a lot
of different boats in any given year), I do so begrudgingly and wary of
creating instability issues knowing that a nav SW crash at an inopportune time
could be ever so problematic. I will say the folks at Deluo seem to be
increasingly interested in the marine GPS market - I would look to folks like
them to solve the interoperability issues, not the Nav SW folks.
Peter
www.seaskills.com
San Francisco
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