How far off am I here on this topic you chose to avoid?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole
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How far off am I here on this topic you chose to avoid?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole
Try this #1800 633 1468 for questions they are always more than willing to help. These options probably are not considered in high demand right now for pratical fisherman. Although they would be nice to have. They have limited space for things in an already large and exspensive unit. Humminbird asked the military for help designing these units and they said they already had alot invest in their way more exspensive systems, but most search and rescue boats have a side imager onboard now. We are lucky to have the compact 797 version already.
Am I not practical? What I am talking about could have been done with a few lines of code in the program (no added components required). It already has a serial port. They should have used a USB port. Serial is obsolete. The serial allows Humminbird to "reach back" and grab some business from obsolesence. Of course, there is always the "upgrade".Quote:
Originally Posted by crappielimits
If the military helped then why does Humminbird have a priority patent on this technology? Sounds like a government job to me. Johnson controls must be PORKING then. Lots of us GI's on c.com. We oughta get a big, naw, a huge discount.
Toms is skeptical. I don't see any big money corporation as man's best friend. I see them as schemers. I know these things. I've been there.
CANE pole THE GOV. DID NOT HELP THEY THOUGHT THE PROJECT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. NOT SAYING ANYONE IS OR ISN`T PRACTICAL THEY HAVE TO DO THINGS IN AN AFFORDABLE WAY. THESE ARE ALREADY EXSPENSIVE UNITS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cane Pole
I may be shooting blind here .... but why wouldn't something, like this, work to connect things the way you want : http://www.usbgear.com/computer_cabl...6%2C1009%2C601
And, if not, maybe you ought to "rig" something up :p ... I'm sure you've got plenty of "component parts" hanging around, and I know you've got the know-how ;)
Hey .... a 17yo kid hacked the iPhone :eek: .... maybe you can come up with a hack for the DF's :D
.... cp :cool:
Sorry Cane Pole, didn’t know I was avoiding answering any questions.
Yes you can manage GPS data (Waypoints, Trackplots and Routes) on the HumminbirdPC program.
I don’t think that at the time the program was being developed that anyone had any thoughts about being able to display the bitmap images. Our units did not have the ability to save screen snapshots when HummPC was originally being written.
You can play back the sonar recordings on your unit, but not on your PC with or without the HummPC program. Again, when HummPC was originally being written we did not have the recording capability in our units. In the future if there is the capability to play the sonar recordings on your PC, I don’t think that it would have to be a new model unit as all the unit does is saves the data to a file. It would take a new PC program to be able to view it though.
Yes SD card readers do wear out as do the SD memory cards or any other mechanical device. How many times could you take an SD card in and out before it gets to this point? I have no idea but I would bet it is some extremely large number of times as many products use these same card readers that we do.
Adding screen snapshot or sonar recording capabilities to the HumminbirdPC program would take some added code – but I do not have the knowledge to say that it would only be a few lines of code.
I had never heard of any military connection with our products. I do know that someone who works here used to work for the military (besides all of those who have served in the Armed Forces), but that’s it.
At the time HummPC was originally being written, most PCs had serial ports. I also believe that there was some type of royalty or fee that would have had to be paid if we made a USB product at that time.
We have no connection to Johnson Controls. We are a part of Johnson Outdoors Inc. – different set of Johnsons.
No hack for the units but maybe a hack for a program that will allow you to view the sonar recordings is being actively pursued by other side imaging owners on the following web site. I believe they have had some success to. Maybe you guys could give them a hand?
http://www.xumba.scholleco.com/viewtopic.php?t=118
Quote:
Adding screen snapshot or sonar recording capabilities to the HumminbirdPC program would take some added code – but I do not have the knowledge to say that it would only be a few lines of code.
Well, I don't know either, but it sounded good. It can be done and without additional hardware added to the unit. If it can store bmp then it can store mpeg or some file format we (users, buyers,customers, and other ers) could extract and save for later usage. I think you understand where I am coming from on this issue.
You guys need to come up with something besides the two 9v battery arrangement for out of socket unit applications. I cut the (two nine volt battery clips) out and added a 12v ac/dc switching supply. The switcher cost about 20 bucks and works fine. Minibox.com sells these switchers. I figure if it is good enough to power their mini pc, then it oughta work well with the SI. It meets all the power specifications as described ans set forth on the Humminbird web page.
I went to the hack link. It would not let me register. Some type of registration error. I guess it thinks I am a hacker. ha... I will get in sooner or later. Interesting stuff.
Don't get me wrong. I like my Hummer. I just want more for my big buck investment. I ain't a wishin, I am a wantin.
here is the link to what Greg is talking about above.
it will download the current version of the program.
http://glw.home.insightbb.com/Hummin...naryNumber.exe
Quote:
Originally Posted by crappiekiller2
Thanks.
I was wanting to join as a member. I have a few questions to ask and some of these members and I share some common interests such as programming and electronics in general.
Thanks
Tom
Sorry that was the wrong site.
you can download the program from this site.
http://www.codeplex.com/sonarviewer
I'm sorry for the wrong site.
Cane Pole, Craig (the moderator on that web site) must have already heard that you're a trouble maker! Just joking. I think that you will find many others such as yourself that want more out of their unit than we can currently offer. If you are still having problems just e-mail me your e-mail address and I will contact the moderator on your behalf.
Years ago I had one of the Software Engineers get all in my space because I made the "it would only take some more software to do it". Seems it sounds like a simple think to those of us who don;t actually write code... Still I think (insert personal opinion disclaimer) that HumminbirdPC should have this capability too!
Someone would have to check on this but I think that the *.bmp files are faster for the units to write/save. I also believe that just about any PC out there can open a *.bmp file. This would be a good question for the Yahoo site as we have at least a couple of real live Software Engineers that hang out on that web site.
The FCC has something to say about the whole AC power thing. We may have gotten into a little issue about this with them many years ago... The 9V battery cable was originally only meant for those units that did not have an SD card reader/writer. The idea was for fishermen to use an MMC/SD card to perform software updates and manage GPS data with their units on the boat so that we did not have the added expense of passing whatever test criteria the FCC says we have to pass in order to (legally) be allowed to be connected to the power grid. This helps us keep the cost of our units down. I suspect (insert personal opinion disclaimer) that as we get into more of the high-end market though, that at some point we will have to have this capability. Still I would bet that you could buy a power cable and rechargeble battery or 12V AC supply for cheaper than we could kit one for. In fact there is someone on E-bay that is selling a 12V AC adapter that has our power cable connector on it right now. Not sure how he is doing this as that is not a standard connector that we use.
GREG, SINCE JOHNSON OUTDOORS OWNS BOTH HUMMINBIRD AND MINNKOTA. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE AUTOPILOT RAN THROUGH THE GPS UNIT WITH ABILITY TO ALSO CONTROL SPEED. MAYBE EVEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO SET A TROLLING PATTERN VIA WAYPOINTS OR ROUTES. THIS SEEMS LOGICAL TO ME. wHAT DO YOU THINK?
I think that is a very good suggestion - which has already been made. Don't know if they will do it or if there is some legal reason why they could not. Seems like a logical melding of two of a companies products though.
Here is the problem. At slow speeds, the gps sends erratic data . It needs speeds over 1.5mph to accurately plot a direction. At slow speeds, the servo steer motor goes wild, just like the pointer on a gps when not moving or slow moving.
Raymarine had a small autopilot for steering small craft. It was removed from the market because the erratic gps data was causing the servo motor to "overwork" at slow speeds and the boats roamed all over the lake/ocean. The one I built did the same thing. I looked into buying one of their units, but decided against it. The Raymarine unit used a small dc motor just like the ones in MK and MG trolling motors.
By the way, both MG and MK use Johnson DC motors for the steering motor. ha
I talked to the Raymarine engineers several times. They were very helpful when I built my unit.
Raymarine still makes a steering unit that is hydraulic controlled. No dc motor to wear out. Big bucks and for big boats.
You can go to Raymarine and read up on their recent discontinued devices. I believe the helmpilot is what it was called.
I have not given up on this idea.
I think at low speeds the system would have to work off of an electronic compass to maintain a constant heading. I believe that Pinpoint had a system like what you are asking for but I don't know what they used.
Johnson DC motors? We were told the MK people built all of their own motors - but hey what do we know, we aren't in the motor business and they could tell us what they want us to know!
I totally agree about the electronic compass combined somehow with GPS. The only one (digital compass module) that I could afford as a hobbist only had 8 degree accuracy. It could be the same one that MK uses. When my MK autopilot does heading corrections, it looks to move about 8 degree increments during these correctional moves. I don't know. I am an outsider with good guessing abilities (glass ball and Ouigi board).
The down side to the compass is it doesn't take into account the physical influences such as wind, water, tidal action, moon phases, etc. There is an answer, it just ain't in my glass ball yet.
The Gps Would Mainly Be Used To Update Speed And Manage The Track Maybe At Longer Intrevals As The Compass Manages More Infinite Updates. Is This Possible The Hm/gps Unit Would Be A Brain And Make Say 90sec. Updates On A Track. Is It Possible For The Compass To Handle The Slows Speeds And The Gps To Handle The Speeds Of 1.5mph Or Higher As I Do Alot Of Trolling At These Speeds. Especially With Cranks And Also Heavy Jigs.
I don't know if it would be possible or not. I was under the assumption that the electronic compasses had better than a 8 degree accuracy. Got a message into Silva (another Johnson Outdoors Inc. company) to see what they say the accuracy/repeatability of thier electronic compasses are. Could be that all the pieces are already available in different JOI products but just need to be merged with some software.
Thanks, Greg! Maybe this will someday be possible.