  How
PC Navigation Works
NO LONGER CURRENT
Navigation with a personal computer is really very simple in concept. An inexpensive Global Positioning System (GPS) receives signals from several different orbiting satellites, and uses that information to precisely determine your boat's position, commonly known as getting a "fix". This normally provides accuracy within just a few feet.
The information from the GPS is transmitted to a regular laptop (notebook) computer (NMEA out of the GPS into a variety a PC ports), the same computer that you would use at work, home or traveling. On its hard drive or in its CD-ROM drive are the raster or vector charts covering your cruising area.
All of this is coordinated by the navigation software, which displays your boat moving across the chart on the screen, it's location being constantly updated by the GPS. The software can also provide you with a great deal of information: range and bearing of other objects, course, speed, ETA and more. It will let you plot waypoints, routes, show tides and currents for your location and time, and much more.
Besides navigation software, there are all sorts of marine-related software titles that allow your PC to interface with cellular phones and SSB radios to receive weather information, faxes, and e-mail, keep track of maintenance -- even learn to sail! A small printer will allow you to print from all of these programs, as well as produce chart segments from your navigation software.
The best news is that all of this -- the computer, the software, the electronic charts, and the GPS -- is mature technology. It's all been around for a number of years, works exceedingly well, and will be supported for a long time to come. With prices lower than ever, there's never been a better time to start using PC navigation.
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