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Collecting Depth Data
#1
I was wondering if OpenPlotter has, or if not could have, the possibility to collect depth data from the boat's depth sounder like the Navionics SonarChart live feature to create free charts for all OpenPlotter users.

I checked the Open Seamap project, where they are collecting user data with data loggers, but it seems not to be very active lately. Also, the data loggers are not available anymore.

And since OpenPlotter has the possibility to connect GPS and depth data on the map that would be a great solution.

Also, I am building an RC boat with an Arduino depth sounder/data logger to map shallow areas of water where I don't want to go with my boat. If possible I would also like to include that data into the chart somehow.
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#2
(2022-01-26, 09:58 AM)Martin Wrote: I was wondering if OpenPlotter has, or if not could have, the possibility to collect depth data from the boat's depth sounder like the Navionics SonarChart live feature to create free charts for all OpenPlotter users.

I checked the Open Seamap project, where they are collecting user data with data loggers, but it seems not to be very active lately. Also, the data loggers are not available anymore.

And since OpenPlotter has the possibility to connect GPS and depth data on the map that would be a great solution.

Also, I am building an RC boat with an Arduino depth sounder/data logger to map shallow areas of water where I don't want to go with my boat. If possible I would also like to include that data into the chart somehow.

Interesting idea, don't think there's anything available at the moment to do that but openplotter can write all data  to an influxdb database so it should be possible to write some python to take the lat/long/depth data and create a gpx file with waypoint indicating depth. Could be very useful checking out new anchorages from the dinghy though nmea portable transducers seem a bit pricey & not many available.
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#3
(2022-01-26, 04:27 PM)PaddyB Wrote:
(2022-01-26, 09:58 AM)Martin Wrote: I was wondering if OpenPlotter has, or if not could have, the possibility to collect depth data from the boat's depth sounder like the Navionics SonarChart live feature to create free charts for all OpenPlotter users.

I checked the Open Seamap project, where they are collecting user data with data loggers, but it seems not to be very active lately. Also, the data loggers are not available anymore.

And since OpenPlotter has the possibility to connect GPS and depth data on the map that would be a great solution.

Also, I am building an RC boat with an Arduino depth sounder/data logger to map shallow areas of water where I don't want to go with my boat. If possible I would also like to include that data into the chart somehow.

Interesting idea, don't think there's anything available at the moment to do that but openplotter can write all data  to an influxdb database so it should be possible to write some python to take the lat/long/depth data and create a gpx file with waypoint indicating depth. Could be very useful checking out new anchorages from the dinghy though nmea portable transducers seem a bit pricey & not many available.

I think this is being discussed over on Slack as a SignalK plugin. I believe there is some sort of user-sourced collection over on OpenSeaMap, and that might be the direction of the SignalK plugin. I use Grafana to track depth data at the dock, as I find the TideWatch plugin is awful at predicting tides and the Grafana graph is easy to see which way the tide is flowing based on my location (when I'm not moving, that is).
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#4
There is a survey plugin for opencpn, but I don't know that it is fully developed.
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#5
Little python play & basic concept seems OK, these are waypoints were created from the sigsim app data which was written to influxdb then python takes the lat, lon & depth as waypoint name saved as gpx file & imported as waypoints. Probably some georef code out there to make kap files with contour lines. 

So i there a cheap arduino/esp/Pi powered portable depth sounder available anywhere? Could be really useful cruising.

[Image: yuJEuce.png]
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#6
(2022-01-27, 12:05 PM)PaddyB Wrote: Little python play & basic concept seems OK, these are waypoints were created from the sigsim app data which was written to influxdb then python takes the lat, lon & depth as waypoint name saved as gpx file & imported as waypoints. Probably some georef code out there to make kap files with contour lines. 

So i there a cheap arduino/esp/Pi powered portable depth sounder available anywhere? Could be really useful cruising.

[Image: yuJEuce.png]

I couldn't find any such depth sounder. So I try building my own. I tried using a cheap fishfinder transducer to work with Arduino. During this experiment, I tried also "normal" waterproof ultrasonic sound sensors for Arduino and they seem to work as well. Now I am testing different sensors and currently work on an RC boat with an Arduino / GPS / ultrasound sensor on board to collect data. You can check a video about testing the sensors on my Youtube: https://youtu.be/njDQKdZzGMI My idea is to have the RC Boat I can send out scouting unknown anchorages. Maybe I change the Arduino for an ESP32 so I can monitor the depth in real-time.
But when I am already collecting this data I would like to share it and make it available in the chart for everyone.
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#7
(2022-01-27, 04:57 PM)Martin Wrote: I couldn't find any such depth sounder. So I try building my own. I tried using a cheap fishfinder transducer to work with Arduino. During this experiment, I tried also "normal" waterproof ultrasonic sound sensors for Arduino and they seem to work as well. Now I am testing different sensors and currently work on an RC boat with an Arduino / GPS / ultrasound sensor on board to collect data. You can check a video about testing the sensors on my Youtube: https://youtu.be/njDQKdZzGMI My idea is to have the RC Boat I can send out scouting unknown anchorages. Maybe I change the Arduino for an ESP32 so I can monitor the depth in real-time.
But when I am already collecting this data I would like to share it and make it available in the chart for everyone.

Thanks for the link, is your arduino code on github? 
I've just been given a tronic df48 hand held fish finder to play with, if I can get depth data then everything else should be quite easy, I'll hopefully have a waterproof box with a Pi Zero 2 & arduino/esp somehow getting the data then creating waypoints with depth is a click away ?
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#8
(2022-01-28, 12:03 PM)PaddyB Wrote: Thanks for the link, is your arduino code on github? 
I've just been given a tronic df48 hand held fish finder to play with, if I can get depth data then everything else should be quite easy, I'll hopefully have a waterproof box with a Pi Zero 2 & arduino/esp somehow getting the data then creating waypoints with depth is a click away ?

Sorry, I don't have a Github. But the code is very simple, just like using the sensor in air: Send a pulse by pulling the signal pin HIGH, measure the time until the echo pin goes HIGH, and then divide the time in microseconds by 13.477 (for water) to get the distance in cm.
Your fishfinder looks very much like mine, but it seems you will have to cut the cable if you want to use the transducer with Arduino. But you can just get a normal waterproof sensor for the Arduino which seems to work just like the fishfinders transducer so far (at least to me after the tests I did).
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#9
(2022-01-28, 01:30 PM)Martin Wrote: Sorry, I don't have a Github. But the code is very simple, just like using the sensor in air: Send a pulse by pulling the signal pin HIGH, measure the time until the echo pin goes HIGH, and then divide the time in microseconds by 13.477 (for water) to get the distance in cm.
Your fishfinder looks very much like mine, but it seems you will have to cut the cable if you want to use the transducer with Arduino. But you can just get a normal waterproof sensor for the Arduino which seems to work just like the fishfinders transducer so far (at least to me after the tests I did).

Thanks. Just ordered a couple of JSN-SR04T which will hopefully be good enough to be useful.
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#10
(2022-01-28, 04:06 PM)PaddyB Wrote: Thanks. Just ordered a couple of JSN-SR04T which will hopefully be good enough to be useful.

Sensors arrived & first test, seems to put out some odd numbers sometimes but generally might be stable enough to be useful....

[Image: NUITncx.jpg]

Quote:Air distance: 399.77mm
Water distance: 1748.25mm
71
Air distance: 760.43mm
Water distance: 3325.50mm
72
Air distance: 728.36mm
Water distance: 3185.25mm
73
Air distance: 747.23mm
Water distance: 3267.75mm
74
Air distance: 742.59mm
Water distance: 3247.50mm

python should easily get rid of any odd measurements so fingers crossed, this might just work.....  Cool
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