New MacArthur HAT - Testers Wanted

[Festina.Lente]

Hi,
I love OpenPlotter and the thoughts behind it.
Read some fora and guidelines, install it, solder some electronics and it works. Simple and straight and all of this without the over top marine equipment pricing.

Typically for people like me who love to play and learn with electronics and DIY but don't have the skills like you guys who develop software and electronics things from scratch.
I'm one of the guys following your fora and YouTube channels and copy what you figured out and shared and learn from that.
Thanks for this.

The announcement of the HAT in combination with necessary upgrades in my navigation and communication equipment due to some changes on VDES rules per 2023 here in The Netherlands made me change my plans radical and adding the HAT would simplify that plan a lot, make it even more cost effective and future proof.

So for me the practical question is: Is there some expected time line when this HAT will be launched and available for sale for us?
I know it's IT, I'm professionally working in the IT industry as a project manager manager myself dealing with delays all the time, I know set backs will happen, I know we need to deal with global shortage in chips.  I know, I know,  I know  and so I ask this being very humble.

Having some indication will help me to decide to what extend I will best need to make changes on my SV this season:

• 1) just remove no longer allowed equipment from the boat (in particular VHF and than also Radar as that is related to each other) to avoid conflicts with the rules, terms, law and order and start sailing on pure instinct again. In the meantime wait for the HAT and only than start to work out the full working setup at once not wasting time and resources on partial and temporary solutions. Something that will limit my sailing options and force me to stay basically close to home as i will need to rely on the reach of my mobile phone.
  
• 2) do just what is possible without the HAT including preparations for the HAT to arrive. Accept during this waiting to sail with some removed furniture, removed ceilings and thus exposed cabling and installations for a short time. Consequence will be to avoid heavier weather as the boat and crew would not be save under such conditions; stay close to the home-harbor under light weather conditions. Wait for the HAT to arrive relative soon and complete than the remaining installations upgrades at once in the middle of the season.
  
• 3) open up the entire installation, make the possible changes, complete them and close it all again as soon as possible. Leave the so desired HAT addition/upgrades probably for next winter season. Obvious : for reasons of efficiency, time and overall costs and like to avoid this.
  

Thanks,
Jan-Willem

[Sailoog]

Thanks for your words.

As you say, there are too many variables (little feedback from testers, pending changes, shortage of components...). We are late for this summer so I guess autumn could be a reference (North Hemisphere).

[Festina.Lente]

Clear, thanks for the answer.
When you are ready for an European tester on a more 'user' level but at the same time with a large interest for technolgy and lot's of motivation you know where to find me.
For now I will replace my VHF with an GPS/AIS equipped model :-) and DIY an optocoupler together to interface to interface with the ST instruments.


Jan-Willem

[Sailoog]

OK, thanks. We are trying to redefine the wiring for optocouplers in seatalk1 thta will also work for DIY solutions, please let us know when you are ready to do some tests, more background: https://forum.openmarine.net/showthread.php?tid=4617

[skythediver]

Would love to throw my HAT in the ring for the next round of testing, if there is one. San Francisco Bay Area sailor and software developer. Can test Seatalk and NMEA 0183/2000 with a variety of antiquated and modern devices. Also keen on testing tiller pilots, ST2000+ and similar, with the MacArthur HAT.