Observations and insights from boating world and ashore

Updated 2023-12-05 !! OK, with Bookworm (32/64 bit) !! To optimize the reception with SDR:s, Software Defined Radios, it is important to receive on the proper frequency. Due to variations in production there could be deviations. The calibration could be done against standard GSM transmitters which are providing a stable reference frequency. Another way is found in the AIS-catcher application and use the information supplied in the graphs "Frequency Shift". 

Updated 2023-11-09 ! The AIS posts on this blog have been very popular so this post will be a follow up which will enable You to show AIS targets, including AtoN:s, on  OpenSeaMap , (OSM), together with buoys and beacons. The application showing the map is SignalK , (SK) a OpenSource project for marine use.  With the " ais-forwarder " plugin you could send/dispatch the NMEA AIS data to   Marinetraffic  or  Vesselfinder . Another   AIS-dispatcher . The best AIS application ? is found here !

Updated 2023-11-08 for Bookworm ! The purpose of a watchdog timer(WD) is very well described here but a more practical answer is; If your Raspberry Pi(RPi) "freezes", or hangs, it will automagically reboot within a very short time. This is made with a combination of hardware and software which is all ready available, on the RPi, and just have to be enabled. After some hours Googling and testing these are my findings !

Updated 2023-11-06 ! I have searched for a solution transmitting the NMEA data, from the navigation network, via WiFi, to for example  iSailor  or other Tablet/Phone applications. Most of these applications just accepts NMEA0183(N1) but many boats are also using SeaTalk 1(ST1) and NMEA2000(N2K). This post will cover, kept compact, my best findings covering both a DIY and a commercial approach to handle the different protocols.

Updated 2023-11-05 ! An introduction to the SignalK, Marine application, is given here . A very easy way to measure temperature with Raspberry Pi, RPi, is to connect one wire (1W) DS18B20  (DS)temperature sensors direkt to the RPi GPIO. Here You find a post where the temperatures are transfered via WiFi

Updated 2023-11-04,  OK with Bookworm 32 bit ! Not Bookworm 64 Bit ! This is a setup, on a Raspberry Pi(RPi), with a software package, AIS Dispatcher, from  http://www.aishub.net  which includes receiving and processing of all standard AIS messages streaming raw AIS feeds to multiple destinations advanced monitoring of device status, coverage and message statistics embedded electronic map with all received vessels The best AIS application ?  is found here  !

 Updated 2023-10-30 ! OK with Bookworm ! New simple install !  For a new project I needed a small wireless temperature sensor, there You don't have to change battery so often, and this gave the RuuviTag . Having used Node-Red(NR) on Raspberry Pi before, the first application was this dashboard.  Tested and works with with Node.js V18 !

Updated 2023-10-26 ! HomeBridge (HB) is the software where You make Your home automation devices appear in the Apple Home App as native products. In this post a Raspberry Pi  is used as the HB server. There has really been big improvements in the installation process and I think the HB version is better/easier than HOOBS . Migrate from HOOBS ?! Link

Updated 2023-10-17 ! To make a headless, without monitor, keyboard and mouse, install of Raspberry Pi OS on a Raspberry Pi(RPi) with built in WiFi and no LAN cable connection, please follow the instructions below. For example the RPi Zero and Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ don't have any LAN cable port so the setup is quite usable. To make an active WiFi connection at first boot You have to use the "Advanced options" in Raspberry Pi Imager or create, old way, a configuration file called " wpa_supplicant.conf ".

Updated 2023-10-16 ! This post is the second post explaining the purpose with, and quick/simple install instructions for, OpenPlotter(OP) and some other applications that can be installed with OP.   The first post is found here and in this post we will proceed with the install of OpenCPN(OC). OpenCPN Install In OP:s " Application   Meny => Other =>  Settings" app,   mark "OpenCPN Installer"   and click on "Install", at  the upper right. 

Updated 2023-10-15 ! This post, a dditional posts will follow,  will explain the purpose with, and quick/simple install instructions for, OpenPlotter(OP) and some other applications that can be installed with OP.   OpenCPN (OC), is the plotter software where You navigate and handle charts  SignalK (SK), is the software where all the sensor inputs are handled. Could be NMEA data or SK formated inputs OpenPlotter (OP), is the administration shell where all is administrated As You investigate the different software packages You will see that there are some overlap in the functions. With OC 5.2 + there was  several updates ....

Updated 2023-10-13 ! There is a "new kid in the block" called NetworkManager (NM),  configuration of network interfaces,  which in OS "Bookworm", Debian 12, is replacing  the former used  dhcpcd . NM isn't really new since the first public release was made 2004. In this post I will write down some NM hints for an easy start since I didn't find any myself.

Updated 2023-10-12 ! In a former post I shared some thoughts about how to start using NetworkManager (NM), on a Raspberry, and here I will continue with additional examples that can help with network setup. NMTUI is NetworkManager text UI which can handle the most common tasks in a easy way. An access point or hotspot will be configured. " sudo nmcli connection edit xxxx " is a command that guides you throw a change of parameters.

Updated 2023-10-04 ! TP-link Deco M9(M9) is a nice Mesh solution but it could be that the software/firmware is dated 2019. This is an old one and you really shall update ! Probably you can't update via the TP-link Deco app and therefore you have to make some extra measures updating via a Mac/Windows program. In a former post I gave some hints and links if you are using an ethernet backhaul, using access point mode, and please check below how to set up without a router and manage more than one network. Post with Teltonika 4G router as receiver / bridge for the mesh network.

Updated 2023-10-02 ! The latest models of Rasberry Pi, (RPi), comes with built in Bluetooth, (BT), so how to receive data from Your Bluetooth devices ? A Bluetooth Beacon, could be a   RuuvuTag ,   is a device that You don't have to pair with, You just scan and receive the data that they are transmitting. Start with checking that Your BT interface is working,  in a terminal window ,  typing hciconfig  

I own a 2003 C70 Volvo softtop convertible but at the age of 20 she got some problems with the softtop/cab.  So this post will be some problem solving and links to information which could be handy.  There is a private Facebook group which is active and helpful.

Matter is the the new standard making your smart home devices talking to each other and some Apple Home hubs can be updated. There is a nice article from "The Verge" which explains it all. Using Homebridge (HB) it could be nice to know what happens when you upgrade your HomeKit hub to the new standard so  his post will just give some quick tips Here is  a support article from Apple and please note that if you upgrade you will not be able to use an iPad as a Home hub anymore.

In this post I will give some thoughts, high level, and methods for matching the hourly prices from your energy supplier. I will also list some gadgets and by using NodeRed ,  get the data, visualize it and control the consumption. So in that perspective there are some needed prerequisites.....

Updated 2023-07-12 ! There are some Node-Red nodes, (NRN), that are dependent on the old Noble package which don't work on Node > v8.  One nice and simple NRN is the  node-red-contrib-noble  which have the same problem. I picked up the freshest source, dependent on  @abandonware/noble , forked it and added install instructions. It works with Node <= v18. 

The use case was that we on our yacht have a security alarm which is using 2 G, service terminating during 2024 ?, so it was time to check for some other solution.  Since several years we have used the very nice  Teltonika RUT 240 (TR) onboard which have served us very well. Knowing that this device have both a digital in and out I started to check if it could do the job ??  Googling didn't give any direct clues but the " Input/Output " handling together with " Profiles " changed with a SMS, " Mobile Utilities ", is doing the job. Please note that this setup could be done with any of the routers from Teltonika with I/O !!

This post is made for test purposes and issues with Google indexing The "real" post is found  here  !! The use case was that we on our yacht have a security alarm which is using 2 G, service terminating during 2024 ?, so it was time to check for some other solution...........

In a former post I used a nice Python program to get the installers but as you know there are no Python installed in later Mac OS. The program used in this post is the fantastic Open Core Legacy Patcher . (No Python dependencies.) This patcher is made for supporting old Mac:s with new OS:s , which is not officially supported, but here we just use it for getting the USB installer.

Updated 2023-06-01 ! My old boat/travel WiFi router didn't behave so I was forced to look for a new one with these  must functions;     Built in SIM 4G/LTE capabilities      WAN failover      Powered with 12V DC      Bridge public WiFi:s, or my phone, to LAN I did a lot of Googling and ended up with Teletonika RUT 240 (TR)..... This post will cover a setup summary for the RUT 240 model, but it's useable for other Teltonika models too since they have a common firmware. Check these posts ! Teltonika router as security, burglar, alarm !                                 Bridged Teltonika router as source for router or mesh network

Updated 2023-05-04 ! This post focus on  Shelly 1 (S1), a really a nice automation device with great versatility, but much of the content is also valid for some of  Shellys other devices  using the gen1 API. Setup for the later version,  Shelly Plus 1 , is found here  !! S1 is a WiFi switch, 16 Amps, with dry contacts and t he function "without Internet" + that the S1 can use a 12V DC source makes it perfect for an "use case" in a  boat /mobile home. It's compatible with Alexa , Google  or HomeKit using HomeBridge  or as a "native" HomeKit device using  Mongoose firmware (Flashed via a standard WEB browser !)

Updated 2023-05-03 ! In a  former post I made a writing about Shelly 1 (S1) and this post will handle about the successor Shelly PLUS 1 (SP1)  but much of the content is also valid for some of  Shellys other devices  which uses the same software/API. To keep it simple, SP1 is a WiFi switch, 16 Amps, with dry contacts but compared to the S1 the hardware and the software is updated.  The function "without Internet" + that the SP1 can use a 12V DC source makes it perfect for an "use case" i n a boat/mobile home .

Updated 2023-05-01 ! I really recommend flashing, via WEB-browser, the device with Mongoose software to avoid Homebridge.   HomeBridge is used for this setup and to make it appear in the Apple Home app. The main advantage with the Shelly devices are that they are WiFi enabled and therefore You don't have to use a hub, this compared to z-way/zigbee and some other solutions.  First install Shelly1 (S1).

Updated 2023-06-11 ! The use case is that I had an old iMac, max OS is High Sierra, that crashed and it didn't work with an Internet or Time Machine restore. The other MAC:s I have are running Catalina or Big Sur and if you try to download and older OS , via app-store, you just get an error saying that the running OS don't accept the download of an old OS. The universal way to create an USB installer seems to be using the command " createinstallmedia ", requires OS X 10.7 Lion or later, but you need the respective OS install app ! A new, better ??, without Python dependences is found here .

In former posts, Big Sur (11.7) and Monterey (12.7),   I went through how to update an old MacBook Air 4.2, (mid 2011, SSD, 4 Gb memory) which has a Non-Metal GPU. In this post I will update a MacBook Air 6.2 with SSD, Mid 2013,  to Ventura(13.5) with the same patcher  but the latest version 6.2 !!  This is despite that  max OS  for this Mac is  Big Sur Awesome !! ! Supported models are found here .

Since I'm not a programmer, and probably never will be 😉, I really like Node-Red(NR). NR is also a nice way trying to learn some JavaScript via the function nodes. I also appreciate hardware, MCU s, like ESP32 and Raspberry Pi Pico but find it a little hard to code in MicroPython or C++. Somewhere ?? on the WEB i found some applications that can export NR json code to C++ and run it on several MCUs. As you understand I had to check it out... 

Uppdated 2023-10-28 ! I have been running a Raspberry Pi 2(RPi) for several years with Buster and the applications; Homebridge(HB) Razberry , Z-way interface CUPS , printer software Node-RED (NR) When I started with the RPi it was Jessie, then Stretch and Buster. Every time I upgraded the SD card to the latest OS and it just worked. It should been said that I always waited a year or so and  I'm using the RPi headless without any GUI. Now it was time to go from Buster to Bullseye !

Updated 2023-03-12 ! When we upgraded our WiFi to a Mesh solution, TP-link Deco M9 , our old printer, WiFi connected, didn't want to "play" with us anymore. This was due to stronger encryption which wasn't supported. Since the printer just have WiFi or USB connection, no standard Ethernet, I was looking for another solution. We have no computer running 24/7 except a Raspberry Pi, RPi, which is handling our home automation, Homebridge . So the solution was to use CUPS  on that RPi. On the web there are several posts/manuals how to install CUPS on a RPi so this post will refer to one of these and then some additional hints regarding, Apple AirPrint, Windows Network Printer, scanning....

Uppdated 2023-02-01 ! The use case, creating an offline NTP , was that I'm on our boat sometimes don't have an Internet connection but always have a connected GPS. The GPS updates time on a  Raspberry(RPi)  running Signal K . The actual issue is that there are other devices on the LAN that needs to be updated and then you need an NTP server. Of course this setup is also valid for a RPi/server, with a RTC , acting as a NTP server in an isolated LAN.  

Updated 2023-02-23 ! Installing a Z-Wave controller on Raspberry Pi is much easier than You think. The only add on You need is the Razberry Z-wave Shield and free software from the same site.

Updated 2023-01-20 ! Our boat was delivered, 2006, with just Raymarine equipment using network Seatalk 1(ST1), and some NMEA0183(N1). Updates and additional equipment will use the newer NMEA2000(N2K).  We will keep the two well functioning Raymarine 12”, E120, and the radar.  In addition, for Navigation purposes, we use the iPad app iSailor . The easy way to combine ST1 with N2K is to use the Raymarine Seatalk 1 to Seatalk NG(STNG) converter, Raymarine E22158 . STNG and N2K is the same protocol, with some dialectal differences, but have different cabling. Don't miss  this post  where I'm presenting additional solutions, including a NMEA WiFi gateway, and add ons.

  Updated 2023-01-02 ! OpenPlotter(OP), a Boat Navigation application, is really a nice and simple installation of OpenPlotter (OP) OpenCPN (OC) SignalK (SK)  and other supporting applications for Your boat. Please note that OP V2 is outdated use .......