Frequently Asked Questions
General
Q: What are the minimum PC hardware
requirements for SailView 2009?
A: For LIVE and ANALYZE the minimum requirements are 250 MB hard drive
space, at least 1024x768 screen resolution a 800 MHz processor, 1GB of
RAM and a serial or USB port. For REPLAY you need a faster
processor, 1.2GHz or greater and a graphics card that supports DirectX
9.0c.
Q: What operating systems are supported?
A: Windows XP with SP 2.0 (or greater) , Vista 32bit and 64bit (SP1 and
2) and Windows 7 (builds 7000 and 7100 tested) are all supported.
There are no Linux/Mac OS versions currently available.
Q: What type of Sensor Hardware is supported?
A: SailView gets its data via the COM port. Any NMEA 0183 sensor hardware that can output data via serial can be used and more recent versions of hardware often output data directly to USB. Most modern PCs don't have serial (RS-232) ports but there are inexpensive RS-232 to USB adapters that work very well. To date we have tested Garmin, Raymarine, AirMar, TickTack, B&G, Simrad and NKE in various combinations. SailView ships with a software base NMEA combiner that will allow you to collect data from multiple, independent NMEA networks.
Q: What is your upgrade and update policy?
A: All copies are eligible for updates. Updates are made available on this website and are intended to address issues or provided enhancements to the current version of the software. Licensed copies receive a 30% discount on upgrades to the next released version.
Q: What are your licensing 'rules'?
A: All Weathergage Software products are protected under US and International copyright laws. When you purchase a license you are allowed up to three (3) simultaneous installations. The intent is you have a copy on board, one at home and potentially a third on a tablet or laptop you travel with. Obviously we don't want you to give your two buddies a copy. If they like the product buy it! As sailing costs go this is really pretty cheap!
NMEA and Communications
Q: How do I connect to my instruments?
A: This topic is not only the toughest to answer but often the toughest to resolve. For SailView there is a page with a couple of examples located here. As a quick summary, if your instruments are designed to communicate with your PC the first step is always to make sure the OEM software is installed and functioning. That solves most of the connection issues because all of the required drivers are installed.
A2: If your instruments/sensors were not originally intended to connect to a PC they must be capable of outputting NMEA 0183 data. If they can then you need to either connect the appropriate wires to your com port or to an RS-232 to USB adapter. This often requires finding and digging through some manuals...