We want to make it as wasy as possible for TeamSurv's fleet of loggers to record data for us. As well as offering our own hardware and software logging tools, we are getting an increasing amount of support from software and hardware manufacturers of navigation systems to enable their kit to log TeamSurv data.

Already, Euronav have added TeamSurv data logging capabilities to their seaPro range of software, and Nobeltec logs NMEA data which can be uploaded through the web site.

The latest release of SmartLog (V1.1) makes this possible for users of Expedition race navigation software, Software on Board PC chart plotter, and Garmin GPSMap chart plotters (with the help of Garmin's Homeport software).

With Expedition, you can export the log files (we just need position, date/time, COG, depth, and heading if available - you can keep your performance data private if you wish). Then fire up SmartLog and they are uploaded to the server. Note that if you are using Expedition with an NMEA0183 interface, you should select either DPT or DBT as the NMEA depth sentence - we prefer DBT, giving depth below transducer, but DPT also works if you enter the depth offset in your instruments. You also need to enter the depth offset for some other instrument manufacturers, depending on their depth output.

For Software on Board, you can either set the NMEA interface to log the NMEA data, or you can use the Past Track files. We prefer the NMEA interface, as this logs data about once a second, whereas the Past Track files it is only 5 or 6 times a minute. Software on Board's Past Track files use the depth below waterline from your instruments, so we need to have the depth offset entered when you upload the files.

Most Garmin GPSMap chart plotters can log data to a memory card. Although this is in Garmin's proprietary format, if you use their Homeport software for waypoint management you can convert the routes to GPX (an XML based format, for the tecchies), and this can be uploaded. Again, the depth offset is needed.

We will shortly be supporting more software and hardware packages.

If you use the TeamSurv SmartLog USB data logger, then the software can be used to upload your files - you will find this quicker than using the web browser, and less prone to time outs.

Finally you can, of course, use the SmartLog software itself to log data. Here we have improved the performance significantly, and in particular it no longer slows down if left running for a long time. Also, the COM port handling is much better, and a few other enancements have been implemented.