Navigation software for Mac computers

L

Larry H

New member
While reading the Jan 07 issue of Powerboat Reports I came across this computer navigation program for Mac computers(requires OS X 10.3.9+).

http://www.gpsnavx.com/index.php?page=Home

Of the seven nav programs reviewed, this is the only one for Mac and its is the cheapest at $60. The program can use the S-57 or BSB format charts. As I recall, the S-57 are the free downloads from NOAA and the BSB are available free from Maptech.

This program was the only one that rated excellent in all three categories of Usability, Stability, and Tech support.

The closest price competitor was Fugawi ENC V4.0 at $220 and it only rated Fair.

This could help those who want to switch to Mac but didn't know of a nav program for Mac.
 
The other nav program for Mac (and they are from the same company) is MacENC - it costs $100, main difference apparently is that MacENC can read both raster and ENC charts. Jim on Wild Blue uses MacENC, I have played around with it.
 
Pat ,

Did you form an opinion about the way the program works?

Upon closer study of the report, I see they only tested the raster-only version, GPSNavx, and the MacENC is necessary to use S-57 charts.

Thanks,

Larry H
 
I especially like the price of the MacENC demo: free! Raster and ENC charts: free! The free version doesn't save your waypoints or routes. Still, I used that almost daily for planning - getting headings and distances before we'd head out. A click is all it takes to move back and forth between the raster and ENC charts. We also have paper charts for any area we cruise (Joan keeps those close at hand while underway, while I use the chartplotter).

As a former pilot, I didn't write on charts, still don't with the marine charts. But I do make notes while planning. MacENC gives you seamless flow as you move from chart to chart; being able to zoom in and out quickly makes the planning easy. The program does have more of a PC "feel" to it compared to most Mac software, but did I mention: free?

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
It is interesting that they did not compare "MaxSea": http://www.maxsea.com/

This program has been around for some time, but is far more expensive ($350). It has been used by Steve Dashew for quite some time.

Good to know that there is a much cheaper alternative--I wonder what the differences are for the average boater?

I had a MAC for awhile and went back to the PC because of lack of marine charting software--a number of years ago. I'll have to check it out again after the new OS is out.

Thanks,
 
thataway":2stv1l5n said:
It is interesting that they did not compare "MaxSea": http://www.maxsea.com/
Click to expand...

I spent some time looking around on this site and, if I am not mistaken, it requires you to use a dongle. I will never buy copy-protected software regardless of whether the protection is software or hardware. Registration/activation is one thing, but not copy protection. Been there, done that, been burned too many times (in a previous life I often wrote about software for professional magazines & journals.)

Warren
 
I believe that Maxsea does require a dongle or a software key. I am not into "dongles"--cannot remember owning any. But I do have a bunch of softwear keys--

Agree it would be easier without a key, but a lot of programs (Like Micrsolf and Adobe use keys also. )

I believe that you can use C map in all of its various forms with the Maxsea (which is also available in a PC mode)--and that it is distributed by Furuno for that purpose, perhaps instead of using C map planner, which has had some glitches.
 
Bob, I am not talking about licensing keys that you type in when you register your software. I am talking about hardware devices that the software goes and talks to every time the program is started up, or every time it performs a particular operation. Software copy protection is thankfully a thing of the past, but you may recall back in the day when you loaded a program and it wrote a secret file, necessary for the operation of the program, onto the disk in a way that the OS could not ordinarily read it. Lose your disk (or your dongle), lose your program.

Warren
 
Well, OK! I finally found my USB GPS puck that came with Microsoft Streets and Trips (the guys who cruised Daydream back from Alaska had thoughtfully hidden it in a place I never would have looked had I not been looking for something else!). It is a Pharos GPS-360 rebranded with the MS logo...a little Google research, and we discover that the Prolific driver is the one needed to use this puck on a Mac...Driver installed, puck works great! Not only trip planning now but also real time position, tracks, etc.! So, MacENC & GPS puck combo is now the backup to the C-80...might have to buy the full version to stop that annoying beg screen on the demo version!
 
Update for today...

Just installed Coastal Explorer under Parallels...Coastal Explorer is considerably more capable than MacENC (costs more too, of course), have not yet tried the GPS puck with it, so we shall see. It installs and runs fine under Parallels, I download a fresh set of raster and vector charts from the NOAA site, if the puck works, this is the ticket for my nav software for the MacBook. Not exactly nav software "for" the Mac...but seems like the best solution, given that I had already purchased Coastal Explorer.
 
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