NavMan GPS for laptop

OK, from the Maptech site - you can't currently do it with Offshore Navigator and a C80...(cut and paste from Maptech support forum)


Stephen Jordan

Original Message
(Posted Feb 26, 2005 4:33 AM)
reply

I usually use Offshore Navigator light but am making a trip on a yacht with a Raymarine C80 as its plotter. Is there any way of transfering waypoints and routes to the C80

Jeffrey Atwood

RE: Transfer Waypoint and Routes to C80
(msg #1: Posted Feb 28, 2005 9:15 AM)

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Hello Stephen:

At this time we do not have that particular unit in our list to upload and download data to and from Offshore Navigator and that GPS unit. I will add an additional vote to the list for that particular GPS that the development team looks at to determine what units to get worked into the software. You may want to try the GPS RN300 setting in the GPS setup area of the program.

Jeffrey Atwood
 
Pat Anderson":uabul4j5 said:
OK, the Rose Point package costs $300 but the charts are free, a pretty big plus compared to the others. Does any other computer software use these free NOAA charts? Is there a free reader program or something?

I guess I will download the Rose Point trial edition and give it a look-see...
Click to expand...

Pat,

The only other software I have come across that reads the ENC charts is Fugawi Marine ENC. I think it retails at about $200 but I have noticed it for less on the web. I believe that there is also an activeX object that will read them. I hope to look into that myself as I would like to be able to create something on my own.

I found the stitching capabilities in Coastal Explorer were better than those of Fugawi and that is one of the things that made me think I would get it instead. Plus the route planning is so easy with Coastal Explorer. I still haven't gotten the laptop out on the water with it yet so I don't know how well it'll really work.
 
OK, here is something a few of you will find interesting...MapTech is now including a companion CD for its paper charts and waterproof chartbooks. If you bought the San Juan or Puget Sound waterproof chartbooks after January 1, 2005, you can request the companion CD here. Unfortunately, the MapTech coverage is very selective - in this area they have Puget Sound and San Juan Islands chartbooks but nothing for the Gulf Islands or Desolation Sound, or for whole parts of the US for that matter. But if you get one of their chartbooks, which are very good, this looks like the cat's meow. The companion CD includes Offshore Navigator Lite software and the selected coverage area digital maps. This software has waypoints, routes, tracks, real time tracking when connected to a GPS, all the usual stuff. They also sell a USB GPS to use with it for $150...I will just plug in my Garmin GPSMAP76, but if I didn't have that, this combo would seem like an ideal backup (or even primary) navigation system. Have the San Juans (minus CD), going to buy the Puget Sound waterproof chartbook - they are about $50 each, and for the chartbook alone that is a reasonable deal, but with the software and digital maps, it is a great deal.
 
Just as an FYI, Microsoft recently released Streets and Trips 2005 with a USB GPS included in the system. Now the software is not bad for looking up streets and stuff but the GPS puck is very nice! It is made by Pharos and you can actually get different attachments for it as well. The reason I bring it up is that the retail price is $129 so it is less than the unit that Pat talked about above. I got mine through work so it was even better for me ;)

BTW: Thanks for that link Pat! I ordered my CD today. I was amazed that they never asked for a purchase date or location of where we bought the chart books.
 
I have been playing with the Coastal Explorer Trial Edition from Rose Point Navigation and the free NOAA vector charts...I am pretty well sold on getting this package for the laptop for backup to the Raymarine C80 we will be getting in July, and primary until the Raymarine is installed! The trial edition seems to be full featured except it is 10 day limited (unless you live in the past! :lol: :lol: ) Couple this with a USB GPS puck, and I don't think there is a more economic overall solution for laptop based navigation. The vector charts take some getting used to after using raster charts, but you just can't beat the price!

Here is the link for the trial edition.
Charts are here.

 
I just found out some information that answers a question for those of us that are installing the Raymarine C-80 system. Navionics is supposed to be bringing out new planning software for PC's by this summer. It is called Navplanner. It will allow you to plan a trip on your PC and then download the info to the C series chartplotter. I spotted this on another boating website. Does anyone have any more info on this?
Lyle
 
I have played with Rose Point's Coastal Explorer trial edition extensively now, downloaded a truck load of the free vector charts, and am really impressed. It pretty much self-installs the charts, it is easy to create waypoints ("marks"), edit their properties, and create routes. It knows the name of every place under the cursor (I think that is the integration with Coast Pilot?) When NOAA has got most of their vector charts to version 2, it is going to be very hard for Maptech to persuade people that Offshore Navigator and the raster charts ($$$$) have ANY advantage. In fact, I ordered Coastal Explorer last Sunday. The next version, which is a free upgrade but will have a higher intial price tag, promises communications with GPS chartplotters to download waypoints and routes. I am hoping to give it a real workout the Lopez weekend (May 7). More reports to follow!



gljjr":26m8g4j9 said:
Pat,

The only other software I have come across that reads the ENC charts is Fugawi Marine ENC. I think it retails at about $200 but I have noticed it for less on the web. I believe that there is also an activeX object that will read them. I hope to look into that myself as I would like to be able to create something on my own.

I found the stitching capabilities in Coastal Explorer were better than those of Fugawi and that is one of the things that made me think I would get it instead. Plus the route planning is so easy with Coastal Explorer. I still haven't gotten the laptop out on the water with it yet so I don't know how well it'll really work.
Click to expand...
 
Too Cool Pat! I played with the demo version but haven't activated it on the laptop yet as I haven't been out fishing since I found the program. I wanted to have a chance to test it on the water before purchasing it.

BTW: Give me a call tonight. ;)
 
Well, don't get too excited about the CDs with the Maptech waterproof chartbooks (here in the Upper Left Coast we have the San Juans and Puget Sound waterproof chartbooks, which ARE worth the money by themselves). It could have been so cool, but they (Maptech) really blew it in my book. The CD is in fact the chartbook digitized, with Offshore Navigator Lite thrown in - but it is just the charbook, literally - just digital images of the chart book pages, complete with page numbers and notations regarding adjoining pages. So you can view 20 or 25 separate pages, but you have to turn the pages, it doesn't quilt into one nice big chart that you can zoom out or zoom in. Too bad, I was hoping for a real raster chart of the coverage area of the chartbook, but it was not to be...oh, well, NOAA is adding charts to the free vector chart set daily, and Rose Point Navigation's Coastal Explorer is far superior to Offshore Navigator anyway...
 
We will be using the laptop for backup. Even though we are getting the Raymarine C80 integrated package, at $579 for the RayTech package, I will probably just pass on this software...it does look like the cat's meow for interfacing your PC to the Raymarine though, and I did bookmark the page. The next version of Coastal Explorer promises the ability to download waypoints and routes via the standard NMEA interface, which is all I really would need anyway. BTW, West Marine matched Broken Leg Dave's price on the Navionics Gold XLC chip - got the Vancouver chip, which is basically all of Puget Sound north to the tip of Vancouver Island (both east and west coasts) for $170...

On the NOAA vector charts, they are pretty good but there are some big holes around here, I know they are adding new ones daily (it looks like about 5 in the last week), and like Dan says, the Maptech regional raster charbooks are $$$pendy.


dogon dory":3upg6svs said:
For those of you with the Raymarine systems, I stumbled across a website which sells a specific software package designed to inerface with the Raymarine network. I does a lot more than just allow trip planning and it is pricey but if you're interested check it out here.
Click to expand...
 
Dan,

I don't remember where I found it but I downloaded a trial version of Fugawi Marine ENC a while back. While it isn't bad the stiching together of charts is no where near as good as Coastal Explorer. Plus I found the GUI clunky. Coastal Explorer's GUI is very easy since it follows Windows standards. This may not mean that much to non computer geeks but basically it means that the menu's and buttons look similar to what you would see on a MS application. This really isn't too surprising since the designer is a retired MS VP.

BTW: When I first found Coastal Explorer I had some questions on it so I sent them an email. They replied to my mails in an hour, twice! All in all I think they have proven to me that this is software I would like to own.
 
I downloaded the trial version also. Program works very well and is easy to use. Will make a great back up and even better when the new version comes out this month or next.

Now I have to find a GPS "puck". MS Maps and Streets package for about $129 was sold out when I tried to order from them. I think this product is carried at stores like Staples, Office Depot etc.
 
David - there was a link to it on Amazon for $99 higher up in this thread...might also try Costco.


Anna Leigh":1s9ijkf4 said:
I downloaded the trial version also. Program works very well and is easy to use. Will make a great back up and even better when the new version comes out this month or next.

Now I have to find a GPS "puck". MS Maps and Streets package for about $129 was sold out when I tried to order from them. I think this product is carried at stores like Staples, Office Depot etc.
Click to expand...
 
Found a terrific electronic navigation package called Memory-Map Navigator.
Costs is $99.95 and VERY easy to use. Tried demo of many others including The CAPN Mosaic, Coastal Explorer, etc., but either too expensive or too steep a learning curve.
Try demo of Memory Map Navigator http://www.memory-map.com/
and I think you will agree.
I use it for planning routes on my laptop and will give it a try on "Kestrel" next week. I have a GPS receiver which I can suck cup to me window.
Pete
 
Got my streets and trips 2005 software and GPS, WOW!
It is more than just impressive. The GPS works with my Maptech software but the streets and trips software is incredible! It even has all the marinas in it!
It is a great tool for planning your trip. No more asking how to get somewhere or how much it should cost. Good stuff...
 
One of the features I like about Streets and trips is that you can set the gas mileage and gas price and it will tell you how much the fuel will cost for the trip. Also, if you have a stop set up on the route you can find places close to the stop. Another thing it can do is tell you when you should expect to be needing fuel and where the closest gas station is to that spot.
The biggest drawback is that it doesn't have voice prompts and doesn't automatically recalibrate the directions when you take a wrong turn.
 
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