GPS charting software and chips question

Pete · 05-13-2003, 12:39 PM

My electronics will allow an MMC / SDC card for moving info back and forth between my PC and my GPS. The manufacturer only sells the card in a package which includes MapCreate software and a GPS antenna. My unit came with an antenna and I'm not anxious to have a second antenna. So, I'm shopping for a card and independent software. What's your take on it? Is it as handy to be able to edit your waypoints on the PC as I imagine? What software do you use? Are you happy with it, or do you wish you had a different program?

[ 05-13-2003, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: Pete ]

Pitch Pocket · 05-13-2003, 02:07 PM

Pete, I cable my Furuno to the laptop via the serial port and upload/download NEMA data to and from Nobeltec Visual Mariner. Yes, the computer is the place to manage and plot waypoints. There are other waypoint editors, some shareware that is good (OziExplorer comes to mind), but I really like the Nobeltec software.

black magic · 05-13-2003, 03:45 PM

Pete,
I just starting using an older laptop for a chartplotter. I bought a used version of Chartview Pro software on eBay for $100 and a Magellan Meridian barebones handheld GPS for $107 at Fry's. It works great for realtime navigation on raster charts which I purchased individually from http://www.marineplanner.com/ . The charts are only $8.95 each and are scanned from standard NOAA charts and can be downloaded. I topped that off with a USB handheld trackball which allows me to point and click without even leaning forward. I can transfer waypoint data either way between GPS and PC. The screen was hard to see when the bright sun was out so I built a hood from a black portable file box from Office Depot and attached it with velcro. It is still smarter than I, as I am still learning all of the functions it can perform. What I like most about it is I am not locked in to any one vendor for the components of the system.

Miss B Haven · 05-13-2003, 03:59 PM

Pete -figure this all out and then you can show me cause [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img] when it comes to those programs. I'd like to play and learn. Neve could figure out why you need one to plot your course at home, one to give you the charts for the trip, one for the gps, one for the taxman, etc etc etc.

Pete · 05-13-2003, 04:20 PM

Mel, you can be the skipper and I'll do the nav, OK?

Pitch Pocket · 05-13-2003, 04:59 PM

Chartview planner is the discontinued Nobeltec software. It is not supported anymore except by a company back east that bought the rights. Nobeltec won't even talk to you about it. It worked great though and was easy to use. Problem would be if you needed help or updated drivers.

Mel, it's all in the planning. You can explore the charts, create waypoints and routes in the comfort of your living room or office, upload them to the GPS and be off and running. While you are out there, you can make some marks (fish caught, unknown sea mount etc and download it to the computer to archive and plan around in the future.

I'll help you work the software if you want to learn it. It's intimidating, but doable. Once you get the hang of it, you can find lots of things you can do that you never thought of. I'll have it with me in Warrenton soon.