Another Mac/Nav Thread

[misty]

Sure thing Capt. Pull up both progs and compare the ways you can slice and dice gribs on both. With MacENC you can define your entervals. PC may have more color but not the versitality. IMHO.

[four winds]

Under the download tab of the Grib Manager, six hour and three hour periods are selectable in PolarView.

Not sure about MacENC as it's not loaded on my computer at the present time.

[s/v Jedi]

MaxSea TimeZero is still the best software for the Mac imho... just needs some Parallels software to run it. For those with Furuno radar/plotter it's a no brainer.

Nobeltec now also has the TimeZero engine so has basically become the same.

ciao!
Nick.

[misty]

MacENC gives one 3,5,7 days and 3, 6, 12, 24 hrs intervals with .05, 1.0, 2.0 degree resolution. Not only 500mb winds but also surface winds.

[four winds]

PolarView is seven days at .5 and 1 degree resolution.

I'll never be more than a coastal cruiser, most likely. So I'm not the best person to judge the efficacy of the grib function.

PolarView, NOAA charts, Active Captain, and the Weather Underground's WonderMap winds model have been the tools most useful for me.

PolarView's price and it's use with a non-daylit screen were the deciding factors for me.

[Gene :^)]

MacENC for me with iNavX on my iPad. Love them both!

-----

Gene :^)
http://www.Strathbelle.com/

[Sir Rondo Normal]

Hey Jedi I just looked at the maxsea web site...
System Requirement: "Microsoft® Windows® XP SP3, Windows® Vista or Windows® 7 (32 or 64 bits)
Also, I have some old Nobletec disc but again, they're for Windows and I have searched high and low for a mac version but to no avail.

Edit: From the FAQ... "What are the operating systems compatible with MaxSea Time Zero?

MaxSea Time Zero is compatible with Windows 7, Windows XP and Windows Vista certified computers.

Caution: Windows Server and Media Center editions are not supported."

I have been playing around with the trial versions of mac enc and polar View but I don't have my gps unit yet. It should be here by Monday, then maybe I can make a decision. Sure appreciate all the feedback guys.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Capt Wraun

Hey Jedi I just looked at the maxsea web site...
System Requirement: "Microsoft® Windows® XP SP3, Windows® Vista or Windows® 7 (32 or 64 bits)
Also, I have some old Nobletec disc but again, they're for Windows and I have searched high and low for a mac version but to no avail.

Edit: From the FAQ... "What are the operating systems compatible with MaxSea Time Zero?

MaxSea Time Zero is compatible with Windows 7, Windows XP and Windows Vista certified computers.

Caution: Windows Server and Media Center editions are not supported."

I have been playing around with the trial versions of mac enc and polar View but I don't have my gps unit yet. It should be here by Monday, then maybe I can make a decision. Sure appreciate all the feedback guys.

Ehrmmm... new Macs (as in younger than 10 years or so) run everything incl. every version of Windows ever made plus all software developed for that.

Although I prefer native MacOS software, I am not one of those Apple fanboys who refuses to recognize other good solutions when they pop up.

If you don't like to reboot to Windows with the included bootcamp utility, you can buy a product like Parallels that enable you to integrate Windows applications in your MacOS desktop as if they are Mac programs (they even look like Mac software)

ciao!
Nick.

[Sir Rondo Normal]

Well the idea of rebooting to switch back and forth between os's never appealed to me but I hadn't heard about parallels. Checking it out now. Thanks Nick!

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Capt Wraun

Well the idea of rebooting to switch back and forth between os's never appealed to me but I hadn't heard about parallels. Checking it out now. Thanks Nick!

It works like a charm. I have MaxSea TZ plus the NavNet link to my Furuno kit working under Parallels so I also have radar image, overlaid on chart if you wish, AIS targets etc. on the laptop... wireless !!

I can even stream all that to an iPad.

EDIT: VMware is another product similar to Parallels.

ciao!
Nick.

[simonpickard]

"MacENC for me with iNavX on my iPad. Love them both!"

I love the idea also, but having to buy charts twice for this? What's with that? Is there a way around having to buy twice?

[Gene :^)]

Originally Posted by simonpickard

I love the idea also, but having to buy charts twice for this? What's with that? Is there a way around having to buy twice?

I have not purchased a single chart yet. Instead, I downloaded the entire NOAA ENC vector charts and the entire NOAA BSB RASTER chart collections for free to use with MacENC.

On the iPad, iNavX automatically retrieves NOAA BSB RASTER charts for free.

I have the complete sets for the following regions:

Alaska
US west coast
US east coast (includes Bahamas though not very detailed)
Great lakes
Gulf of mexico

I have not signed up but if you use X-Traverse you can share waypoints and other information between your iPad and your computer. It says on their website that you can also share purchased 3rd party charts... http://www.inavx.com/xtraverse.html

-----

Gene :^)
http://www.Strathbelle.com/

[LakeSuperior]

Look at Fugawi...we used Navionics and US raster charts for the last two years. This was the most inexpensive path that we could find. We also interfaced GPS, AIS and GRIBs with the software. Very intuitive and stable.

[GPSNavX]

X-Traverse is only needed for iNavX if one wants to purchase charts besides the free NOAA charts. One does not need to use X-Traverse to import/export waypoints, routes, tracks, GRIB weather files into iNavX. Although it does support that function.

[simonpickard]

That's fine if you are in the US. There aren't any free world charts out there are there?