Navionics Chartplotter cards viewable on PC/Mac?

[simonpickard]

Hello all,

I'm about to buy the Med cards for my plotter, there are three I think each around 200 euros. Firstly if anyone knows where to get these from cheaper / secondhand that would be amazing!

My main question though was does anyone know if you can use these cards on a Mac? I'd love to be able to view them in both places, but it seems you have to buy the charts twice if you want to view them on a Mac, as well as on your plotter?

Any advice regarding this would be amazing, I'm totally confused how people seem to have charts on their plotters, PCs / Macs, and then iPads as well. Do you all buy these expensive charts three times?

If there's a way to buy them once, then copy them over to all these devices that would be amazing.

Regards,
Simon

[svsoltura]

I can't comment about the Mac, however on my PC I use the Navionics card reader (see below pic). I use Raytech planner software on the PC and it works quite well.

[Twisticles]

Originally Posted by simonpickard

Hello all,

I'm about to buy the Med cards for my plotter, there are three I think each around 200 euros. Firstly if anyone knows where to get these from cheaper / secondhand that would be amazing!

My main question though was does anyone know if you can use these cards on a Mac? I'd love to be able to view them in both places, but it seems you have to buy the charts twice if you want to view them on a Mac, as well as on your plotter?

Any advice regarding this would be amazing, I'm totally confused how people seem to have charts on their plotters, PCs / Macs, and then iPads as well. Do you all buy these expensive charts three times?

If there's a way to buy them once, then copy them over to all these devices that would be amazing.

Regards,
Simon

I also don't know about macs, but can't you run Windows on them now anyway?

Basically if you buy navionics chart cards after 2010, when you plug in the chart card to your PC with the included reader it will allow you to open the maps from the chart on your PC also without having to buy a second card. You can use Raytech, or Insight Planner or Fugawi Global Navigator and they will all use the card happily. Maybe others too.

Also, if you have multiple MFD of the same variety on your network, one card will supply charts to all MFDs.

Finally, for me, I have an android tab on the same wifi as my Lowrance MFD, which allows me to mirror the MFD to my tablet and have the charts (and MFD Control!) on the tab too

[George64]

Does this work with OpenCPN too??

[simonpickard]

This sounds exactly what I'm after, just wish someone out there had it working with a Mac. I'd rather not have to boot into Windows each time I want to read a chart.

Also, what type of card reader is that? Aren't the charts on SDcards now? If so do I need a reader if my Mac has an SD card reader buit in?

Come on Mac users... speak up!

Regards,
Simon

[svsoltura]

You are correct that they come on SD cards, however they can't be read by normal card readers weather integrated or with the computer or with a USB externally attached. Unfortunately you will need a proprietary "Navionics" card reader plugged into your USB port. You will have to buy the card reader from Navionics separately.

Regarding how all of this works with a Mac, I can't really offer any input.

The other option is through an inboard network such as SeaTalk (Raymarine) or something along those lines.

[Jammer Six]

Originally Posted by Twisticles

I also don't know about macs, but can't you run Windows on them now anyway?

Running Windows on a Mac is like using a Ferrari to haul gravel.

Yes, you can do it.

[40 South]

Originally Posted by simonpickard

Hello all,

My main question though was does anyone know if you can use these cards on a Mac? I'd love to be able to view them in both places, but it seems you have to buy the charts twice if you want to view them on a Mac, as well as on your plotter?

Any advice regarding this would be amazing, I'm totally confused how people seem to have charts on their plotters, PCs / Macs, and then iPads as well. Do you all buy these expensive charts three times?

If there's a way to buy them once, then copy them over to all these devices that would be amazing.

Regards,
Simon

You could setup a NMEA 0183 WIFI network using the plotter & one of the "DigitalYacht" products to broadcast the NMEA data to your MAC, load the chart onto the MAC into a navigation program via a card reader, then use an app (Splashtop) on the iPad that allows you to view & control the MAC from the iPad. Simply start the plotter, boot up the MAC and connect to the "DigitalYacht" WIFI network, launch "Splashtop" on both machines and away you go using the single copy of the chart on MAC and iPad!


Navionics charts are available in the app store at a fraction of the "plotter" prices.

[simonpickard]

"Navionics charts are available in the app store at a fraction of the "plotter" prices."

I'm sick of it. The whole chart area is a total mess and I can't find a simple way to sort it out.

I wish the money grabbing gits would sort it out and release charts free from the device.

If I buy a set of Med charts I should be able to use those charts on my Plotter, Mac, iPad, iPhone. At the moment you're looking at having to buy the EXACT SAME chart 3 or 4 times.

It's BS, no wonder so many people rip off charts.

[Frank101]

Originally Posted by svsoltura

You are correct that they come on SD cards, however they can't be read by normal card readers weather integrated or with the computer or with a USB externally attached. Unfortunately you will need a proprietary "Navionics" card reader plugged into your USB port. You will have to buy the card reader from Navionics separately.

Regarding how all of this works with a Mac, I can't really offer any input.

The other option is through an inboard network such as SeaTalk (Raymarine) or something along those lines.

No, you don't need the Navionics card reader anymore since 2010. Any cardreader will do.

[Bill_E]

I've searched and searched and haven't found the answer to this: Can you use Lowrance Insight Planner on a PC to plan routes, etc. Using Navionics charts and the Navionics card reader. Then after planning the route and inserting waypoints on the PC, remove the card and put it in a Raymarine C80 chartplotter and then be able to see the waypoints on the chartplotter? The Navionics charts are on Compact Flash (CF) cards. Has anyone done this??

I used NavPlanner several years ago but have lost my PN so can't continue to use it. I wasn't all that happy with NavPlanner and it has been transferred to Fugawi and has been highly modified. Present versions of Raymarine and Fugawi software are pretty expensive and the Lowrance product looks pretty good and it's cheap. So I have the chartplotter at the helm, I have the charts that I need on CF cards, I have the Navionics "proprietary" card reader. I'd just like to be able to do route planning in the salon or the local bar, as the situation warrants.

From all I've read OpenCPN won't handle the Navionics charts so that is apparently not an option.

I agree with Simon: The business of electronic chart compatibility and pricing and availability is enough to drive a person to drink!

Bill

[alctel]

I would think that the waypoints are NOT stored on the card, but on the chartplotter/PC itself. You'd need to connection the two using a NMEA network of some kind

[Bill_E]

If I remember correctly, with the old software I could save all of the waypoints to a file. Then transfer that file to the CF card and then do some "magic" at the chartplotter and the waypoints would be inserted into the chart. I think you can also save tracks to a CF card and then archive them somewhere else, freeing up the limited memory in the older Raymarine C80 chartplotter.

Although I didn't really like the old Raymarine software, I could make it do the job. I'm just thinking that I'd like some new and improved software at less than the $125 or more price tag.

Thanks
Bill

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by simonpickard

Hello all,

I'm about to buy the Med cards for my plotter, there are three I think each around 200 euros. Firstly if anyone knows where to get these from cheaper / secondhand that would be amazing!

My main question though was does anyone know if you can use these cards on a Mac? I'd love to be able to view them in both places, but it seems you have to buy the charts twice if you want to view them on a Mac, as well as on your plotter?

Any advice regarding this would be amazing, I'm totally confused how people seem to have charts on their plotters, PCs / Macs, and then iPads as well. Do you all buy these expensive charts three times?

If there's a way to buy them once, then copy them over to all these devices that would be amazing.

Regards,
Simon

Hi Simon,

I also run Navionics on my MFD. The SD card is linked to a single device or device specific network. [e.g., That same Navionics chart set would be usable on another B&G MFD on the same network as I understand it... but I only have one MFD so I haven't tried that yet...]

I also understand it can be unlinked from the existing MFD and linked to a different device [e.g., when I upgrade MFDs in the future...] but will only operate on one system at a time. [I haven't done this yet either...]

What I do in a case like yours is to acquire charts for the same cruising area from multiple sources so I can compare... [As others have also mentioned- for specific parts of the world- some chart sources are more accurate than others.]

Therefore, I run Navionics on my B&G Zeus Touch [it will only use Navionics- it isn't the newer Zeus2 that can also run C-Map...] and I mirror it remotely to a couple of iPads via the GoFree WiFi1 device. Works great and offers full control and use of the chart plotter and radar. This is great for any off-watch crew too...

For redundancy, I run OpenCPN on a Mac laptop, and usually SeaIQ or Garmin BlueChart on another pad so I have triplication going most of the time.

Those redundant navigation programs on a pad are also handy for handing to guests so they can track progress and look around the area we are transiting without interfering with the primary charting and tracking system...

Let us know what you end up doing...

Cheers!

Bill

[Bill_E]

OK, I got the answer to my original question: Can you use Lowrance Insight Planner on a PC and then upload waypoints, etc. to a Raymarine Chartplotter? The answer is: No!

I emailed Lowrance support and they were kind enough to reply. The answer is: "No, as Insight Planner is only designed for Navico branded products; Lowrance, Simrad, B&G."

Hopefully this will help someone else in the future. I'm now looking seriously at Navigation Planner NavigationPlanner - Home.

Bill