Navigation software?

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by Alecadi

I tried to make a search but everything is about open CPN.

Anybody can recommend or tell about his experience with a commercial navigation software?
which is a simple efficient one?

What is your opposition to Open CPN? Just curious cause Im not at all computer savvy and I found it pretty simple to use. Hardest part was taking the time to actually read the manual and then make sure my charts were all in organized file folders. NOAA gives for free all US waters in either raster or vector format. Why would you want to pay hundreds of dollars for the ability to view something that is free?

Dont get me wrong I got nothing against personal preference just curious as it seems like most all of the problems Ive read about people having with Open CPN were the curable by spending a little time with the manual.

[barnakiel]

I have used some and below you have my ratings:

- MaxSea - VG,
- Deckman - VG,
- RayTech -VG,
- Navionics/iPad - VG,

Then I used some others that ranged from acceptable to good.

Much depends on how you are going to use your software, which charts you want or prefer, and what functionality is important to you.

Anyways when OpenCPN goes Android it may become THE the thing to have (unless you are on Mac).

b.

[bewitched]

Originally Posted by SV Demeter

What is your opposition to Open CPN? Just curious cause Im not at all computer savvy and I found it pretty simple to use. Hardest part was taking the time to actually read the manual and then make sure my charts were all in organized file folders. NOAA gives for free all US waters in either raster or vector format. Why would you want to pay hundreds of dollars for the ability to view something that is free?

Dont get me wrong I got nothing against personal preference just curious as it seems like most all of the problems Ive read about people having with Open CPN were the curable by spending a little time with the manual.

OpenCPN is a great software with a great future, but once outside the US, it has the significant limitation that it can't read the CMap Ed3 charts.

It's a legal/copyright issue rather than a technology issue so I believe.

Until this issue is resolved, those outside the US will typically be running an alternative software for working with formats that Open CPN cannot handle. I use Maxsea for CMap and Open CPN for Kap files. Would love to be able to go 100% Open CPN, but as yet this is not possible for me and many others outside the US.

[bobconnie]

Connies been useing the Capn Charting program for over 10 yrs and really likes it ! I find myself checking my own navagation with it more every year we cruise! it works for us and has taken us over 40,000 sea miles so far ! just our 2 cents

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by bewitched

OpenCPN is a great software with a great future, but once outside the US, it has the significant limitation that it can't read the CMap Ed3 charts.

It's a legal/copyright issue rather than a technology issue so I believe.

Until this issue is resolved, those outside the US will typically be running an alternative software for working with formats that Open CPN cannot handle. I use Maxsea for CMap and Open CPN for Kap files. Would love to be able to go 100% Open CPN, but as yet this is not possible for me and many others outside the US.

Have you spoken to the Open CPN folks about this issue? I use CM93 charts on Open CPN and was under the impression that it supported a very wide range of file formats. Im not a very computer literate kind of guy so who knows.

[bewitched]

I'm sure the developers are aware that OCPN can't deal with C-MAP Edition 3. There was a thread a few weeks back all about the issue.

What I don't know is whether there is a real appreciation of the scale of the problem. I hope I can explain clearly - Look at the two pictures below. One is C-MAP Ed3 in Maxsea, the other is C-Map Ed2 in OCPN. Believe it or not this is the same bay. The Ed2 charts have little or no detail.

To compound the problem further, the Ed2 charts for this part of the world deviate randomly from WGS84 datum. Ed3 charts are fine with WGS84.

So, using OCPN with C-MAP Ed3 is not possible and though OCPN does read the Ed2 charts, they are so poor that they are almost useless for navigation.

[IslandHopper]

I have been using Transas, Transas Navigator since 1999 (when it was called Tsunami 99') and cannot fault it, the program is derived from it's big brother ECDIS system http://www.transas.com/products/onboard/ns/ecdis/ which we have on our work vessels.....

Not cheap, but very reliable and easy to use......

[jmackay]

I guess the thing that impressed me most when I started using Coastal Explorer was how good the "free ware" was. Ocpn or Sea Clear are more than adequate for coastal navigation, I still use them at times. Just a word of caution, these are all tools that make navigation easier but not necesarily more accurate. Check the datum, and realize that the Notice to Mariners are updates that aren't in the electronics.

[SoonerSailor]

I'll put in a vote for Polar Navy and the Polarview/Polarcom software. On my Atom powered net book it's a lot faster than OpenCPN and it supports Active Captain. Though not free, it isn't expensive either.

Chip

[settingsun]

With iNavX for the Mac what do you need to buy to integrate GPS -- is there some kind of USB stick or something???

[xymotic]

on their website they sell a really good USB receiver.