Northstar charts dongle - where do you get one from

[thomas8861]

Hi all - can anyone tell me where I can get charts dongle for a Northstar 8000i chartplotter loaded with charts for the Maine - Great Lakes regions - I know these units are discontinued but have a new (previously unfitted) one on our boat with a dongle which needs charts loaded onto it - massive expense I am sure but the units not worth anything without them.

We are currently laid up in Massachusetts and heading into Maine and perhaps into Canada next summer - getting into the sort of coast that requires more than a hand held GPS and waterways chart book! Any advise welcomed.

[skipmac]

Sorry but I'm a bit confused by your question.

I think based on the subject description and the first line in your post that you want to buy the actual dongle? But later you say "have a new (previously unfitted) one on our boat with a dongle".

So do you have the dongle or need buy the dongle?

Also, how much will you have to pay to download all the charts? If hundreds and hundreds then you might be better buying a new plotter preloaded with charts. You can get a Garmin 740 (last year's model) new for $700-$800 if you shop around and it comes preloaded with all US charts. Not sure about how much coverage on the Great Lakes but I can check mine if you're interested.

[hellosailor]

Northstar says you already have the charts. A dongle is not a flash memory stick, it is a cryptographic key fob. Northstar says the charts are all internal on a hard drive, and you need to BUY the dongle in order to gain license to access them:


Cartography
The Northstar 8000i uses the latest vector cartography from Jeppesen. C-Map Max PRO provides recreational boaters access to a charting system similar to those used on large commercial vessels. The entire chart library is contained on the 8000i hard drive, eliminating the need for keeping track of chart cards. Boaters can access chart regions simply by contacting C-Map or authorized C-Map dealers for a license key. Regular chart updates/corrections can be performed by CD/DVD, or downloaded from the internet and load by memory stick.


Chartplotter | Radar | NORTHSTAR 8000i | Depth Sounder