Another MaxSea/C-Map chart problem

[colemj]

Looks like Paul L's missing charts problem isn't an isolated case.

We bought Jeppesen's C-Map chart product for our Furuno chart plotter containing charts that supposedly covers all of Central America and the Caribbean.

The description of the product clearly states that it contains charts covering all of Jamaica and Cuba.

Apparently, C-Map considers "all" of Jamaica as Kingston Harbor only, and "all" of Cuba as the extreme Eastern tip of the Windward Passage. The remainder of those countries are just big brown potatoes sitting on a solid blue background.

There could easily be other areas missing in this product that I am unaware of because we have not looked at them (Baha Mexico is also supposed to be contained, but I wonder…).

This is the only Caribbean chart product C-Map sells, so it isn't like Jamaica and Cuba fell through the crack and is contained in another product.

So far, MaxSea has told me to take the issue up with Furuno, but I don't see how that will be fruitful.

In most other chart packs, MaxSea provides a list of the charts contained in the pack so one can check before buying the exact coverage. In the case of this specific product MaxSea does not provide this list.

People may want to be aware and cautious when buying C-Map products.

Mark

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by colemj

So far, MaxSea has told me to take the issue up with Furuno, but I don't see how that will be fruitful.

I would suspect both MaxSea and Furuno are low on the food chain, but Jeppeson (C-Map) ought to be able to speak to the issue. Have you pulsed them?

I'd presume the same chart packs would affect Jeppeson's own Plan2Nav tablet app, and any other nav software that offers C-Map charts as an option...


In Paul's case, I think I saw that a different chart pack had the areas he was after? (I don't remember that, perfectly, though...)

-Chris

[colemj]

I'm not sure all C-Map products are the same across all platforms. On their website, they send you straight to MaxSea for any reference to their Furuno product. MaxSea uses their chart data, but formats it themselves for Furuno application.

For example, their NT+, Max, and Mega Wide cartridge products for other chartplotters cover different regions than their similar download products offered for Furuno.

But I'm sure I will end up wasting equal amounts of time and frustration trying to get resolution from Jeppesen also.

Mark

[colemj]

Wow, what quick help! Apparently Jeppesen heard about this thread and I was contacted by Paul Wilson of Jeppesen within hours of posting it.

He has been extremely helpful - seemingly making my problem his full-time job for now. He has shown me that the raw data they provided MapMedia clearly contains all of the charts we are missing, and that the problem either lies with MapMedia's formatting having an error, or some type of error in my system.

Either way, he still considers it his problem to solve!

I am very hopeful that our problem will be solved now. A number of years ago, I had a horrible experience with Jeppesen when they owned Nobeltec and I bought it. An experience I can't speak much about without getting angry still. I swore never to involve myself with Jeppesen again.

I can tell you now that this is a different company. The past problem is a chapter I am very happy to put behind us and embrace the company in a more positive way.

Mark

[colemj]

Problem solved, and it's my fault. There was a setting in the Furuno menu that had somehow/sometime gotten changed. Resetting this to the correct value brought the Jamaica and Cuba charts back on-line. It is strange that the entire rest of Central America has worked fine with the wrong setting, and that small parts of Jamaica and Cuba also worked.

But the problem is solved now. Thread closed!

Mark

[ranger58sb]

Wow, good news!

We had a Raymarine plotter on the last boat, and it used C-Map charts. At the time, I always found them to be very helpful. Useful to know they responded well in this case!

Guess I have the same hardware/software you do... so what setting was it? So I don't hose ours up similarly?



-Chris

[colemj]

Hey, I said the thread was closed

In the Furuno MENU – CHART – VECTOR make sure the Chart Database = JEPPESEN

That was set for HO57 on ours, so somehow, sometime that either didn't get set correctly, or got switched. The charts have been working perfectly throughout Central America until we got to Jamaica and found no charts at all.

I know it didn't happen between Panama and Jamaica on the passage.

Mark

[ranger58sb]

OK, I can take a hint.





Thanks for the setting info, though. I only have the NOAA charts on the NN3D for around here (use C-Map on the two tablets, though), so a hose up in that setting is luckily (I think) one I'd probably notice relatively quickly. (He says, optimistically.)


-Chris