Garmin Just Released Homeport

[RaySea Lady]

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=64242

Homeport was just released and is available for download at 29.95.

This is the replacement for Mapsource software that works with their plotters. Allows you to use or copy the maps from your plotter to your computer to do trip planning at home or laptop.

Downloaded it yesterday and played around with it for a couple hours, not 100% proficient at it, but so far, I am impressed.

[Badsanta]

Sounds great! Keep us posted Thanks

[dacust]

Sounds good. But annoying that it's now $30 for something that used to come free with the charts.

-dan

[RaySea Lady]

Originally Posted by dacust

Sounds good. But annoying that it's now $30 for something that used to come free with the charts.

-dan

Understood.

It used to be free but you had to buy maps for the mapsource.

With the homeport, you can copy the maps from your plotter and install them in homeport on your computer. So, it is a lot cheaper.

[dacust]

Originally Posted by RaySea Lady

Understood.

It used to be free but you had to buy maps for the mapsource.

With the homeport, you can copy the maps from your plotter and install them in homeport on your computer. So, it is a lot cheaper.

I bought the maps on CD, used them in Mapsource and loaded them to the GPS. Only one set of charts.

However, I think you are right when it came to BlueChart. I was using the old Lights & Navigation, Topo, Fishing Spots, and the Metro road charts. One set each and used them on both Mapsource and the GPS. As a matter of fact, all except the Metro, I could use on multiple GPSs.

I never bought Bluechart because I went to a PC based system before they came out with them.

As I write this, I realize how outdated my experience is. I should have probably just kept quiet. But I'll post anyway so everyone can see why I was off-base.

-dan

[clearsea]

Originally Posted by RaySea Lady

With the homeport, you can copy the maps from your plotter and install them in homeport on your computer. So, it is a lot cheaper.

How does it prevent the user from copying preloaded BlueCharts from the Garmin chartplotter to the PC, and then using them elsewhere?

[RaySea Lady]

Originally Posted by clearsea

How does it prevent the user from copying preloaded BlueCharts from the Garmin chartplotter to the PC, and then using them elsewhere?

Can't answer that for sure, maybe someone else can.

But, I think you can install on several PC's but only on one plotter because when you copy the file from your plotter there is a file written to your SD with the model and serial number of your plotter. From there on, your card will only work with that plotter, I think...

[clearsea]

Originally Posted by RaySea Lady

Can't answer that for sure, maybe someone else can. But, I think you can install on several PC's but only on one plotter because when you copy the file from your plotter there is a file written to your SD with the model and serial number of your plotter. From there on, your card will only work with that plotter, I think...

So, there is no need to use the hardware card reader that apparently comes with the software in the package? (Or does it?).

Just wondering, because that's how Jeppesen maintains control of ownership with C-Maps: buy their planning software and their orange card reader: the card reader is wired to read their proprietary echart card, but can be pluggged into any computer with a USB port on which the planning software is also installed -- makes it possible for a boater to use any computer to update a passage plan, while at the same time allowing Jeppesen to limit use of its product to one user. I'm asking this for two reasons: as a potential Garmin re-customer trying to understand HomePort, and because I am involved in teaching GPS.

[RaySea Lady]

Originally Posted by clearsea

So, there is no need to use the hardware card reader that apparently comes with the software in the package? (Or does it?).

I don't beleive you need that. I just downloaded Homeport on the web so did not get a reader with it, and used my little USB plug in for my home computer and everything works fine. I also copied the downloaded .exe file to a cd and installed it on my laptop which has its own card slot and it works fine there also.