What is considered best navigation suite?

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

For those of you running Open CPN, how do you deal with the lack of reliability? Although I love it for route planning etc. It is so friggin glitchy on my macbook air I wouldn't dream of taking it to sea.

Shame on you! You are not supposed to talk about things like that. And whatever you do: don’t mention all the threads from people asking for help with strange and esoteric problems. Finally, never, never contrast that with the complete lack of threads from people with issues running Navionics or AquaMaps.

[Franziska]

Well, try it on a PC ;-)

We use it on a Dell notebook dedicated to navigation and have zero issues after setting it up properly.

Very reliable and support from developers and forum is fast and very good.

Originally Posted by unbusted67

For those of you running Open CPN, how do you deal with the lack of reliability? Although I love it for route planning etc. It is so friggin glitchy on my macbook air I wouldn't dream of taking it to sea.

[sv_pelagia]

Problems with Opencpn?

Once setup and running, we have not found it glitchy on PC or Android.

If updating Opencpn or changing setup (new plugin, etc), we do sometime have initial issues. These are pretty quickly resolved.

No idea about it on a Mac....

[unbusted67]

So after a bit of research it would seem that both Furuno and Garmin are only rated to 5 degrees f which to me seems pretty insane. Both companies are totally ignoring a large chunk of market share. Think of all of the patrol boats, and work boats in the NE and PNW that regularly experience sub zero temps.

Having first hand experience at losing an entire Garmin rig after one season of cold weather, I can attest that these specs are what they are.

I guess I am stuck with Raymarine which, of the three, is my least favorite option.

[chris in SG]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Problems with Opencpn?

Once setup and running, we have not found it glitchy on PC or Android.

If updating Opencpn or changing setup (new plugin, etc), we do sometime have initial issues. These are pretty quickly resolved.

No idea about it on a Mac....

I'm increasingly using openCPN in the cabin because I enjoy the sharing of anchorage tips between cruisers. But I have a question which I hope is not hijacking the thread:-

It's great to be able to download the software and updates FOC, but the official openCPN page on chart sources seems to concentrate on free availability rather than highest quality or best compatibility. I know navionics is not compatible, but what charts would you guys recommend for "rest of World" detail and accuracy, which I can buy and download online?

[Franziska]

Just on a side note Sailgrib WR is a fabulous, very reasonably priced (for what it offers!) and very very good Android navigation app, which is capable to use Navionics chart, MB Tiles and other.
Very impressive routing option as well.

I know that this does not answer your question directly, but it may be an alternative...

Originally Posted by chris in SG

I'm increasingly using openCPN in the cabin because I enjoy the sharing of anchorage tips between cruisers. But I have a question which I hope is not hijacking the thread:-

It's great to be able to download the software and updates FOC, but the official openCPN page on chart sources seems to concentrate on free availability rather than highest quality or best compatibility. I know navionics is not compatible, but what charts would you guys recommend for "rest of World" detail and accuracy, which I can buy and download online?

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by chris in SG

I'm increasingly using openCPN in the cabin because I enjoy the sharing of anchorage tips between cruisers. But I have a question which I hope is not hijacking the thread:-

It's great to be able to download the software and updates FOC, but the official openCPN page on chart sources seems to concentrate on free availability rather than highest quality or best compatibility. I know navionics is not compatible, but what charts would you guys recommend for "rest of World" detail and accuracy, which I can buy and download online?

I think it would be difficult for OPENCPN to list all the sources of paid chart sources that can be used in OPCPN, the list is quite large:

- Most countries' official hydrographic chsrts can be used in OPCPN.
- Now there are the reasonably priced o-charts
- Of course, there is CM-93 version 2 charts -- NOT version 3 (though technically pirated and not up to date)
- "charts" from satellite images

Note that it IS possible to make Navionics charts for OPCPN, using SASPLANET and SAT2CHART.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

. . . What’s everyone using? Garmin, Furuno, Raymarine, Simrad?

I've had Garmin and Raymarine. Presently have B&G Zeus.

If I were replacing plotters and radar today, I would go with Furuno.

I liked my old Raymarine Pathfinder gear - rugged, crash-proof, military type stuff. They don't make em likthat anymore.

Navico (Simrad/B&G) - never again. They orphan their stuff after 2 or 3 years, as if they were mobile phones.

[chris in SG]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

I think it would be difficult for OPENCPN to list all the sources of paid chart sources that can be used in OPCPN, the list is quite large:

- Most countries' official hydrographic chsrts can be used in OPCPN.
- Now there are the reasonably priced o-charts
- Of course, there is CM-93 version 2 charts -- NOT version 3 (though technically pirated and not up to date)
- "charts" from satellite images

Note that it IS possible to make Navionics charts for OPCPN, using SASPLANET and SAT2CHART.

Many thanks, that's very helpful. I see that the o-charts are work-in-progress (nothing yet in Asia) but their website directed me to Chartworld for other options to consider..

[unbusted67]

I ended up going with a Furuno TZtouch 3 with a 12 inch display and a furuno radar. Unbelievable piece of gear. I haven't seen a piece of electronics built with such an eye towards work flow and ergonomics since an iphone. The thing is awesome. You can link it to your iphone and download weather without any subscription baloney the display can be repeated on an ipad. The thing is just awesome.