Furuno Max Sea Times Zero

[Clipper747]

WE have just purchased a boat with the Furuno Max Sea Time Zero and have found that the previous owner took the chip with him. WE have been quoted 800 euros to set up our own maps. This seems quite high as the license is $300 U.S. Any help on what how to handle install of new maps would be helpful, easy of difficult to make everything communicate. Thank in advance.

[ranger58sb]

With some clarification, maybe I can help, even if only a little...

Our Furuno chartplotter system is NAVNet3D (NN3D), embodied in a 12" Multi-Function Device (MFD). The charts reside in memory, not on a removable chip (SD card). The SD card is an easy way to transfer downloaded charts from high-speed home computer (for example) to the MFD.

The software in there is NOT actually exactly MaxSea TimeZero; more like a very similar, near mirror of TimeZero. TZ is the computer (e.g., laptop) implementation.

IF you mean you have an NN3D (or newer) MFD, then the next useful bit of info is version number. When you turn the thing on it'll show you that number; I think our NN3D is 2.something-or-other... but you may have that or something newer (TZ Touch, whatever). Version number might not be all that important (at least at first) if the system is working properly.

The third useful thing to specify is your cruising location. Wherever, I think you can just download the charts. Charts are available for download, here, if that works for where you are: https://www.furunousa.com/en/products/gps_and_chart_plotters/browse?filter=Discontinued.eq.false&group={CFBDF65 2-0102-4A61-9835-CF99FD2D0A6F}&groupName=Charts for NavNet 3D, TZtouch & TZtouch2


If it happens to be in the USA and if the stars and moon align with all that MFD/version stuff... NOAA charts, both raster and vector formats, are free. C-Map and Navionics charts are $$$. I dunno much about charts for elsewhere...

There's a MapMedia site somewhere, but I don't have the bookmark handy just now; MapMedia are the guys who actually make the Furuno and TZ charts; same charts work for both MFD and laptop implementations, although there are some differences in the way TZ works with ZIP files (it does) versus MFD (does not). Minor detail...

-Chris

[Clipper747]

Chris,

We have two NN3D chart plotters (master at nav station and slave in cockpit). The version number that comes up on the screen is 1950055-02.13. For cruising area our plan is US East Coast, Bahamas, Lesser Antilles. Thank you for your insights.

Martin

[Paul L]

Martin,
Go to the furunousa site and open a support incident. Tell them you are the new owner of the chart plotters, giving them the IDs, ask them to transfer them to you.

Now on Maxsea. Do you have a paid copy of Maxsea? If it came with the boat installed on a computer, then it should still be running and still associated with your chartplotters. If the old owner took it with them on a laptop, then you need to get the old owner to do the Maxsea uninstall process to free up the license. Maxsea comes with 2 licenses. Then get furunousa to associate your chartplottters with the newly installed Maxsea. It is doable, just need to jump through some hoops and possibly have the cooperation of the original owner.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Clipper747

Chris,

We have two NN3D chart plotters (master at nav station and slave in cockpit). The version number that comes up on the screen is 1950055-02.13. For cruising area our plan is US East Coast, Bahamas, Lesser Antilles. Thank you for your insights.

v2.13 is I think even slightly newer than the version we have installed, so you should be good to go with charts from that link.

I do have TZ, too; one license is on our home planning computer, one on the ship's laptop. What Paul said, about uninstalling/relicensing if the previous owner took their computers.

When installing new charts, I usually do that to TZ first because that process starts with the ZIP file. Then I get the unzipped (installed) version from the folder tree, put that on an SD card, insert in the NN3D MFD because it needs the unzipped version. On a Windows PC, TZ files go to Program Data/MaxSea Int/Data and then to appropriate sub-folders. In the MFD, there are only X amount of memory slots, so you may have to clear files in order to install files; the NN3D manual is clear about that.

Since the previous link looked goofy, the latest NOAA East Coast versions are at the charts link from here:
https://www.furunousa.com/en/product...chart_plotters

The most current raster charts is MAP14, and the latest current vector chart is MAP16, just recently put up. Lots of other relevant charts available; 3D Sat, etc. I've read the CMAP charts include Explorer Chart data and there are are desirable for the islands.

-Chris

[CarinaPDX]

To be clear, any charts that were bought for a Furuno NN3D chartplotter are keyed to the plotter, and are not transferable to other chartplotters. If bought for the MaxSea TZ software then they would stay with that, which might be what happened. When networked together chartplotters and a computer with TZ share the charts.

The place to get charts is here: https://mytimezero.com/charts-catalog To install just download the free charts, unzip, transfer to a full-sized SDcard, then put that in one of the card slots in the MFD for install. There are good manuals on line so I'm not going to go over the procedure here. For paid charts you will need a specific key file that is created by Furuno with both the chart-specific info and your System Identification number. With the downloaded paid chart and this key file you can install a new chart. These key files are specific to that dated version and will not work for newer versions, so wait until you need them to buy. Frequently the key files can be bought through discounters like Defender for much less than elsewhere.

Greg

[CarinaPDX]

It is also time again to do the annual update of NOAA charts - the current ones were released last month (May). Note that there are changes in the vector and raster chart files. Now there are just two vector chart files; the Inland Rivers are now incorporated into the East Coast file. The raster charts are completely revamped, with the number of files reduced from 9 to 6. Also, there is a new version (2) of the world-wide low res satellite file.

I made up a list of all of the free chart files available (and recorded which I installed, but that part is not current). With the exception of the high-res sat images they are available on the above MaxSea Chart page, or via links. I don't know if the sat photos are still available elsewhere; now that Cmap is part of the Furuno/Jeppeson group they have been bundling sat photos in the paid Cmap charts. Never fear: I had downloaded all of them just in case.

ChartList2019-Installed.doc

Greg

[AZUS]

In addition to the "self-help" by going to TimeZero/Furuno directly, you can also go through a Furuno authorized dealer. If you are buying additional charts, the dealer will sell them for the same price as online, with the additional benefit that the dealer can also work with TZ to have them link the chartplotter and TZ accounts; to add additional activations to the TZ, etc.