CM93 Versions

[liward]

In the South Pacific, we use OpenCPN with CM93 and Google Earth charts. I have several versions of CM93 and wonder if anyone can tell me which version is the best or the differences. These are the ones I have.
CM93ed2/2009
CM93
CM93-2011
CM94 new
Thank you.

[StuM]

CM94? What are they?

[Paul L]

I used CMap 2018 charts in the South Pacific. They were very good. I also have 3 versions of the CM93 charts freebies. It isn't clear to me that one is any more up-to-date than the other. The differences seem to be some minor chart revisions in some areas. The CM93 charts were decent in many areas, but not good in Fiji and Tuamotus.

[SailRedemption]

Where are people getting these charts?

[Neptune's Gear]

CM93 that many cruisers use is pirated software. Version 2 is the last one that was hacked. There are multiple version dates around, the dates are not reliable, the later dates are caused by people re-copying the files using systems that changed the date to the day of the copy. The last real updates were around 2011 or 2011 iirc. Some of the later dates are actually version 1 files!
Use at your own risk.
Please user licenced software.

[Schnapsy]

Originally Posted by Neptune's Gear

The last real updates were around 2011 or 2011 iirc. Some of the later dates are actually version 1 files!

Personally, I use official and up-to-date OesENC cards.
But I did check on my old cm93v2 maps and we can see that the RecData dates from 2014...

[yachtvalhalla]

In SEAsia the cm93 charts have had detail in older versions removed from newer versions.


Below shows version 2007 versus version 2010. This applies to many areas off the 'beaten path'.



Terry

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by Neptune's Gear

CM93 that many cruisers use is pirated software. Version 2 is the last one that was hacked. There are multiple version dates around, the dates are not reliable, the later dates are caused by people re-copying the files using systems that changed the date to the day of the copy. The last real updates were around 2011 or 2011 iirc. Some of the later dates are actually version 1 files!

Use at your own risk.

Please user licenced software.

Thanks for the information. And we use free NOAA and purchased charts.

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by yachtvalhalla

In SEAsia the cm93 charts have had detail in older versions removed from newer versions.

Below shows version 2007 versus version 2010. This applies to many areas off the 'beaten path'.

Terry

Terry
You should try to get the latest version of CM93ed2. It is from May 2015.
The area of Samal Island shows the chart date of 06.10.14.
See attachment.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Neptune's Gear

CM93 that many cruisers use is pirated software. Version 2 is the last one that was hacked. There are multiple version dates around, the dates are not reliable, the later dates are caused by people re-copying the files using systems that changed the date to the day of the copy. The last real updates were around 2011 or 2011 iirc. Some of the later dates are actually version 1 files!
Use at your own risk.
Please user licenced software.

I would say a word in defense of using CM93 charts -- in their place.


First of all, it is not quite clear whether their legal status is "pirated", or not. There are some arguments that they are already now in the public domain.



Second, I think it is reckless and horrible seamanship, to use charts this much out of date, and with uncertain provenance, for navigation. But that does not exclude their use for study, planning, cross-checking other cartography.


I am a long distance cruiser and cover thousands of miles every year, which means I spend hundreds of £££ every year on charts. I have two separate, legal, right up to date sets of charts for almost everywhere I will be this year, and just spent more than £500 just updating them. But I still keep and use CM93 for some things.


For example: there are some bits of coast where I don't have commercial raster charts for OpenCPN (like until recently Denmark, and the German bit of the North Sea coast, but now I have up to date OSenc charts for those places). But I do all of my passage planning on OpenCPN on my nav computer with a large monitor. So for those bits of coast, I use CM93 to plan a route, which I then upload to my regular navigation system with up to date Navionics charts. So then all I have to do on the MFD is "fly" the route, zoomed way in, to check that there are no hazards which weren't in the CM93 charts.


I also use CM93 to study areas I am just THINKING about sailing. So for that, CM93 is an invaluable "base map". Just don't use it for navigation!!

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Second, I think it is reckless and horrible seamanship, to use charts this much out of date, and with uncertain provenance, for navigation.

Very much depends where you are, from experience in many parts of the world they're as good as any other sources. So much better than when we used to get whatever we could from the back street copy shop, ancient charts which had already been photocopied many times..

What a leap forward sasplant & opencpn reading Mbtiles is, often satellite images can be the best benchmark there is, especially for checking datums.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by conachair

Very much depends where you are, from experience in many parts of the world they're as good as any other sources. So much better than when we used to get whatever we could from the back street copy shop, ancient charts which had already been photocopied many times..

What a leap forward sasplant & opencpn reading Mbtiles is, often satellite images can be the best benchmark there is, especially for checking datums.

Yes, satellite images rule for correcting datum errors (or understanding them), from beyond radar range. I regret very much that I did not have a full set of GE2Kap files for the part of Greenland we were cruising last summer. We didn't expect to get as far as Scorseby Sund, so the files I made (very laborious) were for SE Greenland, but we were in NE Greenland.


The charts were almost useless, giving only just a general idea of the shape of the coast, and no idea about where anything was, at least not within a mile. GE2Kap files would have been invaluable.


As it was, we used radar, HBC, caution, and luck. We operated on the principle that as long as we were off soundings and not headed towards land, there was not much risk of hitting a rock. On soundings, we slowed right down and picked our way, and I often put someone on the bow to look out, but the water was often murky, so this was probably not all that valuable.

[Neddy]

Originally Posted by liward

In the South Pacific, we use OpenCPN with CM93 and Google Earth charts. I have several versions of CM93 and wonder if anyone can tell me which version is the best or the differences. These are the ones I have.
CM93ed2/2009
CM93
CM93-2011
CM94 new
Thank you.

I have he lasted CM93-3. take up 2.5GB. Only thing is it wont run on OpenCPN as they are different format. folder is called CD1X01.DAT. in the old you could open te folder and pick the folders you needed for where you are going, now its just one big folder.
it will run on Maxsea 10.3 (if you can remember that program) and a small Norwigan program called dKartNavigator:

[Neddy]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I would say a word in defense of using CM93 charts -- in their place.


First of all, it is not quite clear whether their legal status is "pirated", or not. There are some arguments that they are already now in the public domain.



Second, I think it is reckless and horrible seamanship, to use charts this much out of date, and with uncertain provenance, for navigation. But that does not exclude their use for study, planning, cross-checking other cartography.


I am a long distance cruiser and cover thousands of miles every year, which means I spend hundreds of £££ every year on charts. I have two separate, legal, right up to date sets of charts for almost everywhere I will be this year, and just spent more than £500 just updating them. But I still keep and use CM93 for some things.


For example: there are some bits of coast where I don't have commercial raster charts for OpenCPN (like until recently Denmark, and the German bit of the North Sea coast, but now I have up to date OSenc charts for those places). But I do all of my passage planning on OpenCPN on my nav computer with a large monitor. So for those bits of coast, I use CM93 to plan a route, which I then upload to my regular navigation system with up to date Navionics charts. So then all I have to do on the MFD is "fly" the route, zoomed way in, to check that there are no hazards which weren't in the CM93 charts.


I also use CM93 to study areas I am just THINKING about sailing. So for that, CM93 is an invaluable "base map". Just don't use it for navigation!!

I sail Papua New Guinea every year. older CM)# was out 1/10 mile every where-
picked up CM93-3 last year, they are 2016 updated, they say, and they are now correct where I sail.
Too bad you cant use them OpenCPN, but have to use Maxsea 10.3 or dKartNavigator: that come with the charst. all up 2.5GB so should have lots more charts than last ver that had 1.6 GB

[Neddy]

Originally Posted by SailRedemption

Where are people getting these charts?

Asl Yacht Valhalla, he have them in the cloud to download