Best setup for Antares Charts?

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cpedw

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What do people use (and find to be straightforward) to view Antares charts?

I have been using the recommended Memory Map on an Android tablet but I don't find it at all easy and intuitive. My MM charts are now getting on a bit (2013) and I was thinking of updating but since I don't actually use the MM charts part much, I wondered if there's a better way to go, ideally sticking with the Android tablet.

Would OpenCPN be a good move?

Derek
 
What’s your concerns with Memory Map?
Seems to work fine for me on iPad, phone and laptop. Clearly using Antares Charts, which cover small areas, things like route planning etc are not relevant - it’s just about being able to pull up the relevant chart quickly and see the boat location positioned accurately over the chart. Which it does perfectly.
PS. If your charts are from 2013 definitely worth upgrading, as massively more areas charted since then. A new release tends to come out January-ish, so may be worth waiting to get the latest one?
 
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cpedw said:
What do people use (and find to be straightforward) to view Antares charts?

I have been using the recommended Memory Map on an Android tablet but I don't find it at all easy and intuitive. My MM charts are now getting on a bit (2013) and I was thinking of updating but since I don't actually use the MM charts part much, I wondered if there's a better way to go, ideally sticking with the Android tablet.

Would OpenCPN be a good move?

Derek
Click to expand...

I have it working on Win10 and Android. I'm not really impressed with the way MM licensing operates - it seems to assume you have perfect connectivity any time you use it. Not the case up in the western Isles. I have got it (MM) to function, but it's not intuitive.

The Antares part of the system works much as it should and is excellent.
 
Antares works seamlessly with the MM full Admiralty charts and OS maps on iOS and Windows, never used Android but I can’t imagine it is much different. If MM is not easy to use I think you will have more difficulty in all the other systems.
 
I have Admiralty Charts and Antares on an Android Tablet, accessed through Memory Map. Once you eventually get the Antares charts installed, they work seamlessly for me. Incidentally, there may not be a new issue of Antares this Spring, as Bob took a break from any further surveys this year.
 
dunedin said:
What’s your concerns with Memory Map? ?
Click to expand...
It only ever shows a single chart so there's often a lot of white screen.
Waypoints and Routes are independent entities; I am accustomed to a Route being a collection of Waypoints.
I can only ever measure a distance from the current location and with the 1 chart showing problem, it's hard to find the place you want to measure to.

Having said that, I have found Antares charts invaluable though a couple of favourite isolated places have been getting busier recently.

A useful tip about likely date for the new release, thanks.

What, is Bob taking another year off? What a slacker ;) However, the portfolio is already way big enough for me.

Derek
 
JumbleDuck said:
I view them as images. The Memory Map install instructions are bizarrely complicated and I use MX Mariner normally.
Click to expand...
I think you're missing out then. Having the boat's position marked unambiguously on the Antares chart has got us through several complex places very straightforwardly.

I agree the Antares installation is a bit complicated but following the instructions literally has allowed me to get it all working OK. The pilotage notes are an added bonus. I just wish MM was more transparent.

Derek
 
cpedw said:
I think you're missing out then. Having the boat's position marked unambiguously on the Antares chart has got us through several complex places very straightforwardly.

I agree the Antares installation is a bit complicated but following the instructions literally has allowed me to get it all working OK. The pilotage notes are an added bonus. I just wish MM was more transparent.
Click to expand...

I'd certainly install Antares on MX Mariner if I could, but I haven't yet managed to get the conversion software to run. I'll give it another go some time.
 
NormanS said:
I have Admiralty Charts and Antares on an Android Tablet, accessed through Memory Map. Once you eventually get the Antares charts installed, they work seamlessly for me. Incidentally, there may not be a new issue of Antares this Spring, as Bob took a break from any further surveys this year.
Click to expand...

I believe that he took a break last winter from converting his surveys to charts, but that he was out surveying as usual this summer, and therefore there are to be two summers worth of surveys to be uploaded this spring, resulting in over 500 Antares charts.
 
More charts? I am struggling to get to 10% of the anchorages as it is. Will have to think very carefully about whether I am ever likely to visit the new ones.
You younger guys could carry on, just like Munro or island bagging, how many can you get to in a lifetime?
 
There is a lot of difference in functionality between Memory- Map on a tablet and on a PC. I think you may be expecting too much if you are trying to use MM as your main plotter and running it on a tablet and a next question would be "what is your back-up?". I have used MM on a laptop and set up routes ok and the 3D run view is very interesting. I use MM plus Antares on my tablet in the cockpit for going into anchorages as my old chart plotter is down in the saloon.

The problem with linking Antares to MM is that you have to follow Bob's instructions PRECISELY, which is something many of us are not good at.
 
Martin&Rene said:
The problem with linking Antares to MM is that you have to follow Bob's instructions PRECISELY, which is something many of us are not good at.
Click to expand...

Perhaps this is an intentional aptitude test for potential Antares Charts users? If you can’t follow things PRECISELY then could be at risk navigating with them through the many very narrow and very rocky channels :encouragement:
 
I find, navigating primarily by Navionics on my IPad mini that it is easy to start MM as I approach an anchorage and zoom in through the admiralty charts till the Antares chartlet appears, then return to navionics which has been running in the background recording my track, till on or very close to the area covered by the Antares chartlet when I can put Navionics into the background and use Antares. The only thing which I find a little disconcerting using Antares via MM is that the progress of the position symbol seems a bit more jerky than in Navionics. I realise that the greater scale of the Antares chartlet may be a cause, but also wonder if the MM samples the gps signal less frequently?
I agree with those who have regretted the convoluted process of getting the Antares chartlets into MM and the unintuitive way that MM otherwise operates.
Very good news that next year we are to be treated to a double dose of new material!
 
Maybe I’m missing a trick here but I download the Antares to PC, plug in iPhone / iPad to PC. Start iTunes, delete old charts from iPhone/ iPad, copy new ones in. Sync and then open MM. click activate. Job done.

it is quite simple.
 
If I understand correctly, you want to be able to have:

- a big area chart showing your approach to the anchorage

- as you approach the anchorage zoom in to the Anteres Chart.

I may be wrong, but I though you *can* do that on OpenCPN...
 
ShinyShoe said:
If I understand correctly, you want to be able to have:

- a big area chart showing your approach to the anchorage

- as you approach the anchorage zoom in to the Anteres Chart.

I may be wrong, but I though you *can* do that on OpenCPN...
Click to expand...

That's about it. But so far you are the only CPN -friendly respodent, and you don't sound so sure ... I was hoping for a few unequivocal Yes or Nos. Answers so far seem to indicate I need to improve my MM skills.

Derek
 
ShinyShoe said:
If I understand correctly, you want to be able to have:

- a big area chart showing your approach to the anchorage

- as you approach the anchorage zoom in to the Anteres Chart.

I may be wrong, but I though you *can* do that on OpenCPN...
Click to expand...

That is dead easy to do on Memory Map if you have the Admiralty Charts set. Use the Admiralty one then when get closer in select detailed Antares Chart - by zooming or using the charts at location list.
 
cpedw said:
That's about it. But so far you are the only CPN -friendly respodent, and you don't sound so sure ... I was hoping for a few unequivocal Yes or Nos. Answers so far seem to indicate I need to improve my MM skills.

Derek
Click to expand...
Well, OpenCPN is free. Nothing to stop you trying it.

I haven't got an Anteres Chart to test. But I know you can do it with other charts...

You'd need to pick a chart system to use for the "big picture"... ...but you could test with any random chart...
 
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