C-Card reader

[Taffy]

Anyonw know how if there is a generic c-card reader or adapter without having to buy the C-Maps own kit with the PC-planner.
I have not been able to find even any techncial data on C-cards as it seems to be their own standard.
Cheers !

 

[Guest]

Most proprietary Crads can only be used in own company readers ... often a small piece of code is read by that reader to enable use of the card. Even though the reader may be made by a "generic" company.
You can "read and Explorer" the files - but that's all.

You are looking for same as millions of other people ! The magic card reader ...

If you are just wanting to tansfer user data to plotter / PC program - then usually a generic reader / writer is fine ... as I do with my Lowrance. But I cannot USE the chart cards to diplay charts on my pc as the reader is not LEI.
For that I have to spend the 40 quid or so for a LEI reader. Instead of the 8 quid for my 12 card reader !

 

[Taffy]

Hi,

I found the same answer to my own question from Digiboat

"The C-Map SD chart cartridges are a proprietary format and are not compatible with industry standard SD card readers - the C-Map USBMM Card Reader is required to use the NT/NT+ or MAX SD chart cartridges. "

They have got you by the S&C´s

 

[aluijten]

Hi,

The C-Card is not only proprietary format. The PC program you need to make use of the cards is also locked down to the C-Map cardreader. This means you need to hook up the card reader to be able to run the program.
Although I understand they want to protect their investment (illegal copies are a genuine problem if you have a relative small audience to sell to), I cannot understand how they can charge me 145 Euro for a program that is basically so limited in it's usability that they should pay me to use it instead of the other way around.

The program (PC Planner) is hopeless for organising your waypoints and routes.
Apart from that you are also required to put the cartridge in every time you want to use the chart information.
So, I accept they want to protect their investment, I'm prepared to pay for their copy-protection (although reluctantly) but I do expect, after all of this, to be served with a great piece of kit, and not some homebrew sofware and a fancy coloured cardreader /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Arno

 

[waterboy]

Sorry to see your report aluitjen. I have been planning a rally covering Normandy and North Britanny for this summer and found the C-Card reader invaluable. The tide graphs for each day in question made the whole exercise a doddle.
I agree that it takes a while to get the hang of the thing and there should be a better tutorial. I did not find the web pages that easy to find in the first place but when you eventually get there, there is a wealth of information and upgrades if needed and the whole thing then comes quite workable. Worth the price? On balance yes.

 

[aluijten]

Well one question for you then /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
If you are creating a route and decide to put an additional waypoint in at the start of the route (or somewhere in the middle), how would you go about it?

I agree the package gets the job done in the end but having seen many software packages by now, to me this PC planner looks quite rudimentary.
The problem is also that you have no alternative (Apart from MAxSea) if you want to stick to the C-Map system.
The C-MAP charts are quite OK, the tidal info (in the MAX-charts) is great, but that is not so much an achievement of the PC program.


Arno

 

[Malcb]

Read the Help Screen.

I can't explain it here any better than the help screen. What I suggest that you do is open up the C-Map screen, reduce it slightly, so that you can have the help screen next to it so that you can read the help screen at the same time as looking at the chart. then follow the instructions. You can insert a new waypoint at the start, and in the middle of any leg and obviously at the end. Once you get the hang of it then it's easy. Also remember that to zoom in and out at the current cursor position use the I and O keys. I find that that makes it easier to zoom in and out while using the mouse for editing. (Just a personal thing).

I'm reasonably impressed with the C-Map PC Planner package for getting waypoints onto my chart plotter using a user card.

Also I often transfer the track from the plotter to the user Card, and thence to my PC so that I can do a print of the trip which I stick in my log book for future reference.

 

[kcrane]

Phew - I haven't seen the program, but if you need the help file open alongside the program to add a waypoint, then Arno wins this debate by a country mile /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[SteveSJM]

I have to say I agree with aluitjen, I have been using PC planner for around 4-5 years and although it is good, it is extremely limited, and plotting waypoints into a route you already have is not at all flexible. I have to say that it is probably the most inflexible bit of software I've ever used considering how technically clever it is with all the cartography and tidal info, and bouyage etc. And the fact that you have to bring the c-card home from the boat to use the cartography! ARGH!!!

 

[Malcb]

[ QUOTE ]
Phew - I haven't seen the program, but if you need the help file open alongside the program to add a waypoint, then Arno wins this debate by a country mile /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

No you don't need the help screen open beside the program. That was my best suggestion rather than trying to reinvent the wheel by trying to explain how to do it on here without having the program available to show him.

IMO the program does exactly what it sets out to do. It is simple to operate and very easy to edit routes. It also easily saves routes and waypoints to a user card which can then be downloaded onto the chart plotter.