Chartplotter Waypoints...new toy?

[wyattnorm]

My brother has just invested in a Navman 5550, with a view to making some short sea sorties next year. I am familiar with handheld Etrex and inputing waypoints...question....how do you input waypoints into a chartplotter?

Do you have to enter a waypoint digit by digit, or can you look at the map and click the cursor over a point on the map and construct a route.

Not being able to have a play with it, I have to hope someone here will take a few minutes to enlighten me.



Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Channel Ribs]

Most work in just the way you hope, the exact method varies by manufacturer and sometimes by model but any plotter worth its salt will let you point, click, name and save a waypoint.

Another way is to use a PC or Mac and some planning software to build up a list of 'points that you can then transfer over.

I hope that helps /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Cloven]

You can do either. I have one of these units and when I first got it I entered a lot of data digit by digit as you mention from that in an older GPS unit. Since then I have entered many waypoints using the cursor and also some en-route paticularly on narrow tricky passages - no use at the time but great for the next time!

Whichever way, you can then use any of these to set up a route.

Hope this helps.

 

[wyattnorm]

Thanks for that...you have confirmed what I had thought would be the case...

Pity he lives too far away for me to have a play with it...I find GPS navigation fascinating.

Many thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

I have the Navman 5500i. You can enter waypoints by clicking on the chart, by entering the actual lat/long in digits or by using C-Map's PC Planner software with a PC. Having entered a waypoint, you can move it simply by clicking on it on the chart, then move the cursor to where you want it to move to, then click. It is all very easy to do. With small displays the big risk is missing a danger area along the track so you do need to take the time to follow the track all the way along at an appropriate scale to check it out. Even then, be careful! I generally use PC Planner on the bigger laptop screen partly for that reason.

The Navman is very intuitive and you won't need to keep your head in the instructions for long though it is powerful so it is worth reading the instructions all the way through so you don't miss some of the very useful features you'd otherwise miss.

 

[wyattnorm]

Lemain...many thanks...the PC Planner sounds sensible. I use Memory-map with my Etrex handheld and I am really impressed with the ability of being able to construct a route.

I will copy your reply to my brother...might give him something to think about until the next time he visits his boat and can power it up.