copying Navionics card

[bromleybysea]

I bought a new Navionics UK & Ireland chart last year on a standard SD card, only to discover that the new card would not load on my trusty Lowrance plotter due to insufficient memory. I was able to load it onto my PC-based plotter at the chart table. I have now replaced my plotter but it takes micro SD cards. Can I simply copy the chart on my plotter onto a micro SD card? I don’t want to try and end up corrupting the chart as I seem to remember that Navionics have copy prevention built in

 

[Daverw]

You cannot copy the card as it’s got codes on it. Are you sure you have standard SD card and not a SD card holder with the micro sim slotted in? We’ve been sent both for the last 7 years

 

[Refueler]

You cannot copy the card as it’s got codes on it. Are you sure you have standard SD card and not a SD card holder with the micro sim slotted in? We’ve been sent both for the last 7 years

Correct - the files code to the internal ID of the card ...

I believe you can exchange cards ... but no doubt there will be a fee ...

As Dave says - check to see whether its a micro SD card in a standard SD card holder

 

[Graham_Wright]

Ask Navionics.

 

[Refueler]

In the old days of DOS - there were Copy Programs that created exact clone copies of discs, (Diskcopy, Copyright etc) ... you could clone a 5.25 floppy to a 3.5" and all sorts .. the 3.5 would be exact copy of the 5.25. You could not the other way though as the donor card had to same or larger than the clone card.

The programs are long gone and hard to find now ... but I do know they work with CD's / SD cards etc via Dosbox ......

I do not support the cloning - just saying.

It used to be possible to transfer Navionics - but you needed an old Navionics card to copy to ... basically the card was already authenticated Navionics card and it did not matter what area chart files went on ...
I think that has been blocked now ...

 

[KompetentKrew]

I believe you need to obtain the SD card's CID number (e.g. using Linux) then find a supplier on AliExpress (or maybe you need to use AliBaba?) that can set the CID of the SD card before they send you.

 

[BCsailor]

Not clear to me whether your current "plotter" is PC-based. If it is, simply buy a adapter
https://www.amazon.co.uk/sd-card-adapter/s?k=sd+card+adapter

 

[Dockhead]

I've broken up with Navionics after a decades long relationship. I tried to update one of the several Navionics cards which I, expensively, need for my cruising area (Baltic and North Sea), and the system told me that the card was too small and I would have to buy a new one. Which costs half the cost of a new chart, plus the other half for the update equals a new card. Previously they would exchange for free a card which was not suitable.

That moved me to look at C-Maps and lo and behold, they offer a single card (!) which does the entire Baltic Sea, UK, North Sea up to Svalbard, Iceland, European coasts down to Gib. Their equivalent of a Navionics Platinum card (with satellite images, and raster charts) cover entire Baltic and North Sea.

Sold and sold. My collection of Navionics cards will soon be for sale.

 

[ithet]

I've broken up with Navionics after a decades long relationship. I tried to update one of the several Navionics cards which I, expensively, need for my cruising area (Baltic and North Sea), and the system told me that the card was too small and I would have to buy a new one. Which costs half the cost of a new chart, plus the other half for the update equals a new card. Previously they would exchange for free a card which was not suitable.

That moved me to look at C-Maps and lo and behold, they offer a single card (!) which does the entire Baltic Sea, UK, North Sea up to Svalbard, Iceland, European coasts down to Gib. Their equivalent of a Navionics Platinum card (with satellite images, and raster charts) cover entire Baltic and North Sea.

Sold and sold. My collection of Navionics cards will soon be for sale.

If your card was still updatable, you only need to buy the update card at half price of new card (and often cheaper then the direct subscription cost via Navionics). Then your old card is used to "enable" the new card and you download the chart area and can update for twelve months. There is no "other half" to pay.

I agree that C map do the massive mega wide area.

 

[KompetentKrew]

That moved me to look at C-Maps and lo and behold, they offer a single card (!) which does the entire Baltic Sea, UK, North Sea up to Svalbard, Iceland, European coasts down to Gib. Their equivalent of a Navionics Platinum card (with satellite images, and raster charts) cover entire Baltic and North Sea.

I found the marketing very unclear, but the two brands do offer options with comparable coverage - I think Navionics call it "continental" scale.

See post 15, I think, of this previous thread: Navionics vs C-Map for B&G Vulcan.

 

[dolabriform]

In the old days of DOS - there were Copy Programs that created exact clone copies of discs, (Diskcopy, Copyright etc) ... you could clone a 5.25 floppy to a 3.5" and all sorts .. the 3.5 would be exact copy of the 5.25. You could not the other way though as the donor card had to same or larger than the clone card.

The programs are long gone and hard to find now ... but I do know they work with CD's / SD cards etc via Dosbox ......

Take a look at the DD command on Linux.

The Complete Guide to the dd Command in Linux

You can use it to clone block devices.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Take a look at the DD command on Linux.

The Complete Guide to the dd Command in Linux

You can use it to clone block devices.

It won't work because it doesn't copy the SD card's CID number.

The "SD" in "SD card" stands for "secure digital" - they weren't born yesterday, you know.

 

[dolabriform]

It won't work because it doesn't copy the SD card's CID number.

The "SD" in "SD card" stands for "secure digital" - they weren't born yesterday, you know.

I was just replying to Refuler's question about copy programs, but thanks for clarifying my post. You are correct in that it will not copy the CID number. There are ways to do that, but they are not trivial.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Excuse me, @dolabriform, and thank you for clarifying.

 

[Refueler]

I was just replying to Refuler's question about copy programs, but thanks for clarifying my post. You are correct in that it will not copy the CID number. There are ways to do that, but they are not trivial.

The old DOS cloning programs do create second working copies of SD cards .... but the problem is getting the program itself to work on todays PC's ...

 

[dolabriform]

Excuse me, @dolabriform, and thank you for clarifying.

no worries, thank you

 

[LorenzoC]

It won't work because it doesn't copy the SD card's CID number.

The "SD" in "SD card" stands for "secure digital" - they weren't born yesterday, you know.

I never know of the CID number, thank you.

It's a pity, otherwise it could be useful clonezilla, the gui of Linux dd command.
There is also a usb release.

 

[dolabriform]

The old DOS cloning programs do create second working copies of SD cards .... but the problem is getting the program itself to work on todays PC's ...

Including the CID?

 

[lustyd]

Including the CID?

Not a chance, no. He’s just never tried to copy a protected one. Any copy program can copy the data on an unprotected SD card.
The protection tech didn’t even exist when those programs were written.

 

[Refueler]

Not a chance, no. He’s just never tried to copy a protected one. Any copy program can copy the data on an unprotected SD card.
The protection tech didn’t even exist when those programs were written.

Sorry lustyd - WRONG.

The programs I am talking about are full cloning programs - not just file copiers ....
They clone the whole medium and you still have to use your licence key or code to use - same as the original.

Example - you have to be a DOS person to appreciate !!

Full encrypted / protected original .... Norton. Mirror and all the usual programs people used - not a chance .. many cards / discs in fact would block the read and copy program says unreadable.

But full cloning programs don't read the files ... they just create a total clone of the original - yes read that again .. TOTAL clone ...

I will not give the name of any of these programs to avoid accusation of promoting copyright infringement ... but anyone who was any good with DOS should know of one or two ...

I came to know of them working in Saudi Arabia ... they were widely used - even the dealers were using !!