Electronic chart for laptop recommendation please

[cameronke]

Greetings All!

I do apologise if this thread has been posted many times before but being a novice to this field I would be confused by jargon.

Would anyone please recommend a marine chart system for use on my laptop with a USB GPS mouse. I believe some may exist that can incorporate tide information such that flow and direction can be given for an area in real time (given up to date data).

Regards
Cameron

 

[fireball]

We've got Maptech marine - using Offshore Navigator Lite (~£50 for solent area now!!)
pretty good for a basic package, would consider the full Offshore Navigator too ...

 

[iangrant]

Nigel Luther who frequents these pages runs a yahoo group - full of al the nav stuff you could ever want to ask about..

Nav group

I use Navmaster and C-Map93 both interface well with the USB gps but you obviously need to configure the com port it is on.
Navmaster

Ian

 

[silvertop]

Im a Maptech user myself, only cause I use it on my PDA with Navman for road use and Maptech for marine. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[pjohnson]

I also use cmap93 attached to a garmin72 gps, bit of a pain getting the usb to work ( I have a serial to usb converter) but like someone else says, once you have told the pc where the com port is it normally runs ok, I have to remember to plug the usb into the same port every time though.

Someone mentioned a program called seaclear a few days ago and they reckoned it was ok, i did a search on google and downloaded it but couldnt be bothered to set it up as i have the cmap.

Good Luck

 

[aidancoughlan]

if you think you may buy a dedicated chartplotter in the future, consider the differences between Raster charts (scanned paper charts), and Vector charts (completely computer-generated) such as C-MAP, Navionics etc.- dedicated plotters use only vector charts as far as I know.
see previous threads for info on same...

 

[Colvic Watson]

And there is the RYA / Admiralty electronic chart package. £40 for a years usage. Not sophisticated, but it's aimed at getting some experience of a plotter. Available via the RYA.

 

[ChrisE]

Like Ian, I use Navmaster which supports both C-Map and ARCS charts, as well as other formats. It also displays and employs tidal information, from Proudman, as I recall. This tidal info is vital if you want to use the passage planning functions for passages in the UK. Navmaster will provide a best time to take best advantage of the tidal stream for your passage.

 

[starboard]

I have a copy of CMAP commercial edition....cover's the whole world, wander down to Troon sometime and will get a copy for you if you wish,
Regards

Paul.