Follow up on anothers post about expired Navionics cards

[Refueler]

I have various nav gear for use on the boat ... principally :

Onwa plotter with K Charts - very good
Android tablet + Navionics charts via app - very good
Smartphone with same Navionics via app. - very good
Garmin Echomap UHD 92sv with Navionics SD card - UGH !! Charts good - plotter crap.

The Garmin when I bought the boat had Sweden - genuine and in subscription term .. and base world map.

Because of the tablet and Onwa - leaving the Sweden coverage and dropping to base world map was not a problem - I had all the necessary detail on those alternatives.

A while back I had noted sales of recently expired SD cards on eBay .. and someone posted on the forum about them.

Given that there was minimal risk for me - I do have full commercial charting as well as part of my business .... I decided to trial an expired card ...

Cost ? Incl shipping about 50 euros for full Baltic coverage - 2021 last updated to year end 2022.

Seller before dispatch emailed me for details of my plotter to ensure compatibility

Few days later SD card in nice case arrived.

Down to boat ... fire up Garmin ... check all working OK ...

Swapped cards ... it read the Baltic card with no errors or dialogue about expired ...

I spent time comparing data with my current tablet based ... I accept that I cannot check everything - but all was same that I checked ... it also ran all the extras that Vision cards have ....

BEFORE I get flamed for this ... I am NOT advocating all go out and buy expired cards. I advise that latest current should be used.

My point is that in my case - I feel I can use as I have sufficient alternative which are current and update as updates are issued.

Note : Having had the Garmin Echomap fail repeatedly due to water across the screen - I no longer trust it anyway. I find this strange - I've had it running during rain - no problem. But when lines of water ran down the bulkhead and across the screen - it was as if the water was causing the touch screen to throw fits as it crossed screen. I am now 3D printing a visor to try redirect water to the sides ....

 

[dankilb]

Not sure I see the novelty/issue - why wouldn’t it work and what difference to using a slightly outdated paper chart? (You already infer it won’t do for commercial…)

Also makes sense that recently out-of-date cards go up for sale (again, no different to paper charts, which lose residual value the older they get).

Can’t see where the flaming could come into it?!

 

[Refueler]

Not sure I see the novelty/issue - why wouldn’t it work and what difference to using a slightly outdated paper chart? (You already infer it won’t do for commercial…)

Also makes sense that recently out-of-date cards go up for sale (again, no different to paper charts, which lose residual value the older they get).

Can’t see where the flaming could come into it?!

There are those on these forums that would like to sink teeth into this ....

Your post shows your good general attitude to the subject. Appreciated.l

OK - working ... I have various other cards and should work - but when inserted - throw up dialogue boxes stating subscription not active .. expired ... invalid etc. But this card just worked without any error / indication of subscription etc.

I was also posting to assist the other thread and the authors questions about use.

 

[dankilb]

In the ‘grey area’ between the charts you technically should carry and those you actually have access to, 2021/22 indeed seems pretty harmless! Plus it sounds like you have backups/alternatives.

 

[Refueler]

In the ‘grey area’ between the charts you technically should carry and those you actually have access to, 2021/22 indeed seems pretty harmless! Plus it sounds like you have backups/alternatives.

Technically should carry ?? As a Yottie - there is no req't.

But of course we want accuracy ...

Yes I have full commercial capability - but costs are more than many people pay for their yacht ! But putting that aside. As I say - my point was to add onto the previous thread where OP had asked about such expired cards.

As an ex serving MN Navigator ... and having spent years correcting charts ..... I can honestly say that most corrections have little effect for the average yacht ... note I say MOST .... there are some that can have effect ...