Imray electronic charts

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arfa

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I recently read a review of laptop chartplotter software in a rival sailing mag and ended up ordering Imray's electronic charts for the south coast & north coast of France plus tidal data for £39.99. I am just starting to get to grips with it but as you can hook it up to gps and AIS, plus you get tidal data thrown in too I am very impressed with what you get for under 40 quid. I am told you can update the charts over the internet (haven't quite worked that one out yet /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) but I think I've found myself a bargain - well worth a look for anyone considering going down that route and you can get folios all the way down to Gibraltar
 
I too have a copy of the imray charts on a pc and think they are fantastic. No doubt there are people who will wish to justify the amazing amounts of money they have spent on other stuff, but for a simple bit of kit that tells you where you are, you can't beat it....
 
I have the same and generally agree. 2 gripes though, the boat icon seems to move to the end of the chart and disappear.I have to keep pressing 'find ship' to bring it back into view, shouldn't it do that automatically. Also, is there any way to increase the size of the boat icon, i have trouble seeing it sometimes. Sorry to hijack the post. Gripes aside, it's great value for money . thanks
 
I use the package,West Coast and Ireland, The only drawback other than simplicity is having to switch charts manually as they are just copies of their paper stuff and harbour guides but detail is fine. I particularly recommend the optional Meridian tidal package which gives tide heights and streams in real time for all channels and harbours. The active graphic display of real speed and direction is effective and seems very accurate in predicting the effect of cross tides. As a luddite who first learnt navigation on foggy overnight offshore races, hunting for a null on the RDF in the days before Decca I still have a chart table with paper charts (and a Yeoman) and carry a hand bearing compass so the Imray programme complements that approach to navigation.
 
I've had a copy of ID20 for 12m & very pleased with AIS element- fantastic value when most other chartplotters with an AIS capability are 5x the price.

Corrections are released from time to time on the Imray home website- just go to software & then IDC charts & then select your ID chart pack software. This then takes you to that spp software page. On the left hand side under publication details is the latest chart corrections -follow "click here". This then puts in the latest corrections as C marks on the charts. (You can also download the latest software updates at the bottom of the same page (currently May 09)- bu you should get reminder ems from Imray re both corrections and sware updates.

However, sfaik, the chart corrections only have a two year span and the Meridian tides only run for one year- you have to get a second year of tides- I think this cost me about £18 for the 09 tides for my 08 chart pack.

HTH
 
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I have the same and generally agree. 2 gripes though, the boat icon seems to move to the end of the chart and disappear.I have to keep pressing 'find ship' to bring it back into view, shouldn't it do that automatically?

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You can set it up so it does stay central. Can't remember how at the mo, but it wasn't difficult - or I'd never have managed! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Yes there's a switch that changes it from 'move ship' to 'move chart' or something similar. One leaves the ship central and scrolls the chart, the other has your vessel icon move across the chart. i don't have it on this PC - it's on my laptop on the boat so i can't check i'm afraid.

D
 
Sorry I'm probably being thick, but does that mean If I buy the chart set and a USB/GPS dongle I will effectively have a functioning chart plotter?

If thats the case then for £75 and one of my old laptops, its a no brainer.
 
Just been looking at the Imray site,

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Imray's electronic charts for the south coast & north coast of France plus tidal data for £39.99.

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As said looks good value, does this package include small scale Channel Islands charts? At present I have Maptech charts on laptop but to cover CI`s I have to buy another chart package so might be a useful alternative.
 
It does - £39.99 for the charts plus tidal data and probably head to Maplin for a usb gps thingy and off you go. You also have an AIS interface too
 
Where can you get the Imray and Meridian package for 30 quid? I've got Maptech Chart Navigator but fancy trying the Imray.

I bought a GPS receiver from Hong Kong via eBay for 30 quid. It's very good but it is just a receiver. No up or downloading.
 
Sounds very interesting. One question I have, which isn't answered on their website.......can you install the charts on more than one PC? I'm thinking of replacing my ageing laptop soon, so don't want to purchase and install it on the old one if it ends up 'locked' to it?
 
Had mine for two weeks and still not managed to get past their ludicrous registration system. Relies on a 9-5 Mon Fri phone number or an email reply system which doesnt get replied to. Hopefully will be worth the effort when can finally load the stuff - bought specifically for a week trip now long past ;-(
 
I don't know about uploading waypoints as I am still playing with it.
The registration is a bit of a bore, the e-mails I sent weren't replied to so I called and it took 2 minutes. They also told me that you can register it to different pc's at no extra cost - you just have to go through the registration process twice.
There was another question about where you get it from - I ordered direct off www.imray.com and it arrived two days later
 
You have to get an activation code from Imray to install the latest version of the software (the previous version needed to run with the CD in the drive). You can either email or call Imray. When I first purchased my copy I called them and the lady I spoke to told me that I would need to call again if I wanted to install it on another machine. I now have it installed on my laptop and desktop PC. There was no issue getting a 2nd activation code. I had to quote my post code so not sure what records they keep and if there is any limit as to how many installs they allow.
 
Imray allow you to download to two separate computers or twice to one, though I suspect they would help again if you were a current customer with a tale of woe. The packages includes all they publish on paper for each area including larger scale harbour plans. The corrections are published regularly as chart notes but would be even better if they were chart real updates.
 
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Had mine for two weeks and still not managed to get past their ludicrous registration system. Relies on a 9-5 Mon Fri phone number or an email reply system which doesnt get replied to. Hopefully will be worth the effort when can finally load the stuff - bought specifically for a week trip now long past ;-(

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Finally got the charts up and running. Thanks to a very helpful William Todd of Todd Chart Agency (who I purchased this from) - he made contact with Imray and suddenly the response code e-mails arrived.
Still think the registration process is byzantine and archaic - but great service from Todd Charts
 
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