youen
Member
Do you know if Maptech stream and tide are available for 2012.Thanks
Maptech
- Thread starter youen
- Start date
BlueSkyNick
Active member
Definitely not! I tried to find them and ended up talking to a product support guy in the US who wanted to sell me a complete upgrade for over £100. I told him to forget it on the basis that Maptech havent supported UK properly before they packed up the business here, so there isnt much confidence afterwards.
I then saw Mike Evans, the previous Maptech UK guru, working for a different company at LIBS and asked him about it. Maptech UK as you and I know it is well and truly obsolete.
Boo2
Well-known member
Definitely not! I tried to find them and ended up talking to a product support guy in the US who wanted to sell me a complete upgrade for over £100. I told him to forget it on the basis that Maptech havent supported UK properly before they packed up the business here, so there isnt much confidence afterwards.
I then saw Mike Evans, the previous Maptech UK guru, working for a different company at LIBS and asked him about it. Maptech UK as you and I know it is well and truly obsolete.
This is not correct. Maptech T&S updates are available for 2012, but first make sure that your 2011 update doesn't already contain them. To do this open a tide station and change the date for some time in Dec 2012. If you are able to do this then AFAIK you don't need an update.
If your T&S data does need an update then you need to email "support at maptechnavigation dot com" (making the obvious changes). If you prefer a UK supplier then Xandis say they have it in stock, I've never used them so don't know what they're like but it will save you money because it's only £16 inc P&P from them.
T&S data for 2012 has been available since end of Nov 2011, but actually as I said above, it seems to have been included in the 2011 update so check that first (guess who bought both versions of the 2012 T&S data
).I don't believe Maptech Offshore Navigator is obsolete but actually, I wouldn't buy it new now, I'd prefer Rose Point Navigation Systems' Coastal Explorer which (I hope) supports Maptech Charts as well as having AIS support. It's also available from Xandis as is Maptech's Chart Navigator UK & Ireland and Chart Navigator Pro ditto ( don't know what the difference is between these two and between either of them and Offshore Navigator).
Note: I have no relation with any of these firms or products except as a dumb poster of cheques...
Boo2
BlueSkyNick
Active member
OK, fair enough, I am confused.
I have Chart Nav Pro, and your link goes to the full £349 package, with a link to 2012 tides for Offshore Navigator/Lite.
I will put in a call to Xandis tomorrow, for clarification.
I have Chart Nav Pro, and your link goes to the full £349 package, with a link to 2012 tides for Offshore Navigator/Lite.
I will put in a call to Xandis tomorrow, for clarification.
BlueSkyNick
Active member
Clarification from the horse's mouth ...
I wrote to Maptech because I was confused about the availability of tides for CNP, and here is their helpful reply,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding Maptech tides. The official position from Maptech is that the update only supports Offshore Navigator and version 2.0 of Chart Navigator Pro. However we have customers who are successfully using the Maptech tide update with Chart Navigator Pro 1.x and Rose Point Coastal Explorer 2011. To use this update with your software you will need to manually install certain files and I can provide you with instructions should you wish.
I hope this information is of use. Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance.
Regards
Michael Bienemann
Director
Xandis Ltd
Anybody here using the tides on CNP 1.x ??
I wrote to Maptech because I was confused about the availability of tides for CNP, and here is their helpful reply,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding Maptech tides. The official position from Maptech is that the update only supports Offshore Navigator and version 2.0 of Chart Navigator Pro. However we have customers who are successfully using the Maptech tide update with Chart Navigator Pro 1.x and Rose Point Coastal Explorer 2011. To use this update with your software you will need to manually install certain files and I can provide you with instructions should you wish.
I hope this information is of use. Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance.
Regards
Michael Bienemann
Director
Xandis Ltd
Anybody here using the tides on CNP 1.x ??
Playtime
Active member
Did you know that Maptech charts are now usable in OpenCPN?
I have stopped using Offshore Navigator Lite in favour of OpenCPN. You get very good AIS presentation plus instrument displays, GRIB, track log etc. in OpenCPN that you don't get in Maptech. I still prefer the Admiralty charts from Maptech, though; vector charts just don't give the same confidence!
I have stopped using Offshore Navigator Lite in favour of OpenCPN. You get very good AIS presentation plus instrument displays, GRIB, track log etc. in OpenCPN that you don't get in Maptech. I still prefer the Admiralty charts from Maptech, though; vector charts just don't give the same confidence!
Boo2
Well-known member
Really ? I had assumed they'd be encrypted ? Does that mean I can install OpenCPN and it will just pick up the charts from my installation of Offshore Navigator ?
Boo2
BlueSkyNick
Active member
Not from my experience. In OpenCPN you select the folder where your charts are, which are BSB4, but it didnt do it for me. Then I found a PlugIn somewhere on the OpenCPN website, downloaded it but still no joy.
After about 4 attempts and lots of frustration, I gave up on the whole idea.
Now I know that tides are actually available, I would rather stick with what I know and, to a certain extent, trust.
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affinite
Well-known member
I am interested ...
I have Maptech Offshore Navigator and a number of encrypted charts. Im happy with OSN but would like AIS input (which OSN cant do) so if Open CPN can read encrypted BSB charts Id be very interested to try it
I have Maptech Offshore Navigator and a number of encrypted charts. Im happy with OSN but would like AIS input (which OSN cant do) so if Open CPN can read encrypted BSB charts Id be very interested to try it
brokethebox
Member
Please forgive my ignorance in butting in on your conversation ladies and gentlemen, but I've only really recently heard of opencpn.
Can you folks shed some light for me - for example where d you source charts and how widely are they available? What coverage can we get?
If I'm offending original op please let me know and I can start a new thread
J
Can you folks shed some light for me - for example where d you source charts and how widely are they available? What coverage can we get?
If I'm offending original op please let me know and I can start a new thread
J
BlueSkyNick
Active member
There are lots of threads on here about OpenCPN, mainly positive. The starting point you require is here http://opencpn.org/ocpn/
You have to source your own charts, CM93 gets lots of mentions but like Playtime I like to use Admiralty charts for familiarity.
You have to source your own charts, CM93 gets lots of mentions but like Playtime I like to use Admiralty charts for familiarity.
Playtime
Active member
You need to download the relevant Plug-In from here and follow the instructions.
It worked first time for me but I can't remember the details as it was a couple of months ago. Once the charts are loaded you can flip between vector and raster as required. I use uncluttered vector charts for AIS and raster (Maptech) for nav. It works well.
BlueSkyNick
Active member
Well blow me down !!!
I just opened up OpenCPN to have another bash at making it work, and it did so immediately. I dont know what I or my PC have done, but who cares !!
I just opened up OpenCPN to have another bash at making it work, and it did so immediately. I dont know what I or my PC have done, but who cares !!
Playtime
Active member
Check this previous thread for some info on loading the BSB4 charts.
The trick is to ensure you point at the folder containing the charts and their associated encryption info. It then just works!
The trick is to ensure you point at the folder containing the charts and their associated encryption info. It then just works!
RobBrown
Active member
Where do you save the BSB4 plug in once downloaded? I moved it to the OpenCPN plug-ins directory and then apparently activated it through the toolbox in the OpenCPN software, but the software is still only recognising the .Kap files in the Chartkit directory, which is the one it is pointed at and where Maptech ON looks & picks up both Kap & Cap files. As pointed at the top directory, I would assume the encryption files are in there somewhere! Any ideas?
Playtime
Active member
Deleted - see new suggestion below.
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Playtime
Active member
Please ignore my message above, I've just looked at the OpenCPN Manual. It includes the following section
Installing a Plugin
For Windows place the downloaded "pluginxx.dll" in a "plugins" subfolder of your OpenCPN installation folder. A common location is C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins.
Once the plugin is in the right directory, restart OpenCPN and proceed to enabling the plugin.
Enabling a Plugin
Plugins are made available by clicking on the plugin in the ToolBox Plugin Tab. Once this is done, an "Enable" button appears. Pressing this button activates the plugin icon in the ToolBar. Not all plugins has an icon when active. For most plugins there is a "Preferences" Button for configuration.
Installing a Plugin
For Windows place the downloaded "pluginxx.dll" in a "plugins" subfolder of your OpenCPN installation folder. A common location is C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins.
Once the plugin is in the right directory, restart OpenCPN and proceed to enabling the plugin.
Enabling a Plugin
Plugins are made available by clicking on the plugin in the ToolBox Plugin Tab. Once this is done, an "Enable" button appears. Pressing this button activates the plugin icon in the ToolBar. Not all plugins has an icon when active. For most plugins there is a "Preferences" Button for configuration.
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RobBrown
Active member
Thanks for that, but although not clear from my post, I had actually done that by default, so that is clearly not the reason for not picking up the BSB4 charts. Must be something to do with the encryption files, but not sure what to look for or where to move them if found. I'm evidently in former position of Moody Nick, but unfortunately, have not had a spontaneous fix!
BlueSkyNick
Active member
Yep, this all sounds familiar !! Sorry I cant help you any further... if something comes to mind I will let you know.
RobBrown
Active member
Cheers Nick
