Nauticpath Charts on PC

winfarthing

winfarthing

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Does anyone know how if its possible to view one of these electronic charts on a PC, no GPS attached. I've manged to copy the files using a card reader but have no idea what software may be needed to view it. I want to use it for some passage planning in areas that I don't have paper charts for yet.
 
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Does anyone know how if its possible to view one of these electronic charts on a PC, no GPS attached. I've manged to copy the files using a card reader but have no idea what software may be needed to view it. I want to use it for some passage planning in areas that I don't have paper charts for yet.

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You will only get them to display via the proper emulator / simulator program ex Lowrance Web-site.
Second - you will need the LEI Card-Reader - an off the shelf standard card reader will not have the embedded code to allow them to be used by the simulator.

Sorry - but go to Lowrance web-site and download the simulator - it's free. Then you have to cough up silly money for the LEI reader - I was quoted 40 quid ... to get chart card to display.

You also cannot copy the chart files to another card ... nor can anything read them when copied to pc.

(this is not restricted to nauticpath - it is prevalent with near all chart formats on cards ...)
 
If you had a commercial product that you distributed on a card ... you would do all you could to beat pirates !!

I've been trying for ages to get mine to display - no luck !! Having to pay near 10x the price for a card reader than what I can get over shelf is not on my list !!

BUT - what I did was to fix a second mount at home for the plotter ... use a power pack designed for starting cars / provide 12v .... that way I was able to do stuff at home.

As regards waypoints and routes etc. - I use another program such as Seaclear to produce them ... then convert via another small utility ... copy onto a spare SD card ... upload to lowrance ... easy really when you get into the swing of it ... can't remember the name of the utility I use though ... I think it's G7towin ... but there are a number out there such as GPSUtility etc.

OziExplorer can do it I think if a registered copy ?

GPS Trackmaker .... LCMMapedit ..... various ..
 
I have given up trying to use my Lowrence chart disk in a navionics card reader connected to my PC. Its not just the cost that frustrated me but also the lack of user friendlyness in online support.

I sense a protecting copyright has over taken the ability of the software to be flexible in its use. Hence the reputation surrounding Lowrence and Navionics generally when it comes to ease of use. Quality is good, its just being able to use it that makes me wish I could meet the designers face to face. Reminds me of the early days when BBC Computers and BASIC ruled the world, but only the IT egg heads could get the real benefit from the potential.

I certainly have reservations about having to take out a SD disk from my GPS everytime I want to synchronise waypoint data with my PC. Its just a matter of time before something snaps or goes currupt with an error message to back it up !

As a result I just use my GPS as a GPS.
 
What a shame ... and trying to use another co card reader !!

Really - there is no worry about taking the card out and back in etc. - I do it often ... as I also create my own charts for the Lowrance ... as well as creating routes / waypoints etc.

In fact you have sufficient spare space on the chart card itself to save waypoints etc. - Personally I don't save to chart card - preferring to keep that as is.

Why should you feel so annoyed - if you were the author / supplier of the data - wouldn't you want to protect your commercial property ? Is it so different to any other software ? Only in that they have succeeded in defeating the crackers and hackers of the world.

I now have 2 "Lowrance chart card" holders full of SD cards ... with loads of useful info stored on them .... cross baltic routes .... cross Channel routes .... own charts drawn and calibrated ... set up to cover inland waters where no chart coverage commercially ...

In limiting your use of the Lowrance in only GPS data - you really are missing out ....... seriously.

Maybe you should have a look at the yahoo group - mapcreate_format ..... who produce programs and data to create own mapping etc. for Lowrance plotters .... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mapcreate_format/


There is also the Lowrance Plotters group .... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lowrance_plotters/

Your choice ...
 
I think you maybe missing the point I am trying to make here about Lowrence.

I know I am not getting the full benefit from my Lowrence GPS and Navionics Chart Card, but that is heavily influenced by the design.

For example - what kind of designer decides that to remove and replace the chart card on a portable hand held GPS you must always have to remove the batteries first to get at the card holder ?

Technology that is the easiest and most user friendly to use makes it popular, (eg iPOD) and that is not necessarily the product with the highest specification.
 
Based on this comment : "Lowrence chart disk in a navionics card reader [/i} : with no more info - perception is Lowrance Chart system crad - ie Nauticpath - in navionics reader.

Second - it is not only GPS HH's that fall into this trap - my 6230i Nokia - a great phone except MMC card is behind the battery !

At end of day - it's getting all the bits into the small package that people ask for ...

I'm not a lowrance or navionics employee ... just a satisfied user ... but then again I have a plotter - 3500C not HH ... my HH is an Etrex ....

As to reading a Navionics card on PC - surely you need navionics software / planner to do this ... as LEI emulator is not as I understand it programmed to read from Navionics on the pc.
 
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