Navionics Gold and Freshest Data - warning ⚠

[Bru]

If you have Navionics Gold and you haven't updated it via freshest data for a while, be warned that when you do you will be forced to change to Navionics+

That will mean a massive data download to completely replace the chart data on your CF or SD card, not good news if you're on a mobile data connection for example

I'm happy, for a given value of happy, to report that after downloading over a Gb of data and updates AND a firmware upgrade AND a total factory reset, our Raymarine A50 eventually got with the programme and read the new charts

It also seems that the formerly fairly lightweight process of updating navionics charts by downloading only the fresh data has been replaced by a much more bandwidth burning process of downloading the entire chart sector

I haven't yet loaded the new chart data into PC Plotter, I'll try that at home after backing up what I've got

 

[Lucky Duck]

When updating my charts last year it downloaded somewhere around 500 Mb each time so I assumed (wrongly it appears) that it already just uploaded the whole chart rather than just making corrections.

 

[RichardS]

When updating my charts last year it downloaded somewhere around 500 Mb each time so I assumed (wrongly it appears) that it already just uploaded the whole chart rather than just making corrections.

I thought the same every time I "freshest data'd" my CF Gold last year. It seemed to be the full 500MB each time.

In my case I was not forced to upgrade to Navionics + until my annual Freshest Data subscription expired in mid-January. As this will cost EUR99 I haven't yet bothered but will probably continue with my January 2015 version for a year or two.

Richard

 

[FullCircle]

I echo the sentiments of the others - always around 560mb.

I am also not going to pay 99 euros when my subscription wears out.

 

[Bru]

Hmm, seems I uniquely used to get a much smaller download! Hey ho. Not any more anyway!

Less than a hundred quid a year for bang up to date chart data does not strike me as excessive or prohibitive so I'll buck the trend and keep on keeping my charts up to date!

 

[Lucky Duck]

For various reasons I didn't renew my subscription last year so will probably do so when my season restarts in a few months time. This would mean I have updates this year and will start next season with a current set. This would have taken two costly updates in the days when you had to physically swap the cards at a place of your choice so perhaps not so expensive after all.

However the same information is available for a fraction of the cost on my iPad!

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

I'm thinking about leaving it a couple of years until I update my Navioniscs Gold, and in the meantime update my paper charts free. I normally use both paper charts and plotter in parallel, so any changes to lights, buoys etc., will be obvious.