Navionics Gold or Platinum?

FullCircle

FullCircle

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Just bought Raymarine plotter, so I am moiving from C-Map to Navionics.

Is the Platinum worth the extra, or is it just a marketing con with a few added sparkly gew-gaws?
 
FullCircle said:
Just bought Raymarine plotter, so I am moiving from C-Map to Navionics.

Is the Platinum worth the extra, or is it just a marketing con with a few added sparkly gew-gaws?
Click to expand...

When I checked it out (before buying a Lowrance 7-m) Gold was fine for my needs. I wouldn't say Platinum is a marketing con but I didn't feel I needed the extra features.

3D view - sparkly gew-gaw

Satellite view - Google Earth via Ipad

Pilot - I have more pilot books than I can count. I prefer to watch chart/radar etc. on the plotter and I stick a post-it in the paper pilot if I want to know VHF working channel for the HM or compare marina costs etc. Or I have it on the IPAD (MyHarbour)
 
On our previous boat we had a C Series plotter with Navionics Gold and were quite happy with it. When we bought our current boat and had E Series plotters we thought we ought go for the Platinum (just because we could really). A couple of years later when we needed to update the charts, we thought long and hard and realised that we really weren't using the additional Platinum features so went for the gold. I don't think we've missed any of the additional features that come with the Platinum.
 
jim,

We had a look at the gold and platinum, but following advice from the boat builder just stuck with the bog-standard Navionics charts which come with the plotter. They have taken us around lots of places in the Netherlands, the German North Sea and the German Baltic, and Denmark islands, southern Sweden and Bornholm with no problems at all. I suggest you see if they do what you need before buying extra chart chips. The one we have doesn't have the new Crouch buoys, though, which is irritating, so we might have to buy an update.
 
I had the same question a couple of months ago FC, was advised that an extra 80 to 100 wasnt worth the difference between the gold and platinum. the extra consists of aerial pics and a sort of coastal pilot.
so i bought the gold.
 
Which plotter are you going for? I has a look at the new A65 yesterday for a small integrated plotter, radar display & AIS at the helm.
 
AliM said:
jim,

We had a look at the gold and platinum, but following advice from the boat builder just stuck with the bog-standard Navionics charts which come with the plotter. They have taken us around lots of places in the Netherlands, the German North Sea and the German Baltic, and Denmark islands, southern Sweden and Bornholm with no problems at all. I suggest you see if they do what you need before buying extra chart chips. The one we have doesn't have the new Crouch buoys, though, which is irritating, so we might have to buy an update.
Click to expand...

Hi Ali,
havent checked out the inbuilt yet, but do want latest buoyage round here.

Sounds like Gold it is.....
 
jimi said:
Which plotter are you going for? I has a look at the new A65 yesterday for a small integrated plotter, radar display & AIS at the helm.
Click to expand...

Ji Jim,
I got an end of line C90W, and am speccing up the whole thing.

HD Radar,AIS, Wireless NMEA, SPX10 Autopilot, new instruments (B&G Triton).
 
Overall, the Platinum+ cards have 4 additional features: (1) 3D view, (2) Satellite pictures, (3) Coast pilot, and (4) POIs.

It is nice to be able to see all those features in one convenient location. Of course, you could always view all of these features on other devices/books so I suppose it always comes down to how you want to play with toys vs cost.

Btw, info nicely explained on individual product pages here: http://store.fugawi.com/collections/navionics-platinum

Oh, and as a general reminder, don't forget to check chartplotter compatibility (C90w series should have no problems though): http://www.navionics.com/sites/www.navionics.com/files/documents/Americas_CompatibilityGuide_v13.pdf

A_C
 
Gold and platinum have the same base data with the exception of platinum having:
3D view
Panoramic photos
Sat overlay
Fish n chip data
Coming in October a feature called SonarCharts. This will let you record sonar for however long you want, upload the data to Navionics webstore, and 24 hours later have a chart in that area on the fish layer that is one foot contours where there may be little data or no data. Free feature for a year for fishing or safety depth. The contours can be shaded to for better navigating.

The embedded charts don't have tides or any information past 23 feet. Very basic. Upgrade to Gold or Platinum. Both are the same price at 199
 
main difference between Gold and Platinum is this:
Same navigation data on both Gold and Platinum. Both also offer one year of free updates. check their website for more details on Fresh data program.
Platinum offers on top of Gold:
- Sat overlay
- 3D view
- Additonal points of interest
- panoramic photos
- additonal fishing bathy under fish layer
- ability to record sonar and get one foot contours for the area you just recorded within 24hrs. check website for details. its coming soon.

Silver which is embedded stops at 23'. I would recommend upgrading from that.
 
I have the Gold and didn't think the Plat was worth the extra.A new Navionics card should have the new Burnham buoyage on it but you can check at the chandlers.I took my plotter home and connected it to a 12v supply and simply put in the new buoys and positions to save me forking out for an update which is about £100.
 
Thats one way to do it if you know your home waters and all the lat/longs of the buoy but what about new sandbars, contours, or new areas? Addtionally with the Platinum you can record soundings and update your chart. When those soundings are uploaded 24 hours later you have a new 1' contour map plus anywhere else there is new 1' mapping. great for fishing or if you have a boat with very specific depths, this really dials in the safety. I've seen a ton of areas that NOAA has no details on any chart so this will be really useful.

My boat costs new about $110,000. $99 to keep it safe? guess it depends on your charting needs i suppose
 
We have an E series plotter and used Navionics Gold. Took us all over the US East Coast without mishap (except once in Cape May harbour where we found they'd doubled the size of one marina after the chart was issued which caused a bit of confusion pilotage wise, but that's another story). They seem to work ok in the UK too. I like the gold charts, very familiar with them now.

Personally, I prefer to do the pilotage and passage planning using old fashioned books and charts kept in the ships vast library augmented by copious amounts of wine and googling on the old interweb-thingy. Do all that in port/at anchor when relaxing and then just put the course info into the plotter ready for the off. User interface of plotter too awkward for all that browsing and decision making, better with a laptop/ipad/book thingy.

Just my personal opinion of course, ymmv as the Americans say
 
FullCircle said:
Just bought Raymarine plotter, so I am moiving from C-Map to Navionics.

Is the Platinum worth the extra, or is it just a marketing con with a few added sparkly gew-gaws?
Click to expand...

IMO the only useful extra is the aerial photos. They can help you get your bearings in an unfamiliar harbour.

3D is a useless gimmick.

Almanac is easier in a book. Might just be handy I guess.

Sat overlay doesn't does no harm but I never use it.
 
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