OpenCPN where can I find UK charts?

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Hi All

I took the plunge and downloaded OpenCPN to play with over the winter; I've not used this new technology stuff before. Can anybody point me in the direction of some charts covering the UK and perhaps 'up' as far as Iceland (shh, don't tell the SWMBO I said that).

Cheers
 
there's no legal source of decent quality charts that are compatible with OpenCPN and cover the UK.

There is at least one site in a country with a far more relaxed attitude towards piracy that has copies of charts in cm93, bsb and hdr format. If you are not totally incompetent with bing, you should have no difficulty in finding it.
 
planteater said:
I must say that having gone through the hassle of downloading old CM93 charts I wouldn't bother again. Something about them doesn't look right - I haven't done a detailed comparison with Admiralty or other up to date charts but it looks as though some detail is missing.
Click to expand...

There are CM93s out there that are less than two years old... some of the charts in my table are far older than that.
 
openCPN

There is a slider for more detail on vectors on spanner (toolbox) icon on openCPN, reveals soundings etc.
It's a configuration thing, less data in open waters, more detail close to dangers.Also works fine on Ubuntu 10.4 Lucid Lynx free OS from Ubuntu. May be that a later version is available now.Google Ubuntu!
If a Mac user consider gpsNavx or MacENC both of which give good results with charts from Fugawi.

So, openCPN works on Windows,MacOSX, and Ubuntu, and probably more.
Grateful thanks to www.bigdumboat.org and all their real sailor helpers for a super app.
French SHOM chart CD's play too if I think .KAP file ending.Woohoo!

good sailing and boating to all.
 
planteater said:
I must say that having gone through the hassle of downloading old CM93 charts I wouldn't bother again. Something about them doesn't look right - I haven't done a detailed comparison with Admiralty or other up to date charts but it looks as though some detail is missing.
Click to expand...

Have you tried going into the options, and increasing the detail level. Also, if you press the button with the A on it, all the buoy details and bottom information appears/disappears
 
paulclan said:
Grateful thanks to www.bigdumboat.org and all their real sailor helpers for a super app.
Click to expand...

I keep reading this but have lost count of the number of times I have failed to set it up.

I have BSB4 charts which came from Maptech. I have c:\Chartkit\BSBCHART as my active directory, downloaded the BSB4 PlugIn from OPN, and still see nothing but a black screen with blue outlines.

:confused::(
 
MoodyNick said:
I keep reading this but have lost count of the number of times I have failed to set it up.

I have BSB4 charts which came from Maptech. I have c:\Chartkit\BSBCHART as my active directory, downloaded the BSB4 PlugIn from OPN, and still see nothing but a black screen with blue outlines.

:confused::(
Click to expand...
Your active directory must include your licence key for the plug-in to work.
I think in your case you should change your active directory to c:\Chartkit
OpenCPN will dig into lower folders to find the charts.
 
planteater said:
I must say that having gone through the hassle of downloading old CM93 charts I wouldn't bother again. Something about them doesn't look right - I haven't done a detailed comparison with Admiralty or other up to date charts but it looks as though some detail is missing.
Click to expand...

I've sailed quite a biot using them, and using Admiralty and Navionics and tbh I dont see much difference between any of them. However I have never been happy with CPN. Unless you want add ons like AIS the original CM software is better IMO.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
However I have never been happy with CPN. Unless you want add ons like AIS the original CM software is better IMO.
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more. CMAPECS still takes some beating, and there's MaxSea if you really need AIS.

Which is a shame, 'cause OpenCPN has been an impressive programming effort by just one person (afaik). However, I get the impression that key decisions were made by committee, which is never a good strategy.

In contrast, SeaClear is a brilliant piece of software - again, designed and written by just one person, but without any 'committee interference' - AIS capable, and limited only by it's charting constraints - which were defined from 'day one'. I think the results speak for themselves.
 
C-Map charts

Open CPN will work very effectively with C-Map NT chart cartridges on a suitable Card Reader. The latter plugs into your USB port.

It will of course also work with C-Map charts on disc, whether legitimate or otherwise.
 
electrosys said:
Couldn't agree more. CMAPECS still takes some beating, and there's MaxSea if you really need AIS.

Which is a shame, 'cause OpenCPN has been an impressive programming effort by just one person (afaik). However, I get the impression that key decisions were made by committee, which is never a good strategy.

In contrast, SeaClear is a brilliant piece of software - again, designed and written by just one person, but without any 'committee interference' - AIS capable, and limited only by it's charting constraints - which were defined from 'day one'. I think the results speak for themselves.
Click to expand...

I have OpenCPN with CM93 charts of every where that I need.

I would like to test out SeaClear. Can it read the CM93? If it can, could you point me to where I find the instructions

Thanks

TS
 
electrosys said:
Couldn't agree more. CMAPECS still takes some beating, and there's MaxSea if you really need AIS.

Which is a shame, 'cause OpenCPN has been an impressive programming effort by just one person (afaik). However, I get the impression that key decisions were made by committee, which is never a good strategy.

In contrast, SeaClear is a brilliant piece of software - again, designed and written by just one person, but without any 'committee interference' - AIS capable, and limited only by it's charting constraints - which were defined from 'day one'. I think the results speak for themselves.
Click to expand...

OpenCPN does do AIS.

SeaclearII is OK but only works with raster charts, not vector ones whereas OpenCPN can work with both and do so alongside each other if you want on the same screen. I have both SeaclearII and OpenCPN, as well as Tsunamis and Neptune and with a port expander program can run ALL of them from one GPS input, so if I want I can switch screens between any of them, or even alter the window sizes to run two together. I have Tsunamis with older worldwide C-Maps and OpenCPN with CM93/2 2010 ones but being USA based now have all the USA charts in both raster and vector formats totally free of charge to download. Oh and I do have a C-Map card reader, but have never tried it with OpenCPN as my C-Map cartridges were sold with our last boat.
 
tudorsailor said:
I have OpenCPN with CM93 charts of every where that I need.

I would like to test out SeaClear. Can it read the CM93? If it can, could you point me to where I find the instructions

Thanks

TS
Click to expand...

SeaClear is limited to displaying Raster charts only. That's what I was referring to by 'charting constraints'. One way around this constraint is to screen-grab your Vector charts, thus turning them into Raster, and patching the screen-grabs together.
Alternatively, a complete folio of UK Raster charts can be purchased from visitmyharbour on CD or DVD - ready calibrated for SeaClear.

Although I use Admiralty Raster charts (kept up-to-date by NtM and Paint Shop Pro) for my local area, I still prefer to use Rasterised Vector charts with minimum info clutter when out fishing.
 
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I have a copy of Seaclear and I spent ages trying to find any charts-great in USA where all charts are free to download or NZ where the digital photograph files are made freely available at
www.linz.govt.nz
All you have to do is use The Seaclear programme to fix coordinates;scale and projection and you have fully functioning digital charts of the whole of NZs chart catalogue of SW Pacific-but then you can buy the whole thing with functioning plotter software for about £60.
We still have a lot of catching up to do in UK.
 
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