kdf
New member
Looking at getting rid of my B&G Chartplotter and replacing with a PC based system. Anyone got any feedback on real world use of Transas Navigator, Seapro, Navmaster etc.
Thanks
Thanks
PC Charting s/w - Opinions
- Thread starter kdf
- Start date
zefender
Active member
Quite a lot in the archives about this - PBO chatting about it yesterday too I think. I use Tsunamis Navigator which can be a chart-on-a-screen-with-a-you-are-here-icon or something much more sophisticated. Very good quality package - at a price IMHO. Charts are the main cost if you're planning to go far - Cost me £1500 for Spain/Portugal and W France sets. Stay along the South Cooast and it'll cost less than a quarter of that.
kdf
New member
Navigator looks good - much better than previous versions. Charts are expensive but so are the Navionics charts for the B&G - 430 Euros for West Coast of France vs 300 euros for the Transas versions.
Oldhand
New member
I use MaxSea, which works fine. Its main advantage is that one can use the relatively cheap Maptech charts for UK coasts and French Mapmedia charts for the French coast. The latter have more detail than other chart packages which are based on admiralty charts.
HaraldS
New member
Why do you want to get rid of the B&G plotter? Dón't know the B&G one, but I find my dedicated plotter with daughter unit in the cockpit, way more convenient then my PC based stuff.
On the PC I have MaxSea, I mainly use it for weather routing which works brilliantly. Occasionally I use the navigation part for route planning, or for laoding any odd electronic chart, since it reads about any format including the C-map NT cartridges that I use on the dedicated units.
On the PC I have MaxSea, I mainly use it for weather routing which works brilliantly. Occasionally I use the navigation part for route planning, or for laoding any odd electronic chart, since it reads about any format including the C-map NT cartridges that I use on the dedicated units.
kdf
New member
Someone once told me B&G = Broken and Garbage. Its unreliable, lacks a lot of the basic features that I want, is very hard to view (its a 10" monochrome screen). Plus I have plans for a lot of other stuff on the PC.
I did think about getting a repeater in the cockpit but I'm not really sold on the usefullness of this yet.
I did think about getting a repeater in the cockpit but I'm not really sold on the usefullness of this yet.
HaraldS
New member
Yes, I also think a PC is a must on a boat these days and I carry two laptops and use them for many things. But so far I don't run them always on, which is what you would when using it as a plotter. Would certainly do so if I needed to. When it comes to reliability I trust the PC's less, I'm sure it will lock up and need a re-boot exactly when I need it the most (Murphy). No seriously, I find the dedicated devices at least one order of magnitude more reliable.
As to the repeater: I really like it, you can read it in sunlight and from quite a distance. Mine is mounted under the dodger on one side of the companionway and I can read it across the cockpit from the helm. Mine is also includes the Radar and fishfinder, so I really only need one good screen for all. Also my wife does a lot of the navigation during once under way, and she likes the ease of use of the dedicated plotter. So I wouldn't trade that arrangement for the PC, but it sure depends and I would also prefer the PC over a hard to read B&W plotter.
What chart does your B&G plotter use? If it is C-map like mine, there is a nice two cardtrige USB reader for those and MaxSea supprts it.
As to the repeater: I really like it, you can read it in sunlight and from quite a distance. Mine is mounted under the dodger on one side of the companionway and I can read it across the cockpit from the helm. Mine is also includes the Radar and fishfinder, so I really only need one good screen for all. Also my wife does a lot of the navigation during once under way, and she likes the ease of use of the dedicated plotter. So I wouldn't trade that arrangement for the PC, but it sure depends and I would also prefer the PC over a hard to read B&W plotter.
What chart does your B&G plotter use? If it is C-map like mine, there is a nice two cardtrige USB reader for those and MaxSea supprts it.
kdf
New member
B&G Elite chartplotter takes navionics charts.
I did run my laptop 100% of the time on a recent trip from France to Ireland - chartplotter died and gps with it. Discovered GPS powered from plotter so quick re-wire and gps up again. However have no other gps repeater available so output from gps can't be displayed. Enter PC - cable onto gps output and use hyperterminal to display the NMEA messages (including position) and we navigiate using that and paper charts.
We did have a backup gps but it was easier use the configuration above. The reason I don't really see the need for a chart repeater on deck is that I tend not to rely on the electronics when close to shore - more eyeball and paper charts etc. Out at sea I do all my navigation at the chart table.
I will however be adding a radar with the display at the wheel. The shipping lanes off NW France in thick fog sold me on that one.
I did run my laptop 100% of the time on a recent trip from France to Ireland - chartplotter died and gps with it. Discovered GPS powered from plotter so quick re-wire and gps up again. However have no other gps repeater available so output from gps can't be displayed. Enter PC - cable onto gps output and use hyperterminal to display the NMEA messages (including position) and we navigiate using that and paper charts.
We did have a backup gps but it was easier use the configuration above. The reason I don't really see the need for a chart repeater on deck is that I tend not to rely on the electronics when close to shore - more eyeball and paper charts etc. Out at sea I do all my navigation at the chart table.
I will however be adding a radar with the display at the wheel. The shipping lanes off NW France in thick fog sold me on that one.