PC Chartplotter.

[moondancer]

I have just read the thread on PC chartplotters. So I downloaded SeaClear11, which looks good and have managed to get my laptop to talk to the handheld GPS.

Question is where do I get raster(??) charts for the UK that I can load into the seaclear application. It looks like you can download charts for the US free of charge (not much use at the moment for me) but I can't find where you can get UK ones.

Anyone know?

 

[savageseadog]

I think you are supposed to scan them with a normal photo scanner yourself.

 

[Birdseye]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you are supposed to scan them with a normal photo scanner yourself.

[/ QUOTE ]

That might well be what people do, but its not what you are supposed to do being a breach of crown copyright. Thats why you can get US charts foc (they take the view that the citizens own the state) but not UK ones (where the subjects of the crown have to pay twice)

So the official answer is that you buy raster charts from UKHO. Lovely isnt it?

P.S. If you decide to be an illegal, there is a handy piece of software called PanaVue image assembler which will allow you to stitch together A4 images of charts of the same scale into one continuous piccie.

 

[fluffc]

[ QUOTE ]
That might well be what people do, but its not what you are supposed to do being a breach of crown copyright.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd disagree - you can do what you like with stuff that you own, including printed material, provided it is for your own personal use.

Of course, scanning someone elses' charts would not be legal.

 

[Guest]

Once and for all ... Panavure should be consigned to the bin where it belongs !

A far better stitch and paste program is Photoimpact ......

As regards Scan and stitch of UK charts etc. - usually this is ignored for personal use only - as long as you have the originals .... Customs confirmed this on DVD's as well that I had ... Copies for own personal use as long as original available.

There are zillions of bytes charts on p2p such as Shareaza ...... search terms : "emap" etc. but of course that is illegal distribution.

 

[fishermantwo]

I use Australian Navy digital charts with my Seaclear which is obviously the ideal. I have also scanned charts but when using 400% magnification quality deteriorates somewhat. Try Google earth, save a particular area and convert it into a file that Seaclear accepts. Lat. and Long. are shown so this makes calibration easy. Handy for making large scale charts of your local port etc. Of course you are left with vessels on moorings etc on the chart.

The chart I actually use when I am working is a digital land map with the water depths shown as contour lines. This works out better as it has less detail than a nautical chart, leaves more room for all my secrets to be displayed. I have copied a section of the digital map and enlarged it so that when out to 400% I have about 200 metres from one side to the other on a 17 inch LCD screen. Its a brilliant bit of kit. Have fun.

 

[Robin2]

I can't quickly find the thread you refer to, but it is worth bearing in mind that the latest C-Map Max chart (for a PC) covers Ireland, UK and Northern France for £209 + vat and you can use it with SOB (Software on Board) from digiboat.com.au for just USD30. You can also buy more expensive PC software with different / better features.

 

[Guest]

Over-zooming is the problem with raster / scanned charts.

I agree with the screen dumped maps such as sat imagery etc. - I use various also.
I also screen dump at suitable zoom levels from all sorts of sources ... road mapping on PC etc. (I do a lot of inland waterway stuff ... ). These as you say are often with lat / long reference.

A trick when screen dumping or scanning ... make a x mark and note lat long in numerous locations ... these then assist in calibration in mapcal.

Scans of charts .. are usually in small sections of a larger sheet. x marks with even careful Lat / Long written onto chart next to x is a great help.
Large X on charts at joints etc. so stitching of scans is helped etc. Writing Lat / long numbers on the grid lines on the chart ... all help immensely with the final calibration.

Don't forget also that you can annotate any chart in the PC form ... as overlay - or in case of a permanent feature - eg your mooring - you can either draw on the source chart or do it via a graphics program on PC before calibrating etc. Correct buoys / lights / all sorts ...

Seaclear is a good piece of gear ... simple, even does AIS ... and is free. Can even teach a few Commercial expensive software a few things !

 

[gdpound]

Have a look at www.gpsangler.co.uk , with specific reference to the MAPTECH site...

 

[davel]

[ QUOTE ]
Have a look at www.gpsangler.co.uk , with specific reference to the MAPTECH site...

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That only seems to cover the US - unless I've missed something /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[DaveS]

I had a quick look and it does have some UK charts, but the resolution's not great. 1:75000 at best for both Oban and Skye.