Raymarine, Navionics and card readers

[gianenrico]

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gifMy C70 operates correctly with the Gold XL3 cartridges I have; on my laptop I have Fugawi and Raymarine's own RNS Navigation sofware, albeit in demo form (downloaded from Raymarine site); neither sofware apparently can read the XL£ cartridge inserted in a multistd card reader (23 to 1 card reader).
Only solution by Raymarine is to buy the full RNS6 which comes with a card reader (I'd rather try a little bit and play with the software before investing some 500 pounds in the gimmick); by Navionics it is to buy their card reader (which they declline to certify as working with Raymarine) at 150 € OR the soft plus hard package at 400 pounds (beside any finantial reason this would p..s me off as I'd have to learn 2 different navigation s/wares).
Any experience out there? Any smart ideas? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Thank You all
Cheers

 

[Guest]

Protective \"Custody\" ....

This is common with most chart card systems .... you cannot read via a multi-card reader. The reader supplied by the Chart company has a small difference in its read ability - it reads the embedded code in the chart card and then displays the content. Non-company readers are not able to do this.

I have been wrestling with same problem with my Lowrance Chart card .. Nautipath. UK distributors say any reader can do it ... Lowrance say no - you need the Lowrance (LEI reader). Later I received the info which indicated why other readers can't do it .....

I even tried via Recovery Manager - a read everything Card recovery program .... The Nautipath Chart Card is a 128mb MMC card. BUT the Nautipath chart system formats and codes the card to just over 90mb .... totally confusing and voiding the Recovery Managers access to the data. It can only tell you formatted size of the card ...

I will be very surprised if you can find any way round this ....

 

[oceanfroggie]

This is one area garmin excels at. Their reader is only £30. I love their MapSource software for route planning, managing chart CD's and uploading/downloading route data. They also have a free download nRoute PC plotter, which can be connected from a laptop to a garmin gps for live plotting. Quality and ease of use always had a price.

 

[Guest]

Still proprietary reader ....

The price differential Garmin to Lowrance for example negates the saving you make with the Garmin reader ... as that is the only part that is cheaper - the rest is significantly more expensive ... plotter, charts etc.

Consider that the Nautipath Chart Card covers from Greenland down through UK ...Canary Isles to just inside Gibraltar Strts ... for about £130 ..... no-one else even comes close .... plotter approx. 60% of competitors price .... need we go on ?????? What say you now to £30 reader ... considering that you have already spent far more before adding that item to the list ....

By the way - I don't work or have connection with Lowrance etc. - I just appreciate value for money !!

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[oceanfroggie]

Re: Still proprietary reader ....

Sure, the Lawrence gear is excellent value for money. Being a self confessed IT sinner I'm just a sucker for garmin (ie wrote my own software years ago to interface with them, etc, just for fun)

 

[Guest]

Brand loyalty is not so bad ...

Only thing is nowadays that few companys reward brand loyalty now.

Garmin / Magellan etc. make good gear .... and I would say that yesteryear - price reflected quality ..... but today ? I think market forces are putting paid to that. Various US based items are hitting the market - due to the low dollar value. Should Bush get his act into gear and put dollar back at previous levels - we will see a return to more level playing field. But he won't do that while he's making money exporting.

If anyone manages to "break" the reader limitation - that woulkd be very interesting .... and would really make chart cards take off.
I still reckon a company if they produce a generic plotter that can accept scanned charts, BSB / NOS / GEO / S57 ..... etc. etc. - basically a universal chart veiwing plotter - the market would be sewn up with it .... The company wouldn't have to dedicte R&D to charting / to proprietary coding etc. - they could let the charting boys get on with it ...... It would also end the charting arguments and which plotter etc. One plotter for all !! A dream - but wil anyone do it ????

I am developing / converting / creating own charts for my Lowrance ... slowly and surely - as there are no charts available for my river ... coastal yes and about 3km inland. Then zip. So I am taking sat images, map screen dumps etc. and geo-referencing / calibrating and then converting to map format ready for formatting to Lowrance. Involved but satisfying once it works .....

 

[oceanfroggie]

Re: Brand loyalty is not so bad ...

Hi Nigel

Yes I agree in time the price of charts and plotters will colapse especially when new comers enter the market (eg plotters with huge XXXXXL charts embedded with unit).

That's very interesting work your doing on the inland charts. Which format "Nautic" or "C-MAP"? Also which software are you using to build the charts? Couple of folk over here did the same for the inland shannon and erne http://www.shannoncharts.com

 

[Guest]

Charting ....

if you'd like to PM me - I'd discuss it across e-mail instead of hijacking this thread.

But it is not Nautic or C-Map / Navionics based ... it is own created with conversion to LCM / at5 Lowrance format ..... to be read via chart card in the Lowrance gear. So far results are basic - but work.