C-Map PC-Planner difficulty

Dancin Dave

Dancin Dave

Active Member
Oct 9, 2006
1,673
Rowayton, Ct
Boat Info
580 SSS 1997
Engines
CAT 3408 800 hp
I have a RL-80C. I just bought a pc-planner. I created a new route on the pc, transferred it to the memory card. But when I install the chip and the chart chips I dont get any of the new route I made on the pc. I searched the raytheon manual and it makes no mention of how to download it. Cmap acknowledges that the new route may not show up at all, but with a couple of buttons pressed upload. Well I dont know what buttons there talking about, I cant figure it out. Help :smt100 :smt101

Dave
 
Dave,
The memory card you transfered your routes to cannot be read directly by your RL80. You must go into the menu of the RL80 and download the routes into it's internal memory. You will be prompted that downloading from the memory card will overwrite any existing routes, so if you have any routes already in the RL80 that you want to keep you should:
1) copy the routes from your RL80 to the memory card
2) take the memory card to your computer and add the new routes
3) insert the memory card into the RL80 and load it's contents to the RL80

I hope this helps. I have been using this system for years with total reliability.
 
Fred, How, I dont know how to communicate with the rl 80, what do I do? Nothing in the handbook tells me how. Do I need some external componants to the rl 80, or are there buttons or commands I am missing?

So now I have 2 questions. How do I download my stored existing routes?
And how do I install the new routes.

Thanks for getting back to me and I hope you can help me further. :huh:
 
Dave,
With the user card inserted into the RL80
- press the MARKS key (upper right side of display)
- then press the soft key Load/Save User Card (bottom right)
-you will see the User Card Menu and the warning
-press the appropriate button to load from or save to card
-you will see the progress and get a confirmation when the transfer is complete

RL80's made before 2003 will need a software upgrade to access the user card. Contact Raymarine if that is the case with your unit.
 
No luck Fred, called raymarine, and I'm sending the unit in for its updates. Going to be about 800 bucks. :smt089

:smt038 But it will be cool to have it updated :cool:
 
Sorry to hear that Dave, $800 for the upgrade is some serious cash. I hope they will warranty the upgraded unit for another year.
 
Don't do it Dave. I had C-Map planner and the RL80 on the 410DA I just traded in. The C-Map Planner is a beast to use and a pain to transfer routes. It is much easier to do PC based route planning using free NOAA RNC charts and a chart program like SeaClear II (also free). Once you have a route planned, you can put waypoints into the RL80 manually and quickly build a route.

The pain about route planning on the RL80 is the time it takes to zoom in and out and then check the route. PC planning is the way to go, but unfortunately C-Map Planner is too cumbersome and old fashioned to be really useful. SeaClear gets my vote for a great utility.
 
I can't imagine anything simpler than the way PC Planner integrates to the RL series of chart plotters.
Creating a route on PC Planner is as easy as clicking your mouse at each point of your route in sequence. Downloading to the chart plotter takes seconds.
The advantages are that you use the exact same charts in the PC and the plotter.
You don't have to enter waypoints by hand into the RL80, and you can save a copy of all routes on your PC hard drive.
You can name the routes and individual waypoints in PC Planner and they will transfer as well to the RL80.
 
I guess it's just a matter of personal preference. I found making routes in PC Planner to be a pain compared to SeaClear.
 
Well I sent out the raymarine unit on monday got it back today and installed it, wow, what I have been missing. It was worth the 800 bucks for the upgrade. The overlay is awesome and the all new look is great. new upc and software and its like a new unit. Now to get back to the pc planner. :smt038
 
Dave..you will also love how easy it is now to get the tides in the area you are in.....hit enter at anytime, then the "nearest" soft button on the bottom left, then scroll down to tides.....
 
Dominic, your right I do, wow thats easy. I cant wait to read the new manual to see what else it does.

I did notice on the update I lost the line that projects out forward in the direction the boat is heading which helps indicate relationships to potentional obstacles etc on that course. Maybe I need to activate it , I will look.

Thanks again for the pointers. :thumbsup:

Dave
 
Dancin Dave said:
I did notice on the update I lost the line that projects out forward in the direction the boat is heading which helps indicate relationships to potentional obstacles etc on that course. Maybe I need to activate it , I will look
Click to expand...

Dave:

That's in the system setup....hit menu then system...you want to scroll to the heading vector and turn it on...I don't remember exactly, but I think you will have some other choices like how far out you want to the vector to "look".....

MARPA is neat toy also....I found that going slow on autopilot, with a lookout on duty, I can play with electronics and all the functions....makes it easier for me to learn....the problem is the end of the season......come next spring I have to learn it all over again... :smt101
 
Thanks again Dominic! You saved me sometime reading, I owe you dinner.

I agree I did learn a lot while under way on this summer trips, just pushing buttons.

Dave
 
And here I thought it was just me that had to relearn all the electronics functions at the beginning of each season! I blamed it on "mad cow"...... Perhaps there is hope for me yet! :grin:

You southern boaters have it made. :thumbsup:
 
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