Chartplotting Software

ssupko

ssupko

New Member
Aug 28, 2007
43
Smithfield VA
Boat Info
260 Sundancer
Engines
350 MAG
Has anyone got their hands on a good chartplotting software available for download to your PC. Perhaps with a free trail version, so I can figure out if I'm going to like it.
 
It's not free but I've found this to be the best IMO:

http://rosepointnav.com/default.htm

It works with the "free" NOAA raster and ENC charts. It's fast at rendering and has a really nice GUI.

I've tried the RayNav stuff, older MapTech stuff, and a few other "free" ones. Rosepoint is worth the price.
 
I've been fairly happy with the Nobeltec VNS for the past four seasons. Not cheap but lots of information and it "quilts" well from chart to chart.
 
I think the best you will get for free is SEACLEAR http://www.sping.com/seaclear/. When I started to think about a chartplotter I put that on a laptop that was to be thrown away. I had a inexpensive GPS receiver that I hooked up to it and I was good to go. A little large and hard to handle but it was a low cost experiment to see how well I was going to like a chartplotter and how easy the software was to use. Most software is similar but there is a difference between free and what you have to pay for.

If you are looking for something other than trial, keep in mind that it has to work with whatever equipment you have or are planning on getting.
 
gettinAhead said:
I think the best you will get for free is SEACLEAR http://www.sping.com/seaclear/. When I started to think about a chartplotter I put that on a laptop that was to be thrown away. I had a inexpensive GPS receiver that I hooked up to it and I was good to go. A little large and hard to handle but it was a low cost experiment to see how well I was going to like a chartplotter and how easy the software was to use. Most software is similar but there is a difference between free and what you have to pay for.

If you are looking for something other than trial, keep in mind that it has to work with whatever equipment you have or are planning on getting.
Click to expand...

Wow, the only way this could be any cooler is if the routes I make in here I could import into my Garmin, but just the ability to print out chart areas at will means I don't have to buy software or charts and if a chart gets damaged I print a new one or if I want to write on it and make notes I can and not worry about having nice charts. This is great thanks.. Now to download all the chart data I want.
 
The pictures you print out of the Sea Clear program are not navigational charts. They might make nice place mats, but they do not replace professionally printed charts.
 
How are they different? I compared one to what I have that I bought at West Marine and they look the same to me.
 
First of all, you might (BIG might) be able to print a full size chart if you had a large format color printer. With more normal printer sizes (mine prints up to 11x17) in most cases you cannot print charts that are suitable for navigation.

When you shrink a 1:80,000 chart to fit on smaller paper the details, like the compass rose, become too small to be useful and the scale of adulterated. You could try and print only sections of a chart, but then you risk losing vital information like chart titles, notes, compass rose, lat/lon references, etc.

The only success I have had is by printing small scale (1:20,000) charts or insets that would normally fit on small paper anyway. But, in my opinion, it is not worth it. Might as well buy the correct paper charts - or at least a chart kit.

One caution for all electronic charts is that the software usually lets you zoom in beyond the natural scale. By zooming in you can lure yourself into a false sense of security about the underlying data.

Programs like SeaClear are great for reference and for route planning. They are not a replacement for paper charts.
 
I understand what your saying, I thought you were saying they were not acurate as far as the data, your just pointing out if you don't print them at the right scale then you will have a problem, fortunatly I have access to a large printer (think it's like 4 feet wide) so I can go that route or if I wanted to take it to kinko's and print it on their wide format printer. Either way I like the idea of having disposable maps that I can write all over and make notes.

I also thought about getting some clear plastic to put over my maps then I could use erasable markers.
 
I downloaded SeaClear...I'm not getting the level of detail I need...What am I missing here? Do I need to load individual charts?
 
YOu can download the charts for free from NOAA. There is a somewhat long and convoluted process, but it's worth it in the end.

The download from NOAA will contain a bunch of files you do not need. What you want are all the files the end in .KAP. You copy and paste these into the ...\charts folder in the SeaClear program folder. Then you need to use the MapCal utility in order for the program to "find" these new charts. Once all that is done you will be good to go.
 
Yea their downloading of charts was a bit of a pain. Also you'll need to read the documentation for SeaClear to see how to import them just follow the directions it was pretty easy.
 
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