Let's talk Navigation / Chart software

I've used a lot of them and feel equally at home with both vector and raster charts.

My biggest beef is screen size. Without a large display it's sometimes hard to get the big picture. That's why I still like paper for pre-planning because I can zoom in and out and get the big and little picture with my eyes much quicker than any software.

And as others have mentioned, you have to be careful with plotters not to zoom out so far you miss important nav data or features.

A fun one to play with for coastal navigation is EarthNC. Overlays chart data on Google Earth.

And I do like having charts and plotter software on my IPhone. Nice as a backup to the backup. Or if your in a tender without a plotter. And when you or someone else has questions about a place or area, you just pull up the right chart and go over it where ever you're at.

I run Nobletec and TRANSAS.
TRANSAS is a much better program, but the Bahamas charts are useless. Nobletec is catching up in quality though.

C-Map Max, but I saw a Navionics gold display that was much better in terms of detail and display accuracy.

Nobeltec Odyssey failure

I recently acquired Nobeltec Odyssey (2/2012). I am very dissappointed. It has little directions or help with the software. Most of it must be learned by trail error. I have two new Garmin handhelds (eTrex and Oregon 450T) and a Delorme GPS antenna. Nobeltec will not receive a signal from any of the devices. They all send great signals to the computer via USB. My Delorme Streets software ($39) picks up the signal and works great. However, Nobeltec is unable to receive a signal through a USB port. I have been on the phone with support four times. Today after 2.5 hours they finally gave up and said that they can't make their software work. Evidently their software requires a serial port connection or it will not work. You can't even buy a state of the art laptop with a serial port anymore. This software is a decade behind modern technology. After $800 for the software and proprietary charts, over 100 hours of time trying to make it work, 4 calls to Nobeltec, 3 calls to Garmin support, the software is useless for navigation. Nobeltec says Garmin sends a bad signal, however, the cheapest Delorme software reads it just fine. Nobeltec is simply dated programing that doesn't work with modern technology. I gave it every chance, but they admit that they can't make it work. Unfortunately, the entire process took more than 30 days and I can't get a refund. I am tired and dissappointed. If anyone has a solution, I would be glad to hear it.

Well, there is an easy solution if the problem is only a matter of "Serial Port", search for "USB to Serial Emulator" and you will find many that will add a virtual serial port on your system that acquires data flow from USB. Many of those does not work on 64bit platforms, almost all are free Like Delorme and such. I will PM a small software that I used once, it works well on all platforms BUT, the menu is black screen command so it is a bit harder to use. All softwares will start new hardware wizard because windows will think you are installing a new hardware. The rest is down hill from there!

Cheers,

Transas is the real deal ECDIS software. If I was on a big enough boat, I'd have Transas.

I use Nobeltec Trident, which is just like Furuno's MaxSea timezero software, with just a few more bells and whistles. I still prefer Nobeltec Admiral version 10, just because I'm the most familiar with the program.

I have to agree with Capt. Bill11, paper charts are by far the easiest and quickest for passage planning, laying out routes, etc.

Navionics Platinum on both E120's (East West Florida & Bahamas) and backup Garmin handheld with Bluecharts.

Ken

You're doing the wrong kind of captaining. Mine die an early death from salt spray!

I do all of my charting and planning from paper charts. You get the detail and overview all in one chart. On the electronic charts you can get either detail or overview, but not both at the same time.

I have used Nobletec a lot, but don't feel it's place is on a yacht under 100' unless it's displacement speed.....it's too hard to try to move a pointer around at 25 or 30 knots and bouncing around.......

I like the Navionics charts......

I find the movement button you just press in whatever direction to scroll the easiest........BUT, moving scale and everything else on a Furuno or E series, is the press of one button......with nobeltec or other PC based you have to use the mouse/pointer and click on everything.......on the other machines it's a simple press of a softkey.........Plus it's right on the machine and you're not looking for the remote.....or mouse......LOL I really like Nobeltec on 100' + when you're in a pilothouse at 10-12 knots......not for a flybridge application or smaller yacht......but everyone has their preferences.

It all depends on what is making the laptop wet

I need to bring this thread back to life. I'm starting the prep for our run at the "Great Loop" next summer. I have a PC navigation system (Raymarine) that I have run for 9 years.
It's basically the same UI as their hardware. It has its downfalls but has been incredibly easy to use. Since my boating is on the Great Lakes, I have become very familiar with the area I boat in so I did not have to tax the software. (I believe they have now stopped supporting it as well).
With all of that said I would like to change the software this summer so I have a opportunity to become familiar with it.

So what are the latest and greatest opinions on what I should look at.

Got to have the paper charts for the big picture and trip planning but you can not beat "Navionics" for actual on the go navigation. It's detail and gps locator is tops.

Most all of the Great Loop is terribly easy to Navigate as you're simply going down a river, or across a lake, and most all of it is obvious which direction you take. I did it with the CMAP NT Max chip and it was very detailed. BUT, the army corp charts are a must and cheap and easy to follow......