Navionics

[Great Lakes]

This may seem simplistic.. I’ve always added waypoints on the plotter (E120 x2) and it’s kinda cumbersome. I'm wondering if there is a way to create waypoints on my home computer (which is a lot faster) and upload them to my navionics CF card.
-Rich

 

[javenius]

Navionics came out with a product called NavPlanner about 10 years ago that permitted the creation of waypoints, tracks and routes on your home computer which then could be transferred to a CF card.

I used it for a bit. Ended up finding it just as easy to create them on my boat.
It looks like this might be a free download now. Try http://navionics-navplanner-2.software.informer.com.

Jim

 

[Great Lakes]

Thanks Jim. I appreciate it

BTW: I noticed you're unwrapped now. Getting close!

 

[FastMarkA]

So a few things:

• Don't mess with your Navionics card on your PC; it is designed to wipe out the chart data if attempts to copy it are made (this is in big writing on the box).
• You mentioned E120, so the Raymarine Voyage Planner software seems ideal for you, assuming you have a Windows machine (it's not supported on Mac )
• If you're good with file manipulation, I've plotted points on Google Earth and then created the file type used by the Raymarine Unit to store data. It was kind of a pain...the $50 software is a no brainer if that's what you're after.

Good luck!

 

[Great Lakes]

I use Mac... but thanks for the detailed response. I feel like navionics is missing the boat on this (pun intended)

 

[alnav]

There are some Mac navigation programs but the problem is Raymarine's proprietary/unique waypoint/route format used in earlier chart plotters; the Mac programs can't read or write to that format. There is a shareware program, GPSBabel, that enables translation between the Raymarine and more universal formats like .gpx. You would download your chart plotter data to a card, then convert to .gpx that your desktop program can use, then convert the files you created at home back to Raymarine. Agree you need a different card from the Navionics because there is a chance you could wipe out your charts. Available Mac navigation planning tools you could use are MacENC and PolarView NS.

 

[FastMarkA]

I use Mac... but thanks for the detailed response. I feel like navionics is missing the boat on this (pun intended)

Actually, it's not so much Navionics, but the chartplotter manufacturers.

Think of Navionics as merely the guys who survey the waters to maintain chart data about the planet. In theory, that data should be consistent across all platforms -- it shouldn't matter if you have a Raymarine, Garmin, Simrad, etc. installed at your helm. (Would be a bummer if you picked the wrong chartplotter and it led you to a kiss with a breakwater!)

The cartography and navigation file management has gotten better over the years, but it's yet to be harmonized like many other applications, most likely because it's not as frequently used as, say, the PDF.

 

[Steve S]

So a few things:

• 
  
• You mentioned E120, so the Raymarine Voyage Planner software seems ideal for you, assuming you have a Windows machine (it's not supported on Mac )
• Good luck!

I tried to download Voyage Planner but I never received the confirmation email to establish my account. I guess they really don't want to sell this to anyone.

 

[FastMarkA]

I tried to download Voyage Planner but I never received the confirmation email to establish my account. I guess they really don't want to sell this to anyone.

Apologies for stating the obvious publicly, but did you check your spam folder?

(I wouldn't be surprised if it never arrived; Raymarine invests a lot more in their hardware than software...which I guess is a good thing. I'd prefer a radar that reliably picks up boats than a super slick interface.)

 

[Steve S]

Apologies for stating the obvious publicly, but did you check your spam folder?

(I wouldn't be surprised if it never arrived; Raymarine invests a lot more in their hardware than software...which I guess is a good thing. I'd prefer a radar that reliably picks up boats than a super slick interface.)

Yep. Checked both my Outlook junk/spam folder and also the Comcast spam folder online (server). Both are empty...

 

[Great Lakes]

Actually, it's not so much Navionics, but the chartplotter manufacturers.

Think of Navionics as merely the guys who survey the waters to maintain chart data about the planet. In theory, that data should be consistent across all platforms -- it shouldn't matter if you have a Raymarine, Garmin, Simrad, etc. installed at your helm. (Would be a bummer if you picked the wrong chartplotter and it led you to a kiss with a breakwater!)

The cartography and navigation file management has gotten better over the years, but it's yet to be harmonized like many other applications, most likely because it's not as frequently used as, say, the PDF.

I guess my point is why doesn't Navionics have it setup so we can create waypoints on the computer (Mac or PC) and be able to save it to your CF card to use at the boat. If you go to their site, you can use their "ChartViewer" to plan routes and or use the dock-to-dock feature, etc. However, you can't upload that on to your card to use.

 

[Steve S]

Got this response today to my email.


Sorry for the delayed response due to our weekends out of the office.


Comcast is tough on our account verification emails, thinks the "click me to verify" link is a hacker / phishing trick; and thus it tends to block that type of our emails at the server level so a customer never sees them.

 

[sandydlc]

We have the Axiom 12 chartplotters on our 450DA and we also use Navionics on an iPad. I just spoke with Navionics today and they said that in the newest version of Lighthouse 3, route synchronization is supposed to be supported. So while this won't work with your e120s the functionality is there when/if you decide to upgrade. I'm going to upgrade our Axioms on Friday and will report back if the route syncing actually works!

 

[Great Lakes]

So while this won't work with your e120s the functionality is there when/if you decide to upgrade.

Thank you! Upgrade is def on the list of things to do, just a matter of when.

Yes please give us an update

 

[Todd320]

We have the Axiom 12 chartplotters on our 450DA and we also use Navionics on an iPad. I just spoke with Navionics today and they said that in the newest version of Lighthouse 3, route synchronization is supposed to be supported. So while this won't work with your e120s the functionality is there when/if you decide to upgrade. I'm going to upgrade our Axioms on Friday and will report back if the route syncing actually works!

This is good to know, I’m using iPad as main nav device, with my older Navionics always on and tracking as a backup (needs to be on regardless so I have depth!). At some point, I will be upgrading to new devices, and that would be really nice to set route up on the iPad or phone, then get to the dock and once the chart plotter connects to the internet, voila, all routes are there. I know, I know, chartplotters don’t connect to the internet easily. By the time I upgrade, I expect they will have an inexpensive wireless router with LTE access, AND all devices on-board seamlessly connect to the internet for updates, syncing, etc.

 

[FastMarkA]

By the time I upgrade, I expect they will have an inexpensive wireless router with LTE access, AND all devices on-board seamlessly connect to the internet for updates, syncing, etc.

What if I told you the future is now?!?!

Both my Raymarine and Simrad can grab a wifi signal to do their updates. It's quite handy.

 

[KevinC]

We have the Axiom 12 chartplotters on our 450DA and we also use Navionics on an iPad. I just spoke with Navionics today and they said that in the newest version of Lighthouse 3, route synchronization is supposed to be supported. So while this won't work with your e120s the functionality is there when/if you decide to upgrade. I'm going to upgrade our Axioms on Friday and will report back if the route syncing actually works!

Does this imply that with the new Lighthouse upgrade I can plot a course at home using the Navionics Chartviewer online and then save the route online and that my Axiom can then just "pickup" the route saved from online?? If so that would be real cool.

-Kevin

 

[sandydlc]

So I'm still working through getting my Axiom 12 MFDs to synchronize routes with my Navionics Boating app. I have a tech support case open with Navionics and will report back regarding my results. This is what I accomplished so far:

- Upgraded both Axioms to Lighthouse 3.4.66
- Removed my Navionics Platinum Plus card and updated maps, sonar logs and community edits using the Chart Installer software
- Reinstalled the Platinum Plus card on my Master Axiom MFD
- Synced my iPad Boating app with the MFDs and got the following errors:
"No routes or markers transferred. Save to your plotter card first"
"Sonar logs not found"
"Your plotter card is not compatible with Plotter Sync"
"Plotter card not compatible"

So after speaking with a Navionics rep this morning (after a one hour hold time!!!), she suggested removing the data card from my secondary MFD and attempting the sync again. If it doesn't work she said they would replace my Platinum Plus card. I'm trying to figure out an excuse to go to the marina tomorrow to try this solution out. It's driving me nuts!

 

[sandydlc]

What if I told you the future is now?!?!

Both my Raymarine and Simrad can grab a wifi signal to do their updates. It's quite handy.

Mine too - but I really want to transfer my routes from my Navionics Boating app to my Axioms. Hopefully that will be resolved soon.

 

[cstinehour]

So a few things:

• Don't mess with your Navionics card on your PC; it is designed to wipe out the chart data if attempts to copy it are made (this is in big writing on the box).
• You mentioned E120, so the Raymarine Voyage Planner software seems ideal for you, assuming you have a Windows machine (it's not supported on Mac )
• If you're good with file manipulation, I've plotted points on Google Earth and then created the file type used by the Raymarine Unit to store data. It was kind of a pain...the $50 software is a no brainer if that's what you're after.

Good luck!

The Voyage Planner site had detailed instructions that I have to buy Raymarine charts. Did you use Navionics with the Voyage Planner?