It displays the world’s freely provided charts, plus charts you have bought from a retailer of ENC data – it recommends ChartWorld. You can use the drop-down menu to select your chart. MacENC can obtain tidal data from AyeTides and another nice networking option allows you to export your tracks and routes to Google Earth so that family and friends can follow your progress. You double click on the chart to create a new waypoint, then add it to a route, overlay radar or AIS data, log your track and export data to a second device for storage or further work at home. It is a complete navigation package that integrates your NMEA data from on board instruments via wifi. Upgraded and relaunched for Apple laptops by a new developer, NavStation, MacENC now works with 64-bit processors and Apple’s new M1 chip. These cover many popular sailing grounds.īeing run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, OpenCPN has a lively support community and is constantly evolving new plug-ins for specific tasks. OpenCPN has a spin-off called o-charts ( which packages great value charting data in an encrypted format called oeSENC for vector charts and oeRNC for raster charts. Complex installation is now a thing of the past on PCs and Macs, but you do need to download charts separately for the areas you want to cruise. It also supports radar images from Garmin and Navico (B&G, Simrad, Lowrance), but not yet Raymarine. Now in version 5.2, every release has tweaks and improvements.Ī very well-specced user interface includes: a full AIS system, with target tracking, selectable MMSI numbers and support for DSC route planning using tidal data, weather and great circle geometry plus GPS, alarms, GRIB overlays and support for 20 languages. Over the years, the features have developed and the team of developers behind OpenCPN are constantly adding new ones.Īmong the latest is the ability to input Signal K (the data format set to usher in the Internet of Things on board) alongside a sophisticated NMEA multiplexer. In fact, you can run it on almost any machine running Windows, MacOS, Linux or Android, but only on Android phones or tablets. The name stands for Chart Plotter Navigation, and as you’d expect, the aim of the software is to replicate the function of a dedicated chartplotter on a laptop or a tablet. You can plan routes with one click and test various scenarios to find the fastest or safest passage plan. With this info pouring into your laptop or tablet, plus weather and tide data from an online service, your screen becomes a veritable navigation hub. If you opt to hard-wire the connection for laptop use, you’ll need a free node on your NMEA 2000 network or an unused NMEA 0183 output close by your laptop. In the former case, you’ll need a wifi bridge that is wired into your boat network to collect instrument data and transmit it wirelessly. Good software allows you to connect to your boat’s NMEA instrument network – either by wifi or through a wired USB connection. They are best viewed on a laptop, but can also be displayed on a phone or a tablet, further saving the cost of buying and installing a specialist chartplotter. You still pay for many digital nautical charts outside the US, where the NOAA has made them freely available, but they often cost less than 10% of the branded charts. (OK don't let your spouse see that part) and get a water proof case for sure.Sailing ground off the coast of New York – Open CPN screenshot Now if you are looking for an excuse to buy one, go ahead, but it is not necessary. You will not be out of sight of land and some have successfully navigated using the chart on a place mat! My back up would be a handheld gps and a chart, even a chart book. That said the BVI does not really need a chart plotter, as you can navigate by sight quite well. Bad Elf is supposed to be good, the external GPS is going to get a quicker lock and likely be more accurate. If you do not get one with just wifi, then you will need to get an external GPS sensor. I have also heard they can give issues if taken from one location to a distant one, as it cannot relate the GPS signal location to the last known cell location. When out of cell range it may take a while to get a fix, as they use data from cell towers to speed up the tracking. Does not matter what provider, as you are not required to have a data contract, but the GPS chip is bundled with the cell chip. Just make sure you get one that will do 3G data coverage.
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