[ReeferJon]

I've been helping GPSNavX out with testing MacENC with European vector charts, and had an opportunity to try it "in anger" over the weekend, while sailing in the Solent, UK.

Check out http://web.mac.com/jonknight/iWeb/High%20Spirit for the pictures.

For those of you interested, my setup's as follows:

- Apple iBook G4 1.2GHz with 1.25Gb RAM
- MacENC beta 3.26
- Navionics S63 charts (from http://www.chartworld.com )
- Nasa AIS engine (from http://www.nasamarine.com )
- Navman 5500 chartplotter running C-MAP charts
- Autohelm instruments with Seatalk to NMEA convertor (not working yet)

MacENC 3.26 works well with these European encrypted ENCs. There some minor issues with the Navioncs charts (they're quite slow at low zoom) but this is overcome by setting the rendering options within MacENC.) The best thing with the Navionics charts is the price: 150 euros for a folio, which equates well with MapTech's price for raster charts. Thanks to Juergen from Chartworld.com for helping GPSNavX and I test these charts on evaluation.

GPSNavX will be releasing more info about MacENC's S63 support later, but in the meantime, I hope this gives you a taster!!

Regards,

Reeferjon

[GPSNavX]

Thanks for the great shots of your setup. MacENC 3.30 with S-63 support will be released tomorrow (04/10/06). With this new S-63 encrypted chart support, this allows MacENC to work world wide. S-63 encrypted charts are available from many sources (typically the local Hydrology Office). The only negative is they are not free like the unecrypted S-57 charts in United States.

I will continue to improve MacENC including performance. And of course the new Intel based Macs make MacENC lightning fast. MacENC is a universal binary allowing it to run natively on Intel and Power PC Macs.

I am looking forward to getting my hands on the new "MacBook" which replaces the G4 iBook. This will become the "boat" Mac. In my case a Comnav NX2 instrument system and a "Smart Radio SR161 AIS Receiver" will be interfaced through a ShipModul miniplex lite.

[Intuition]

Do you have a good source for NX2 instruments? We want to upgrade our older Nexus CPU to NX2 so we can interface it with GPSNavX. Understand we need to upgrade the depth sensor, but other instruments will work with the new CPU. None of the local dealers seem to carry the NX2 system.

Thanks,
Mark

[jagasail]

Mark,
Performance Yachts in Annapolis (pyacht.com) is a good source. While I have Raymarine on my current boat I had outfitted my previous boat with the Comnav NX2 from them. I use them a lot for web ordered stuff and always had good service.

Scot

[GPSNavX]

The older Nexus server is GPSNavX/MacENC compatible..

http://www.silva.se/marine/manuals/20444-31.pdf
(See page 16)

As it has a NMEA in/out port.

The newer NX2 does have an additional external NMEA in/out port making direct connection to a Keyspan USB to serial adapter easier.

[cyberhusky]

@ReeferJon and GPSNAVX

Wow!

I can't wait to get my hands on MacENC with S63 support. Looks very promising.

BTW great shots and screenshots!
ReeferJon is you AIS system just the engine without display or the one with display?

How well do the Navman system with C-charts compare to MacEnc / GPSNavX?

Thx.

[Intuition]

Thanks for the info on the Nexus server. We did get NMEA out in the past, but it has ceased to function, so it is probably time for a new server. Will play with all the connections this weekend and see if we can resurrect it. Thanks again for the advice.

Mark

[oldvarnish]

Just curious about how you access the Navionics charts. Do they come on a CD, or do you need a reader. If so, which did you use? Any problems getting it to work?

[GPSNavX]

The Navionics ENC's are available from ChartWorld as a download. Go to

http://www.chartworld.com/

Click on products, then click on "Other ENCs".

To purchase click on "Online Order" button

MacENC is compatible with any S-57/S-63 ENC.

[cyberhusky]

I have problems ordering ENC maps from chartworld.com.
It was possible to create an account but if I want to order MAPs I'm asked the ECS/ECDIS registration.
But as I don't have a ECS/ECDIS passport, I have to enter some infos. If asked about the hardware ID I use my iBook ID number but this doesn't work.
If I do leave this part of the form blank, registration doesn't work either.

So does anybody know how this should work?
Thx

Manou

[GPSNavX]

Not sure what maps you are taking about. MacENC works with ENC's (Electronic Navigation Charts). That being said you want to follow these steps to purchase charts on Chart World..

- Create an Account

- Enter ECS/ECDIS info - specifically enter the 28 digit UserPermit that is displayed in the Chart Manager in MacENC. Leave the Hardware ID and ARCS info blank

- Select the charts you want

- Download them (zip files)

Then follow these steps to use them with MacENC..

http://www.gpsnavx.com/MacENC/pdf/ChartWorld.pdf

[cyberhusky]

Enter ECS/ECDIS info - specifically enter the 28 digit UserPermit that is displayed in the Chart Manager in MacENC.

Thx for the reply.

OK I understand. I first wanted to buy the maps and than buy MacENC.

Now I know I have to do it the other way round :-)

As for the Maps I wanted the ENC Folio for region 2 with charts for Netherlands and Belgian coasts.

[GPSNavX]

I can not make it any clearer - MacENC works with marine charts, not maps..

http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/map-cht.htm

If you request maps you will get something that is not compatible with GPSNavX or MacENC.

[cyberhusky]

English isn't my native language - for me maps and charts is the same. It were the right marine charts I wanted to order but as I don't have this 28 digit UserPermit as I don't have MacENC yet, I was not able to order the charts.

I will soon order MacENC and then will buy the ENC charts I need.

Thx for your help.

[srp]

I notice on the license agreement that the Navionics ENC's are ok for 12 months. What happens after that - do they stop working after a year or am I supposed to stop using them?
150 euros may sound reasonable for a decent UK chart, but I'd have to get more than a year out of it for that money!

[ReeferJon]

I emailed to Juergen from Chartworld about expiry. My understanding is that the charts expire after a year, but you'll be supplied an updated version on an annual basis. Juegen's email is quoted below:

there is an expiry date, but it depends on the application if the charts are further displayed or not.

Presently there are no real updates for the private ENCs, we simply provide a new chart unit edition (about once per
year). Before the installation of the new chart edition, the old edition has to be deleted. The data are from the same
Navionics database which supports the plotters.

[jagasail]

Geeeeeeez I'd sure like to understand that better. I'd hate be be in the middle of a long ocean passage when the expiration date hit!

[GPSNavX]

Since MacENC is for the recreational boater as opposed to commercial traffic (i.e. certified ECDIS), MacENC does not disable the use of any chart. It is possible a future version of MacENC might notify the user that a chart has expired, but that would not prevent it's use.

[jagasail]

Thanks - that makes more sense and is quite a relief!

[srp]

Just been trying for the last hour to buy a chart from Chartworld - and failed. Talk about user-unfriendly. After filling in copious amounts of information it tells me that I already have such an installation - so why can't I go any further?
There's an option to choose a passport file, but no clue as to what sort of file this is, so a Spotlight search is pretty fruitless. Does anyone know what sort of file I should be looking for? Is it even on my hard drive?

[GPSNavX]

Jump back to page one of this thread for instructions on how to get charts from Chart World.

[srp]

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, I've followed these instructions, entered the ENC user permit from MacENC, selected my chart (English Channel - Northern Part). A dialog appears telling me I need an account - I already have - and I then have to register my ECS/ECDIS, either by using my ECDIS passport, or choosing 'No I don't have an ECDIS passport'.
If I choose the first I am prompted to select a file - I haven't a clue as to what this file might be - or I can fill in all my details again, at which point it tells me 'There is already such an installation!(S63)'.
I can't get any further than this.

[GPSNavX]

Send me an email and I will send you a contact email address at ChartWorld who can help you out.

[srp]

Thanks for your help - Jeurgens at Chartworld sent me the info I needed, and I have now downloaded the chart I needed. Chartworld support is very good, but........(beginners read on)
However, for anyone else wanting to do this, I've found that the Chartworld web site only works properly with Internet Explorer on a Windows pc - Safari on a mac displays incorrectly and both Safari and Firefox encounter Javascript errors when purchasing and subsequently downloading.
Add to that the general lack of coherent instructions and guidance on the Chartworld website (sorry Chartworld, but it has to be said) then you could be in for a frustrating time.
The instructions given above ( http://www.gpsnavx.com/MacENC/pdf/ChartWorld.pdf ) by GPSNavX are essential reading when it comes to unpacking and installing.

[GPSNavX]

I agree the ChartWorld website is not the easiest to navigate.

I did not have the Safari problems you relate, but I don't doubt there are issues as I could only get it to accept one of my Macs UserPermits insisting the other was in use. Which is not possible since UserPermits are unique to each Mac or PC.

At this time I have been using the UKHO ENC service where the charts are sent on a CD, and weekly updates also on CD. This process has been much more straight forward then ChartWorld.

We live in a PC centric world. I have done much to make PC marine data (BSB charts, S-57/S-63, GRIB, Garmin) work on OS X.