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Free charting software

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/10/2009 : 15:43:03

A friend of mine just gave me this link so I don't know much about it yet. However, it looks like with a little work, you can use your laptop as a chartplotter, with inputs from your GPS, etc. It works with NOAA & Corps of Engineer's charts which are available for free.

I'll have to play with this a bit & see if I can get one of my GPS units talking to it.

http://www.polarnavy.com/index.php

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - on

brak
Deckhand

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3 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2009 : 16:59:11

Hey there!

PolarView is our product :) so I thought I'd butt in.
As of now, PolarView is only a chart viewer.
PolarCOM is an NMEA 0183 data bridge/processor and set of display instruments.
As of now they do not talk to each other yet, so you won't be able to get your ship position on the chart.

Combined product will be available at some point - but not quite yet.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2009 : 17:05:22

Wow, that was quick, I just posted this a short while ago.

Sorry for the mistake, I had only quickly read through your site and misunderstood the link (or lack of) between the two.

Thanks for putting PolarView together, it's nice to see folks trying to get freeware running with ENC charts.

Edited by - on

Peregrine
Admiral

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830 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2009 : 18:14:00

"As of now, PolarView is only a chart viewer.
PolarCOM is an NMEA 0183 data bridge/processor and set of display instruments."

Of course it is.

English please?
I don't think I'm a ludite but I just don't understand the lingo.
Thanks

Edited by - on

brak
Deckhand

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3 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2009 : 18:39:59

PolarCOm is a data bridge - i.e. it will bridge NMEA data between multiple NMEA ports, including serial and network ports. So, you can connect a GPS and a depth sounder for example. Or connect your GPS and export GPS data over TCP, then connect another navigation program to the TCP port of PolarCOM and get the same data etc.

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2009 : 18:48:56

The $100 I spent on MacEnc was the one of the best boat units I ever spent. It is a full featured chartplotter , integrates with practically any gps, and uses the free ENC charts. It can integrate with weather data grib files and AIS. Perhaps something similar is coming down the road for Windows. When PS tested chart plotting programs, it compared the previous version that used raster charts very favorably with Windows programs that cost over $1000. ince all Macs come with bluetooth, I can even go wireless with my mounted bluetooth gps receiver.

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Ed Cassidy
Captain

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USA
365 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2009 : 20:58:14

I tried SeaClear II and it works quite well. It's free, it uses NOAA charts and hooks up to most any handheld. And best of all, it's free. Oh, I already said that. http://www.sping.com/seaclear/

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brak
Deckhand

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3 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2009 : 23:23:22

BTW, if anyone here happens to use Linux - PolarView for Linux just came out of the oven. Get it while it's still hot :) j/k. In any case, Linux version is available for download.

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 04/18/2009 : 14:09:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Ed Cassidy
 I tried SeaClear II and it works quite well. It's free, it uses NOAA charts and hooks up to most any handheld. And best of all, it's free. Oh, I already said that. http://www.sping.com/seaclear/
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I also use SeaClear II. For a freeware program that was written by a sailor who was not a professional computer programmer, it's remarkably capable. The only downside to it (if you even want to call this a downside), is that SeaClear only works with raster charts in the KAP or WCI format, and does NOT work with S-57 ENC charts.

The "best" Nav software would be a program that uses both S-57 and raster charts. I suppose there are commercial programs out there like Fugawi that can do this, but they're certainly not freeware.

Edited by - on

Deric
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2009 : 04:24:23

Dave,

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave B:
ince all Macs come with bluetooth, I can even go wireless with my mounted bluetooth gps receiver. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

After reading about the MacEnc, I downloaded the demo software. The MacEnc looks great so far. I need to look at a few gps receivers.

What model bluetooth type of GPS receiver do you use?

Any negative issues?

Edited by - on

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