Cmap PC Planner

Zippy · 07 March 2010, 13:26

Afternoon,

has anyone used the PC planner for Cmap? we will soon have a navman 6600 and would like to plan some routes from home rather than sit on the boat and do it.

is it any good???

thanks
Zippy

Brian · 07 March 2010, 19:33

Yup. I've used it for 5/6 years (PCPlanner). Now use Navplanner-much worse!
Dont think it runs on Vista though, which was my reason to change.
It's a little clunky but you soon get used to it's foibles.
Main problem I found was having to deal with C-MAP Italy.

Zippy · 07 March 2010, 20:08

thanks brian, will need to run it on Windows 7 so is navplanner the newer version??

Brian · 08 March 2010, 21:19

No, Navplanner is Navionics own software. It supports the Navionic chips.

For completeness I used C-MAP and PCPlanner for some years.
I then changed my computer to a Vista one. I found PCPlanner did not work with Vista.
About this time I changed my boat, my plotter and my chip brand.
I found that Navplanner worked-sort of OK.
So I changed.
I had waited 2 years for PCPlanner to support Vista. Despite them saying so, they dont.

Trevor G · 13 March 2010, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zippy

thanks brian, will need to run it on Windows 7 so is navplanner the newer version??

Hi Zippy
I used PC Planner last year and I thought it worked OK on vista - I say "used" as I've just bought a Windows 7 netbook and haven't tried to install PC Planner as yet, so don't know if it will work on the new PC.
However - I'm sure I heard somewhere that Windows 7 would work in an "XP Mode" - which might mean you could run it on Windows 7 that way.
If you want to try it 1st, we normally run from the Hamble so you could borrow my PC planner s/w and give it a try before buying - I only tend to use it for longer cruises such as Alderney and Dartmouth so it isn't in daily use.
Trevor

Zippy · 25 March 2010, 09:40

Right,

have decided to get the pc plotter and make it work on windows 7 (or my netbook with xp if it fails) so...

to anyone out there..... where is best to get the software from? i also need the card reader and user card too.

any chandlers on the forum that could advise??

Many thanks
Zippy.

Tony · 25 March 2010, 10:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zippy

Right,

have decided to get the pc plotter and make it work on windows 7 (or my netbook with xp if it fails) so...

to anyone out there..... where is best to get the software from? i also need the card reader and user card too.

any chandlers on the forum that could advise??

Many thanks
Zippy.

Is it the same reader as the raymarine?

Zippy · 25 March 2010, 11:26

pass? computers and me dont really sit that well together so im looking for some help!!

Trevor G · 26 March 2010, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zippy

to anyone out there..... where is best to get the software from? i also need the card reader and user card too.

Hi Zippy
In May last year Redcar were doing a great deal on it for £49 (which includes the USB multimedia reader needed to read and write to C-cards), but I'm not sure if they still have it at this price.
You would also need a user card (£29 inc delivery from PRS comms) to get the data into your plotter, although this can also be used to get track data out of your plotter to look at on a PC or for analysing the course actually taken from a cruise.
Hope this helps.
Trevor

BarflyRIB · 20 April 2010, 07:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyLizzy

You would also need a user card (£29 inc delivery from PRS comms) to get the data into your plotter, although this can also be used to get track data out of your plotter to look at on a PC or for analysing the course actually taken from a cruise.

do you also know if you can put your track/route as a layer in google maps or earth?

rdash · 22 April 2010, 10:01

I have tried using C-Map and thought it was useless, running XP service pack 3. Worse still under Vista. PC Planner (Navionics) crashes often under Windoze 7 on my HP machine. Curiously it runs just fine on a Mac (Fusion emulator and XP sp3). If thweather holds into next week I shall try it out Gosport-Guernsey and back.
I have found the best is SeaPro 3000 which is stable, easy to use and fast. It can use Navionics chart cartridges or a number of other chart packages, but not C-Map. However I don't know if I can export routes/waypoints to a plotter.
There is also something called BoatCruiser 2.0 which does use C-Map discs and is a real improvement on the C-Map planning software. Unfortunately far from cheap. Fugawi produce something which seems compatible with most plotters, but I haven't used it.
Hope this may assist.

Zippy · 23 June 2010, 20:45

ok. got c map thingie and a user card but next questions....

i have routes on the computer but want to dont know how to transfer them to the user card.
once done. how do i make the chart plotter find them from the memory card???

Trevor G · 23 June 2010, 22:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zippy

ok. got c map thingie and a user card but next questions....

i have routes on the computer but want to dont know how to transfer them to the user card.
once done. how do i make the chart plotter find them from the memory card???

To get the files onto the user card you use the file manager icon (looks like a filing cabinet in the top left corner) and when you put the card in your plotter there is a user card option on the main menu where you can load data (routes and userpoints) from the card to the plotter
Trevor