Two Plotters - copy chip??

brucehawsker · 02 November 2004, 08:58

I have two plotters - the big Lowrance 7000C for route planning and for the Navigator, and a small 330C for depth and for heads up data to the helm.

I have only one chart chip. I have no objection to paying the £200 for that chip. But do I have to pay a second £200 for a second chip to go in the second plotter?

Can I simply copy the MMC card on my laptop onto a new blank 64K card?

What are the issues here - technically and legally.

Thanks

Bruce

verado · 02 November 2004, 12:42

Do the Cards not have cracks in them to prevent people doing just this ?
Yes the cards are expensive but I guess it would constitute software theft if you did so. Very interested to see the replies to this question and if it can actually be done

matt owen · 02 November 2004, 13:21

The cards have a special navionics format

verado · 02 November 2004, 13:28

Does this mean unlike PC software that they cannot ? be copied or can they ?

brucehawsker · 02 November 2004, 15:44

not sure if this is theft. I bought the card to use on my boat. Not to use in 'only one plotter on my boat'.....

pmorgan · 02 November 2004, 16:05

Hi Bruce

This idea has crossed my mind too, as I have the 7000c as well and a second card would be useful to use in conjunction with the computer software for route planning. Your posting has prompted me to look into it a little further.

Are you sure that the card supplied is a MMC card and not a Secure Digital one ? I unfortunately left mine in the GPS and won’t be able to check till next weekend. These two cards look very similar but the Secure Digital one was specifically design for distributing copy write protected data and consequently the cards have built in functionality for data encryption, if this is the case then I would expect it to be difficult to copy.

Rgds

Pete

PS Secure Digital cards have a slider on the side to prevent accidentally write access MMC cards don’t.

brucehawsker · 02 November 2004, 22:41

No slider. It is an MMC. Lowrance provided a reader for a PC so it seems unlikely there is much in the way of hardware encryption. 64M. The book says ' {Navionics Charts}... work just like Map Create custom maps'. That means we sholud be able to do Menu | Menu | Browse MMC Files | ENT and then highlight a file and then ENT to copy. That should copy the file onto a blank MMC.

Or do it the hard way using Windows, or if that fails, brute force using, in DOS, the infamous XCOPY F: C: /c /h /e /k /y which always seems to work.

Hmmm....

Bruce

PS does anyone know how 'X-plain' works? It is mentioned in the Navionics flier but not in the Lowrance brochure

swginn · 02 November 2004, 23:29

You CAN copy Navionics Charts on MMC although it probably is illegal!!

Lets just say I've got this friend

who has copied his Navionics Map for another friend using a Verbatim Card Reader/Writer. The map my friend

copied was a Navionics Classic chart but worked perfectly just like the original. However as your chartplotters are colour, I presume they are Navionics Gold charts. I, I mean my friend has no experience of copying these but the idea should basically be the same just be sure to copy every file over including any hidden files that your computer may be hiding.

codprawn · 02 November 2004, 23:48

[QUOTE=swginn] You CAN copy Navionics Charts on MMC although it probably is illegal!!

Why should it be - if you have already paid once and it is not for distribution you should be ok - all this opens a huge can of worms - I remember a shop being "done" for selling non region encoded DVD players - they had all their stock taken away and were prosecuted by amongst others Trading Standards. Not long later Tesco started selling the same things - Trading standards decided "We will take no further action on this matter"!!!

brucehawsker · 03 November 2004, 07:38

My position is that if I copied a the files and gave them to someone else, or posted them on the web, I would clearly be in breach, although I am unsure if I could / would be prosecuted.

If I sold them to another party than I certainly could and probably would be prosecuted.

If I put them in my second boat (I don't have one bug enough

!) then I would be in breach but sincerely doubt a prosecution would hold.

But to copy to put a second one in my single RIB, so I have a backup - essentially a repeat - of the map on my small screen in easy sight of the helm, with the big map for the navvigator - it is hard to argue that is a breach and it certainly seems unprosecutable....

verado · 03 November 2004, 11:22

Asked navionics direct this question( do not panic Bruce no names or forums mentioned ) the response in capital letters is Copy or reproduce and you will face prosecution !!!

I guess this means they want you to buy additional cards for each unit.

We looked at this in detail last night and for experimental purposes only

successfully copied a chart. Files essential for the process need a helping hand to go accross but hey we are no einsteins as you say in the Uk and it took us all of 10 mins with minimal PC experience. There is scope for the dishonest to make fortunes here.............. :cool

orders please gents

brucehawsker · 03 November 2004, 12:01

Since the process of moving the MMC card between two plotters in Solent chop is an exercise fraught with risk, and I have every reason to suppose I might damage the card, I would like to make a backup on my home PC in case of problems. Could anyone (Verado?) PM me with any hints about how to be sure I have made a complete back-up copy?

Many thanks

Bruce

Nick Thompson · 15 November 2004, 23:26

Quote:

so I have a backup - essentially a repeat - of the map on my small screen in easy sight of the helm, with the big map for the navvigator - it is hard to argue that is a breach and it certainly seems unprosecutable....

That would not be a backup of the software.

If both were in use at the same time it would be very easy to argue that it is a breach of copyright & therefore would be prosecutable, but unless the copyright owner wanted to make an example of you, it is unlikely they would prosecute.

It would depend upon what the license says, but in general there are 2 types of software license:

1, The media can be copied only as a backup but not used.

2, The software can be installed on 2 (or more computers) provided that the computers belong to the same person & are not used at the same time ie a desktop & notebook. This is often know as a Borland license.

The 'shrinkwrap' license that covers most software has never been tested in an English court, the outcome of any test case would be extremely difficult to predict & the big software companies don't want to take the risk of a decision going against them.

Pete7 · 01 December 2004, 09:25

Interesting site, wonder if the unlock codes are still valid ?

Pete

< Edit: link removed. JK >

Nick Thompson · 01 December 2004, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

Interesting site, wonder if the unlock codes are still valid ?

Pete

Pete,

As you appear to condone software theft, I assume you wouldn't object if someone posted the codes to your burglar alarm systems or 'borrowed' your RIB on the basis that they had already paid for one, but found for some reason they need two, one day.

Bruce,

Just to make it clear, did you buy or steal the second display ?

Pete7 · 01 December 2004, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Thompson

Pete,

As you appear to condone software theft, ?

Nick, not at all, I bought mine, however think software charts are expensive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Thompson

Bruce, Just to make it clear, did you buy or steal the second display ?

Steady

Pete

Nick Thompson · 01 December 2004, 11:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

however think software charts are expensive.

Pete,

So are RIBS, Rolls-Royce cars, etc, but that doesn't mean I can post details on how to steal them.

There are a number of reasons why software charts are expensive, apart from being bloody time consuming & therefore expensive to produce, there is a limited market, HMHO demand a LARGE royalty on every chart sold & remember they are for boaters who can afford it.

Pete7 · 01 December 2004, 13:43

Okay, so I take it there's no chance of a cheap CD for my Garmin then ?

Nick Thompson · 01 December 2004, 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

Okay, so I take it there's no chance of a cheap CD for my Garmin then ?

Probably, try Tottenham Court Road

mojoloco · 04 July 2007, 02:41

Ok...let me get this straight...if you found a way to copy cards please let me know how!!!!paid 400 dollars canadian for this map for the eastern great lakes...do not want to spend another for my portable

Have mapcreate topo and non topo...familiar with making maps but cant get this one to work in the units when i copy

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