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Pete
Yes
I looked at the page a while back and it looks very pomising. The free viewers looked a little limited so far, but pretty interesting all the same. I plan to tinker more. It would be great if they worked with Ozi Explorer or something similar. Pete
I looked at the page a while back and it looks very pomising. The free viewers looked a little limited so far, but pretty interesting all the same. I plan to tinker more. It would be great if they worked with Ozi Explorer or something similar. Pete
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Paul Akers
Try Maptech.com
Take a look at www.maptech.com for a small view at the charts. It's good for all kinds of planning. Just select Online chasrts and then enter the city/town and state. Then select Nautical Chart.
Take a look at www.maptech.com for a small view at the charts. It's good for all kinds of planning. Just select Online chasrts and then enter the city/town and state. Then select Nautical Chart.
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Steve Cook
Garmin Blue Charts
I just purchased the Garmin Blue Chart CD for my PC/Chart Ploter. The CD was $100.00 and has more chart area than I sail. With the purchase of the CD, you get one free chart area. I got the Lake Michigan area. You may purchase access codes for other chart areas on the CD for a fee. (not sure how much). Now I have access to all of the charts for my area at the helm on my ploter and at my nav. station with my position placed on the chart in real time. Free charts are just that, Free. For a $100.00 you can't beat it. Check it out, I have pasted a link to Garmin below. Steve, s/v Rover (P323)
I just purchased the Garmin Blue Chart CD for my PC/Chart Ploter. The CD was $100.00 and has more chart area than I sail. With the purchase of the CD, you get one free chart area. I got the Lake Michigan area. You may purchase access codes for other chart areas on the CD for a fee. (not sure how much). Now I have access to all of the charts for my area at the helm on my ploter and at my nav. station with my position placed on the chart in real time. Free charts are just that, Free. For a $100.00 you can't beat it. Check it out, I have pasted a link to Garmin below. Steve, s/v Rover (P323)
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Garry @ S/V TASHTEGO
Charts
NOAA is gradually moving to a digital chart database for vectorized charts. As more charts are digitized NOAA will be moving to print-on-demand charts which will be up-to-date with all changes published in notices to mariners right up to the time of printing. The ability to edit features of the charts without completely re-digitizing them is the big advantage of the vector charts. Comments about the superiority of paper charts over vectorized charts will go away as the paper charts you buy will be printed from the vector database. While raster charts will continue for some time, as the effort to digitize the vector charts is time consuming and slow, in the end, vector charts will be the standard. There is plenty of information at the NOAA web site at the link below.
NOAA is gradually moving to a digital chart database for vectorized charts. As more charts are digitized NOAA will be moving to print-on-demand charts which will be up-to-date with all changes published in notices to mariners right up to the time of printing. The ability to edit features of the charts without completely re-digitizing them is the big advantage of the vector charts. Comments about the superiority of paper charts over vectorized charts will go away as the paper charts you buy will be printed from the vector database. While raster charts will continue for some time, as the effort to digitize the vector charts is time consuming and slow, in the end, vector charts will be the standard. There is plenty of information at the NOAA web site at the link below.
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Michael O'
It is "free"!
I have re-read the information in the NOAA web sites and must concur that they DO plan to offer the data for FREE over the internet. They have demo versions available now, even though a different NOAA website says that none is available. (same NOAA website that I quoted from earlier-just a little confusing) They plan to have high traffic ports ready first. "We currently project that the initial coverage of major commercial ports will be completed by 2002." We will still have to buy the software to display the charts on our laptops. I imagine that Navionics, C-chart, Garmin's G-chart (that work in stand alone display units) will soon move to the new standards from NOAA with a choice of raster or vector layering.
I have re-read the information in the NOAA web sites and must concur that they DO plan to offer the data for FREE over the internet. They have demo versions available now, even though a different NOAA website says that none is available. (same NOAA website that I quoted from earlier-just a little confusing) They plan to have high traffic ports ready first. "We currently project that the initial coverage of major commercial ports will be completed by 2002." We will still have to buy the software to display the charts on our laptops. I imagine that Navionics, C-chart, Garmin's G-chart (that work in stand alone display units) will soon move to the new standards from NOAA with a choice of raster or vector layering.
chart viewing software!
Mike: I believe that I read that you will still need some type of chart viewing software to view these charts. The Capn. has a low end system that should work.
Mike: I believe that I read that you will still need some type of chart viewing software to view these charts. The Capn. has a low end system that should work.
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Terry Arnold
Reading free ENCs with free viewers
Link below is a page from the NOAA ENC site that gives links to free viewers. The ENC files as they are unzipped can be viewed by using one of the viewers from this page. and loading or importing the unzipped ENC .000 file as s-57 format. Look under the file menu of the viewer for this option. Once this connection is made, double clicking on one of the .000 files should bring up the viewer and load and display the chart automatically. Ones I have looked at, (Mobile Bay and Tampa Bay) seem set up for big ship navigation. All in all, very exciting for the future. http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/resource.htm
Link below is a page from the NOAA ENC site that gives links to free viewers. The ENC files as they are unzipped can be viewed by using one of the viewers from this page. and loading or importing the unzipped ENC .000 file as s-57 format. Look under the file menu of the viewer for this option. Once this connection is made, double clicking on one of the .000 files should bring up the viewer and load and display the chart automatically. Ones I have looked at, (Mobile Bay and Tampa Bay) seem set up for big ship navigation. All in all, very exciting for the future. http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/resource.htm
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Ron
Did I Miss something Here???
I downloaded the charts and the software to view them. What are they supposed to be? They are the worse charts I've ever seen... What are you supposed to do with them? You sure can't navigate with them???? Somebody help me here.... Ron/KA5HZV
I downloaded the charts and the software to view them. What are they supposed to be? They are the worse charts I've ever seen... What are you supposed to do with them? You sure can't navigate with them???? Somebody help me here.... Ron/KA5HZV
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Ed
You missed something
I downloaded the SevenC's viewer, but I couldn't import the ENC files from NOAA. The dkLook viewer worked fine. Great resolution once you zoom in. The SF Bay takes a while to load on my system, but if you right click on any feature, a window pops up and tells you everything about what your looking at.(Assuming the rock or bouy is where they say it is.) I think, on a laptop, they would be a very convenient alternative to big paper charts or chartbooks.
I downloaded the SevenC's viewer, but I couldn't import the ENC files from NOAA. The dkLook viewer worked fine. Great resolution once you zoom in. The SF Bay takes a while to load on my system, but if you right click on any feature, a window pops up and tells you everything about what your looking at.(Assuming the rock or bouy is where they say it is.) I think, on a laptop, they would be a very convenient alternative to big paper charts or chartbooks.
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