Charts: Lighthouse vs C-Map vs Navionics

[BayMan]

I am contemplating upgrading my 1997 Raymarine chartplotter (RL70C) with a new Raymarine multifunction plotter. For the price of new C-map chart cards I can almost buy an entire new modern system. I am hoping I can upgrade the chartplotter while keeping everything else, like the radar, instrument displays, Autohelm.. Raymarine offers machines with a choice of their own Lighthouse charts, C-Map charts or Navionics charts.

Since I have decided to stay a Raymarine boat I am leaning to the Lighthouse charts. Do you all have opinions or experience on these choices?

 

[seadaddler]

I have a C-80 Raymarine which uses Navionics and a few years ago was thinking of up grading and called Ray tech support and they told me my radar would not work with the newer chartplotter and since really loving my C-80 and did not up grade.
I don't know anything about the new lighthouse charts,I have navionics on all my computers and cell and tablets and happy and waiting for navionics to add a new feature dock to dock.
So call Raymarine and ask for info
Nick

 

[Hello Below]

I am hoping I can upgrade the chartplotter while keeping everything else, like the radar, instrument displays, Autohelm..

Unless your radar is digital, it will not be compatible with a new(er) Raymarine MFD. No converter or adapter to help out. Otherwise you should be fine with NMEA 0183 and/or NMEA 2000 and the Sea Talk NG Backbone.

As per Seadaddler, I also use Navionics on all my devices including the Raymarine e95 MFD.

As an aside, I would not recommend the touch screen only MFDs ("a Series" as an example). When the screen or your fingers are wet the touch screen is useless or also if you wear gloves. The hybrid provides hard buttons that allows the continued use of the MFD.

 

[Hello Below]

and waiting for navionics to add a new feature dock to dock.

Navionics has had the Dock to Dock feature available for iThings for a year or so. Raymarine just added the capability in their newest Lighthouse II v17 released a couple of weeks ago. However and I quote, "To enable Dock to dock Navionics owners must update their Navionics+, Platinum+ or HotMaps Platinum chart cards after April 1st, 2016 by visiting the Navionics online store." Thus my 2 year old chart card will not support this new feature.

I am not sure if the Doc to Dock autorouting will work well with the boat's autopilot. The iPad Boating HD (Navionics chart app) seems to make the route into a nice slow curved route. I think that would take a gazillion number of waypoints that would drive the autopilot and helms person crazy.

 

[seadaddler]

I was talking about Dock to Dock for my tablet and pretty sure my C80 can't do the dock to dock,last time I talked to Navionics they said the dock to dock was working on the Iphone and Ipad but not android yet but coming soon.
I need to renew my android tablet for navionics and waiting to try dock to dock and a friend is raving about Plan2Nav so waiting to see which one I will renew in the fall 2016.
I love my C-80 and is my main system at the helm when cruising and tablet is my backup along side my C-80 while cruising and have many routes and waypoints stored in my C-80.

My sailing season is pretty much over and heading north soon and resume sailing Oct.
Nick

 

[JamesG161]

choice of their own Lighthouse charts,

I installed my a98 and was told Lighthouse II was free for life.....
NOT True!

Although it is $10, Raymarine sold out the map business to an overseas firm who just sent me a email about Their system failure and said "To Bad, we're Glad, So Sad".

It is the principle of it! Raymarine is good, but they need to audit Lighthouse.

Subject: RE: Chart never Received.

Last year there were some early issues in the system causing some tricky errors. That’s past now… either you’ll download the charts right away (see Amanda’s reply email) or any error you get is easily diagnosed these days given various improvements over the last several months. So run through the steps again (simple version at https://charts.raymarine.com/downloads )

The rest of the story...
I downloaded the new map ($10), got a system error when loading it to the MFD, wrote a complaint, they said do it again, then said... opps our error, don't do anything until we get back to you .... tic tic tic. New software update. Maps faded to black.

The above was the last of a series of email from them. Buy Lighthouse at your own risk. The old Lighthouse will time out and fade to black ( no joke) , so I believe it is an annual subscription scam. My iPad app has an equivalent maps and is all I really need. The is a "basic" system map that works.

If you are going long distances and in unfamiliar waters, double check the chart reviews on the web.
Jim...

 

[JamesG161]

I decided to log into Raymarine Forum and read the post on Lighthouse...
Navionics has problems too.
Join RM's tech forum and read on.
It appears that all charts are subscription or outdating features.
Jim...

 

[JamesG161]

Yep $10 per year! or it Fades to Black
Jim...

 

[BayMan]

Each option then has a yearly fee? But are there any real differences in the quality and accuracy of the charts?

On the radar, yes, I am going to lose my analog radar and will have to get a be digital one. But this all came up because I wanted c-map cards that would take me from great lakes to Florida and found out the cost for them is about $1100. No way. Meanwhile My Polarview and OpenCPN programs are free or nearly free and have free charts and are making we wonder if I can survive with a laptop and tablet and forget the chartplotter.

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi]

I think you can buy Cmap charts for the R70C for a lot less than that. I bought Chicago to Mobile in 2013 then the entire west coast and keys of Fl. I don't remember how much they cost, but it wasn't $1100, more like $250 to $300 as I remember.

 

[JamesG161]

On the radar, yes, I am going to lose my analog radar and will have to get a be digital one.

Take pictures of each screen of your RL70C showing full operation. When they take down the dome, save the wire, dome and display. A functional system like that goes for $700+ on ebay with proof pictures.

In the world of internet shopping, everyone wants a commission.

Free to get in, Pay to get out!

Here is my free advice, if your sailing area is say ±100 nm, you can get free( paid by tax payers) downloads of the charts all of these services use.
http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/
Paper or .pdf
Use the tracking function or create safe routes on you base map free chart plotter on MFD. Follow the known safe previous routes.

New water?
As a good Captain should, pre-plot your route, timing, safety needs, weather, etc. Make a float plan for USCG and friends. Use your free iPad apps for near shore internet/GPS access to monitor. I have been told the right iPhone or iPad doesn't need internet to do this.

Remember your Raymarine GPS will give you fairly accurate Long/Lat and paper charts work well with those too. ( look Ma' no iDevice)

I am pay the ransom of $10 for now.
Jim...