What manufacturer do you recommend for a combination of chart, GPS, and radar system? Which is better a Vector or Raster type chart?
Electronic Charts
- Thread starter Tai Chi Sailor
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GPS
I use a Garmin and love it. Have a friend who has Raytheon. Like mine better than the raytheon and so does he. Now that Garmin has a radar unit, wouldn't consider anything else. Their blue charts are top notch, and very complete. You can also put them on your computer, and interface with the GPS unit. Really nice setup. Have no knowledge of Furuno or the others
I use a Garmin and love it. Have a friend who has Raytheon. Like mine better than the raytheon and so does he. Now that Garmin has a radar unit, wouldn't consider anything else. Their blue charts are top notch, and very complete. You can also put them on your computer, and interface with the GPS unit. Really nice setup. Have no knowledge of Furuno or the others
Vector
I prefer Vector charts. I’m not enamored of “proprietary” electronic charts (like Garmin’s Blue Chart). The structure and format of a vector-based NOAA ENC is defined by the International Hydrographic Office S-57 standard, which means that the NOAA ENC is in a non-proprietary, publicly available, and internationally recognized format. The NOAA ENC contains information about the location of each chart feature, as well as color, shape, depth, and the like. This information is used by Marine ENC Charting Software to draw a nautical chart display-one that has greatly enhanced functionality. A raster chart, by contrast, is a facsimile of a paper chart-that is, a picture of a chart displayed on a computer screen. It is a file of information that can be thought of as dots (or pixels). The raster file tells the computer what color to draw at each pixel. Thus, the computer "knows" what color is there, but cannot distinguish a black pixel that is part of a sounding from a black pixel that is part of a dangerous wreck. Google: “ Fugawi Marine ENC” For more info’ Goto: “Electronic Charting 101" at ~ bluewaterweb.com/ElectronicCharts/Echarts01.asp1 , or ~ futuredata.com/marine/echarts/ , and ~ powercruising.com/navig.html for a quick rundown on the pro’s and con’s: http://www.bluewaterweb.com/ElectronicCharts/Echarts101.asp and http://www.futuredata.com/marine/echarts/ and: http://www.powercruising.com/navig.html
I prefer Vector charts. I’m not enamored of “proprietary” electronic charts (like Garmin’s Blue Chart). The structure and format of a vector-based NOAA ENC is defined by the International Hydrographic Office S-57 standard, which means that the NOAA ENC is in a non-proprietary, publicly available, and internationally recognized format. The NOAA ENC contains information about the location of each chart feature, as well as color, shape, depth, and the like. This information is used by Marine ENC Charting Software to draw a nautical chart display-one that has greatly enhanced functionality. A raster chart, by contrast, is a facsimile of a paper chart-that is, a picture of a chart displayed on a computer screen. It is a file of information that can be thought of as dots (or pixels). The raster file tells the computer what color to draw at each pixel. Thus, the computer "knows" what color is there, but cannot distinguish a black pixel that is part of a sounding from a black pixel that is part of a dangerous wreck. Google: “ Fugawi Marine ENC” For more info’ Goto: “Electronic Charting 101" at ~ bluewaterweb.com/ElectronicCharts/Echarts01.asp1 , or ~ futuredata.com/marine/echarts/ , and ~ powercruising.com/navig.html for a quick rundown on the pro’s and con’s: http://www.bluewaterweb.com/ElectronicCharts/Echarts101.asp and http://www.futuredata.com/marine/echarts/ and: http://www.powercruising.com/navig.html
Vector, for sure...
The top 3 multifunction hardware most commonly used are Furuno, Raymarine, and Garmin, although the more expensive Northstar is popular in expensive yachts. All three offer radar overlay capability with the use of a fluxgate compass. This feature, which shows radar returns on the chart display as well as on a regular radar display, is great for identifying returns. They also offer display of sounder/fishfinder information. The top 3 cartography products for these are Navionics, C-Map, and BlueChart (Garmin). Furuno gives you a one-time up-front choice of Navionics or C-Map, Raymarine uses Navionics these days. Garmin uses Garmin BlueCharts. All three cartography products are vector, and are good, but some may have better coverage in particular remote areas than others. For example, only C-Map has detailed coverage of Guam. All three have websites that show their coverage, and you should take a look to ensure the coverage is adequate for the area you'll be in. The government is in the process of developing vector, standards-based Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), which will probably eventually become the standard and hurt sales of the proprietary charts, since they are free to the public. While the Version 2 offer decent coverage of coastal areas, many areas such as the Great Lakes are still at Version 1 and not ready for primetime. You can't just use a small scale chart standalone, like you can a paper chart. It has a number of "holes" in it, that are covered by larger scale charts, and this is true all the way down to very large scale harbor charts, so you have to make sure to get all the charts. Perhaps one day major hardware vendors will switch to these, but for now viewing them requires a PC at the nav table, or a PPC in a waterproof cover at the helm. IMHO, the software for viewing these charts is really crude at this stage. Getting back to the big three, there's considerable difference in the software that views the radar and charts. Garmin has always been praised for its ease of use, being like the Apple Macintosh of chartplotters. Garmin owners are very fond of them, and report good customer service when needed, but all of the big three get good reports there. All three have their owners and installation manuals downloadable as PDF files from the company websites. I'd strongly advise you to download them, learn their operation, and only then get some hands-on time with them at the store.
The top 3 multifunction hardware most commonly used are Furuno, Raymarine, and Garmin, although the more expensive Northstar is popular in expensive yachts. All three offer radar overlay capability with the use of a fluxgate compass. This feature, which shows radar returns on the chart display as well as on a regular radar display, is great for identifying returns. They also offer display of sounder/fishfinder information. The top 3 cartography products for these are Navionics, C-Map, and BlueChart (Garmin). Furuno gives you a one-time up-front choice of Navionics or C-Map, Raymarine uses Navionics these days. Garmin uses Garmin BlueCharts. All three cartography products are vector, and are good, but some may have better coverage in particular remote areas than others. For example, only C-Map has detailed coverage of Guam. All three have websites that show their coverage, and you should take a look to ensure the coverage is adequate for the area you'll be in. The government is in the process of developing vector, standards-based Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), which will probably eventually become the standard and hurt sales of the proprietary charts, since they are free to the public. While the Version 2 offer decent coverage of coastal areas, many areas such as the Great Lakes are still at Version 1 and not ready for primetime. You can't just use a small scale chart standalone, like you can a paper chart. It has a number of "holes" in it, that are covered by larger scale charts, and this is true all the way down to very large scale harbor charts, so you have to make sure to get all the charts. Perhaps one day major hardware vendors will switch to these, but for now viewing them requires a PC at the nav table, or a PPC in a waterproof cover at the helm. IMHO, the software for viewing these charts is really crude at this stage. Getting back to the big three, there's considerable difference in the software that views the radar and charts. Garmin has always been praised for its ease of use, being like the Apple Macintosh of chartplotters. Garmin owners are very fond of them, and report good customer service when needed, but all of the big three get good reports there. All three have their owners and installation manuals downloadable as PDF files from the company websites. I'd strongly advise you to download them, learn their operation, and only then get some hands-on time with them at the store.
Depends on how deep your wallet is
I bought the JRC 1800 coloured chart plotter and radar. If I was willing to spend more money, I would have bought differently. JRC isn't well advertised and made some of Raytheon's stuff for quite some time, then had a falling out, and went into its own line for pleasure craft. If you look up JRC on the net, look up Japan Radar Company; they've been around in one form or another since 1915. I would have preferred to have gotten a chart plotter with radar overlay, but I found with the JRC radar, chart plotter split screen, the loss of the overlay wasn't that big a deal. You can't beat the value of the JRC 1800 and the GPS doohickey (antennae) comes with it; you don't have to purchase it separately. JRC uses C+ Maps (vector).
I bought the JRC 1800 coloured chart plotter and radar. If I was willing to spend more money, I would have bought differently. JRC isn't well advertised and made some of Raytheon's stuff for quite some time, then had a falling out, and went into its own line for pleasure craft. If you look up JRC on the net, look up Japan Radar Company; they've been around in one form or another since 1915. I would have preferred to have gotten a chart plotter with radar overlay, but I found with the JRC radar, chart plotter split screen, the loss of the overlay wasn't that big a deal. You can't beat the value of the JRC 1800 and the GPS doohickey (antennae) comes with it; you don't have to purchase it separately. JRC uses C+ Maps (vector).
I stand corrected..
I stand corrected on the "radio" versus "radar" in their initials. This also makes sense as I was wondering how a company could be in existence since 1915 with the word "radar" in their name. I think this company ignores the small boating crowd. If you purchase this radar, most will think you have gone with a fly by night company since so little advertising dollars are spent in mags pushing their products to the small boat market.
I stand corrected on the "radio" versus "radar" in their initials. This also makes sense as I was wondering how a company could be in existence since 1915 with the word "radar" in their name. I think this company ignores the small boating crowd. If you purchase this radar, most will think you have gone with a fly by night company since so little advertising dollars are spent in mags pushing their products to the small boat market.
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