RayTech Planner

[Witzend]

Just purchased a C90W. It came with a demo copy of RayTech Planner.
Anyone here have any experience with it? Seems pretty useless because there is no detail to the charts, makes planning waypoints/routes for transfer pretty arbitrary. Maybe they give you the detail when you purchase it, or is it an overlay that gets transferred from the navionics chart loaded into the C90w? I'm pretty confused with all this. Also read somewhere that you have to buy their card reader, standard CF card reader won't work.

 

[Bob S]

I've used it but being limited with experience I can't comment on any other planner. You have to add a Navionic's Card Reader and card for it to be useful. I have planned cruises with it and like printing out a paper list of waypoints with headings and ETA's. I also use a separate card to take the route to the boat and use it. i'm still learning my system and the planner.

 

[Witzend]

Here is the problem, the C90w comes preloaded with the US Coastal Maps - E62111-US
http://www.anchorexpress.com/Raymarine-C90W-Multifunction-Display-E62111-US-p/e62111-us.htm, so I don't have any cards to read into my P.C. for the RayTech Planner to use.
Seems like the RayTech is useless unless I buy something I already paid for?

 

[Bob S]

I've had good luck with customer support. Try asking Raymarine if it can be done.

http://raymarine.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/raymarine.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?

 

[Witzend]

Yes, I'm an "Insider" we will see what they say.

 

[Scott B]

You can download ENC charts for free from the NOAA site.

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/download_agreement.htm

 

[rpwillia]

What does that buy you, if they are using Navionics format?

You can download ENC charts for free from the NOAA site.

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/download_agreement.htm

Don't the Navionics cards use a different format? I understand they are based on the NOAA ENCs and then additional detail (supposedly) is added. Although it may just be added depths based on interpolation, etc.

 

[Witzend]

Thanks for the link.
I downloaded a number of charts, unzipped, but RayTech never finds them when clicking on "install charts" on the file menu. Seems asinine that you can not direct RayTech spcifically where to look. I even, with windows "open with" RD (not even sure if that is the correct file type) so maybe it would recognize the file type. I also tryed to move the charts into the charts folder that Raytech created.

 

[Scott B]

I downloaded the charts in to a folder inside "My Documents". It found the charts when I hit install charts. Did you unzip and extract the charts after downloading, I know you said unzipped but just checking. It takes a couple of minutes of inactivity while it searches your comptuer for a specific chart types and then comes up with a list of files to use.

I have the evaluation free version of RayTech, i.e. it won't communicate with my plotter but still works the same on the computer as far as I know. I have the NOAA chart for Lake Huron I'm looking at right now.

 

[Witzend]

Yes, unzipped, and extracted all. I looked at the extension for the files in the /Navionics/charts and they are all .PBP.
The extension of the ENCs is .000 file. that's pretty weird? It still thinks it is compressed? Very confused here, other .txt files in the same directory’s are not compressed. From my understanding when you unzip a folder and click extract all it should do just that.
When you indicate won't communicate with your plotter, not sure what that means,
elaborate?
The objective here is to create my waypoints and routes with the RayTech planner and then transfer them to the C90W with a CF flash card. I don't need to transfer charts to the C90W just the waypoints and routes. I need good charts in the RayTech.
I thought this was the whole idea behind the RayTech planner? What am I missing?

 

[Witzend]

Well some progress. First you need to download the Raster Navigational Charts: NOAA RNCs not the Electronic Navigational Charts: NOAA ENCs®, once extracted they will be seen by RayTech as .KAP files. Doesn’t seem to matter where they are located RayTech seem to find them. The charts now have detail available. Next I will see if I can transfer a route to the CF Flash and then load it into the instrument. More to come.

 

[Scott B]

Ok, foggy memory, I thought it was the ENC charts but could have been the RNC, and it was the .KAP file RayTech found.

 

[Witzend]

Well it actually works!! I created waypoints and a route thru the C&D canal on RayTech, exported to a standard CF Flash card. Inserted the card into the C90w retrieved the data and it showed on the chart in the correct place. I'm thrilled that it actually worked!

 

[Scott B]

Good stuff... gotta luv it when something comes together.

 

[Marc14857]

You can use your Navionics charts if you purchase the Navionics card reader which costs about $70. This will enable you to prepare waypoints and routes on your PC and download them onto your chartplotter

 

[Stu Jackson]

Golly, it sure is GREAT when something WORKS!

Uhm, did, JUST by chance, the directions for how you did it come in the instruction manual, or did you have to make this all up by your lonesome? Seriously, if they did not come with the manual, then I'd suggest telling Raymarine. If they did, join the line of those of us who have said, "If I'd only READ the book!"

Reason I mention this is today's thread by Warren about GPS DATUMS. Once I read that I checked my Garmin GPSMap 76Cx manual, and sure enough, buried on page 65 was the datum discussion. It shoulda been on page ONE! Kinda important, eh?

 

[Scott B]

STU, I have a stack of manuals about 10 feet deep in my nav table and I am a guy so who in h$%L RTFM ???

 

[Witzend]

I could find nothing in the manual about not purchasing charts and using the RNC NOAA free charts. They want your money. I generally am a hands on guy and can figure things out faster by fooling with it than trying to interrupt someone else's idea of how to use the written English language. Thanks Scott for the tip!