Having recently purchased a Garmin Map 76C I was wondering if anyone knows if Maptech software will also work in this unit. Does anyone have experience with this or can you only use bluechart software?
software for the map76C
- Thread starter Gary8065
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Nope
and that's the big downer with Garmin and it's proprietary software. Just ask all the people who invested in their G charts (or whatever it was.) No longer supported, no trade ins, nothing. Don't get me wrong, Garmin is good stuff but you're definately at their mercy in that regard. Picking a plotter is more about the in and outs of the software than the hardware IMHO.
and that's the big downer with Garmin and it's proprietary software. Just ask all the people who invested in their G charts (or whatever it was.) No longer supported, no trade ins, nothing. Don't get me wrong, Garmin is good stuff but you're definately at their mercy in that regard. Picking a plotter is more about the in and outs of the software than the hardware IMHO.
J
J.B. Dyer
Web Site
Hello Gary: Check with Garmin's web site. They have an extensive site with information about what is compatable and includes downloads and updates for your equipment. You are limited to Garmin software, but you'll not find any that is better. My opinion of course!!
Hello Gary: Check with Garmin's web site. They have an extensive site with information about what is compatable and includes downloads and updates for your equipment. You are limited to Garmin software, but you'll not find any that is better. My opinion of course!!
It will work with Maptech
Gary; You cannot load Maptech charts into the 76, however you can hook a laptop to your 76C and run Ocean Navigator from Maptech and it works just fine. Garmin has an interface caple for the 76C. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
Gary; You cannot load Maptech charts into the 76, however you can hook a laptop to your 76C and run Ocean Navigator from Maptech and it works just fine. Garmin has an interface caple for the 76C. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
E
Eric
R
Rob
Maptech in a Garmin
Gary- Maptech will not work in A Garmin, but a Garmin will work with a PC that has Maptech software.
Gary- Maptech will not work in A Garmin, but a Garmin will work with a PC that has Maptech software.
Its not just Garmin
A GPS thats five years old might still work fine, but is pretty ancient gear right now. The machines AND the software have improved considerably, its just not viable to keep developing software that is scaled to their limitations. Its like complaining about the lack of new software for CPM or DOS systems. Navionics, CMap, Garmin, they've all moved on toward larger coverage, color, more detail, preloaded charts, overlays for radar and weather, 3D and satellite views, etc. Raymarine has switched to Navionics, which has come out with Gold+ and Platinum today. CMap's NT charts are not burned on machines that do NT+, and those are being outdated by Max. After all, they are little computers run by software, right?
A GPS thats five years old might still work fine, but is pretty ancient gear right now. The machines AND the software have improved considerably, its just not viable to keep developing software that is scaled to their limitations. Its like complaining about the lack of new software for CPM or DOS systems. Navionics, CMap, Garmin, they've all moved on toward larger coverage, color, more detail, preloaded charts, overlays for radar and weather, 3D and satellite views, etc. Raymarine has switched to Navionics, which has come out with Gold+ and Platinum today. CMap's NT charts are not burned on machines that do NT+, and those are being outdated by Max. After all, they are little computers run by software, right?
Backward compatibility
Will the new machines that run NT+ still run NT? Will the newest hardware loaded with Max still run NT+? John, you're right that plotters are little processors that run software but the newest whizbang computers will usually still run software developed for the same OS five years earlier. I guess my point was that when Garmin went to Bluecharts they completely obsoleted their previous systems. Yes Garmin is good (I own some) as are the Bluecharts (although they didn't come out on top in the latest Practical Sailor comparo of chartware.) I'm just saying do your own homework because not all companies update their wares the same way. It's an important consideration.
Will the new machines that run NT+ still run NT? Will the newest hardware loaded with Max still run NT+? John, you're right that plotters are little processors that run software but the newest whizbang computers will usually still run software developed for the same OS five years earlier. I guess my point was that when Garmin went to Bluecharts they completely obsoleted their previous systems. Yes Garmin is good (I own some) as are the Bluecharts (although they didn't come out on top in the latest Practical Sailor comparo of chartware.) I'm just saying do your own homework because not all companies update their wares the same way. It's an important consideration.
Well, yes but
thats only because Microsoft Windows has dominated for so long. Most software specifies the system requirements, and later stuff exceeds earlier capacities. If you started with the Kaypro or Osbourne portables or early Macs and floppy discs, your expectations of consistency would probably be lower. Anyway, its good to understand that Garmin uses their own charts and most other GPS makers use second party companies, and they all have to grow fast these days. The charts obviously don't change that much, but the built-in extra data and system features do. Depending on another company to match your features has its dangers, as some have found. Otherwise you can use your own computing device connected to a GPS receiver, the chartplotting software and the charts of your choice.
thats only because Microsoft Windows has dominated for so long. Most software specifies the system requirements, and later stuff exceeds earlier capacities. If you started with the Kaypro or Osbourne portables or early Macs and floppy discs, your expectations of consistency would probably be lower. Anyway, its good to understand that Garmin uses their own charts and most other GPS makers use second party companies, and they all have to grow fast these days. The charts obviously don't change that much, but the built-in extra data and system features do. Depending on another company to match your features has its dangers, as some have found. Otherwise you can use your own computing device connected to a GPS receiver, the chartplotting software and the charts of your choice.
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