I have a Navionics CompactFlash card. My card reader shows lots of empty space on it; more than enough to download the software upgrade for our Raymarine C70 chartplotter. QUESTION: would it be OK to copy the upgrade files to that card instead of buying a new one? I sure don't want to damage the Navionics files, but hate to buy a new card for $35 that I'm only going to use once.
Using Navionics CompactFlash Card
- Thread starter DAVID BLOCH
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Navionics Card
I'm not sure that approach will work as I recall the Navionics card requires a special Read/Write module to read the card other than the root directory. There is some sort of encryption. I recall that I had to purchase this reader in order to use the card with my laptop computer as the regular card reader would not work. May not be worth the risk of damaging the card.
I'm not sure that approach will work as I recall the Navionics card requires a special Read/Write module to read the card other than the root directory. There is some sort of encryption. I recall that I had to purchase this reader in order to use the card with my laptop computer as the regular card reader would not work. May not be worth the risk of damaging the card.
You could download the Navionics files to your computer, upload the software to the card, install the sofware upgrade, wipe the card and reinstall the navionics files.
Check
I was told to never download to the chip card for my C-80 which is way mare than $35 for the US more like $180 but yours maybe different area.
But dowloading update maybe different,I would call them or you can go on Raymarine web site for questions all about your unit,when ever I do routing I store on a empty compac flash card and than down load to my C-80.
Nick
I was told to never download to the chip card for my C-80 which is way mare than $35 for the US more like $180 but yours maybe different area.
But dowloading update maybe different,I would call them or you can go on Raymarine web site for questions all about your unit,when ever I do routing I store on a empty compac flash card and than down load to my C-80.
Nick
Seadadler, that is what I was told as well. I had the same situation and ended up just buying another Compactflash Card. I felt it was not worth risking my files. Additionally I tried to purchase just the CompactFlash to SD adapter so I could just put the files on the SD card and then transfer them. It did not work so watch out for that David.
Last time I tried updating a Raymarine C-120 2 years ago I tried a Compact Flash card I happened to have and just downloaded the update prog from the internet. (I know this is not a chart)
Anyway it didn't work. Re read the manual and it said to use a SanDisk CF card 256Kb.
It is some years since SanDisk made a 256Kb CF card but I managed to find one.
Still no good.
In the end we took the unit to Raymarine HQ in Portsmouth (England) and they did it for their standard charge.
What did we learn?
Well Raymarine seem a little in the dark ages and are more than a little secretive about their software.
Also it is somewhat flakey!
Good luck.
Anyway it didn't work. Re read the manual and it said to use a SanDisk CF card 256Kb.
It is some years since SanDisk made a 256Kb CF card but I managed to find one.
Still no good.
In the end we took the unit to Raymarine HQ in Portsmouth (England) and they did it for their standard charge.
What did we learn?
Well Raymarine seem a little in the dark ages and are more than a little secretive about their software.
Also it is somewhat flakey!
Good luck.
You can use a CF card up to 2GB, it just must be formatted as a FAT16 file system for the C-series to read it.
I would not use the Navionics CF card for this.
I would not use the Navionics CF card for this.
Most experts I have spoken with on this...
would just about guarantee that you might render your Navionics image useless. I am not sure of the mechanism used, but any FAT access to a Navionics card will render as an attempt to copy the image and disable it.
I have recently installed a Lowrance HDS gen2 MFD and the latest software release notes include an item to allow writes and reads to/from Navionics cards (to store tracks, etc.). I have assumed that the writes and reads that are now supposedly supported must come from the MFD rather than a PC (making the function useless?), but the notes are not specific. I suppose I am unwilling to risk my $250 card to find out.
would just about guarantee that you might render your Navionics image useless. I am not sure of the mechanism used, but any FAT access to a Navionics card will render as an attempt to copy the image and disable it.
I have recently installed a Lowrance HDS gen2 MFD and the latest software release notes include an item to allow writes and reads to/from Navionics cards (to store tracks, etc.). I have assumed that the writes and reads that are now supposedly supported must come from the MFD rather than a PC (making the function useless?), but the notes are not specific. I suppose I am unwilling to risk my $250 card to find out.
Haven't done it yet and I agree with Bill
https://raymarine.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1219
https://raymarine.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1219
Maybe
Maybe what he is saying why should he buy a blank compac card to do the tranfer the one time.
As far as I know the C-80 has not been upgraded for a few years and even not making or supporting the C-80 or C-70 or C-120 any more I think.
I never had a problem using the transfer with a compact flash card with the proper reader.
Nick
Maybe what he is saying why should he buy a blank compac card to do the tranfer the one time.
As far as I know the C-80 has not been upgraded for a few years and even not making or supporting the C-80 or C-70 or C-120 any more I think.
I never had a problem using the transfer with a compact flash card with the proper reader.
Nick
Re: Using Navionics Compact Flash Card
Not wanting to high-jack this thread but for those interested in my experiences with C-120:-
Yes the CF card was formatted in FAT16 and yes I even bought a new Sandisk card reader and 'No' Bill there was no noticeable difference after the upgrade.
We were chasing down a different problem which was why was it the 'C' series couldn't accept both GPS and AIS NMEA inputs at the same time. Of course the GP is at 4,800 baud and the AIS at 38,400 but the C-120 only has one NMEA input socket!
Incredulous that, after the arrival of AIS into the leisure market, Raymarine would introduce a new range of navigation instruments that couldn't do this. I had an hour on the telephone to Raymarine Technical in USA (from England) before they could even understand why we wanted to do this. Eventually they admitted defeat.
By then I had fed NMEA GPS at 4,800 baud into the boat's Tridata instrument and AIS at 38,400 baud into the C-120. Each unit seemed capable of converting the NMEA to Raymarine's Seatalk bus independently.
I rang the guy back and told him. He was gone for 5 minutes and came back and confirmed this did in fact work. THEN HE THANKED ME.
On another subject all these 'C', 'D' and 'E' series units run on a standard PC processor using the free Linux operating system.
No doubt Raymarine didn't want to pay Microsoft for the Windows O/S.
I learned this when reviewing them for a UK magazine during a test session on Raymarine's own test powerboat out of Portsmouth Harbour.
Pity of it all is you still don't get a keyboard - so none of their systems are as good as my ordinary 15" screen laptop on my (dry) nav table despite the Raymarines costing 6 times the price.
What a rip off.
Not wanting to high-jack this thread but for those interested in my experiences with C-120:-
Yes the CF card was formatted in FAT16 and yes I even bought a new Sandisk card reader and 'No' Bill there was no noticeable difference after the upgrade.
We were chasing down a different problem which was why was it the 'C' series couldn't accept both GPS and AIS NMEA inputs at the same time. Of course the GP is at 4,800 baud and the AIS at 38,400 but the C-120 only has one NMEA input socket!
Incredulous that, after the arrival of AIS into the leisure market, Raymarine would introduce a new range of navigation instruments that couldn't do this. I had an hour on the telephone to Raymarine Technical in USA (from England) before they could even understand why we wanted to do this. Eventually they admitted defeat.
By then I had fed NMEA GPS at 4,800 baud into the boat's Tridata instrument and AIS at 38,400 baud into the C-120. Each unit seemed capable of converting the NMEA to Raymarine's Seatalk bus independently.
I rang the guy back and told him. He was gone for 5 minutes and came back and confirmed this did in fact work. THEN HE THANKED ME.
On another subject all these 'C', 'D' and 'E' series units run on a standard PC processor using the free Linux operating system.
No doubt Raymarine didn't want to pay Microsoft for the Windows O/S.
I learned this when reviewing them for a UK magazine during a test session on Raymarine's own test powerboat out of Portsmouth Harbour.
Pity of it all is you still don't get a keyboard - so none of their systems are as good as my ordinary 15" screen laptop on my (dry) nav table despite the Raymarines costing 6 times the price.
What a rip off.
I have a C80, plus a digital 8-track recorder that uses the CF cards. I could no longer find 512 and under CF cards, so I put an email out to my 700+ member sailing club asking if anyone had some they don't need any more. I got about a dozen cards in response. You might do the same with friends or co-workers. Also, maybe computer repair shop may have accumulated some? My card is on the boat, but i think i had to move up to a 268 to do the latest upgrade (5.03 was it?).
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