View Poll Results: Which Electronic Chart To Have ?

Voters
315. You may not vote on this poll
  • Navionics

    165 52.38%
  • C-Map

    76 24.13%
  • Blue Charts

    64 20.32%
  • Other Electronic charts

    10 3.17%
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Thread: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

  1. #1

    Question which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    I am still trying get my head around these chart plotters i see on the market their 3 types of Electronic charts you can by for chart plotters
    I know the some of only suit the units that you by I see out there is Navionics,
    C-Map, Garmin Bule Charts and might be other types out there too
    so i want know why when with them that good and the bad of these Electronic Charts
    Mitch
    In life, start off wrong and you'll finish wrong. Put just one skeleton in the closet and you'll have to put another one in to hide the first, and so it goes.
    But start off right and you'll finish right. There's no comeback when you stick to the truth - and no skeletons!

  2. #2

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    Probably not a bad one amongst them. The only issue is price, coverage and the currentness of them. ( is currentness a word ? )

    I use a Blue chart, but I am reliably told the Navionics are better... not told reason, but could be more current and more definition ? Don't know about accuracy !

    In the end, if you are looking to purchase, you'll need to start with your budget, from there you can wittle away at the ones that come within that range.

    Phill
    Kingfisher Painting Solutions:- Domestic and Commercial.

    For further information, contact details, quotes or advice - Click Here





  3. #3

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    Mitch, I am in the same position as you. Trying to decide on which Chart Plotter and which Mapping t go with it.

    C Map seems to have the heads up at present maybe with the Furuno 7000?

    I know of two very well known and respected boating/fisho's who both use the two and swear by it.

    Best of luck

  4. #4

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    Yes...i would have to agree...c-map seems to be better detailed and more up to date...

  5. #5

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    Hard to comment
    Only have experience with Navionics and wanted to stay with Navionics when I bought the new combo unit.
    Which was 1 reason I ended up with the Lowrance
    Cheers
    Mark

  6. #6

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    i have the blue card in a garmin [which is up for sale i hope ]and as it was my first ,i have found it to be quite good, and i,ve just brought the raymarine rc435 and it takes navtronics cards so when iget my head round it i might be able to make a better judgement but if you believe all the salesman they say navtonics are way better cheers ian

  7. #7

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    the new generation blue charts called G2 vision look bloody awesome, running on new garmin plotters they have a sattelite image base map, you can use a 3d or fish eye view or standard view, pretty impressive

  8. #8

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    Hi Mitch

    Similar to Phill's comments, don't think the differences between the brands of charts are that critical. I voted C-Map because I have one of them, seen the Blue Charts in action, they're good too. Reckon the plotter itself is as important, or more important than the brand of chart. Try to get a plotter that comes recommended, you find easy to use, clear to view and fits in/on the dash simply. IMO.

    regards
    Steve

  9. #9

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    I know it is not part of most budgets but I had a chance to see the new Navman 8102 with the East coast charts loaded in action today. Simply brilliant resolution using the NT cards, I use the 5500 and it is nowhere near as good in clarity or defintition. I swear by Garmin for on road use but on the water I have found C-Map to work quite well. Heard the same good reports about Blue Charts and Navionics as well. Navman charts were updated last Nov. so right now they are probably a little better but the others will be releasing their own updates as well.
    So there you are no more useable info here either!!

    Stubbie!

  10. #10

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    All this which chart type only works with this chartplotter model and this manufacturer is long over due for a complete shake up as it is about time ALL manufacturers looked towards a standard chart format, something along the lines of Seafarer. NO more BS and waiting and waiting and waiting for updates and all identical to standard and official paper charts.

    Shock horror some manufacturers would be saying, geez even worse manufacturers wouldn't have any control or "selectiveness" with what charts they specifically hardwire into their hardware. There must be a bit of jockeying by chart manuafcturers to get hardware manufacturers to solely use a specific chart type/make!!!

    Cost with Seafarer RNC is high but with a larger user base then as with all things costs reduce. The sticking point is manufacturers who pay a license to use Seafarer data anyway then re-invent the wheel.

    Time for manufacturers to start thinking outside their box!

    Gee think about the simplicity of being able to buy ANY chartplotter knowing your electronic charts will still work and you won't have to fork out more $$'s for another brand chart in a different format.

    Regards, Kerry.
    Last edited by Kerry; 28-04-2007 at 09:03 AM.

  11. #11

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    i have a lorenze unit, sold at trymax marine. that uses c map cards. the card is a few years old now. i find it doesn't show the contour lines as well as the navionics card in a friends lowrance plotter, but as i say it might just be the age.
    ben

  12. #12

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    My navman is playing up a little at the moment thinking of getting a garmin has anybody seen one with the new G2 charts.....
    A bad days fishing has got to be better than any day at work......


  13. #13

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    I see the bluechart G2 vision cards for australia are up on the garmin website. would be interesting to hear any feedback people have on this new gear.

    oddbudman

  14. #14

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    I have both c-map and Navionics in the boat.... I love the navionics and hate the C-map........

    Main reason is that you need special card readers and software to do anything on the PC with c-map cards.... I have over 1000 waypoints that I want to get of my c-map user card and onto an SD card for the lowrance unit and I can't do it....even with c-maps over priced card reader and software ($300 for a card reader)


    So I am stuck typing them all in by hand.... not happy Jan.

    If I had the spare $$$ to get one of the next generation of plotters fron Garmin thats the way I would have gone.... but a Lowrance LMS527 c DF IGPS is what I could afford ($990 imported from the USA with 12 months warentee)

  15. #15

    Re: which is the best Electronic Charts to buy for Chart Plotters

    I got a Nautic Path chart free with an Eagle GPS i bought last year, ended up getting a refund on the GPS and kept the chart, gotta be happy with that
    I am using this chart now in a Lowrance Globalmap 3500c which seems to be ok, it is better than my previous C-Map chart I was running in a Navman I had a couple of years ago.

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