Navigation software for MAC

Irwin32 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-17-2005

http://www.gpsnavx.com/ is selling navigation software for mc osx. Has anyone looked into this? The software w/gps is reasonably priced as low as $140. As a mac user, any info or experience would be nice to hear.

paulmcquillan · #2 (**permalink**) 04-17-2005

It''s been pretty reasonable software. Used it for some cruise planning.

Based on scanned charts, not raster.

Irwin32 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-18-2005

What is the difference in scanned charts and raster?
I am considering this software for navigation. what is your opinion?

garygroves · #4 (**permalink**) 04-21-2005

Have been using GPSNavX for over a year on an iBook. We have watched them grow from a simple planning/chart plotter to a more robust system. They are continually updating the software that now includes displaying NMEA nav instrument display (speed, depth, etc), as well as support for AIS. They are the only chart plotting software that has made the effort to incorporate Maptech new 5.0 BSP electronic charts. (These are the ones you get with one of their big map kits) Not everyone has these charts yet and Maptech standard format is still 4.0, but GPSNavX took the effort to work with Maptech and expand their program. The program is a full chart plotting program that uses BSB 4.0 and 5.0 charts from Maptech and Softchart charts (and a few others). All of the charts are raster charts which are scanned from the original NOAA charts.

paulmcquillan · #5 (**permalink**) 04-21-2005

Sorry for the error (typing while talking on the phone doesn''t work well).

GPSNavX uses actual scanned charts, instead of vector drawings.

Grigrigrigoris · #6 (**permalink**) 04-22-2005

What is the difference between scanned and raster charts?

Grigoris

Irwin32 · #7 (**permalink**) 04-22-2005

Ditto, grigoris. And also can someone explain all those abbreviations - I do know NMEA. I am pretty much a low tech sailor (KISS). What I really need to know is what can I expect from this system when using them for navigation. i presently have a small Garmin plotter B/W with Blue Chart. How will this compare?

Fidens · #8 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006

They now have MacENC, which reads both vector and raster maps. Very nice, only $99.

sailingdog · #9 (**permalink**) 05-22-2006

If you're really interested, I'd say go for MacENC rather than the GPSNavX, as it will handle both Raster and Vector charts. You can download the NOAA ENC chart files for most of the USA for FREE.

tenuki · #10 (**permalink**) 03-23-2007

I would agree with saildog, the price is really not that different and MacENC is basically GPSNavX plus the ENC support so you aren't losing features.

I recently got MacENC over GPSNavX after doing the math on chart costs. I haven't taken it sailing yet, but I have been playing around with it a lot (don't want to be learning how to use it in unfamiliar waters in fog or something) and I'm impressed. I'd be interested to hear more from people who have been sailing with it. The NOAA ENC map site is pretty well designed for getting just the charts you need and keeping them updated. I was pretty impressed with that too.

The nice thing about the free NOAA maps is that, well, they are free and as far as I can tell if you download the regular updates they are also the most recent/uptodate maps available. (Is this true????)