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Boat Forum / Electronics / January 2007Navigation Software
Does anybody know if there is a significant difference between Maptech Chart Navigator Pro and Coastal Explore by Rosepoint--other than the price differential ($100)? Rosepoint seems to have written both programs, and I am loathe to waste $100. Don, the primary difference is Chart Navigator Pro supports bathy charts. > Does anybody know if there is a significant difference between Maptech Chart > Navigator Pro and Coastal Explore by Rosepoint--other than the price > differential ($100)? Rosepoint seems to have written both programs, and I am > loathe to waste $100. > Don, the primary difference is Chart Navigator Pro supports bathy > charts. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> differential ($100)? Rosepoint seems to have written both programs, and I am >> loathe to waste $100. Rosepoint did write both! gordon The maptech version (it's the same software) comes with ALL OF THEIR US MAPS. The Rosepoint one doesn't. $100 for the entire US waterway data is a pretty good deal, even if you only end up using one or two of the discs. You could, I suppose, using the freebie NOAA charts but they don't have the same level of detail as found on maptech's. Or the depth bathy charts, I don't know that Coastal Explorer can use them. Coastal Explorer is an amazingly friendly program. Well worth the price in either flavor. -Bill Kearney > Does anybody know if there is a significant difference between Maptech Chart > Navigator Pro and Coastal Explore by Rosepoint--other than the price > differential ($100)? Rosepoint seems to have written both programs, and I am > loathe to waste $100. > The maptech version (it's the same software) comes with ALL OF THEIR US > MAPS. The Rosepoint one doesn't. $100 for the entire US waterway data is a [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > am >> loathe to waste $100. My Rosepoint came with all the charts on a separate cd. Gordon > My Rosepoint came with all the charts on a separate cd. Maptech CNP came with a dozen DVDs. High detail vector and raster charts, aerial pictures, bathy data and more. So you really are getting QUITE a lot of data for that extra $100. Shop around, I found mine online for, iirc, $350. All former softchart charts (Maptech Charkit) including harbor photos will work in CE as well. > > My Rosepoint came with all the charts on a separate cd. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Shop around, I found mine online for, iirc, $350. >> My Rosepoint came with all the charts on a separate cd. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Shop around, I found mine online for, iirc, $350. If that is the only difference (other than the branding) it may be that you are paying the extra $100 for the production of the CDs and the charts on the CDs can be downloaded for free. But there may be some additional "bells and whistles" over what can be downloaded. I don't know exactly how the arrangement worked or works but MapTech is NOAA's or agent or something like that for the raster charts freely available for download as NOAA's Raster Navigational Charts (NOAA RNCs™): http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/Index.htm The RNC were not available for free public download until a few years ago (2001 or so?). Prior to that, to get those charts you had to buy them from MapTech as their BSB family products. Now it appears that MapTech does the maintenance or production of the RNC charts for NOAA. I was glad to see the RNCs become publicly available as they are, like the USGS products like topo mapping, produced with our tax dollars and should be available to the public for that reason alone. Also, I consider it to be much to the best interests of the public to have our national mapping widely and freely available to all individuals and agencies. NOAA also has the Electronic Navigational Charts (NOAA ENC®) vector charts available for free download: http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/index.htm The ENC charts cover major ports now and are slowly increasing in number. Eventually all the NOAA charts will be converted to vector charts and people will have free access to them all. Rose Point's Coastal Explorer is an amazingly good piece of software. I think it is the best product available for us with PCs on boats. There are some less expensive or even free (the very good SeaClear II for example) softwares available but last time I looked at it you had to buy a commercial product to find one that will use both the RNC and ENC charts. SeaClear II with the RNC charts is a good low cost alternative for electronic navigation in U.S. coastal and inland waters. Jack  SignatureJack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com) > If that is the only difference (other than the branding) it may be that > you are paying the extra $100 for the production of the CDs and the > charts on the CDs can be downloaded for free. But there may be some > additional "bells and whistles" over what can be downloaded. Some? How about LOTS of extras. The NOAA charts (raster and vector) are good but they're lacking in quite a bit of added data. Being able to pull up a picture of the harbor, on approach and aerial, has helped us a couple of times when coming into ports. Then there's the street address, telephone and other detail for various on-shore businesses. I've used that to call a marina (after nobody came back on VHF) and ask "is it the pier with the white building or the red one" and the kid that picked up the phone knew which. Sure, it's an added 'frill' but one that's proved genuinely useful. > Rose Point's Coastal Explorer is an amazingly good piece of software. I > think it is the best product available for us with PCs on boats. I concur. > SeaClear II with the RNC charts is a good low cost alternative for > electronic navigation in U.S. coastal and inland waters. Eh, compared to Coastal Explorer/CNP, it's crap. Way too tedious to use. -Bill Kearney |
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