Electronic charts - vector vs raster

Just out of curiousity, has anyone been able to make the JAVA graphical chart selector work at the NOAA website, or do you all like me have to get the maps via the text list?


dogon dory":th8k7w12 said:
Anyone been hearing about the vector chart format available for free from NOAA and wondering what it is all about can downoad them from the NOAA website. You can get a $20 view only software package by Fugawi at Waypoints.com.
Click to expand...
 
Just out of curiousity, has anyone been able to make the JAVA graphical chart selector work at the NOAA website, or do you all like me have to get the maps via the text list?
Click to expand...

I can't get it to work either Pat. The search function works OK though on the text mode as long as you use the "find" function in your browser. The NOAA site doesn't have a word search function, only the chart number. Not a problem though. There are some free viewers linked from the NOAA site, including a FUGAWI viewer that works fine.

Charlie
 
I've had trouble with the Java on my work machine (no real surprise there as I'm behind a firewall that blocks a lot of Java stuff). But it works fine on my home machine. If you want Pat I can download all the chart and burn a CD tomorrow. Then you can simply stop by the house on the way home.
 
If any of you are Mac users, you know that there have not been many Mac compatible charting/navigation programs available. About the only one was NavimaQ, which was only available in OS-9. The original developers have sold the program to Barco Software, which is developing an OS-X version due for release in late May. Their technical support people say that the initial release will not be compatible with NOAA-ENCs, but that they "hope to have ENC support within a month of the initial launch". That will be good news for Mac users if it materializes.

Jim
 
Another thing I really like about the NOAA vector charts...plotted my routes, then studied the "cautions" Coastal Exporer flagged - seems I was in too shallow water and through a few obstacles. A vector chart, being based on objects, is "smart" while raster charts, which may look prettier, are "dumb." Quickly moved a few waypoints, and all is good. Now, as soon as Coastal Explorer can download waypoints and routes to a Raymarine C80, promised "soon" in the next version, this will be just about the perfect software!
 
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