C-Map PC Planner?????

[Glen.m]

Righto all you technology guru's. I have a couple of questions about the C-Map PC Planner. I have a Navman 5500 plotter that takes C Map and have been told the only way to transfer all my waypoints to my PC is to use the C-Map PC Planner software and card reader which costs about $350. That's bloody highway robbery. Does anyone have any experience with this product?

1. Is it any good and worth the money?
2. What other options are available out there? Ie alternative software or devices and/or methods of transfer. (bare in mind I am not a computer wizzard)
3. Does anyone have this product or a similar product that they are looking to sell.

So please educate me oh wise fishing brothers.

Regards
Glen

[FishOn]

Glen I have had one for about 3 years.

I think it is very expensive and a little clunky. However, in the absence of anything else it has saved my bacon (er points) a couple of times either by being able to reinstate my points to my own GPS or to another mates. Every time you send your unit for repair or software update it will come back without your original points.

The software (and hardware) does make it a lot easier to manage and save your points, trips, print out charts with your points, and charts (using your CMap chart on the card) and export points in both CSV and XML formats, plan trips and investigate options, to a reasonable level of effectiveness.

The hardware has two card docks which are generally used for the data card and a chart card. Both types of cards can be used in each slot. You could also insert two chart or two user cards into the device.

In addition to being able to work with Navman formatted points it also allows you to get points in and out of Furuno's, and is able to work with the CMax chart cards.

I run it on Windows XP; seemingly it is clunkier on other systems. I have downloaded and upgraded the software each time a new release has been provided on the Italian site. I have done this about four times and each time required a complete deinstall/reinstall of their software/hardware. This reinstallation did not interfere with my point files which were stored in another folder away from the CMap software. The hardware (and software) uses the USB interface. CMap's software does have some problems with this interface (interference with other USB devices), but my problems have been easily overcome.

I have retained data files from previous dates and split-ups of points around localities up and down the east coast. Split-ups are required as most units can only hold 500/1000, sometimes 3000 points. We have a lot more than this so a better system was needed to handle them all. Navman units, for memory, only hold 500 points. It is not long before you get 500/1000 points. Another of my reasons for purchasing the unit was to be able to manage this data long term. The data (points) is valuable and has cost a lot of money to get it. In that context $350 does not seem so rough?!?!

Manufactures seem to be moving toward using the more common cards/formats (rather than using proprietary stuff) which will hopefully start to make the process cheaper and easier.

You will also need to purchase a blank user card if you go ahead. I think this was about $75, but it may have been $38.

Does the product/software need to be improved? Yes.
Would I buy it again? Definitely.

Kind regards
Trevor

[whiteman]

I have yet to convince myself of the need for this hardware/software. I'm in the IT industry and not used to paying for software! However, methinks they've got us by the shorts and the only safe way of storing my hundreds of weighpoints which have coost me thou$and$ in fuel to get is to outlay my hardearned.

[Glen.m]

G'Day Trevor,

Thanks for your detailed apraisal of the product. I already have a user card and have various files of waypoints backed up on it. I did this to overcome the issue of having too many waypoints for the machine capacity of 500. I also rely on this as an insurance policy against waypoint loss. My reluctance to purchase the C Map product stems from my already having a software package called Fishing Log. This product seems to have all the benifits of the C-Map proprietory product and more, including a similar ability to store waypoints and plot them accuratly on charts by GPS point. My problem is essentially that I have about 1000 waypoints in various different files and at present the only way to load them onto my fishing log program, is to individually enter each waypoint. A mamoth task. I just want to be able to import the details from my user card to my PC and downloaded them onto a spread sheet format or similar as from there I will be able to import them into the Fishing Log program. For this I need the card reader. I believe there is another way but it is very technical and involves the manufacture of cable plugs to enable the Plotter to communicate directly by NMEA to the PC....All well over my head.

Thanks so far

Glen

[FishOn]

Glen

I also purchased and used Fishing Log for a while, but now use an Access database I devised that suits my needs a little better.

Another advantage of the PC Planner is that it allows you to see your points on the actual chart you use rather than the one in Fishing Log.

I think I imported a list of points (created in PC Planner) into Fishing Log in the early stages of using Fishing Log. I never tried to get the NEMA interface from the GPS to the computer working. I thought that this approach would be too laborious and problematic, and I would still be unable to print out and work with the actual CMap charts I was using. Being able to print out the actual C Map chart has turned out to be of great advantage.

Kind regards
Trevor

[2iar]

Just a quick suggestion - I'd be interested in this myself as I'll be in he market for a new unit a bit later on (possibly Lowrance/Navionics Gold)...

*If* the data card is MMC, would this work...?

I've got access to a Palm Pilot, that I think also uses MMC cards. Is it possible to load the card in the PP, connect it to a PC and transfer the data across?

Depending on the data format you might still have issues doing anything with it on the PC, but at least it's backed up. If the format is something akin to CSV, XML etc you should be able to manipulate it any way you like.

At least this would save on the hardware cost for the card reader.

Does this sound feasible?

[FishOn]

The card is similar to MMC. However, it is a little wider and thicker, and wont go in that slot (or any other).

Kind regards
Trevor

[Glen.m]

Trevor,

Couple more questions mate,

Does the C Map PC Planner allow you to save the maps with waypoints to your PC or does the card reader (with map card and user card) need to be plugged in to the USB to access these details? Also can you perform simple tasks such as printing off your complete waypoint lists with details, as they appear in your unit display? Is it possible to do a screen dump of a section of your chart with waypoints such as what you can access by zooming in and out on your unit? In effect creating an A4 hard copy chart of a selected area complete with your marks?

Again thanks for your advice. PS Are you in the fishing trade, because for an amature you have more knowledge about this caper than most of the blokes in the game. You might have missed your true calling.

Regards
Glen

[FishOn]

Glen the software and hardware enable you to save (to the PC) and print complete lists of waypoints, tracks and routes. These lists can be sorted on the various columns (Lat, Long, name, icon type, colour, date, time) within the software. You can do a lot more with these lists (in the PC and PC Planner) than what is available to you on the GPS unit.

You can save (to the PC) charts images with your routes, waypoints and tracks depicted on any section of your chart as png files - as long as you have the card chart plugged in the slot in the hardware. Once you have saved any image (of any portion of your chart with waypoints depicted) in this format you could then do some other editing of the saved image in other illustration software (eg Illustrator, Photoshop). You could then change and join chart images, and save them in other formats. You can also print directly from PC Planner (save) to PDF format which will also allow some other editing/development processes.

You can bring up on the screen any list or combination of points/track/routes and depict them on the chart.

Yes you can zoom in with PC Planner on any area in you chart and print and save (screen dump) that zoomed area with your points/tracks/routes. Once you have created the image/screen dump you will need to then work on it in some other software. You cannot work on a saved/printed image in PC Planner.

The card reader must be plugged in to your computer to use the software even if you are not using a card in the reader. Often I will just use the software and be working with the list I have previously stored on the PC. If there is no chart card pugged in to the slot you will only see your data on a generic chart of Australia.

No I am not in the fishing trade - 'just' a dedicated amateur with a background in IT, visual design, fitting and turning, and a couple of other things. Although there are a couple of products that I make and sell to mates - hasn't gradutated beyond that at this stage. Still need to work in these other areas to keep bread on the table and fuel in the boat tanks.

Hope this helps
Kind regards
Trevor

[whiteman]

$US160 for planner and user card. That's around $A220 + shipping. I can only find $A400 over the net.

[FishOn]

Glen you will be able to download the Manual (V10 software) from this page

http://pcplannernt.c-map.it/default_en.asp

Kind regards
Trevor

[Glen.m]

Thanks Trevor, you are a champion of knowledge. and thanks to Whiteman for doing some price research. This thread has been a great help to me.

Regards
Glen

[Redapion]

Hi all

I have just joined this forum (=my first forum) so pls excuse me if the question is dumb or has been asked before (I couldn't find it).

I know this thread is a couple of weeks old now, but I have also just got a Navman 5500 and after spending more money on the 4500/5500 combo than I probably should have (given other home orientated priorities, and the fact that base upon my recent performance it will prob take me 10yrs before I catch enough fish to pay for the electronics), I am reluctant to spend more $ just to be able to save my own Waypoint data.

The Navman manual talks about "NMEA". Can I use this feature to offload data onto a handheld Garmin Etrex or similar and then put it back again after any navman software upgrades etc are done as I already have a etrex and I can borrow a garmin datacable if this is a possible option (I assume I can use free GPS software like -easyGPS or similar). Is it just a matter of making a cable to join the output NMEA line of the Navman to the input line of the Garmin and vise versa?

Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Paul.

[2rods]

Hi all

I have just joined this forum (=my first forum) so pls excuse me if the question is dumb or has been asked before (I couldn't find it).

I know this thread is a couple of weeks old now, but I have also just got a Navman 5500 and after spending more money on the 4500/5500 combo than I probably should have (given other home orientated priorities, and the fact that base upon my recent performance it will prob take me 10yrs before I catch enough fish to pay for the electronics), I am reluctant to spend more $ just to be able to save my own Waypoint data.

The Navman manual talks about "NMEA". Can I use this feature to offload data onto a handheld Garmin Etrex or similar and then put it back again after any navman software upgrades etc are done as I already have a etrex and I can borrow a garmin datacable if this is a possible option (I assume I can use free GPS software like -easyGPS or similar). Is it just a matter of making a cable to join the output NMEA line of the Navman to the input line of the Garmin and vise versa?

Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Paul.

G'day Paul,
If all you want too do is save you points just get a user card ($60-100) and save them on that. I have one with about 400 points on it just incase the plotter sh#ts its self and they all get wipped off.

cheers

[whiteman]

Paul

Good question and one I'll follow up. I've got a Garmin 12 which I easily interface with Oziexplorer. And I've got a 5500 sitting out in the shed with heaps of un-backed-up-points. If I can get the Garmin talking to the 5500 using NMEA, it will solve a lot of problems. Otherwise I'm prepared to hand load the points into the Garmin which I use on my smaller boat anyway and have these points backed up on Oziexplorer.

I'm not a cheapskate, but I don't see the point of paying $400 for a PC interface when products like Garmin have been offering this for years for the cost of a $20 cable.

[DougHanning]

I have a furuno 1650f cmap chartplotter/sounder and use Gps utility which cost about 70bucks and got taylor marine to make up a cable to plug into a serial port straight from the unit. Think the cable cost about 70bucks as well. Works fine for backing up waypoints etc