Memory Map charts and plotting software

[Nick]

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I asked a few questions and got a rapid reply:

a) Will the charts work with other plotting software, eg OpenCPN?
- No, the qc3. Format is unique to memory-Map and cannot be converted, we have to agree this with the UKHO when licensing the product.


b) Does your own plotting software have a facility for AIS input?
– Yes, go to http://www.memory-map.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , click on SOFTWARE, MEMORY-MAP PROFESSIONAL where you will find information regarding AIS.

(The Pro version is $225)

c) What provisions are there for chart updates?
– None, with a £40 inc vat product if we offered updates we would be out of business, annually a new edition will be produced.

[ash]

Interesting.

I've got Memory-Map Navigator and some sample maps / charts on my hard drive - I think that it came as a freebie CD with a sailing magazine - a number of years ago.

I've never tried to learn how to use the plotting side of it. The UK map has icons for tides and marinas which will provide more info / link to the web when clicked.

The program folder is only 8.78Mb and the UK Ireland road map is 10.8MB. Outer Approaches to the Solent, BA2045 at 1:75000 is 6.05MB.

I take that you would pay £95 in the first year for the charts and software, and then £40 whenever you wanted to update the charts. Seems good value.

How do you update the charts in a dedicated chartplotter and how much does that cost?

Ash

[Telo]

This has nothing to to with any previous product from MemoryMap - this is every full scale Admiralty chart for Britain and Ireland, plus passage charts to continental Europe, Iceland, Greenland, Labrador, South Atlantic, Spitzbergen, and the Barents Sea and White Sea to Archangel. Over 800 straight no chaser UKHO charts for forty quid. AFAIK, there are no tidal predictions, nor will you get updates. But the whole clamjamfery costs about the price of two cartridge paper charts.

The package runs perfectly from a laptop hard disk, so there is no battery drain for a CD-ROM. This, in my view, is the marine bargain of the decade. An unequivocal "Yes" from me.

[Bodach na mara]

Sounds great. Especially the idea of using a USB dongle (£20 from Maplin I think) and you effectively have a chart plotter.

When I was in the Baltic this year (OK, I confess it was on a P&O ship) I met a bloke sea-trialling software he writes for for an AIS engine from NASA. This displayed the results on a laptop relative to your own position (derived from a GPS dongle.) Add this Memory Map software and you could have a display of all AIS transmitting vessels in your area if you can get them to talk to one another.

[Yotter]

I have used Offshoe Navigator from Maptech since about 2002, and have been very happy with it. I recall paying about £95 for each folio of charts and bought 4 so the chart outlay was about £400 for west and north of Scotland. Indeed £40 is an absolute bargain for the whole of UK. I shall probably contact Maptech to check that my version 5.04 is compatible and also that the scales are similar....unless anyone else knows:-)

[Telo]

Just a two or three points;

1. AFAIK there is no AIS facility on the £40 - but that, I believe, is embedded in the ninety pound package;

2. It works fine with a Maplin USB dongle - unfortunately the very cheap ones (£19?) disappeared off the market - I think ours was about £30 at nthe time;

3. I haven't tried it, but assume that you could plug in a handheld GPS with a suitable Serial/USB connector if you don't have a serial socket on the laptop. The signal is standard NMEA at 4,800 baud.

Yotter, I'm not sure about this, but I have a feeling that this (new?) raster format is not compatible with other PC software, but that's just a guess. I don't know about plotter software. It is certainly not compatible with the RYA/UKHO CD-ROM info, and doesn't work with PC based OpenCPN software either.

[ash]

Just a two or three points;

1. AFAIK there is no AIS facility on the £40 - but that, I believe, is embedded in the ninety pound package;

2. It works fine with a Maplin USB dongle - unfortunately the very cheap ones (£19?) disappeared off the market - I think ours was about £30 at nthe time;

What software / funtionality do you get with the £40 package?

Ash

[Telo]

Ash, I've never used a tailor made bespoke chartplotter, so don't know what is meant by functionality. I've used the UKHO/RYA CD-ROM, but apart from playing with it, only seriously used it fog twice, and that only to keep an eye on position and course. It's much the same as that except it doesn't show tidal predictions. Anyway, it does some stuff;

• shows you where you are, which, to me, is all I really want

• it shows heading and SOG

• it shows the track

• you can create WPs and routes, but I've never done it, so can't comment

• WPs and routes can be imported from GPSs

• you can overlay with AIS

• the coffee function is a bit iffy

• it's got about every chart that I'm ever likely to need

• the £40 version is not compatible with anything else

• the programme and the charts are stored on the hard drive, so the battery drain is less than CD-ROM

• it doesn't do updates AFAIK

• errmm, that's it.

[Mark]

the coffee function is a bit iffy

The Latte is all right, but the Expresso needs some work. I think it will be fixed in the next upgrade when the Digestive Biscuit function is added.

Them with an iPhone who are prepared to tolerate the smaller screen size can get Navionics, United Kingdom to Holland. United Kingdom, Ireland, English Channel, Belgium and The Netherlands. for $24 (used to be £15.).

http://www.navionics.com/Charts_Mobile. ... dCode=28XG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ash]

Anyway, it does some stuff;

• shows you where you are, which, to me, is all I really want

• it shows heading and SOG

• it shows the track

• you can create WPs and routes, but I've never done it, so can't comment

• WPs and routes can be imported from GPSs

• you can overlay with AIS

• the programme and the charts are stored on the hard drive, so the battery drain is less than CD-ROM

If you can get all that plus 800 charts for £40 and it doesn't time expire then that sounds like very good value.

You are only going to get updates by buying a new package on an annual basis but that may not be any worse than other electronic charts.

If you buy it on a CD, can you then load it to more than one machine?

If you copy it on to a hard drive, can you then copy it to the hard drive on a netbook via USB?

Ash

[Nick]

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It's all a bit confusing - the link referred to above on the .com site indicates that the Pro software - which is the version that accepts AIS input - is $225, which is a bit more than £95 at the current rate.

The charts are in a proprietory format, so they will not work with and cannot be made to work with other chart plotting programmes such as OpenCPN.

[Telo]

Apologies. The cheaper package doesn't appear to overlay AIS

[Nick]

.
The more expensive package is still a very good deal if you want a completely new fully functional chartplotter with all UK charts and AIS overlay, but if your spend included a netbook as well then the total cost would be getting into dedicated chartplotter territory (with full UK chart coverage).

[FullCircle]

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The more expensive package is still a very good deal if you want a completely new fully functional chartplotter with all UK charts and AIS overlay, but if your spend included a netbook as well then the total cost would be getting into dedicated chartplotter territory (with full UK chart coverage).

True, but I can't play Solitaire with my Chartplotter, or email my Mum.

[ash]

The current issue of Sailing Today, November 2010, Issue 163, has a one page review of the £40 Memory Map package by Duncan Kent.

We Like - Relatively inexpensive. The charts are direct raster scans of real Admiralty charts. Can add charts online.

We Don't Like - Not being able to scroll from chart to chart seamlessly. Confusing chart handling by scale.

Verdict - 3/5 stars - Not the most feature-laden piece of navigation software I've ever tried, but nevertheless exceptional value for money when you consider that for £40 you get 800 charts which you can print off.

Ash

BTW - In answer to one of my questions above, the reviews says that "The product will download onto one PC and one smartphone per product." "you have to register your software online before you can use the product"