Antares charts and MX Mariner

[cpedw]

Do you use MX Mariner (a chart plotter app for Android, similar to Memory Map but cheaper) and want to use Antares charts with it? Well, it's possible using a free PC program called MXcart to convert Antares' BSB format to one that MX Mariner can read.

I just completed the task for the whole set of Antares 2016 charts. It took the computer about 18 hours. Two files are the outcome, one about 1kb, the other 1Gb. If anyone would like to get the files but avoid the conversion process, please ask. I don't know what the best route for file transfer might be but I'm sure something can be worked out.

MX Mariner has been upgraded since last season and seems not to be so friendly as it was but I've only spent a few minutes looking at it so far. It may just need getting to know?

Derek

[ash]

Do you use MX Mariner (a chart plotter app for Android, similar to Memory Map but cheaper) and want to use Antares charts with it? Well, it's possible using a free PC program called MXcart to convert Antares' BSB format to one that MX Mariner can read.

I just completed the task for the whole set of Antares 2016 charts. It took the computer about 18 hours. Two files are the outcome, one about 1kb, the other 1Gb. If anyone would like to get the files but avoid the conversion process, please ask. I don't know what the best route for file transfer might be but I'm sure something can be worked out.

MX Mariner has been upgraded since last season and seems not to be so friendly as it was but I've only spent a few minutes looking at it so far. It may just need getting to know?

Derek

I have MX Mariner plus 1 section of chart to cover my 1/4 of the UK on my Hudl2.

I bought it about this time last year.

How do you know when the chart has updated to the latest version? Do you have to replace the App too or just the chart? I'll probably leave it until the start of the season anyway.

A 1 Gb file is pretty hefty. What hardware are you using? Could the file be broken up if one only needed coverage of a limited sailing area?

It's only an acadamic exercise for me as I don't think I'll get to the areas covered by Antares.

Cheers

Ash

[cpedw]

How do you know when the chart has updated to the latest version? Do you have to replace the App too or just the chart? I'll probably leave it until the start of the season anyway.

You have to check the state of charts:
Settings/Install Chart Regions/UKHO/ shows a list of what can be had and what you've got. When it shows "update available" for a region that you bought and is still active (you bought it less than a year ago), you can download the chart update provided you're online. The App is free.

A 1 Gb file is pretty hefty. What hardware are you using? Could the file be broken up if one only needed coverage of a limited sailing area?

The PC that did the chart conversion is a Windows 7 laptop 2.1GHz processor, 3GB RAM, 220GB disk. The Android is a Google Nexus 10.
It would be possible to run MXcart on a limited set of Antares charts, presumably reducing the size of the resulting file and the time taken to generate it. I haven't tried. It might have been sensible to do the conversion in chunks, perhaps Antares regions, to make less unwieldy files.

Derek