NOAA ENC Charts on Garmin GPS

[Marshall Banana]

Greets all... I've been working on a method to convert NOAA ENC charts to
work with my Garmin GPS. I've gotten the process to a point where the
maps are pretty much usable. I have a bit more information, some
screenshots, and a sample map at:

http://www.slacktide.org/~dan/Montauk/ENC_to_Garmin.html

Dan

 

[Marshall Banana]

Whilst the conversion proces makes for very interesting reading, the
disclaimers and warnings you have written make this a somewhat pointless
procedure for practical purposes.

Seeing as someone seems to ask about aftermarket maps for their Garmin
every few weeks on this NG, it seems that many people are interested in
this. Once I do a bit more documentation and expansion, I'll release the
complete method, and it will be up to the user to ensure that their
results are practical for their useage. For instance, I wouldn't be
comfortable navigating through the fog with these maps, but I would find
them more than practical to troll along the edge of an underwater trough.

The disclaimers and warnings are there so some dumbass doesn't set his
autopilot, run up on a rock, and sue me.

Isn't it just better to bite the bullet
and spend 200 bucks on a "proper" GPS-ENC application.

There is no propper GPS->ENC application available for Garmin
GPSs. The one I mention on the website only works for the IQue and other
PDAs with GPS recievers attached.

Quite honestly, I own Garmin Bluecharts for my home area, but
I'll be dammned if I am going to spend the ~100 bucks for an area I'm
just visiting on vacation. This, combined with an paper chart, fills in
that need quite well for me.

Dan

--
There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers
exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will
instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more
bizarre and inexplicable.

There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
(HHGTG)

 

[Dennis Pogson]

Greets all... I've been working on a method to convert NOAA ENC
charts to work with my Garmin GPS. I've gotten the process to a
point where the maps are pretty much usable. I have a bit more
information, some screenshots, and a sample map at:

http://www.slacktide.org/~dan/Montauk/ENC_to_Garmin.html

Dan

Whilst the conversion proces makes for very interesting reading, the
disclaimers and warnings you have written make this a somewhat pointless
procedure for practical purposes. Isn't it just better to bite the bullet
and spend 200 bucks on a "proper" GPS-ENC application. After all the charts
are free, and this is what costs the money in an electronic nav. set up?

Remove "nospam" from return address.

 

[Dennis Pogson]

Seeing as someone seems to ask about aftermarket maps for their Garmin
every few weeks on this NG, it seems that many people are interested
in this. Once I do a bit more documentation and expansion, I'll
release the complete method, and it will be up to the user to ensure
that their results are practical for their useage. For instance, I
wouldn't be comfortable navigating through the fog with these maps,
but I would find them more than practical to troll along the edge of
an underwater trough.

The disclaimers and warnings are there so some dumbass doesn't set his
autopilot, run up on a rock, and sue me.


There is no propper GPS->ENC application available for Garmin
GPSs. The one I mention on the website only works for the IQue and
other PDAs with GPS recievers attached.

Quite honestly, I own Garmin Bluecharts for my home area, but
I'll be dammned if I am going to spend the ~100 bucks for an area I'm
just visiting on vacation. This, combined with an paper chart, fills
in that need quite well for me.

Dan

--
There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers
exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will
instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more
bizarre and inexplicable.

There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
(HHGTG)

Sorry I missed the point about using these charts with a garmin GPS, I was
thinking more about laptop/gps usage.

I wonder how long it will be before Garmin start to utilise these ENC's in a
commercial application, same as their Bluecharts, or is that forbidden by US
Government/NOAA legislation?

Dennis.
Remove "nospam" from return address.

 

[Marshall Banana]

I wonder how long it will be before Garmin start to utilise these ENC's in a
commercial application, same as their Bluecharts, or is that forbidden by US
Government/NOAA legislation?

Nope, they're free for all. Not even copyrighted. But then
Garmin couldn't make big bucks selling Bluechart chunks at $75 a region
(US charts price. Intl ones are $125), and there are over 50 regions to
unlock in the US alone.

Maybe eventually, a GPS maker with a declining market share (Lowrance, I'm
looking in your direction) will release a product that uses ENC
natively. At that point, Garmin will have to face a competitor that is
giving away free maps, and either accept the massive loss of sales, or
allow ENCs to be used on their products.

Dan