On Mon, 09 May 2005 00:30:33 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
wrote:

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 8 May 2005 11:32:12 -0700, "JJ" wrote:

Hi Tom.
I checked out the Raymarine unit today. Yes it looks very impressive and
is
well worth the extra $$
Thanks for the help. I think I may end up buying this unit

It's a good one and I really like the Navionics maps.

Good luck.

Which brings up a related question. Different systems use different maps,
and it seems to me that the quality of the maps is a very important factor.
Where can you get information about this?

They are all digital copies of the "official" NOAA certified charts.
The only company that makes "official" charts is Maptech and they are
limited in their usage to PC based GPS units.

http://www.maptech.com/index.cfm

Navionics actually makes the digital format maps for Garmin's
proprietary format along with Si-tex, Northstar, Furuno and a couple
of other high end GPS/Charting systems. They also do a private label
chart for a European company that I can't think of.

All electronic charts from all manufacturers are updated twice a year
except for Maptech which is much quicker only because they are the
"official" data supplier.

To keep up with chart changes, you need to obtain your local Notice to
Mariners which the USCG puts out in several formats including email
notices. If you are traveling, you need to do this anyway. The
charts are only as accurate as their last update. This is also true
for paper charts.

As to Navionics format, I believe SD, MMC and CF (Type I and II) and
the mini-card whose name escapes me at the moment.

http://www.navionics.com/

http://www.navionics.com/GoldCharts.asp

I can take my CF format charts for the RC400 and put it into a
Globalmap XXXX and it will work fine. So if the unit will take CF
format, the charts will work.

Does that help?

Later,

Tom