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I'm new to "at home" navigational planning, so forgive the dumb questions...
I just downloaded the free version of the Raymarine RayTech Navigator (planner) with the intent of creating waypoints and routes at home, to transfer to my Raymarine E-series chartplotter on the boat. That said, when I opened the "Navionics" page in the planning software, the screen looked just like my chartplotter does when I have the Navionics card out of the unit.......basic geographical features only.
I subsequently read that it is necessary to purchase a Navionics Multicard Chart Reader to use in conjuntion with the RayTech Planner Software to read the Navionics charts. I am assuming that if I purchase this Navionics Multicard Chart Reader, I will then be able to place my Navionics card from the boat into the reader, plug the reader into the computer, and like magic, the map on my computer will populate with all the card data.....just like on the chartplotter when the card is installed there. Am I correct, or is there more pointing and clicking to do once the card and computer are interfaced? Also, once loaded, can the Navionics card then be removed, and re-installed in the chartplotter, or must the card always be plugged into the Chart Reader for the RayTech software to be populated with the card specific data?
Basically, you have it right. The charts will appear wherever you have the card installed. If you remove the card, the charts go with it. However, there are some downloadable charts that work with the Rayrech Navigator that are almost as good as the card and work very well for route planning.
If you buy the Navionics multicard reader, you'll be able to use the Navionics charts in the Planner software. I seem to recall it just working, without any special pointing or clicking to make it work. Unfortunately, Navionics does not allow copies of the charts to be made on your hard drive, so once you remove the card and reinstall it where it belongs (in the boat), the Planner software will revert to the basic chart that comes with it.
__________________ Capt. Jack
Barnegat Bay Fishing Charters
Jones Brothers 26
Thanks guys. This leads to another question on my part. Once a group of waypoints (or a specific route for that matter) is created, how does one transfer that data back to the chartplotter? Obviously, the created data would be uploaded onto a compact flash card to facilitate delivery to the Chartplotter. However, does the flash card receiving the data have to be inserted into the Navionics Multicard Chart Reader in order to receive the data, or will a regular flash drive on the PC suffice for the transfer off the PC? In other words, is the Navionics Multicard Chart Reader only proprietary for reading the Navionics Data off the card and onto the PC, or does it serve a formatting purpose in the process of transferring data in the opposite direction as well?
HDRyder999,
Can you give me any further info on where the downloadable charts are which are compatible with RayTech Navigator?
You can go to http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/s...hartspubs.html and download the charts for the area that you need. I also have the Raytech planner and used the Raster Navigational charts, not sure if the Electronic Naviagational charts work. Detail was ok. Save them to a folder on your computer. There does not seem to be an easy way to load the downloaded charts into Raytech Planner. When I did it, when I reopened the Planner software it recognized that I had downloaded new charts and found them automatically. That was easy but, just cant tell you how or why. Oh yeah, dont go buying any old CF card reader/writer. You need the Raymarine one. Go figure.
You can use any CF card reader for the transfer of the waypoints. But to display the RM Navionics chart you need the RM Navionics Multicard Chart Reader.
They give you the planner for free but you still have to buy the reader to really use it, this almost irked me
__________________ John
"FlatFish"
2601 Striper
Last edited by BajaFeeling; 05-17-2009 at 02:24 PM.
V1rowt8, Its easy to transfer your waypoints from Raytech planner to the CF card. You basically export all waypoints and routes to removable card. Make sure your PC sees the reader / writer and take note of the drive letter it assigned it, like G: etc. Then it will save it to a archive.fsh file on the card. if it fails, its usually because of the format of the CF card.
email us if you need additional help.
I appreciate it SportAngler. I'll be giving it a try in a couple weeks. Right now I'm waiting on the Navionics reader to mess with it further. Hopefully, I'll figure it out. If not, I may just take you up on further assistance.
Just want to verify. . . All I want to do is take the 100 waypoints I have on paper (from my old Lowrance unit) and use Raytech Planner to use the computer to get them on a compact flash card to transfer to my Raymarine E80 - rather then enter them one by one on the boat.
I don't need any of the other stuff mentioned above (i.e. The Raymarine card reader) to do this, correct?
Just want to verify. . . All I want to do is take the 100 waypoints I have on paper (from my old Lowrance unit) and use Raytech Planner to use the computer to get them on a compact flash card to transfer to my Raymarine E80 - rather then enter them one by one on the boat.
I don't need any of the other stuff mentioned above (i.e. The Raymarine card reader) to do this, correct?
No, you will have to convert your waypoints to Ray's format. There is a tool on the Ray site with instructions. It's a pain in the a$$, but easier than doing it manually.
Alright, thanks for the replies. Still not sure of the technical reasons this needs to be so complicated. I mean, I would figure that by opening Ray Tech and manually inputting the Lat and Long of different way points on the computer the E-80 would be able to read them from a CF card (their just lats and longs - not like I'm trying to convert TDs or something).
Still a bit puzzled and wondering if what I want to do isn't as complicated as perhaps what others want to do (i.e. covert numbers, say from a Garmin unit, to use on a Raymarine unit).
Found this post in spearfishing.com (http://www.spearfishingplanet.com/sh...d.php?p=141798) which goes into the conversion issue. AGAIN, this isn't what I'm trying to do but thought someone doing a search in the future may find it useful.
Sounds like from this post, what I'm looking to do is pretty simple (if this guy is right) and doesn't require anything. See red language at end. All I'm doing is manually putting lats and longs into RayTech and then exporting them to my SanDisk CF card to upload to the E-80. Maybe I'm missing something or just refusing to accept the reality that this is just a pain in the but. Just don't want to believe that if I manually put the lat and long of a waypoint in RayTech that I still have to somehow convert that to get it on my E-80.
Here's the post:
__________________________________________________ ____________
How I upload/download/manage waypoints with Raymarine C/E series Raymarine may have superior sounder and radar capabilities than Garmin, but their horrific downfall is that they have a unique waypoint format which requires the user to jump through hoops.
I manage all my waypoints in Garmin, simply because its damn near seamless. Garmin directly reads .gpb, .gpx, .mps, among other formats.
A lot of people say you need the special Raymarine card reader to download/upload waypoints. That is horseshit. You need the special card reader to upload the maps to your Raymarine Raytech planner, but thats about it. I don't need maps on my PC, so I see no use in the $80 card reader.
To get started, you will need the following free applications:
I use mapsource (Garmin), but you may use something like GPSUtility (www.gpsu.co.uk). What you choose to manage your waypoints with is immaterial, since we will convert the file after exiting the application.
REQUIRED FREE CONVERTER:
download gpsbabel at their website www.gpsbabel.org/
This application will convert your .gpx etc files into the required raymarine .rwf format.
REQUIRED RAYTECH SOFTWARE (FREE VERSION):
download the raymarine raytech planner software utility at their website http://www.raymarine.com/Default.asp...on=2&page=1535
Use the free version, you don't need all that other shit. We are simply using this software to convert from the raymarine .rwf format to the Archive.fsh format that is required to be on the display unit card.
TO UPLOAD NUMBERS:
1) Save a file of numbers in whatever format. YOU ARE LIMITED TO 1000 WAYPOINTS IN THE DISPLAY (C/E SERIES). So, perhaps only upload 950 max, leaving 50 for spots you might come across to save. For example purposes, lets assume you saved in .GPX format.
2) Run gpsbabel. Select initial file as the .GPX file you just saved (or whatever file format it is in), then select target file to be with .rwf (raymarine waypoint file). Select the location to be:
Program Files>Raymarine>Raymarine Raytech Planner>Archive (or something like that). Execute conversion.
3) Run the raymarine software utility, Raytech planner. Make sure your card does NOT have the archive.fsh file on it. This application will remember the waypoints from the last time it ran, so erase all waypoints on the screen to start fresh.
Menu functions:
Import from file, location should be as listed above, select the .rwf file you saved from gpsbabel
Go to manage waypoints and load/show on screen
Visually verify it is correct.
Input your card
Export to C/E series card, filename archive.fsh (same for every export)
When the xfer has completed, put in unit and check
On the display, you will have to erase what is in memory on the display, then upload from the card. Once uploaded, visually verify.
Downloading from the display unit is the exact reverse. Start with a clean card, with NO existing archive.fsh file on the card. For some reason, the display will not overwrite existing files on the card.
***THE DISPLAY SAVES WAYPOINTS IN ITS OWN RAM MEMORY, NOT THE CARD. THE CARD IS JUST A XFER MEDIUM. THIS IS WHY YOU LOSE WAYPOINTS WHEN THE DISPLAY IS RESET****
Menu selection: Data, Xfer to card, do it then remove the card after powering off the unit or selecting the remove card from display function. ****SOMETIMES THE WAYPOINTS ARE BROKEN INTO SEPARATE GROUPS CALLED "MY WAYPOINTS" OR "MY WAYPOINTS1" ETC. SELECT THE ONE THAT HAS THE NEW SPOTS YOU JUST ACQUIRED. Default waypoint names are sequential, i.e. waypoint268, waypoint269, etc. I prefer to leave it like that and just jot it down in a notebook of what the spot was. Rename it in mapsource later.
Raytech Planner: erase existing waypoints from screen once opening the application. Import from card. Load waypoints and show on screen. Visually verify. Export to file> selectedname.rwf.
GPSbabel:.rwf to .gpx (or whatever format you use). Source file in the Raytech Archive folder, Target file in whatever folder you want.
Run waypoint management application and open your file.
sucks huh?
Gee, seems like a lot of work. Why don't you just use the Raytech sofware?
BECAUSE IT SUCKS!!! Everything about it sucks. And if you want the full version (has connectivity to the display via laptop), it costs $750.
If you can get used to using Raytech only, and you don't mind keeping your numbers in a raymarine format, then you can bypass all of the above. You'd only have to do this if you were uploading to a handheld or GPS of another manufacturer. I use garmin handhelds a lot, so I prefer to keep it in a Garmin base format.
Alright, thanks for the replies. Still not sure of the technical reasons this needs to be so complicated. I mean, I would figure that by opening Ray Tech and manually inputting the Lat and Long of different way points on the computer the E-80 would be able to read them from a CF card (their just lats and longs - not like I'm trying to convert TDs or something).
That is correct. I manually entered all my waypoints to rayplanner and used the Cf slot on my PC to transfer to a generic CF card and install them to my ray unit. Everything worked fine. I did however notice I had to remove the file from the CF card to be able to use it again. ie, I could not seem to overwrite the card from either the computer or the ray unit. Hope that answers your Q.
One word of caution when creating waypoints in RayTech and transferring to the MFD. RayTech will allow you to start a waypoint name with a number. Raymarine MFDs can only read waypoint names that start with LETTERS. I learned the hard way.
One word of caution when creating waypoints in RayTech and transferring to the MFD. RayTech will allow you to start a waypoint name with a number. Raymarine MFDs can only read waypoint names that start with LETTERS. I learned the hard way.
What MFD series are you using? Was it the E-Series?
I've spent the last few days typing in my various spot and actually uploaded them all to my E-80's this afternoon. A good portion of the spots were started with and were only numbers (i.e. I have spots that go from "1" to somewhere in the 120 range). They uploaded fine to my E-80. I went to my waypoints and they were all there. Of course, I didn't actually have the boat in the water and select a way point and then "go to."
Were you able to even get your waypoints starting with numbers to even load on the machine? I'm thinking since I got my to load into "My Waypoints" I should be set - the lat and longs were there. Can't imagine why the MFD would let me load them to my waypoints only to say later when I try to navigate to them that they are no good. Now you have me worried though as a lot of time went into plugging those 120 spots into RayTech.
Can you confirm that you had trouble loading to an E-80 series and whether you were even able to get them to show up in your "my waypoints" file like I did?
Nope. I actually can't confirm. I fixed my waypoints in RayTech before ever loading up to the MFD. I'm using a C90 Wide.
As I was building my new waypoints in RayTech from my paper copy I called Tech Support to ask questions on export...and was advised to not start waypoints with NUMBERS. Chuck Anderson is the expert in New Hampshire.
Seems like you've lucked out so long as ALL 120 of your waypoints that start with a letter appear in your Waypoint list. But I'd hate to see them disappear at some strange point.
Check out the link below to the FAQ on the Raymarine Customer Support page. It outlined the do's and don'ts to be safe.
Yeah, it has worked. But, thanks for the help/FAQ as it certainly does suggest that corruption of the file can possibly occur if the waypoints don't start with letters.
I've printed all my waypoints on paper again so I guess if it happens, I'll just change the name in RayTech for the 120 waypoints that go from 1 to 120. Hope this isn't necessary but we shall see.
RayTech Planner - Do I have this right? 
. 
