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R

Rex

Thu, Mar 27, 2003 2:50 AM

Recently purchased Maptech Digital raster charts for Acapulco to Panama.
This package is listed as catalog number CDBA on Maptech's website. This
coverage area used to be Maptech Chartpack 163 and before that it was
Chartpack 15, neither of which is listed on Maptech's site anymore
(Maptech's website does not tell you this but you can figure it out if you
go to Landfall's website).

These new charts will not run on Nobeltec and Maptech's website does not
tell you that either. They do tell you that they are BSB 4.0 but don't tell
you they have special encryption. Upon contacting Maptech, they said they
would not run with Nobeltec and currently have the only software these
charts will work with, which they would be happy to sell me also.

Rex
MV Zeus
Blaine WA

Recently purchased Maptech Digital raster charts for Acapulco to Panama. This package is listed as catalog number CDBA on Maptech's website. This coverage area used to be Maptech Chartpack 163 and before that it was Chartpack 15, neither of which is listed on Maptech's site anymore (Maptech's website does not tell you this but you can figure it out if you go to Landfall's website). These new charts will not run on Nobeltec and Maptech's website does not tell you that either. They do tell you that they are BSB 4.0 but don't tell you they have special encryption. Upon contacting Maptech, they said they would not run with Nobeltec and currently have the only software these charts will work with, which they would be happy to sell me also. Rex MV Zeus Blaine WA

JS

Jeffrey Siegel

Thu, Mar 27, 2003 1:27 PM

Recently purchased Maptech Digital raster charts for Acapulco
to Panama...

They do tell you that
they are BSB 4.0 but don't tell you they have special
encryption.

Since I have a relationship with Maptech, I looked into this issue and
received the following information from the upper management of the
company:

Maptech has partnered with British Admiralty to create charts in the
Caribbean, Europe and other areas of the world. Part of the contract
with BA requires encryption because BA is concerned about piracy as well
as "up-to-date" issues. While encryption is a pain, it's the only way
charts of this quality could come to market. While not a perfect
solution, it brings more of these charts to a bigger market than the
ARCS format that BA has been marketing for a few years. I think the
only U.S. program that supported this was the old Chartview Pro which
has been orphaned by Nobletec. I don't know the details, but I think
Nobletec has a similar agreement with Transas for their Passport charts.

A couple alternatives:

Maptech still offers the older ChartPacks by special telephone order.
Their number is 888-839-5551.
Ask your software developer (Raymarine, Nobletec, Capn, etc) when they
plan to support BSB4.

I don't believe that any of this is an issue with US charts. Note that
Rex's charts were for the "Acapulco to Panama" area...

> Recently purchased Maptech Digital raster charts for Acapulco > to Panama... > > They do tell you that > they are BSB 4.0 but don't tell you they have special > encryption. Since I have a relationship with Maptech, I looked into this issue and received the following information from the upper management of the company: Maptech has partnered with British Admiralty to create charts in the Caribbean, Europe and other areas of the world. Part of the contract with BA requires encryption because BA is concerned about piracy as well as "up-to-date" issues. While encryption is a pain, it's the only way charts of this quality could come to market. While not a perfect solution, it brings more of these charts to a bigger market than the ARCS format that BA has been marketing for a few years. I think the only U.S. program that supported this was the old Chartview Pro which has been orphaned by Nobletec. I don't know the details, but I think Nobletec has a similar agreement with Transas for their Passport charts. A couple alternatives: - Maptech still offers the older ChartPacks by special telephone order. Their number is 888-839-5551. - Ask your software developer (Raymarine, Nobletec, Capn, etc) when they plan to support BSB4. I don't believe that any of this is an issue with US charts. Note that Rex's charts were for the "Acapulco to Panama" area...

RF

Ross Fleming

Thu, Mar 27, 2003 4:29 PM

On Thu, 27 Mar 2003 08:27:56 -0500, "Jeffrey Siegel"
jeffrey.siegel@activecenter.com wrote:

I think the
only U.S. program that supported this was the old Chartview Pro which
has been orphaned by Nobletec.

FWIW I still use and like ChartView Pro.  Although orphaned it

is still being distributed by Weems and Plath and they have demo CD's
available.
I can't say that I like this trend towards encryped, or even
worse, time limited chart packages. I am still useing a 1999 edition
chart pack of Puget Sound that I keep adding critical corrections to
by hand. It is only this year that there are corrections signifigant
enough for me to want new charts, and only for about 5 charts.

Ross Fleming ross@renoun.net
Seattle, WA

On Thu, 27 Mar 2003 08:27:56 -0500, "Jeffrey Siegel" <jeffrey.siegel@activecenter.com> wrote: >I think the >only U.S. program that supported this was the old Chartview Pro which >has been orphaned by Nobletec. FWIW I still use and like ChartView Pro. Although orphaned it is still being distributed by Weems and Plath and they have demo CD's available. I can't say that I like this trend towards encryped, or even worse, time limited chart packages. I am still useing a 1999 edition chart pack of Puget Sound that I keep adding critical corrections to by hand. It is only this year that there are corrections signifigant enough for me to want new charts, and only for about 5 charts. ___________________________________________________ Ross Fleming ross@renoun.net Seattle, WA

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