B&G Vulcan Trip Planning

[dirtloves]

I just had a Vulcan7 installed with an AIS transponder in my Sabre 30.

My question is, what's the best way to plan the trip at home and get that trip to the chartplotter? I'd prefer to do it over wifi since the card slot is on the back of the device, so not exactly something I want to take apart every trip.

And on the boat, I'd love to sit at the chart table and plan a route then just send it up to the chartplotter rather than having to do it in the cockpit.

Apologies if this is basic, relatively new to the hobby.

[Suijin]

You can use something like HomePort to create your waypoints and routes and export them via the data card. I believe the Vulcan won't accept anything higher than 32gb but not sure.

I'm not aware of any way to do it wirelessly other than through B&G's GoFree app which allows you to mark waypoints but routes, I dunno, and I think you have to do it while it's networked to the unit. Have you played with the app yet?

[dirtloves]

Originally Posted by Suijin

You can use something like HomePort to create your waypoints and routes and export them via the data card. I believe the Vulcan won't accept anything higher than 32gb but not sure.

I'm not aware of any way to do it wirelessly other than through B&G's GoFree app which allows you to mark waypoints but routes, I dunno, and I think you have to do it while it's networked to the unit. Have you played with the app yet?

Yeah the app can mirror the MFD, so you could technically do it that way. My hope is a way to sit at my desk at home and map out a route then shoot it over to the device. Looking through some of their GoFree stuff it looks like they might have a solution with their "Insight Planner" application, but I've had problems with GoFree in the past.

[fallingeggs]

Easiest is to buy the Navionics iPad app, plan the trip, then send the waypoints to the Vulcan over wifi. I haven't personally tried this on my Zeus2, but was speaking with someone who has successfully done this on a Vulcan. B&G recently (well, within the last six months) released an update called Plotter Sync to allow this specifically for the Navionics app, so make sure you are updated.

I suppose this only works if you have an iPad, but if you do, the app plus charts is $15-ish. Could work on the phone, but the small screen is not ideal.

I believe you can also plan the route in any computer software (OpenCPN, for example), export the waypoints to the MicroSD, then upload to the Vulcan. I think there has been a thread in the past regarding the inability to do this over wifi, but don't quote me on that. I believe it was Dockhead who asked the question regarding a Zeus, so perhaps he'll respond with what he learned.

[Dockhead]

I do all my planning with OpenCPN, then I load the routes and waypoints to a thumb drive, and load them into the Zeus Z8 at my nav table.

OpenCPN is a superlative tool for this. If you use it with a big high res monitor, it's almost like working with paper, but you need raster charts.

Unless something has been improved between the first generation of Zeus plotters, you cannot upload routes or waypoints except by using a physical port. I tried hard to find a solution to this, as I use a laptop at the nav table besides the Zeus, and it would have been convenient, but it is definitely not possible. On the Z8, though, putting the thumb drive in is dead simple -- don't know about the Vulcan, which maybe requires fumbling with an SD card.

Edit: The post immediately above, posted about the same time as mine, may offer a new way to do this.

[dirtloves]

Ah that could be perfect... I am using Navionics maps, so that's a natural fit.

Edit: the problem/inconvenience with the card based solutions is that the card slot is (for some reason) behind the Vulcan7 so requires disassembly of the the navpod to get at it. Obviously doable, but not ideal, and when the Vulcan7 has onboard wifi it seems like this should be straightforward.

I'd love to use OpenCPN or the like since I do indeed have a massive workstation at home where I'd love to do this.

[Suijin]

Poking around in the Navionics app on my iPhone I see options for sending routes via email, Google Drive, but nothing about connecting to another device directly.

B &G GoFree has been supplanted by GoFree Link. It requires a wifi connection to an MFD to even function. It may be the simplest way of creating routes on your Vulcan, when in wifi range, versus using a card.

The fact that the slot is on the back of the device is alarmingly stupid, IMHO. Yes in another generation when everything is wifi, but were not quite there yet.

[dirtloves]

Off-topic: my two head-slapping moments is the hidden card slot, and the first time i realized that the NMEA2k Standard has multiple cable styles to deal with.

On-topic: plotter sync looks like a thing that could work! This doc tells you exactly how to do it:

http://www.lowrance.com/PageFiles/14...NOTES%20v2.pdf

[fallingeggs]

I poked around this a bit more. It seems one needs not only the Navionics iPad app, but also Navionics charts on the MFD.

Check out this presentation, starting on page 23:

http://www.simrad-yachting.com/PageF...s_Feb_2017.pdf


Also, the Navionics iPad app is $50. It is the iPhone app that is $15. I think technically the iPhone app will run on an iPad, but the resolution might be screwy. I'm unlikely to use Navionics charts on the Zeus2, so I guess I'll really never know how it works.

[fallingeggs]

Ok, one more thing for you to read...

Vulcan 5 Software Update

Not only do you need the Navionics charts, you need their update subscription! If the app has an update subscription, you need that too! Not sure why they need to be so limiting, but there you have it.

[dirtloves]

Originally Posted by fallingeggs

Ok, one more thing for you to read...

Vulcan 5 Software Update

Not only do you need the Navionics charts, you need their update subscription! If the app has an update subscription, you need that too! Not sure why they need to be so limiting, but there you have it.

Appreciated, that's good reading.

It does seem like if I spend $50-$100 I can have the privilege of syncing routes to the Vulcan i own with the Navionics charts I also paid for.