| What is Seafarer RNC?
Seafarer
RNC, (Raster Nautical Chart) is an award-winning product
from the Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS),
consisting of digital facsimiles of official Navy charts
on CD ROM in Hydrographic Chart Raster Format (HCRF). It provides faithful and reliable high quality
images designed to aid and improve navigation. You
can perform all the traditional navigational functions
such as bearing and distance calculation, way-point
insertion and route planning. Most authorised systems
will allow a link to GPS to show real time vessel position.
Official
Status of Seafarer RNC Seafarer RNC satisfies Chapter V of the SOLAS Convention
as amended in 2002 and promulgated for Australia under
AMSA Marine Orders Part 21, Order 6 of 2003, which
details carriage requirements for nautical charts and
publications necessary for the intended voyage.
Seafarer RNC is also approved for use in ECDIS systems
under the Raster Chart Display System (RCDS) dual-fuelling concept.
How
is Seafarer RNC updated? For
mariners who wish to update their charts regularly
we provide a Monthly Update Service. Mariners requiring
less frequent updates can apply for Periodical Update
as needed. You can of course choose not to update your
charts but the longer the timeframe between updating
the higher the cost.
What do I need to run Seafarer
RNC?
You
will need a viewing system produced by a
Licensed
System Manufacturer, your own Pentium
PC and a set
of Seafarer RNC charts supplied by the AHS.
Note: The AHS produces a low cost desktop viewing application called Seafarer Viewer that can display Seafarer RNCs and a number of other electronic chart formats. Seafarer Viewer is useful to those who wish to view electronic charts but not use them for navigation.
Where can
I obtain navigation software and charts? Seafarer
RNC is available from our network of Seafarer
Product Distributors. The Distributor can provide you
with a navigation system and assist you in the selection
of charts on the Seafarer RNC Application Form. This
form will be faxed to the AHS where your order will
be processed and your chart data and permits will be
forwarded to your preferred delivery address.
What Chart
Pack do I Need? You
choose the
pack that covers your area
of interest. You can purchase a single
chart or a day pack that
will cover an area of local interest, a regional pack
that will cover a broader area of the coast or an Australian
pack which includes all Australian navigation charts.
What
is the cost of Seafarer RNC? The
cost of navigation software from
a licensed system manufacturer,
will vary depending on what system
you
decide to buy. The cost of the Seafarer RNCs will vary
depending on what pack you purchase, recommended retail
prices are in the Pricing
Section of our website.
What
else do I need to know about
Seafarer RNC (FAQ)?
Q. Can I link Seafarer RNC to GPS?
A. A GPS link will be a function of all navigation
software developed by Licensed
System Manufacturers.
You will require a cable to connect to the 9-pin serial
port on your computer.
Q. Can I update Seafarer RNC?
A. Yes Seafarer RNC is fully updateable. If you subscribe
to the monthly update service you will receive an update
CD every month. Your system will perform all the update
procedures for you by overlaying update tiles onto
the affected areas of your charts. You may also apply
for a periodical update at any time. As Seafarer RNC
Update CDs contain all previous updates, the cost of
your periodical update will depend on the period since
your last update.
Q. What if I purchase Seafarer RNC without updates
then, say 3 years later simply purchase a monthly update
service at the update price?
A. The User will be required to bring the chart packs
up to date via the periodical update service first,
then pay for a monthly service.
Q. Does Seafarer RNC show the location of reefs and
wrecks?
A. Seafarer RNC will show exactly the same information
as a paper chart. Any reef of other feature that poses
a threat to safe navigation will be shown on the chart.
Deeper reefs and pinnacles that fisherman look for
do not necessarily pose a threat to shipping would
not be shown on a navigation chart.
Q. What areas do the charts cover?
A. The complete Australian navigation chart series
is now available as Seafarer RNCs.
Q. Can you zoom into the charts?
A. Seafarer RNC comes with a high resolution and low resolution display. You can zoom into the charts but you will lose resolution on the image. This is due to the fact that the chart is a Raster scan not a Vector product; the raster image is made of a discrete number of pixels (dots) that do not change in number regardless of the zoom level. When zooming in the pixels will just appear larger.
Q. Can I print the chart from the CD?
A. Windows™
will allow you to do a screen
print of the current screen image
to another application within
the office environment. This can then be printed
on
a normal printer or plotter. Some software packages
may have a print facility to print A4 portions of
the chart but not the entire
chart.
Q. Can the data be backed up?
A. The User may make a backup of the chart permits
only. It is recommended that users keep a backup of
their permit disk as lost or corrupted permits incur
an administration fee to replace.
Q. How can I run 2 CD's on my computer?
A. Provided you have enough disk space, approx 800
mb, the chart and/or update CD can be downloaded onto
a hard disk. This method of accessing Seafarer is recommended
for its speed advantages.
Q. Can I load Seafarer RNC onto a number of computers?
A. Seafarer RNC can be loaded onto any number of computers, however it can only be accessed via the security dongle which comes with a navigation software package. Seafarer RNC will only run on the computer which has the security dongle attached.
® Seafarer is a registered
trademark of the Commonwealth of Australia
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