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HomePort for Mac software version 2.3.0. As of May 20, 2018. Download (36.78 MB). View installation instructions. Notes: Navigating waters with no visible landmarks or shallow shorelines can be a daunting task for even the most experienced navigator.

I wondered if anyone has any practical experience of the 'Homeport' software from Garmin.Garmin support say that it is the only way to transfer data (including charts) from their chartplotter to a PC - in this case a 551. At extra cost of course.If it really does give the ability to use the charts at home for passage planning and then transfer all the needed data to the plotter then the cost is probably worth it.But other supposedly seamless software has disappointed - so a bit of actual user experience would be helpful.Thanks.

I wondered if anyone has any practical experience of the 'Homeport' software from Garmin.Garmin support say that it is the only way to transfer data (including charts) from their chartplotter to a PC - in this case a 551. At extra cost of course.If it really does give the ability to use the charts at home for passage planning and then transfer all the needed data to the plotter then the cost is probably worth it.But other supposedly seamless software has disappointed - so a bit of actual user experience would be helpful.Thanks.I have used Garmin Homeport.

Yes, it is nice to be able to see the same charts as you see on your plotter, but I have stopped using it.The charts aren't actually transferred as far as I recall - its just that you use a card reader to display them, so you have to remember to take the card back to the boat.It is possible to transfer waypoints, but to me that is of little value. They say no plan for battle ever lasts beyond the first few seconds of engagement with the enemy, and I feel the same way with passage plans. No point in putting in lots of waypoints as I prefer to adapt my plan to wind and tide and with our Garmin plotters we just point and click anyway, so who cares about lots of waypoints.

I just do one where I want to go and them do another when I reach the first etc.From a planning standpoint it is a lot easier on an ipad which is what I now use.My other concern is that despite being a big Garmin fan, I do not think this software is important to them and I can see them ditching it. It hasn't developed much and I do not think it will. It could easily be a complete navigation tool but that would compete with their plotters so is unlikely. As far as I'm aware, Homeport is the development of nRoute, which in it's original incarnation, allowed you to download your charts onto a PC, and then attach a GPS dongle to allow real-time plotting. However, ever since Bluecharts were hacked, Garmin has successively removed functionality from such software, and now it's relatively useless.I can't help but wonder whether Garmin is going down a dead end - they've seemed to have funneled down the proprietry hardware/software route and with other systems being more open, they could progressively lose market share. Think of Mac - had they opened up the operating system in the early days, we'd all be using Mac now, not just the cognoscenti, like my self.

As far as I'm aware, Homeport is the development of nRoute, which in it's original incarnation, allowed you to download your charts onto a PC, and then attach a GPS dongle to allow real-time plotting. However, ever since Bluecharts were hacked, Garmin has successively removed functionality from such software, and now it's relatively useless.I can't help but wonder whether Garmin is going down a dead end - they've seemed to have funneled down the proprietry hardware/software route and with other systems being more open, they could progressively lose market share. Think of Mac - had they opened up the operating system in the early days, we'd all be using Mac now, not just the cognoscenti, like my self.

Same goes for MapSource, which used to have far more capability than it now does. As far as I'm aware, Homeport is the development of nRoute, which in it's original incarnation, allowed you to download your charts onto a PC, and then attach a GPS dongle to allow real-time plotting. However, ever since Bluecharts were hacked, Garmin has successively removed functionality from such software, and now it's relatively useless.I can't help but wonder whether Garmin is going down a dead end - they've seemed to have funneled down the proprietry hardware/software route and with other systems being more open, they could progressively lose market share. Think of Mac - had they opened up the operating system in the early days, we'd all be using Mac now, not just the cognoscenti, like my self.

I disagree with the analogy.Garmins strategy is to be the platform of choice for navigation, irrespective of the environment. As far as i can see, they are the only manufacturer that has leading products on the water, in the air, walking and driving. The problem they have is that there is no dominant player in the cartography space, so until one emerges they have chosen to do their own.Mac can chose to do what they did because there were leading players emerging. The nav market is nowhere near as mature.I actually like proprietary, as long as it works. Give me a benevolent dictatorship any time over the democratic mess that the Microsoft environment has become, or the free-for-all (but no money) Linux space.P.S.

And this is from a Mac convertee. Thanks for all the comments.I'm going to try it and see. It's 'only' £25.I take the point about plans not surviving - understand that very well - lol.Howeveer the biggest issue is managing the data on the plotter.

Four of us own our boat and so the plotter data isn't as well organised as it perhaps could be. Faffing about putting naming data in by the scrolling button is a real pain but always just taking the allocated WP no. When 4 people are doing it independently makes for potential mistakes.The annoying thing is that I already have chart data on the PC (Imray and not too bad at all) but there's no easy way to get data from it into the plotter. Your proprietary vs.

Open comments are well made.

The Garmin HomePort software is now a free download.I have been using HomePort for years and find that it is a great route planning tool. It is much easier to use my PC or Laptop to plan a route. Copy your route to a SD card and load into your plotter. I also export my routes in.GPX format to use in the iNavX iPad app. The Active Captain website can also import/export GPX route files, if you copy or create a route on the Active Captain web site export as GPX then import into HomePort.

You can then transfer to a SD card for your chart plotter.Howard Posts: 453 Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:31 pm City: Warwick State/Province: RI Non-Ranger Model: 2008 Nordic Tug 37 Vessel Name: Catnip MMSI Number: 368024230. Howard,I am slow in understanding the steps I need to follow to add this to my Garmin.I have an iPad and imagine I need to do the route there first?On my iPad I currently use Navionics, (altho Rose Point seems to be what travelers in Alaska are using, along with ferries and I think I heard other large boats.)(I am not using Active Captain yet, with so little knowledge.)What is the SD card that I need to copy the route onto? It must fit into the slot where I have the chip, correct? Does it then integrate with the chart plotter so it functions with whatever chip I have in?Any clarification will be helpful, and thank you in advance! Hi Anne,HomePort runs on a Windows or MAC PC/Laptop. You can use it to create a route or view/edit routes that you have created on your Garmin chartplotter. Routes and waypoints are transferred to/from Homeport and your chartplotter using a SD card (or chip).

On your chartplotter this is the same place that you insert a Garmin map, such as a G2 Vision chart. I have a separate SD card that I use to transfer between my chartplotter and laptop, I temporarily remove the Garmin G2 Vision card to transfer routes. Once transferred into the Garmin Chartplotter routes are stored internally and you can put your G2 Vision or other map chip back in.I personally find it much easier to use a PC/Laptop with mouse to create my routes. I also use HomePort to export my route to a format that can be imported by iNavX on my iPad. I have also transferred routes to/from the Active Captain web site, again using the GPX format. GPX is a standard format to transfer routes/waypoints- many programs, apps, and devices support it.HomePort supports Active Captain so you can download the database and have all of the markers available while planning your route.It can also use your Garmin map, I loaded my Garmin 5212 base map onto a SD card so it would be available when planning routes. If you do not load a Garmin map into HomePort it will use a crude map without any depth data, buoys, or other nautical information.

You only need to do this once, I use the same SD card to transfer routes. Posts: 453 Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:31 pm City: Warwick State/Province: RI Non-Ranger Model: 2008 Nordic Tug 37 Vessel Name: Catnip MMSI Number: 368024230. Hi Mike,Yes, HomePort needs a map. The built in map is low resolution and does not include nautical features. When I first used HomePort (over 3 years ago) I copied the 5212 built in map to a SD card for use in HomePort.

I still use this card to transfer routes to the 5212. I do not remember the procedure but it was only a few screen taps on the 5212 to copy the map.Howard Posts: 453 Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:31 pm City: Warwick State/Province: RI Non-Ranger Model: 2008 Nordic Tug 37 Vessel Name: Catnip MMSI Number: 368024230.

Knotflying wrote:Howard,I have not really used Homeport. Am I correct in saying that you have to first download a chart and can it be from one of the SD cards we have from the chartplotter?Just to add to what Howard rightly posted. I just did this process.

Depending on what map (s) you have on your plotter, take a blank SD card of at least 2 gigs, formatted for MS-DOS Fat, even if you use a Mac yes. Insert into the Garmin plotter.

I have the 7212. Go to transfer data, it will ask you if you want to transfer the map data to the card? On mine, this took about 30 minutes. I found that I do have to insert the SD card with my maps into my laptop each time I use Homeport. It does not copy, at least my maps onto my hard drive. Not a big deal. Designate a card for this purpose and just keep using it.

Back and forth. Posts: 6 Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 4:50 pm City: Arnold State/Province: MD Non-Ranger Model: Cutwater 28 Vessel Name: Into The Mystic.

Auto-guidance is a feature that allows you to enter a destination on the chartplotter and it will figure out your course and then you engage your autopilot to follow that route. You need to purchase the chip for particular locations to be able to enable auto-guidance. For the cost, I just manually enter my routes.Routes are those that you enter and save. You select a saved route and then once on the screen you can select engage route on the autopilot menu.You can create routes on Homeport on your computer and then transfer those routes to your chartplotter.Hope this helps. I started out creating manual 'route to' routes as well but over time I have found the 'guide to' (auto-guidance route) feature is so handy that I almost exclusively use it now. There is no additional cost and no need to build the routes in advance.

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Just find where you want to go on the chart plotter screen (any navigable point within set up parameters works) and hit 'guide to' and you are good to go. The key is to set the system to use a safe minimum depth (I use 15 feet) and use the 'farthest' from shore setting. If it cannot resolve a route with these settings then I choose a point just prior to the challenging area and navigate manually through that area. I wouldn't be comfortable using auto-pilot in such areas anyway. Also if there are sections of the route that I don't like then again I just manually navigate through those parts. These instances are usually pretty rare. Thanks, that's what I was hoping to hear.I agree the auto-guidance is a very convenient and handy feature.

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My reason for creating a handful of more detailed predetermined routes is when we're not necessarily going from point A to point B, but doing a a scenic loop where we hug the shoreline in a more nuanced way and end up where we started, hitting a a couple points of interest.Also, my one complaint with the auto-guidance routes is you end up going right down the middle of more narrow passages as opposed to staying to the right. Perhaps you can make the argument that one shouldn't use autopilot in a more narrow passage anyhow, but I'd like to start with a more workable path on the right and override as needed. We're on lake union so we see this a lot going through the fremont cut, montlake cut, under 520, etc, and also in salt through swinomish channel, deception pass, agate passage etc.thanks for the tips!