GPS/Chart Plotter

[helmswatch]

We have a Garmin GPS/Chart Plotter on our Morgan 36 Ketch and a Magellan FX 324 GPS/Chart Plotter on our tug. We want to get the local chart for both so I started reading about them and the more I read, the more I got confused! I know the Magellan uses SD cards and I have yet to dermine what the Garmin uses. What I do know is that the stores really like their charts! The prices are unreal!

My question is, NOAA provides downloadable raster and ENC charts for free; do either of my units use that S-27 format? Could I just download one of the ENC's on an SD Card and use it?

Any help and guidance would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Duke & Irene

 

[captd]

Duke,

I have a Garmin M4. It uses an sd card. Garmin told me that maptech sofeware will not work with their gps's. Being as I had a large collection of Maptech raster charts ( copies of Noaa charts) on CD's. I called Maptech. They told me how to do it. I use their charts and topos in my garmin. Give them a call. They can tell right off if it will work with your model.

captd