NOAA Charts
Are the NOAA Charts not available on PC any more? Here's where I stand...
Iphone App - it works
PC w/Chrome on two different computers...doesn't work but I can see it in the layer selection.
PC w/Edge....can't even see it on the layer section.
HELP PLEASE!!!!
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I did get a useful workaround from customer service:
Hi there,
The Electronic Navigational Charts source was meant as a temporary replacement for the NOAA maps, and it no longer available in the map menu.
You can add it as a custom source following these steps (skip to step 3): Adding a TMS Map Source
The TMS URL is:
https://gaiavectortilerendering.global.ssl.fastly.net/noaa-enc/{z}/{x}/{y}.pngIt works alright as a short term solution.
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Here's what I got from Tech Support. I asked a follow-up question and got crickets. FYI, I still can't get NOAA maps working.
Hi there,
Thanks for using Gaia GPS.
As of January 1, 2022, the government source that Gaia GPS relies upon to produce the NOAA layer is no longer available. As a temporary replacement, the information underlying the “NOAA Charts” map has been replaced with the “Electronic Navigational Charts” map, produced by the same U.S. government source. When you activate the “NOAA Charts” map layer on Gaia GPS, you will notice that the appearance of the map is different from what you might expect.To learn more about this change, and how we plan to address nautical charts in the future, please refer to the FAQ listed below.
Why has the “NOAA Charts” map changed?
On January 1, 2022 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coast Survey will shut down the service that provides Gaia GPS with the traditional nautical charts we display in the “NOAA Charts” map. This is part of a plan announced by NOAA in November 2019 to stop the production and maintenance of traditional paper and raster nautical charts by January 2025. The traditional charts are being replaced by the newer Electronic Navigational Charts. You can read more about this change at this link: https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/charts/farewell-to-traditional-nautical-charts.html. As a temporary replacement for the traditional nautical charts, Gaia GPS has substituted them with the Electronic Navigational Charts, also produced by NOAA.Will traditional nautical charts be returning to Gaia GPS?
We are considering several options to support the adventures of folks who are exploring on or near water. One approach is to follow NOAA’s lead and incorporate some of the new, frequently-updating Electronic Navigational Chart data that NOAA is releasing into our flagship map, Gaia Topo. We are also looking into creating an “archival” map which could contain all of the raster nautical charts created prior to January 1, 2022. These sources will not be considered up to date, and will eventually contain inaccuracies. This would make these archival maps less useful for safe navigation. We will continue to provide updates as we decide which path to take.Where can I find the traditional nautical charts now?
You can access individual PDF versions of the NOAA Raster Nautical Charts until January 2025 by visiting this link: https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/charts/noaa-raster-charts.html
Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
Jay Crooker
Adventure Support | Gaia GPS Customer Success
Outside Inc. Team -
Thanks for the information. I can no longer access NOAA Charts on Android (although the layer still exists) on on PC. There is no layer called “Electronic Navigational Charts” on either PC or Android that I can find, and nothing containing similar information.
This is a huge bummer for oceangoing folks, as there is no other layer useful for that purpose.
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My feedback to Gaia after receiving the same canned irrelevant reply from Jay that coderbond did:Steps to repeat the problem:- On PC, Brave browser, https://www.gaiagps.com/map
- Click to display map layers.
- Scroll to bottom of list and click Add Map Layers.
- Browse through all 22 United States layers.
- Browse through 11 nautical/aviation layers.
- Search for "NOAA."
- Search for "Chart."
- No results for NOAA Charts or anything like it.
- On Android app
- Click to display map layers.
- Scroll to bottom of list and click Add Layers.
- Browse through 23 United States layers.
- Browse through 11 nautical/aviation layers.
- Search for "NOAA."
- Search for "Chart."
- No results for NOAA Charts or anything like it.
- Nor are the NOAA charts here: https://www.gaiagps.com/maps/nautical-aviation/
So tech support's canned response seems wrong, specifically 'When you activate the “NOAA Charts” map layer on Gaia GPS, you will notice that the appearance of the map is different from what you might expect' (it being impossible, AFAICT, to activate the NOAA charts map layer).
I've used GaiaGPS for years and loved it. But as a sea kayaker, it's not worth paying for a subscription if it does not include the NOAA charts layer. I've found I can get the nautical charts for free in Avenza. Though it's a bit of a pain having to identify and download each chart that I want, I guess that's how I'll be navigating this Summer.
My subscription renewed April 8, so GaiaGPS has just under a year to bring the charts back before I cancel.
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@jjv5 , I have been using the custom chart source all summer and it shows all the detail I expect from NOAA charts, both in my web browser and in Android app, though sometimes it's a bit slow to load when I zoom in. I am also able to download the charts in high resolution mode for offline use in the Android app. I'm sorry I don't know what would cause what you are experiencing.
Screenshot from web app shows full chart detail.
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