MaxSea Time Zero, live at last

Furuno_NN3D_MaxSea_TZ_Ex_cPanbo.JPG

It took Furuno and MaxSea quite a while to actually ship Time Zero software in the U.S., and it took me a while to clear enough disk space to load it on that oldish HP laptop, but the long wait did not end in disappointment.  My first impression is that TZ charting and radar run beautifully, and with amazing responsiveness even though the laptop barely meets the suggested minimum specs.  The photo above is also another testament to the DRSD2’s close range resolution; not far beyond my bow you can see the two boats on floats and shrink-wrapped schooners that are being cleanly targeted.  And don’t presume the GPS is off because Gizmo seems to be ashore…


A couple of years ago, Wayfarer Marine did a lot of dredging to create the slip I’m mooching right
now, and neither the charts nor photo maps have caught up. In fact, there’s an awesome 40′ Predator tied up behind me, as you can see on the MFD12 screen, thanks to a Raymarine Cam100 mounted under the extended cabin roof.  All the MFDs on board can display its output, which is useful for monitoring the blind spot aft I normally have from the flying bridge.  Forget how Gizmo is laid out?  Well, then I have a good excuse to put up another picture of her loveliness, taken at 4:30 this afternoon.  Have a nice weekend.



Gizmo_11_13_2009_cPanbo.JPG

Ben Ellison

Ben Ellison

Panbo editor, publisher & chief bottlewasher from 4/2005 until 8/2018, and now pleased to have Ben Stein as a very able publisher, webmaster, and editing colleague. Please don't regard him as an "expert"; he's getting quite old and thinks that "fadiddling fumble-putz" is a more accurate description.

79 Responses

  1. Cameron says:

    This is great news. Do you know if they have the Navnet 3d version out yet? And how it works?

  2. reginaowner says:

    …but you have to pay extra license for the charts on the PC I guess ?

  3. Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

    Cameron, That is TZ Explorer working with NN3D above. The laptop and MFD12 are connected via an Ethernet switch which also has the radar and Furuno FA 50 Class B AIS transponder plugged into it.
    Reginaowner, I am using Furuno’s free U.S. charts and photo maps loaded on both the MFD and laptop, but I understand that licensed data would work on both without extra charge.

  4. reginaowner says:

    Yes Ben, as long as your PC is connected to the MFD.
    But if I want to sit home and plan my holiday on the PC, I have ( her in Norway )to buy the chart twice.

  5. Bob Mueller says:

    Awesome photo of Gizmo!!

  6. Peter says:

    Ben,
    Owners of the Furuno NavNet 3D and MaxSea Time Zero should have the system ID and MaxSea serial number linked by contacting Furuno USA if in North America. Once a chart is purchased for either system an unlock code is created for the NavNet 3D and MaxSea Time Zero. So customers do not have to purchase the same charts twice. MaxSea Time Zero Explorer can also function as a chart server for the entire NavNet 3D system.
    Great picture, too.
    Regards,
    Peter F. Prowant
    MaxSea Sales & Technical Representative
    Furuno USA, Inc.

  7. Cameron says:

    Thanks, Peter. That’s great news. I’m in Canada and all my charts were paid!
    I was hoping for a free planner version, similar to what they had for NN2 units, but I’ll take what I can get now!
    I’ll order it today.

  8. Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

    I understand that there will be a planning version of MaxSea Time Zero eventually.
    And maybe the arrival of Garmin’s HomePort planner (finally) will push the MS TZ planner schedule along 😉

  9. Peter Powers says:

    Does TZ have value if you are using Navnet v2?
    I have NavNet v2 and I would love to have a good route planing tool that could communicate directly to my chart plotters.

  10. Peter says:

    For owners of NavNet or NavNet vx2 order the MaxSea Planner from a Furuno dealer. The program is free, but you’ll probably have to pay shipping. The part number and description is MAX-PLN-CD1 MAXSEA PLANNER SOFTWARE.
    Peter F. Prowant
    Furuno USA, Inc.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Can you do without the MFD if you have the TZ Explorer on the pc.
    Or is it the MFD and then you can use the TZ Explorer as a complement.

  12. Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

    You have to have the MFD running in the system, though it can be in power-saving “Sleep” mode. MS TZ Explorer has normal radar controls like gain and target acquisition, but the more exotic stuff like relative or true echo trails are set with MFD.

  13. Predator says:

    I live in Australia and I run NavNet 3D on my boat. If I purchase TZ Explorer (US version), can I share my Australia charts? Does TZ Explorer come with World Base Maps as standard?

  14. Cameron says:

    I just bought the MaxSea Time Zero Navigator to plan routes at home. I called Furuno to activate my charts on the MaxSea but they cannot. It seems that it only works if you have MaxSea Explorer!!!
    Navigator and the charts are still less money than Explorer but either way it’s more money that charting at home is worth.
    The Furuno tech is looking into it as he thinks there must be a way, but the process they have only works for Explorer.
    Just to let you know that either there is a technical glitch or Peter from Furuno wasn’t completely correct.
    I’m giving them a chance to figure it out, but if not, I’ll have to return the software. $450 to plan routes at home is pretty steep (especially when it used to be free with NN2), but adding another $400 for charts isn’t worth it to me.

  15. Cameron says:

    To follow up: Navigator will not be able to link charts from NN3D at this time (maybe that will change).
    Furuno and MaxSea are making things right with me by giving me another code to allow this to work.
    Can’t ask for more than that!
    Before you buy Navigator, check to see if this will work for you.

  16. Adam says:

    Cameron, I’m not sure I understand. What charts were you trying to activate that were not included with MSTZ? Are you not in the US?

  17. Russ says:

    You definitely need a different code to activate a given chart in MSTZ and the MFD. I think this is quite confusing.
    If you contact MaxSea, or register your MSTZ on the My MaxSea web site, you can enter your MFD’s System ID and the are supposed to link your MSTZ and MFD, showing both codes.
    I think they are correct that you can’t set up MSTZ as a chart server to the MFD without Explorer, but that’s not what you’re trying to do, you just want to load the same chart onto both systems. That can be done, you just need the two different codes and when you bought the chart for the MFD, they only gave you the MFD code, not the MSTZ code. Try going to support on the MaxSea web site.
    Confused yet?

  18. Cameron says:

    I’m in Canada, so my charts are not included with MSTZ.
    Russ, you are correct, you call support and give them your System ID and they generate an unlock code for your charts for MSTZ, BUT this only works with MSTZ Explorer version, not Navigator.
    I purchased Navigator since all I really wanted to be able to do was plan routes from home and Furuno cannot link the codes to a Navigator version at all.

  19. Russ says:

    I think they have a product configuration problem which could be changed pretty easily.
    When NN3D / MSTZ were announced I was told that only one chart license would be necessary for NN3D and MSTZ. I understand they are honoring that for you on a “one time” basis, but it’s not the policy.
    Since MSTZ will not work with any other brand of plotters, I suggest that Navigator should be able to share charts, routes and waypoints with NN3D. Transferring routes and waypoints is the most basic PC navigation function.
    Then Explorer can add support for radar, AIS, weather routing, etc. to justify the incremental $850 price tag.

  20. Russ says:

    Correction, incremental $800 price tag.

  21. Jeff says:

    Ben, I was hoping you might have some thoughts on a problem I’m having connecting my MSTZ Explorer with my NN3D.
    MSTZ is installed on a two year old Durabook computer that barely meets the specs as you mentioned with your HP. In fact I question if it meets the video card specs. They are networked using an ethernet switch not the Furuno Hub 101.
    The only data that seems to be getting over the network to MSTZ is position data. Heading data, overlay and abiility to drive the autopilot fail to work on MSTZ even though they all work on NN3D.
    I also don’t have the Max Sea Chart Server button option. It says that if you have MSTZ Explorer and are connected to a NN3D network then this option should be available.
    So I either have a connection issue or I don’t have MSTZ explorer. But if I don’t have explorer then why would I even get position data over the ethernet connection?
    Anyone with thoughts would be appreciated.

  22. Adam says:

    Jeff, do you have a “Radar” panel in your MSTZ (along the top of the screen, along with Navigation, Dual Nav, etc.)?
    I have MSTZ Explorer and NN3D and while I get all the instrument data from NN3D and have MSTZ acting as a chart server for NN3D, the radar connection is not working. I have an email into Furuno and will update when I hear from them.
    /afb

  23. Jeff says:

    Adam, no I don’t have a radar panel in MSTZ. You’re one step ahead of me as you seem to be able to use chart server in MSTZ. That option doesn’t appear for me either.
    All I get is the position data across the network. I sent an email to Max Sea about the issue. Would call Furuno but they’re closed until Monday.
    I did read that MSTZ can get position data across the network from vx1, vx2 or NN3D. So it appears that is what I’m getting.

  24. Andy Murray says:

    Hi Adam / Jeff,
    Found MaxSea TZ is very fussy about the graphics card for TZ Explorer.
    Go to C:\program files\maxsea international\maxsea timezero
    run the file TimeZeroCompatibilityAdvisor
    this will let you know for sure if your specs are ‘good enough’
    what i have found is that Intel graphics cards MXTZ wont run the radar on and doesnt show the options it needs an Nvidia or ATI card.
    let me know if i can help any further.
    andy at excelsiormarine.co.uk
    Andy

  25. Russ says:

    Jeff, here are a few things to look into:
    1) What does the About box say under the MSTZ menu? It will confirm the product name (Navigator or Explorer), version, and what modules are enabled. The most recent is 1.8.1, but is has some bugs with regard to the MFD data sharing.
    1a) What version of s/w is on the MFD?
    2) Are you certain you have no other sources of position data? For example there are no 183 devices also connected to your computer that might have been detected by MSTZ. Look at the Connection Wizard and check the data sources dialog to confirm where MSTZ is getting the data.
    2a) You won’t get the radar panel unless MSTZ has detected the presence of radar via the Connection Wizard when you set it up.
    3) Autopilot. What is the brand of the autopilot and what is the interface to the pilot (183 or N2K?)? What aspect of “won’t drive…” is a problem? Does the AP not receive waypoint, XTE, etc? I’m fairly certain that your AP would need an independent connection from you computer to the AP to receive that data from MSTZ.
    4) Can you “sync” waypoints and routes with the MFD?

  26. Jeff says:

    Andy, well I ran the Compatibility Advisor and it says my laptop isn’t compatible. I do have an Intel graphics card in the laptop. It’s a marine grade laptop that I bought in 07. It says the graphics card isn’t compatible.
    So you’re saying that the graphics card alone could cause my laptop to not see the NN3D network, radar and not display the options such as radar, MXTZ chart server etc?
    Russ, I have the latest version of MXTZ. It’s 1.8.1…. I also have the latest software version on the MFD. I just checked that again the other day.
    The only data that my laptop could be receiving is over the ethernet cable as I have nothing else but power hooked to the laptop. So anything coming over the network is coming from my MFD.
    MSTZ doesn’t detect radar or a heading source when I run the connection wizard.
    The autopilot is a TR-1 Gladiator (now called Garmin GHP 10). The MFD receives heading data and can steer the autopilot to a waypoint. MXTZ doesn’t see the heading data so it obviously won’t steer to a waypoint.
    No I cannot sync waypoints and routes with MFD. All I can get over the network is position data.
    I can understand that my graphics card may be interfering with displaying radar etc. But find it hard to believe that it would also interfere with heading data over the network etc.

  27. Adam says:

    Andy, the computer is a brand new Mac Mini and has a pretty hefty Nvidia card, so that’s not the problem (confirmed with the Compatibility Adviser). Guess I’ll have to wait for an email back from Furuno.
    Thanks for the suggestion!

  28. Russ says:

    1.8.1 definitely has some interface problems with an MFD running 2.02. In my case, when I start MSTZ, it causes the MFD to lose all sensor input. This could be part of your problem.
    I think you have to start with the basics which are:
    a) receiving position and heading data from the MFD.
    b) the ability to sync routes / waypoints with the MFD.
    That said, I think you’re wasting your time with 1.8.1, it flat out did not work for me with an MFD/8. Andy got it to work with and MFD/12, but not without some major issues. You could spend a lot of time on this and just end up frustrated. I think that 1.8.2 will be out shortly which will address the device interface issues.
    And your situation is compounded by incompatible hardware.
    I suggest you wait for 1.8.2 and try again.

  29. Andy Murray says:

    Hi Jeff,
    Yes, i had this issue on a boat a month or so ago, where because the Graphics card was not up to it MaxSea does not show the radar options.
    Jeff, when you say your not getting HDT data across the network please do the following and report back.
    Clear all connections using the connection wizard.
    Add a manual connection for NavNet NMEA Data only.
    With your navnet network booted up and running let me know what it finds. (it should find everything you have on the network)
    Currently there is a bug in syncing routes / waypoints to NN3D. when corrected you will select a waypoint on MXTZ and allow it to transfer to NN3D.
    Chart server.
    How is your IP address setup? is it using the masters DHCP server ?
    Do you see the option in MaxSea > Options > Chart Server. it sounds like its either not happy with your hardware or isnt seeing the network correctly. do you have any firewalls running ? may be worth disabling them when you run MXTZ
    Kind regards,
    Andy

  30. Jeff says:

    Andy and Russ, thanks for your input. I’ve got the problems figured out now.
    I removed MSTZ 1.8.1 and installed version 1.7.2 which was on the CD I purchased. After installing 1.7.2 everything with the exception of radar/overlay started working.
    I can now sync waypoints etc, see the Chart Server button and drive the autopilot from MSTZ when I input a waypoint. So I was thrilled.
    Obviously the problem I was having with all the network issues was version 1.8.1. I had my firewall disabled so it was a version problem that I was experiencing.
    Also obvious is that I need to get a different PC with an NVIDIA or ATI graphics card so that I can run radar and overlay from MSTZ.
    Will update when I get moved to a different PC and graphics to see if it all works then.
    Thanks Again,
    Jeff

  31. Jeff says:

    Andy,
    One more question. I plan to put in AIS. I was thinking of going with the Furuno AIS 30 or the ICOM MXA-5000. Either would work for me as I have Furuno gear and ICOM radio.
    The ICOM is several hundred dollars less but I’m still leaning toward the Furuno simply because it would integrate very well with my system.
    Which would be the best fit?
    Thanks,
    Jeff

  32. Andy Murray says:

    Hi Jeff,
    it depends on what your looking for the unit to do and how big your network is and power consumption.
    AIS data will get to MXTZ via the ethernet port with both systems the icom would be fed into the NMEA port on the MFD the FA30 would go into the hub.
    Advantage ICOM, cheaper inbuilt splitter smaller box.
    Advantage Furuno, will continue to send data if power sync in hub is set to off to MXTZ even if the MFD is turned off, you could also wire a NMEA0183 GPS into the FA30’s nmea input and have GPS data sent to MXTZ in this way as well.
    P.S MXTZ 1.8.1 allows you to remove the license back the the maxsea server so when you move laptops would be worth upgrading again to remove the license as 1.7 doesnt have this ability.
    Kind Regards,
    Andy

  33. Russ says:

    Jeff,
    Which AP are you driving with MSTZ and how is it wired?
    Thanks,
    Russ

  34. Jeff says:

    Russ, It’s the TR-1 Gladiator (now know as Garmin GHP-10).
    I have it wired to NEMA port 3 on the NN3D. The only connection I have going between my NN3D and MSTZ is the network cable.
    After getting rid of MSTZ version 1.8.1 and installing version 1.7.2 everything just worked. I didn’t do a thing but plug in the network cable and away we went. Didn’t even have to do the Connection Wizard.
    So obviously there’s some connection issue with version 1.8.1
    Jeff

  35. Russ says:

    Jeff, Thanks, I didn’t realize that MSTZ could drive the AP through the MFD. I guess that makes sense since the active waypoint in MSTZ becomes the active waypoint in the MFD.
    Yes, 1.8.1 has connection problems. They’ve been aware of the problems for a few months but they have not notified customers and are moving very slowly to release a fix. I don’t think they appreciate how much frustration and wasted time is being spent on the 1.8.1 problems.

  36. Joe says:

    Hi guys,
    I am trying to run TZ Navigator 1.8.1 with Parallels5.0 and Windows7 on an Intel Core Duo MacBook Pro. Sat photos won’t show and can not be reloaded after deletion from catalogue and depth shading covers land in both vector and raster charts. Compatibility test says everything is ok. Any suggestions?
    Thanks
    Joe

  37. Andy Murray says:

    Hi Joe,
    I would guess it’s parallel’s video driver not doing something that mxtz is expecting.
    What error does it show when trying to install the chart files again?
    Andy

  38. Bode Joseph says:

    Hi Andy,
    Thanks for the response. When I try to load the file there is a windows message that asks if I want to replace an existing file.If you say yes, the installation goes ahead and when finished just says that the installation was not successful. It appears that TZ still has the file somewhere even though it was deleted in the TZ file manager. I can not find any of the map or photo files in my system.
    Joe

  39. Andy Murray says:

    Hi Joe,
    Look in C:\programdata\maxsea int\
    its in a subfolder under there (i believe data and then ortho?) but dont quote me on that.
    also try running tz as administrator (right click run as administrator)
    kind regards,
    Andy

  40. Jeff says:

    Joe, I also have a MacBook Pro and have been thinking about moving MSTZ to this platform. However, if I was going to do that I would setup a Bootcamp partition and then install Windows 7.
    I don’t think you will ever be happy or successful trying to run MSTZ on emulation software which is what Parallels is.
    Just my 2 cents.
    Jeff

  41. Andy Murray says:

    Jo / Jeff,
    Can confirm maxsea tz works fine under bootcamp
    Andy

  42. Joe says:

    Andy, found the sat photos where you said. Silly me I forgot to make the hidden folders visible. They are still there (they don not appear in the catalog) but in greatly diminished(400K) size! I’ll delete the fragments, if that’s what they are, and reinstall and see what happens.
    Jeff, I have no personal experience with bootcamp and windows 7.My google search indicated folks had lotsa problems installing 7 that way ergo Parallels 5.0.
    TZ is up and running and I have done some of the planning that I wanted to do.The softare works fine for that and allows me to export stuff to sd cards for transfer to the MFD. It’s just that the photo stuff is a feature I’d like to see work since we paid for it and the fusion thing is a big marketing point. The depth shading color tile is apparently an issue that furuno is aware of and working on.
    Thanks for the help guys, any further suggestions are welcome.
    Joe

  43. Jeff says:

    Hi Andy,
    I’ve been hesitant to move it to my MBP and run bootcamp simply because of the problems I had trying to initially make it work on my windows laptop. However, it’s obvious that laptop doesn’t have the graphics power.
    I know my MBP has the graphics power. So couple of questions:
    Are you running XP or 7 on the bootcamp partition?
    Are you running version 1.8.1 of MSTZ?
    Was the MBP networked to a NN3D and communicating, getting overlay etc?
    You had said previously that if I moved computers I would want to upgrade again to 1.8.1 before doing the uninstall. Is that so I can move everything to the new computer? I know that you only have I believe two installs allowed. Although I have been told by the Furuno guys that if you call they can reset that function.
    I’m just trying to make sure before I migrate to the MBP that it’s the ticket so I don’t have to move again.
    Thanks

  44. Cameron says:

    I’m running MSTZ on my MBP (3Ghz 8GB Ram) in a VMware Fusion session (4GB ram assigned to Fusion guest, everything else default).
    It works great! Really fast.
    Only issue I experienced was while running MSTZ and a bunch of other things in the VM and on the Mac, things actually got really slow. That’s never happened before (but I had 25+ apps running, including MS Project, Excel, Visio, on the VMWare, and Word, EXcel and Powerpoint on the Mac, along with mail, and other smaller apps).

  45. Andy Murray says:

    Hi Jeff,
    If while in macos run software upgrade and make sure the latest Firmware is installed on your mac you should have no issues with Windows 7 on MBP.
    im running 7 and its all running fine.
    Correct if you call them up they can reset it but its just as easy to click the remove license when your on the net (saves a phone call)
    yep my MB gets navnet data overlay etc all down the ethernet pipe just fine when in windows.
    Im away from my mac at the moment Joe, ill try and flash up Parallels 5 when im back near it and see what i can find to help you.
    Best Regards,
    Andy

  46. Jeff says:

    Joe, I think most people that had problems with Windows 7 were either trying to upgrade versus a clean install or they didn’t have the right firmware (as Andy mentions above).
    Cameron, glad to hear you’re having success as well with running TZ on the mac.
    Andy, thanks for the input. I got an email from MaxSea this am telling me that 1.8.2 will be out by the middle of this month.
    One question for all you guys is how comfortable are you with the MBP in a marine environment? I’ve always used a marine grade laptop on my boat but have often wondered if it’s really necessary. I could see there being a problem if it got hosed with water but that’s about it really. I know none of the current marine grade laptops have compatible graphics cards.
    Thanks,
    Jeff

  47. Andy Murray says:

    Hi Jeff,
    Mines been to boats with me but not lived at sea for any time. but im always around water on and off boats and seems to have survived ok.
    had some mac minis on boats for 2 years and they are fine so id say the cost of buying a marine grade laptop every 3 – 4 years is far 2 high compared to the cost of a good quality high spec laptop every 12 months (if needed)
    Cheers,
    Andy

  48. Joe says:

    Hi Guys,
    Fini!
    It works like a charm… After Andy told me where to find the photos. I did as I indicated above and deleted the files from the Data/Ortho and temp files and reinstalled the photos and the overlay worked fine.
    The speed is fine, I have 3g dedicated to W7. Doesn’t seem to be any different than when I had 2g.
    I can’t comment on the durability of the mbp on a boat. I don’t intend to leave it on my little 24 Regulator except for our summer trip from Baltimore to Ocraoke.
    Just for the record my config is a 2.5GHz MBP OSX 10.5.8, 4GB Ram,512 video, Parallels 5.0, W7 Home Prem, MSTZ Navigator 1.8.1…
    I wish I could just synch my MBP with the NN3d via ethernet and move all this stuff over rather than having to keep loading 2g sd cards!
    Thanks for the help ad support guys,
    Best regards
    Joe

  49. Russ says:

    I’ve had a 2007 iMac 24″ and various MBP’s on my boat for almost two years while blue water cruising with no problems. The iMac has run MSTZ (various beta’s before 1.7) under Bootcamp / XP since early 2008, no problems there either.
    I’ve had lots of grief with 1.8.1 and it’s interactions with my MFD/NN3D but it sounds like it’s working ok for Joe.
    I’ve got Parallels 5 so based on what I’ve read here I’ll probably give install 1.8.2 on the MBP (and the iMac) it when it’s released.
    It almost sounds like we should start a separate Mac / MSTZ thread!

  50. Jeff says:

    Russ, it sure does. I never had any idea in talking with everyone initially that most of those I was conversing with run Macs. The only reason I ever bought a PC was to run software on a boat and connect to the state db at my work. Other than that I’ve been using macs for all my business computing needs for years.
    Sounds like it’s time to give it a whirl on the boat as well.

  51. Noel says:

    Anyone know of a Windows laptop which will support MSTZ? Perhaps an AMD64 with NVIDIA chipset?
    Thanks,
    Noel

  52. Andy Murray says:

    Joe,
    I found 8gb cards do work on NN3D so maybe worth giving them a whirl, mine was a Sandisk 8gb card.
    Jeff / Russ, am a big fan of the mac platform (and iphone 2) wouldnt be without them lately.
    just wish we could have a native mxtz on macos. (dreams but knowing all those horrible windows .net dll’s that are used think were out of luck 🙁 )
    Russ remember Jo has Navigator not Explorer and the bugs are in the NavNet module (aka explorer)

  53. Joe says:

    Hi Russ,
    Hope I didn’t mislead you. I haven’t yet introduced the MSTZN output to my NN3D MFD in the form of an sd card full of data. I can’t get to my boat right now. It is in a high and dry stored away. I have however, looked at the csv wpt and route output and it looks fine. Here’s hoping.
    Regards,
    Joe

  54. Jeff says:

    Noel, most of the PC laptop makers have machines that are available with NVIDIA or ATI chipsets. I’ve seen them from Lennovo, HP, Dell, Sony etc.
    All the marine grade or toughbook style laptops have the Intel chipset.
    Andy, yes it would be nice if MSTZ was native Mac. Actually when MaxSea first came out many years ago they were a Mac version before they became windows. Obviously there wasn’t enough market back then to support the mac os.

  55. Noel says:

    Jeff,
    I found the requirements for Explorer:
    http://www.furunousa.com/ProductDocuments/MaxSea%20TimeZero%20Computer%20Requirements%20%28v1.8.1%29.pdf
    They specify:
    “Minimum � Dedicated Video Board (ATI or NVIDIA) with 256MB VRAM Integrated Video Chipset are NOT supported”
    Just wondering if that is really the case as it would leave out all laptops.
    Thanks,
    Noel

  56. Jeff says:

    Noel, I can tell you for sure that MSTZ doesn’t work with an Intel Integrated chipset. However, there are many laptops on the market as I noted earlier with discreet (dedicated) graphics boards from NVIDIA and ATI.
    The Mac Book Pro that I’m typing this on has two graphics controllers. The normal one is integrated but then it has a second graphics chipset that is dedicated and has 512mb of memory.
    Many laptops from the brands I previously mentioned have the same setup or have a totally dedicated graphics chipset. With laptops they try to give you the option of using integrated or dedicated in the higher end models as the dedicated uses much more battery power.
    If you want a PC laptop that will work look at any of the models from Lenovo, Sony, HP and Toshiba and you will find what you need. Be prepared to spend $1300 and up for the graphics punch you need.
    Jeff

  57. Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

    Noel, The laptop seen in the picture at top is an HP Pavillion dv8000 that’s about four years old. I just had a look and it has an NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 video card. It seems to run MXTZ pretty well, radar included.
    In fact I booted up MX the other day with a Maretron USB100 Gateway attached that was in turn connected to two heading sensors that were misaligned. As a result MX was getting NMEA0183 translations of two different heading messages in rapid progression and, since I had it in heading-up mode, the chart screen was swinging rapidly back and forth. I didn’t mean to set up that situation but it was impressive how smooth the fast transitions were.

  58. Jeff says:

    I was wondering what gpu you had Ben. Makes sense it was NVIDIA. It seems that MSTZ wants either NVIDIA or ATI to work properly.

  59. Andy Murray says:

    Hi Jeff,
    The good news is its works fine on an Atom based system (1.6 ghz dual core) with nvidia ion chipset (geforce type graphics) so means cheap systems will still work.
    The ITX size motherboard i use with this chip & chipset on board costs about �100 or �120 with a built in 12v power supply.
    🙂 just stay away from the intel integrated cards and you should be fine.
    Andy

  60. Joe says:

    Andy,
    Thank you for the information about 8gig cards. I will try one.
    Best regards,
    Joe

  61. Ben Ellison Ben Ellison says:

    Legendary gaming developer Ken Williams is trying to switch over to MaxSea TZ:
    http://www.kensblog.com/aspx/blob2/blobpage.aspx?msgid=463430&beid=68255

  62. Jeff says:

    So is this a beta release? When checking my account at MaxSea it still shows 1.8.1 as being the latest available download.

  63. Jeff says:

    Anyone, what is the trick to removing your activation on one PC so that you can install on another?
    I go to MaxSea and my account. I can find the place where it speaks to removing the activation but I can’t for the life of me get it to work. It keeps saying that I have an invalid removal code.

  64. Russ says:

    I think there is a 1.9 coming within 1-2 weeks. I don’t think it’s a good use of time to bother with 1.8.2.

  65. Adam says:

    Jeff, to remove MaxSea activation on a machine you just have to run the MSTZ uninstaller, which should be in the MSTZ program group in the start menu. Not that I think you have to be upgraded to at least 1.8 for the uninstaller to properly deregister an installation. So if you have an older version you should upgrade *first*, before uninstalling!

  66. I just down loaded MTZ newest version 1.9 but had a very difficult time installing–We kept getting error messages, can;t find files etc. Finally
    despite the fact that we were seeing install shields accepting software became aware of the fact that the newest application was not fully opened…once we opened it==great success/ We’ll use on our next trip to Bermuda.
    Sheldon Brotman

  67. Jeff says:

    I have been using MSTZ 1.9 for a couple of weeks now and am very impressed. Chart redraws are incredible and everything works great.
    I am having one issue though and that’s when using it in the Planning mode like when you’re in your house planning a weekend cruise etc. If I leave the computer for anything more than about 10 to 15 minutes the program will freeze and doesn’t respond to ctrl,alt, delete. In fact I have to hold the power button down to shut the computer off and re-boot.
    Anyone else experienced this problem? I know it’s an MSTZ issue because this doesn’t happen with any of my other programs. I’m running this under Windows 7 with an NIVIDIA FX 880M graphics card.
    Everything works flawlessly when plugged into my NN3D network on the boat.

  68. Joe says:

    I’m running 1.9 on a Macbook Pro (Win 7 and Parallels 5.0) have not had lock up problem but do have another problem. Pop up data, tides, currents, nav aid data, etc, appears in either a black box or a very faint transparent box when you mouse over it. Information is not readable. Sometimes clicking/double clicking makes it appear and at other times not. 1.8 worked fine. Checked all the options, reset to default, dove into the package innards and could find no magic switches or settings…. . Called Furuno. They were not aware of the problem but spent time working with me to try a fix. Furuno sevice is great. They are referring problem to developer.
    I know better than futz with software that works! Other stuff, like the tide clock,was fixed and I went for it!
    Joe

  69. Carl says:

    Hi,
    I’m looking for some advice on upgrades. Have a ’07 Grady White 330 (purchased in ’09 with only 18 hours!) used for fishing in Puget Sound area. Have Furuno NNVx2 system with 2 10.4″ MFDs with black box, radar array, DS, GPS using C-Map NT and TR-1 AP. All works perfectly. My main focus is to add bathymetric data for fishing contours, etc. In your opinion, should I upgrade to NN3D or just add MSTZ Explorer with Ethernet connection (or, of course, do both, but I’m retired and would rather keep expenses somewhat reasonable…). I’d appreciate your thoughts…
    Thanks,
    Carl

  70. Andy Murray says:

    If your on NNvx2 you wont need explorer as the radar wont overlay.
    therefor i suggest timezero navigator much cheaper and can be bought online via maxsea’s website.
    goto maxsea.com or drop me an email ([email protected])
    kind regards,
    andy

  71. Jeff says:

    Hi Carl,
    I live and boat in the Puget Sound and own a Grady as well. The system you have right now is a really good system. But like Andy said above you won’t be able to do radar overlay with MSTZ Explorer.
    If you want to keep all your current equipment and add bathy data you could do that by purchasing MaxSea Commander Navnet System with the bathy module and that would work great on a PC with your existing system. That software isn’t cheap, I believe it sells for over $1200 these days. It’s still great software but is not Time Zero.
    I had that exact system on my previous Grady and it worked great. On my current Grady I have the NN3D with MSTZ Explorer and it also works great. Time Zero is in a whole different league from other navigation software.
    However, to go with NN3d and MSTZ Explorer you would need to sell your existing MFD’s and radar and buy all new. That would be a good chunk of change.
    If you want to see mine in operation sometime I would be happy to accommodate you as I have had both systems and know how they work.
    Jeff

  72. Carl says:

    Hi Jeff,
    Thank you for your informative response. I’d be very interested in seeing your system sometime if it wouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience. May I ask where or which dealer you used to purchase and install your equipment? One of the mysteries is finding the right place to purchase and/or install your equipment unless it’s a DIY job (not sure if Furuno’s warranty policy honors a DIY). In addition, it seems that every place you go, they’re pushing one thing or another (e.g., the place where I bought my boat thinks the new Garmin stuff is the only way to go; I know that’s true in aviation, not sure about their marine equipment yet).
    Also, one more informational question, where do you have your outboards serviced around here? I can do the basic stuff, but once a year, I’d like to get things checked out by a certified Yamaha tech. BTW, I live and keep my boat on Bainbridge Island, so I can get to anywhere in the Puget Sound area fairly easily.
    Thanks,
    Carl

  73. Carl says:

    Andy,
    Thanks for your reply. Are there any downsides (other than ~ 3X price) in running TZ Explorer with a NavNet Vx2 system? I’d like to get the more advanced software so that I’m able to interface it with 3D should I decide to upgrade at some point.
    Also, Jeff suggests the “older” version of NavNet Commander, which would also require (I think) the PBG add-on for bathymetric data. How would you compare this option versus the TZ Navigator Pack? Advantages/disadvantages? On the videos I’ve watched on YouTube, etc., (I don’t speak French), it’s hard to tell if the bathymetric data is displayed in a similar manner to Commander + PBG. Are there false-color settings to augment the depth contours?
    Setting aside price, any insight into the choice between the two would be helpful. Jeff, since you’ve used both, I’d appreciate your thoughts as well.
    Thanks,
    Carl

  74. Andy Murray says:

    Hi Carl,
    Nothing bad about using it just you wont get all the features to use until you get NN3D.
    NavNet Commander with PBG is a very good program but remember is an old program nndyow 4 years its had updates but is basically the same program.
    There are settings to argument the contour lines + colours.
    But MaxSea will release tz pro soon with pbg
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chdMgi08zXA
    again much faster more reliable etc.
    A

  75. Jeff says:

    Hi Carl,
    Just to clarify, I was only suggesting NavNet Commander with PBG because you seemed to indicate that you wanted to keep your existing vx2 MFD’s.
    As Andy said above MSTZ doesn’t have the PBG at present but it’s supposed to be released anytime.
    MSTZ is way above Commander in my opinion. The only initial drawback to MSTZ was the charts were kinda funky and not as detailed as the C-Map we had with Commander. However, they’ve recently updated their charts and the one’s for around here are great now in my opinion.
    I live in Snohomish and will be out and about in the sound crabbing and fishing over the next couple of weeks. As stated I would be more than happy to show you the system in operation.
    Do you have any days in mind?
    Jeff

  76. Jglauds says:

    Greetings sages:
    I have Furuno’s NavNet 3D with a 12″ MFD for my help station (just upgraded to version 2.05) and the 1.7 version of MaxSea Time Zero (MXTZ) Explorer for my laptop. Prior to the NavNet upgrade, the two communicated well — routes in one would synch to the other, I could see radar on both, etc.
    Now, I get error messages on my NavNet when the MXTZ is turned on … and the “Synch NavNet” button on the MXTZ is grayed out.
    Sigh.
    I’m in the South Pacific, with slow or non-existent internet, and am having a major problem downloading the 500 meg upgrade file (to v1.9) for MXTZ … (PS — why don’t they break these files into manageable chunks for distant cruisers — I can download iTunes movies in discrete chunks — the base server “remembers” where it left off (or was disconnected!) and resumes, allowing us poor cruisers to keep up with Mad Men …) ????)
    Any ideas? Any similar issues? Am I missing a checkbox in some buried menu?
    Thanks in advance …
    /jon

  77. Jeff says:

    Hi Jon,
    You need to upgrade MSTZ to 1.9. I had the same problem when I upgraded. Couldn’t see stuff etc. Do the upgrade of MSTZ and you should work right again.
    Jeff

  78. Anonymous says:

    Hi
    You should install a download manager, make sure it has an auto resume feature, it will just pick up where you got disconnected.
    Speed Download Lite is a good one for Mac, no idea what’s currently good on the PC side right now.
    http://www.yazsoft.com/products/speed-download/
    John K

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