RayTech RNS was not as smooth as other applications when it came to panning and scrolling over a chart. Unfortunately, there is no "hand-grabber" in their chartplotter-style display. In general, one cannot pan over a chart to move the display. Panning is only enabled when you are creating a route. Otherwise, one must click on a point on the chart, which re-centers the display to that point. Panning over a large chart area requires zooming out, clicking on the new geography, then zooming back in to the working scale.
RayTech RNS has two screen configurations to provide the maximum view of your information: a split window display and a somewhat unique tabbed window display.
In the split window environment, several displays can be viewed at one time. For example, you can show four windows simultaneously, such as a chart display, a perspective view, your radar image, and sonar data (see photo). Any of the split windows can be quickly enlarged to a full window presentation by clicking on an icon. The same action collapses it back to the split window format. Although a common metaphor, RayTech's split window functionality is the cleanest of any application we've reviewed.
RAYMARINEA four-way split window showing (clockwise from upper left) a perspective view, radar display, sonar display, and Navionics vector chart.
RayTech RNS also incorporates a "tabbed" window function (see photo). This display metaphor is reminiscent of Microsoft Excel, which navigates through multiple open "sheets" using tabs at the bottom of the screen. This is a great utility, letting you "tab" through full-sized windows of important information rather than using small split windows.
RAYMARINESimilar to Microsoft Excel worksheets, RayTech RNS allows you to access multiple pages in a tabbed interface, such as the sonar page selected here.In addition, RayTech RNS utilizes a feature called "chart layers," letting you superimpose one type of cartography over one or more others. For example, a vector chart, raster chart, topographic chart, aerial photograph and radar image can all be overlaid. Optional subscription data, such as sea temperature or plankton, can also be added. The presentation of any layer combinations (except Navionics and C-Map vector charts) can then be adjusted using a transparency control.
RayTech RNS also includes many improvements on practical bread-and-butter features. For example, their ruler tool to measure distance and bearing allows multiple rulers and allows you to pick up and move both the origin and destination points. Their latitude/longitude grid was the most sensible we've seen so far, using clean whole number values (such as W 70 10.0') rather than forcing a display grid (with values such as W 70 09.334'). These small details give RayTech RNS the feel of a professional, competent marine package.
WAYPOINTS AND ROUTES
Working with waypoints and routes was a mixed experience, stemming in part from RayTech's chartplotter interface and hurdles with the import and export of data outside of the Raymarine "family."
Waypoints and routes are easy to create, but the process is not as user-friendly as some applications utilizing a PC interface approach. Yet the creation and management of waypoints is very robust in RayTech RNS. The only inconvenience we encountered was the inability to have a waypoint in more than one folder or to transfer more than one waypoint at a time to a new folder. For example, if you want to transfer a collection of Coconut Grove waypoints from your Intracoastal Waterway folder to your Florida Keys folder, you must move each waypoint individually.
As one would expect from a chartplotter interface, there is no mechanism to scroll or flip from the waypoint or routes list to the appropriate chart. To go to a waypoint's chart location, you must search for the appropriate chart by going back to the planning chart overview display.
RayTech's strongest waypoint and route feature is its exportability to other Raymarine devices. If you use a Raymarine chartplotter, the data seamlessly transfers using their SeaTalk protocol over an Ethernet cable, which plugs into your PC's Ethernet port.
