NorthStar 961 Reference Manual page 49

Navigational chart
961/962 Operations and Reference Manual, Rev. A
still let you perform the same functions as when viewing a
chart.
For more about the CHART screen, see "Understanding
electronic charts" starting on page 4-2.
You can tremendously enhance the usefulness of your system
by using chart CDs for the regions where you plan to travel.
CDs
Furthermore, new electronic charts are very likely to be more
current than your paper charts. Northstar recommends that
you acquire electronic charts, although it is possible to use the
961/962 and navigate without them.
The 961/962 is compatible with either of the following types of
charts (or both):
• BSB 2.0 or newer format navigational charts (ChartKit
CDs) supplied by either Maptech or NDI. These are
high-quality, high-resolution NOAA digital charts
providing chart coverage for most of the world. Each CD
contains about 75 to 200 different charts covering a
specific area of coastline.
• ChartPak CDs also supplied by Maptech. These charts are
similar to those supplied on ChartKit CDs as above.
• Hydrographic Chart Raster Format (HCRF) navigational
charts, such as ARCS chart CDs supplied by the United
Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO). ARCS charts
(Admiralty Raster Chart Format) are raster images, digital
reproductions of official British Admiralty paper charts
that provide superior chart-image quality and global chart
coverage on a total of 3000 charts.
All the data on these CDs comes from scanning land-mass
shapes, nav-aid names and locations, depth contours, and
other information directly from the official paper charts into
an electronic format used by the 961/962. Between the three
types of chart formats, you have chart access to every major
port, all popular boating areas, and major shipping routes.
Each CD covers a specific geographic area, providing CHART
screen zoom in/out levels from maximum detail to a
less-detailed overview.
Chapter 2 - Introducing the 961/962
Page 2-5