Unfortunately recurrent revenue streams are enormously enticing to business.... and the future. Heck, I'm stuck with CS6 because I refuse to pay Adobe each month.... your choice, but I bit the bullet for Navigraph.  It's a nice thought, but I doubt will get any traction...

Simplates are a bargain for 39.99.

https://www.dauntless-soft.com/products/simplates/

4 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

When  you update the sim, you run the EFB data base again, and it updates. 

But those aren't real charts and a lot of information is missing... It's nice but for me not a real replacement for Navigraph.

normally i wouldn't say this, but in this case i really think a subscription service is the ideal way for both customers and the company to operate Navigraph. the very nature of the product is something that constantly requires updates, monitoring and correcting for errors, and improving functionality. i also feel the price is very fair considering all the tools and flexibility you get for ~$9 a month.

Indeed. You also have to keep in mind that the subscription thing is not Navigraph's idea. It's the charts provider Jeppesen who wants a subscription from Navigraph. So they are just passing it onto us.

Do you rememeber when the AIRAC used to be free? Same prinicple. For whatever reason the U.S. Government decided that it should be hidden behind a monthly paywall, and here we are now.

It's not their business model and their current model seems to be working well for them so it's unlikely to change.

It's one of those annual subscriptions that renews in the background for me and that I certainly feel like I get my money worth.

I hope Navigraph will soon finish the VFR charts and also the weather on the map, but it's taking such a long time

I buy a month's worth of Navigraph when I have time to use MSFS 2020, I don't game much during spring, summer, and fall - prefer to be outside, so it't really only between November and March that I make use of Navigraph charts.

That said, subscriptions are like a vampire permanently sucking up blood.

I also love the "it's only a few cents a day", or "only a couple of bucks" a month argument.

I have an idea: here is my bank account #: kindly deposit a "few cents a day" into it. I mean, it'll only add up to a "few $ each month".

At the end of the month I'll send you a flowery poem, so you'll definitely be getting your money's worth.

😄

Way back, I purchased the whole world (cd's) sold by SIMCharts. I printed the most used destinations I flew in and out of. Those were the days.

fly safe

 

Edited May 30, 20224 yr by mokeiko

21 hours ago, tup61 said:

But those aren't real charts and a lot of information is missing... It's nice but for me not a real replacement for Navigraph.

What specifically  is missing that would be needed to conduct a flight? 

59 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

What specifically  is missing that would be needed to conduct a flight? 

I appreciate SimPlates - I had it on my system before FS2020 and Navigraph integration with SimBrief, etc. - I still use it to do a quick check-up on some airports before I do planning.

However, it has become very apparent that SimPlates is in no way up-to-date.  Every week, I run into airports that have changed or added approaches and the SimPlates charts are wrong.  At many smaller airports, RNAV approaches have been added and SimPlates doesn't have them at all.  SP does update from time to time, but Navigraph updates on every AIRAC cycle and is basically spot-on.  I still find SP handy for some things, but Navigraph is something I wouldn't want to fly without these days.

3 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

What specifically  is missing that would be needed to conduct a flight? 

Well, you miss out on information that can make it all a bit more realistic, like charts for noise abatements or radar minimum altitudes, written additional information that might explain procedures a bit better, tons of pages with airport briefings which can be fun to read while cruising just to give you a bit more immersion and realism. Stuff like that. Of course you can conduct a flight without it but hey, lots of people conduct flights without any charts at all. It's just a matter of what you like to do in a sim. I can understand it fully if your EFB is great for you but I like the additional stuff Navigraph brings (specially now I am getting the Fenix and I can check all charts in its EFB).