What’s New for MacENCx64 Users

HelmStation is the successor to MacENCx64. The charting and navigation you know are all here: ENC charts, waypoints, routes, tracks, GPS, instruments, AIS and GRIB weather. What has changed is how you get the app, how it is licensed, and how you buy charts. All of that now happens through the Mac App Store and your Apple Account.

This page is for people moving from MacENCx64. If you are new to HelmStation, start with Installing and First Launch.

At a glance

	MacENCx64	HelmStation
Getting the app	Downloaded from our website	Mac App Store. Requires macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later
Your account	HelmStation Chart Account, with an email and password or a Google login	Sign in with Apple, required when you first open the app
App license	License key, activated on up to two Macs	A free 14-Day Sea Trial, then a one-time Full License bought in the app. It works on every Mac signed in to the same Apple Account
Buying charts	HelmStation ChartStore website	HelmStation Store, inside the app: File > HelmStation Store
Paying and renewing	FastSpring	Your Apple Account. Charts come with either an Auto-Renew or a Non-Renew term
Refunds	No refunds	Requested from Apple
S-63 charts on more than one Mac	Two Macs. Moving to a new Mac needed a support ticket	Up to three authorized Macs, which you manage yourself
US NOAA charts	Free	The NOAA Chart Service, an annual subscription (MacENCx64 Registered Users: see below)
Raster charts (RNC, BSB/KAP)	Supported	No longer supported

MacENCx64 Registered Users

Full License. We are sending MacENCx64 Registered Users a coupon to redeem a HelmStation Full License at no charge. For more information, visit helmstation.com . If you are a registered user and haven’t received a coupon (for example, because your email address has changed), contact support through the HelmStation contact page and ask for one.

Your data. The first time you open HelmStation on a Mac that has MacENCx64 on it, HelmStation offers to bring your MacENCx64 data across. That includes your settings, waypoints, routes, tracks and annotations, and your ENC charts and permits. See Installing and First Launch.

Your registration and chart subscriptions. Once HelmStation has brought your MacENCx64 data across successfully on at least one of your Macs, it carries your MacENCx64 registration and your active chart subscriptions over to your HelmStation account. If you can, migrate on the first Mac you set up with HelmStation. If the migration doesn’t succeed on any of your Macs, contact support and ask them to migrate your account. See Getting Support.

NOAA charts. With your MacENCx64 registration carried over, you keep the NOAA Chart Service with no subscription needed, on all your Macs. The HelmStation Store shows it as Active.

Chart subscriptions from the old ChartStore. HelmStation downloads your active subscriptions again so you have the latest editions. See If this Mac has MacENCx64 data.

Moved or changed

• Safety depth is set in HelmStation > Vessel Settings…, which replaces View > Safety Depth. Turn on Shade depth based on Vessel Safety Depth and enter your Vessel Safety Depth.
• Depth Alarm is now Instruments > Depth Alarm. It works from your depth sounder, and you no longer need a GPS fix to turn it on.
• Navigation window is Window > Navigation, now on ⇧⌘N. ⌘N opens File > HelmStation Chart Account.
• Chart object details appear on the chart when you click an object in “Grab Move Mode”. This replaces the Objects tab of the Navigation window.
• Overview window is replaced by the mini-map in the chart window.
• Third-party ENC charts must be kept inside your Documents folder. macOS requires this of App Store apps.
• GPS connection types are now USB Serial and TCP/IP Network.
• The AIS/RADAR menu is now called AIS.
• Preferences are now Settings: choose HelmStation > Settings… (⌘,).
• GRIB weather requests open a pre-addressed message in your mail app, ready for you to send. HelmStation no longer sends them for you, so the email address setting is gone.

New in HelmStation

• HelmStation Store lets you browse and buy charts inside the app.
• HelmStation Chart Account shows every chart subscription with its delivery status.
• Manage Account & Data Privacy lets you:
  • change the name and email we hold for you.
  • request refunds from Apple.
  • manage the Macs authorized for S-63 charts.
  • delete your account.
• Expired chart safety cues. HelmStation marks charts whose update service has ended, both on the chart and in Chart Manager.
• Help > Contact Support opens the Contact Support window, with a button to our contact page. From it you can also upload diagnostic data for our support team, or record the next session.

Retired

These MacENCx64 features are not in HelmStation:

• raster charts (RNC and BSB/KAP), including View > Raster Chart and Chart Manager’s Add Chart Folder.
• the World Base Chart. A satellite image of the world now sits behind your charts.
• the New Render Engine switch. HelmStation has a single chart engine.
• AyeTides and Google Earth on the chart’s right-click menu.
• the Download Manager in Preferences.
• transferring waypoints, routes and tracks directly to or from a GPS unit. Use a file instead (GPX, KML or CSV).
• opening track files (Track > Transfer > From File…). You can still save your track to a CSV, GPX or KML file.
• Weather > Transfer To KML.
• GPS > Transponder and GPS > Info.
• depth alarms based on chart soundings. The Depth Alarm uses your depth sounder.
• choosing a custom location for the track file.
• Chart Manager’s Names and Objects views.