Getting Started with OpenCPN and Your Unified Charts on Windows

This guide will help you set up OpenCPN with your downloaded Unified Charts (ISO image / virtual DVD).

Let’s keep things simple to begin with. Forget about other navigation programs for now – this guide is all about getting OpenCPN running smoothly with your Unified Charts (downloaded .iso version, not USB).

OpenCPN is a solid all-rounder: it quilts charts neatly, image quality is good when set up properly, and once you’ve done this first setup, daily use is just three easy steps.

Step 1: Get Your .iso File Ready

  1. Open File Explorer.

  2. If your .iso image is already mounted as a drive, right-click it and choose Eject.

  3. Find the .iso image you downloaded from us.

  4. Move it somewhere easy to find (for example, your Desktop).

Step 2: Install WinCDEmu

  1. Download WinCDEmu here: https://wincdemu.sysprogs.org/download/
    (This tool makes mounting the charts quick and reliable.)

  2. Once installed, double-click the .iso image you saved in Step 1.

  3. WinCDEmu will ask you to mount the drive.

    • Choose drive letter V (easy to remember: V for VMH).

    • Important: tick the option to mount this drive at every startup.

  4. Open This PC and check you now have Drive V.

  5. Inside Drive V, find RunMe.exe (not autorun).

  6. Right-click RunMe.exe and create a shortcut on your Desktop.

Step 3: Test the Setup

  1. Double-click the RunMe shortcut on your Desktop.

    • You’ll see the EULA. Click I Agree.

    • A window may offer to install qtVlm — just close it.

  2. Restart your computer.

  3. After restart, check Drive V is still there.

  4. Test the RunMe shortcut again — it should behave exactly as before.

You now have a reliable, fixed drive (V:) and an easy way to unlock your charts before using them.

Step 4: Connect Charts to OpenCPN

  1. Run the RunMe shortcut to unlock charts.

  2. Close the qtVlm installer window.

  3. Open OpenCPN.

  4. Follow Step 3 on this setup page to add Drive V as your chart directory and rebuild the database: Setup Unified Charts in OpenCPN

  5. Zoom in/out in OpenCPN to make sure the charts are displaying properly.

Step 5: Tweak Image Quality

For best results:

Your New Daily Routine

From now on, using your charts is easy:

  1. Start your computer.

  2. Run the RunMe shortcut and go through the unlock sequence.

  3. Open OpenCPN and sail away!

That’s it. Once this setup is done, no more fiddling around — just three quick steps every time you power up.

It may feel like a lot at first, but once you’ve gone through this setup once, daily use is straightforward.

Captain’s speak: simplified

⚓  OpenCPN: free, open-source navigation software that sailors, cruisers, and other mariners use for planning and real-time navigation.

⚓  Unified Charts: a type of all-in-one chart package designed to make life easier for sailors and navigators.

This article was originally published on 30 January 2023

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