Question? What apps are you using for navigating?

[vasher]

hi

What apps are you using for navigating on water?


Need advice!

Thank you!

[gonzo]

Do you mean for your phone? Some customers of mine run aground two weeks ago navigating with their phone.

[Submarine Tom]

None

-Tom

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by gonzo

Do you mean for your phone? Some customers of mine run aground two weeks ago navigating with their phone.

LOL!

[jehardiman]

It may seem rude, but do you already know how to navigate? The are some nice applications out there but you have to know how to navigate to use their features. Modern navigation software can take the drudgery out of great circle route planning and set and drift calculation, but won't give you a safe course solution as this photo will attest to...

[yipster]

Check marked for android nav app
Dont have autopilot but guess you'r at the wheel
on pc tsunami is about the best

[CatBuilder]

I find these pieces of software to work very well:

http://www.macenc.com/

http://www.gpsnavx.com/

http://www.inavx.com/



When the boat is done, I'll be putting an iPad in for primary navigation. WAY less expensive than a dedicated chart plotter and much easier (and cheaper) to upgrade. Frankly, it's a better chartplotter than any standard marine plotter too.

I've been using this guy's software for many years, first doing so on OS X laptops.

Lastly, here is a blurb from his website detailing the features on the iPad version...

"iNavX™ brings the freely available, official and up to date NOAA RNC raster United States waters marine charts to your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Included detailed chart coverage: West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast, Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, and US Virgin Islands.

One app for all your devices with access to thousands of charts and maps: official CHS Canada charts, Navionics Gold charts, Fish'N'Chip charts, HotMaps, NV. Verlag charts, Hilton's Fishing charts, TRAK Canada lakes fishing maps and Solteknik European waters charts may be purchased separately from X-Traverse.

With iNavX™ you can use the built in location services (i.e. GPS, cell tower, WiFi) to plot your position in real-time on the multi-touch scrolling and zooming and rotating (including course up) marine chart.

Using the iPhone's, iPod touch's and iPad's WiFi connection, iNavX™ can act as a repeater for popular marine navigation software that supports NMEA data over TCP/IP such as MacENC and Coastal Explorer. This includes GPS, AIS receivers & transponders, and Instruments (Depth, Speed, Wind, etc.)

In addition to real-time chart plotting and printing, iNavX™ supports waypoints & routes including KML (Google Earth) and GPX import/export, track log, measuring bearing/distance, GRIB weather forecast, tides/currents, anchor alarm, graphic instrumentation display and port/navaid search.

The power of a color chartplotter for a fraction of the cost."

PS: You still have to know how to navigate to use these, just like you still have to know how to do math before you use a calculator.

[gdufus]

depends on what you want to do Vasher, are you going to sail the oceans or navigate around lake michigan ?
a little chartplotter is nice (bigger screen) but as I saw on a previous reply on this post that is doable these days with your Ipad. Old school will tell you the sextant (you'll need some training and a lot of experience though) and myself have come a long way with a handhelp GPS and a standard map of the area (gps gives me the coordinates, point on the map tells me where I am) Afterwards bought a garmin GPS72 somethings and that showed me on the map on a little display, very neat and I paid only 250 bucks. Takes 4 aa batteries and doesn't use much (during ocean passage on 24/7 and had to change batteries only twice in 12 days)

Make sure to have a back up device though, and ALWAYS... have at least an overall map, even if it is not too precise, of the area you're playing in.

Again, it all depends, do you motor, sail, enough electricity, etc., etc.

[gdufus]

sorry, one more addition, may I suggest to look at www.navigatrix.net ?
This german guy, living on his boat in Panama, made this himself, and it's for free. A donation can be made (i looked into it and I was impressed, so I donated) but is not necessary. This little bugger can be loaded on a USB stick, and even if your laptop's harddrive is messed up, it'll start on the USB stick and run navigatrix stand alone.

[CatBuilder]

For some reason, I have no buttons here to quote. Gdufus: Very good and important point you make...

Always have a backup device. I go by the old Space Shuttle method. It has been computer controlled since inception and had 5 redundant computers for navigation. I do the same on my boats, but figure 3 is good for staying on Earth. I don't leave port without 3 sets of hardware that can be used to navigate. The tertiary hardware being a handheld Garmin 72 with paper charts.

If all else fail, it's on to sighting and dead reckoning.

I'm a bit anal about navigation, which explains why I've only gone aground once in over 20 years on the water. (ICW channel was being dredged - I hit a big mound inside the channel)

[michael pierzga]

Originally Posted by Submarine Tom

None

-Tom

Yup...cant see the need for any phone apps when navigating. NONE.

Perhaps tidal tables and Met office apps for cruise planning so that you dont need two sets of tidal, weather publications.. one at home and one aboard.

[Stumble]

To the apps already posted, I would add MotionX. With free maps from NOAA it allows you to download the most recent notice to mariners already loaded into the chart, which can save a ton of time if you keep your maps updated regularly.

I have used an iPad, and iPhone for a lot of navigation this summer, and love them, but I am not yet ready to replace installed navigation hardware. If for no other reason than the waterproofing during rain. However it is getting closer, and for the price... I can get an iPad with all the nav software in the world, updated charts, and an Internet connection for about what I used to pay annually for just charts.

[CatBuilder]

Sorry about all the follow on posts here, but it's a topic close to my heart (I enjoy navigating).

Stumble makes a good point about the iPads. Unless they are selling ruggedized/waterproof ones, you're out of luck for a touch screen in the open.

Since my helm is indoors, it makes no difference in my case. They do, however sell ruggedized Mac computers that can be mounted outside if you are using MacENC with a touch screen.

[FMS]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Stumble makes a good point about the iPads. Unless they are selling ruggedized/waterproof ones, you're out of luck for a touch screen in the open.

I asked if there was a waterproof tablet this summer. I have not found one. There is no air circulation required. It would not seem difficult to build a fully waterproof touchscreen tablet.

[philSweet]

Have you ever tried to use a touchscreen with gloves on? Need buttons.