Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

[kevinwburke]

Anyone have any experience with a Marine GPS for smartphone (android) such as Navionics? Are they worth it?

 

[scipper77]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Great question. I don't have any experience but asked a similar question myself recently. My personal concerned were as follows...

Will the screen be viewable in full sun?

How will I protect the tablet from the hazards of a marine environment?

How will I keep the device charged?

I decided not to drop the money on good marine GPS software based on how difficult it is for me to use my phone in full sunlight on the boat and how easy it would be to destroy the device of it were stepped on submerged etc...

The problem is I never managed to find a marine GPS at a price I was happy with. I'm just throwing out my thought process. Hopefully someone else will be along who can actually answer your question.

 

[kevinwburke]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Great question. I don't have any experience but asked a similar question myself recently. My personal concerned were as follows...

Will the screen be viewable in full sun?

How will I protect the tablet from the hazards of a marine environment?

How will I keep the device charged?

I decided not to drop the money on good marine GPS software based on how difficult it is for me to use my phone in full sunlight on the boat and how easy it would be to destroy the device of it were stepped on submerged etc...

The problem is I never managed to find a marine GPS at a price I was happy with. I'm just throwing out my thought process. Hopefully someone else will be along who can actually answer your question.

I thought the Phone app might be a good backup or at least check out maps before heading out for short money.

 

[Monsterbishi]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

The Navionics app is worth every penny, I have it as a backup on my phone - A Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 (Waterproof, etc) It's handy to be able to sit at home, plan out a route in comfort then hit the water with a decent plan in mind.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I thought the Phone app might be a good backup or at least check out maps before heading out for short money.

A chart book and a compass is 100% reliable and a lot cheaper.

 

[kevinwburke]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

A chart book and a compass is 100% reliable and a lot cheaper.

Some of the phone apps are $15.00

 

[Alumarine]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I've used the Navionics app on both an android and ipad. It works well.
I also have a Navionics chip in my Humminbird.

 

[ssobol]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Some of the phone apps are $15.00

I don't do Apple things, but there are a number of Android apps that are $0. These include NutiCharts Lite, MyNOAACharts, MXMariner, and MarineNavigator Lite. There are others and probably Apple equivalents. Another good one is Active Captain Companion (although this one does not use nautical charts). If your phone or tablet has GPS these will work as chart plotters. I have used my phone as a backup chart plotter when I forgot to put the chart chip in the boat's main plotter. You can either download the associated charts before setting out, or get them on the fly (if you have a data connection). I download the charts ahead of time so that the apps will work without a live data connection (which might not be available). These apps are also useful for looking at the charts when planning your next trip before getting to the boat.

 

[Boydski]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I use the Navionics HD app on my Ipad, whenever I'm entering a new Marina and am docking from the flybridge. I have both Furuno Chartplotters (C-Map charts) and Nobeltec Admiral (NOAA raster charts) available and find the app far more detailed, useful and accurate.

I'm not familiar with the Android Tablets, but be sure to get one that has GPS built in. In the IPAD world that means buying an Ipad with the Cellular Data option (you don't have to have a data plan, it just needs the cellular chips to get and process the GPS data).

Good Luck

 

[Wind dog]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I like my Navionics, $10.00 and I have not had any problem. Mine is installed on my Android phone.

One tip though, if the charder is connected to your phone it is not water proof, I found this out the hard way, luckely the phone worked after a night in a jar of rice.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Some of the phone apps are $15.00

The screen is far to small to be an any real use and they are useless outside cell coverage. Maps and compasses have been sailors home from over 1000 years w/o restrictions.

 

[Wind dog]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

The screen is far to small to be an any real use and they are useless outside cell coverage. Maps and compasses have been sailors home from over 1000 years w/o restrictions.

So I guess ya still get around by wind power? Ya know You just can't trust them new fangled gas outboards.

Please have a sense of humor, This is just good natured kidding ;-)

 

[4now04]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

You can connect a wifi ipad or tablet wirelessly via wifi or blue tooth to a wireless-capable GPS receiver. It works even when you are out of cell phone range,....like in the middle of Prince William Sound in Alaska. The GPS receiver can be had for less than $100 and gives you moving map capability, speed, etc. Or you may be able to find a GPS receiver to plug in to your tablet.

 

[Fed]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I'm using Navionics on a Nexus7 and it's brilliant, you can also get wifi transducers to turn a tablet into a fishfinder. The demo software is free to try.

 

[Alumarine]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

As 4now04 said they do work without cell reception although you may have to download an area beforehand.
One feature I like is that changes I make on my Humminbird or PC get transferred to my Android automatically and vice versa.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

So I guess ya still get around by wind power?

Matter of fact, a lot of us do.....Annapolis is the sail boat capital of the world, home of the US Naval Academy, (requires a sailing class) and home of the only commercial sailing fleet in the US. By law, oysters can only be harvested under sail. Google skip jack fleet .

GPS wise, I use a "marine" unit with a 8" screen. Features include DSC, AIS, radar overlay, auto-routing, track archiving, satellite views, and port services with contact info. amongst others. Does your smart phone or Tablet supports these "new fangled" services or are you the one working in the dark ages?

 

[Outsider]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

and home of the only commercial sailing fleet in the US.

Sooo, that would mean the 'last' commercial sailing fleet? Must be a reason that Maryland hasn't figured out yet ... :facepalm:

 

[agallant80]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Annapolis is all about their sailing heritage. Its a great place to be and lots of fun. The sail boat show there in October is huge. I think the best thing I like about Annapolis is that they are a drinking town with a sailing problem.....

I like MXMariner but use my proper plotter.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I use the smart phone GPS for close in navigation but without a cell connection it's useless-same with tablets. I also do a lot of back water navigation and while a chart and compass are old school (who wants that?) I don't have time to review a chart and plot a course when churning through narrow channels. With that, I picked up an inexpensive Garmin 498 that works perfectly. Personally if one is concerned about cost and the marine life, you are in the wrong hobby. Everything is crazy expensive.

 

[Alumarine]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I use the smart phone GPS for close in navigation but without a cell connection it's useless-same with tablets. I also do a lot of back water navigation and while a chart and compass are old school (who wants that?) I don't have time to review a chart and plot a course when churning through narrow channels. With that, I picked up an inexpensive Garmin 498 that works perfectly. Personally if one is concerned about cost and the marine life, you are in the wrong hobby. Everything is crazy expensive.

Not sure about other programs but with the Navionics App if you preload the area you want you can use them without cell coverage.
I do it often and they work fine.