Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

[ssobol]

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. ...

My Samsung tablet does not have a cellular radio, just wifi. Works fine for navigation on my boat, just have to install the charts before setting out.

iPads without cell circuits do not contain GPS chips so will not work for this purpose.

Some android tablets do not have GPS built in (e.g. Kindles), but can give you a pseudo GPS position using cell tower signals. The pseudo position is not as accurate as real GPS and does require contact with a cell service provider.

 

[dingbat]

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:

Ah, they figured it a long time ago. Sailing = cocktail hour, tea, crumpets and wealthy owners/ tourists. Power boats = noise, pollution and rowdy riff-raft.

The land of Pleasant Living.....

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

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.

I don't understand how GPS on a smart phone or tablet can work without a cell connection or wi-fi. Something has to show the satellite your location and without that all you have is a map.

 

[Alumarine]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I don't understand how GPS on a smart phone or tablet can work without a cell connection or wi-fi. Something has to show the satellite your location and without that all you have is a map.

The same way a chart plotter with GPS works. The GPS figures out your location and/or direction and shows it on the chart.

 

[further]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I don't understand how GPS on a smart phone or tablet can work without a cell connection or wi-fi. Something has to show the satellite your location and without that all you have is a map.

This only works with smart phones or tablets that have GPS in them. Not all do, some use cell signals or wifi for positioning (in which case you would need a cell connection or wifi) and this is much less accurate.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

The same way a chart plotter with GPS works. The GPS figures out your location and/or direction and shows it on the chart.

Maybe in Canada? I'm a techie and can tell you...no cell signal/wifi - no GPS on a smart phone or tablet. Been there, done that. A chart plotter is a different technology altogether and works off a GPS antenna and satellite communication. With that technology, no satellite (or no antenna) no signal.

Or maybe I am not understanding.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

This only works with smart phones or tablets that have GPS in them. Not all do, some use cell signals or wifi for positioning (in which case you would need a cell connection or wifi) and this is much less accurate.

Gotcha! Did some quick research regarding cell/smart phones with GPSR chips. I see what you guys are saying but they still determine your location on a combination of satellite and cell tower triangulation. As well, the software/app require usually has a monthly charge and add to that the minimal size of a smart phone screen. I'll stick to my Garmin which was relatively cheap compare to all this other stuff.

 

[ssobol]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Gotcha! Did some quick research regarding cell/smart phones with GPSR chips. I see what you guys are saying but they still determine your location on a combination of satellite and cell tower triangulation. As well, the software/app require usually has a monthly charge and add to that the minimal size of a smart phone screen. I'll stick to my Garmin which was relatively cheap compare to all this other stuff.

Phones and tablets with GPS chips can use the cell or wifi signal to supplement the GPS signal in areas where the GPS signal is unreliable (e.g. inside the shopping mall), but this is not a requirement for proper location finding. Also, your cell location can be used while the GPS is acquiring for faster initial position determination. Given the choice, the unit will prefer the GPS signal over the other means of determining your location because the GPS is much more accurate.

As I said before, my LG phone (actually all phones, its required by law) and Samsung tablet have built in GPS chips so they have no problem with determining location without a cell or wifi signal. I often use my phone as a pocket GPS when hiking in the middle of nowhere. Newer phones have more advanced chips so the GPS acquisition and sensitivity is a lot better than it used to be.

There are a number of charting apps that are free (no initial or recurring fees at all). US charts are available for free from NOAA or USACE depending on where you want to go.

You do have to load the charts before setting out. However, once you do that, you have them for as long as you want.

Since most people already have smartphones that they always carry with them, it can make a handy backup to any installed chart plotter you may have (I have used the app on my phone for this very purpose). For people with small boats or limited budgets, having a smartphone that can function as a chart plotter may be a good solution instead of installing a fixed dedicated chart plotter from a name manufacturer.

 

[further]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

+1 Ssobol...

Its called "AGPS".. Assisted GPS. The smartphone or tablet with gps will always know your position no matter the signal; whether it can put your location on a map is another story that's why its critical to have the map loaded prior to setting out. If there is no map loaded and you have no cell signal, then the map app will locate you in the middle of a blank grid.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

"whether it can put your location on a map is another story"

That's really the crux of it. Isn't it? Granted the original question was "...Marine GPS for smartphone (android) such as Navionics? Are they worth it?" Sure they are if you are close in, can see land, and possess basic survival skills. I loaded the free Navionics on my smart phone last night. I was impressed with the accuracy and the map...of course I was sitting in my recliner and not holed up in the woods.

Personally, where I travel, I prefer something I can rely on and something that is specifically made for the purpose--the right tool for the right job. With that it's either a hand held GPS or a console mounted GPS in my boat along with a hard map and compass as back up. I would never trust my survival to a smart phone (with the above caveat) but maybe that's just me.

 

[ssobol]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Personally, where I travel, I prefer something I can rely on and something that is specifically made for the purpose--the right tool for the right job. With that it's either a hand held GPS or a console mounted GPS in my boat along with a hard map and compass as back up. I would never trust my survival to a smart phone (with the above caveat) but maybe that's just me.

What makes you think that your handheld GPS is any more reliable than your smartphone? Sure, some GPS units have some level of water resistance (some more than others), but you can get a water proof case for your cellphone if you need one. In addition, once your smartphone GPS gets you out of the woods (so to speak) you can use it to actually call someone for help. With a handheld GPS you'll know exactly where you are, but won't be able to tell anyone.

In my case, my smartphone and tablet have better GPS receivers (more channels, higher sensitivity, faster acquisition, better screens) than any of the handheld GPS units I have, to the point that I don't use the handheld GPS units anymore.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I believe there are advantages to both units. My preference is a GPS made for that purpose and not a phone/calculator/calendar/camera/gps/TV/radio/music player/video/search engine..... I'll admit my experience with smart phones as a GPS is limited -- I tried it once and while the smart phone couldn't locate me the GPS on my console worked perfectly. With that, I figured I would stick with my GPS. I don't do a lot of hiking; my use is strictly marine. Understanding that, it gets me to the spots where I need to be and home again. Since I can't walk on water and technically I don't have to worry about battery life I am happy. Smart phones are notorious for sucking battery life, The average talk time is about 9 to 10 hours and using a GPS will kill a battery quickly. A handheld GPS has about a 25 hour battery life and work on AA batteries (I can carry extra) so there's that.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Its called "AGPS".. Assisted GPS. The smartphone or tablet with gps will always know your position no matter the signal; whether it can put your location on a map is another story that's why its critical to have the map loaded prior to setting out. If there is no map loaded and you have no cell signal, then the map app will locate you in the middle of a blank grid.

You have me scratching my head here. Why do you need to have the map loaded before setting out? If the smartphone or tablet will always know where you are, it should be able to load the map at anytime. I don't need to have my chart plotter on before leaving the dock for it to work.

 

[further]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

You have me scratching my head here. Why do you need to have the map loaded before setting out? If the smartphone or tablet will always know where you are, it should be able to load the map at anytime. I don't need to have my chart plotter on before leaving the dock for it to work.

Your chart plotter has all of the map data on it already, all of the time. It comes pre-loaded with maps most likely, just like the usual auto navi's come with maps or you can buy additional maps for say Canada or South America, or Europe then you load those maps on the device and your done... Don't have to think about it again.

We're talking about two different things here - GPS (satellite positioning) and WIFI/Cell signals. These work independently and sometimes together, that's why its called AGPS or assisted GPS because the Satellite signal is assisted by the Cell or Wifi (Depending on whats available) to either acquire map data, position while indoors, etc.

With a smartphone, the maps are not on the device, they are loaded as the need arises through either a cell signal or Wifi depending on whats available. If neither are available and you don't have the map data on the device, you won't have a map. If you have map data pre-downloaded onto your device, you're good to go.

If you have a smartphone, try shutting off the cell service and Wifi, then open up your map app. You should see your position but it will be on a blank grid or a map with very little info (your phone may store minimal info in some cases). If you pre-load the maps and they are stored on your device, you will successfully have maps.

I just got the Navionics app for my Iphone and Ipad and it works great. With this you download the map areas that are of interest and the map data is completely on your device so no need for Wifi or cell signal. The phone then uses the GPS to locate you on the map if no cell or Wifi is available.

Hopefully that makes sense.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Now what I would like to see is a GPS with one of those black and white displays used in e-readers like the nook and kindle. No backlight, battery lasts forever, and fully viewable in full noon sun. I personally would only use GPS for the depth contours that come with the marine charts. I know where I am going!! Finding a dropoff by trolling around and staring at a flasher is not exactly efficient.

 

[ssobol]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Now what I would like to see is a GPS with one of those black and white displays used in e-readers like the nook and kindle. No backlight, battery lasts forever, and fully viewable in full noon sun. I personally would only use GPS for the depth contours that come with the marine charts. I know where I am going!! Finding a dropoff by trolling around and staring at a flasher is not exactly efficient.

Those e-ink screens do work fine in bright light and do run for a long time (the power is only really required to change the display image). However, they are meant for static displays like a page of text. Every time the screen refreshes it has to blank the screen (usually goes all black) and then draw the new info. When "turning" pages in a book this seems to be acceptable for most people (although it drives me nuts). For a moving or animated display (moving map or boat icon moving on a fixed map) this would cause the screen to be constantly switching between an image and a blank screen (the screen cannot draw only the changes, it has to do the whole page).

Not only would this be fairly annoying (IMO) it would probably affect the battery life a fair bit.

You can get a lot better battery life out of a GPS unit that uses a monochrome LCD versus a color display. I have a Magellan Explorist 200 that has a B&W LCD that works in daylight and lasts pretty long on AA batteries. The color Magellan unit I have goes through the batteries much faster than the B&W one.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Those e-ink screens do work fine in bright light and do run for a long time (the power is only really required to change the display image). However, they are meant for static displays like a page of text. Every time the screen refreshes it has to blank the screen (usually goes all black) and then draw the new info. When "turning" pages in a book this seems to be acceptable for most people (although it drives me nuts). For a moving or animated display (moving map or boat icon moving on a fixed map) this would cause the screen to be constantly switching between an image and a blank screen (the screen cannot draw only the changes, it has to do the whole page).

I had no idea about that limitation of the paperwhite displays. We bought my mother in law a nook so I have used one briefly and I never realized it was so limited.

 

[ssobol]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I had no idea about that limitation of the paperwhite displays. We bought my mother in law a nook so I have used one briefly and I never realized it was so limited.

The characteristics of the paperwhite displays are not a limitation in the application that they are designed for. There are numerous advantages to them when used as a book reader (e.g. long battery life, readability in bright light, etc.). But they are designed for a special application. When used as a general display device for showing videos, games, animations, etc. (like most tablets) they are not a good choice.

Also, since e-readers are intended just for reading books, it is unlikely that they will have built in GPS or the ability to use an external plug-in GPS device.

 

[Andysdad]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

Navionics is excellent. I use the $15 Android version on my 7" Galaxy Tab. Screen is OK but upsizing to 10" means buying another tablet and paying $48 for the HD version of the software.

The Australia & NZ version gives you all the maps but they won't fit in the Tab so I downloaded all of Western Australia. If I go further than 1000 miles I'll need to rethink........ No data/cell coverage required.

Detail is good, GPS locks fine and the Track archive means we can review trips, speeds etc. You can send them to Google Maps and with the satellite overlay send people photos of the route taken.

I see no difference from "proper" marine GPS except the $1000s extra and a few more software features that I'll never use except for the weatherproofing of the unit. That can be done (Otter box etc.)

My 2c

A

 

[Fed]

Re: Smartphone or Tablet Marine Gps

I think people get confused between loaded, pre-loaded & downloaded.

No need to load & no need to pre-load, all you have to do is download your maps for free and they reside on your phone.

Smartphone c/w GPS plus Navionics does not need an internet connection to work.