Smartphone for navigation?

[Herschel]

I use Navionics as well...you can share your subscription on all "I" devices or between android devices just cannot share between "I" & android. I am using mainly on inland lake in BC with no cel reception and as long as you pre download your maps your good to go. Little tricky to share subscription between I phone and IPad as App Store try's to get you to buy HD version for triple the price. I bought 19.99 IPhone version and then shared with IPad....took an email to Navionics to figure out how to share it but happy with it now.

Do you have any issues with GPS and battery life? I just got my Navionics app and haven't had a chance to use it, yet. Just trying to sort out the prompt that said, "if I didn't save the route, my GPS would keep functioning" and someone on this thread indicated that the GPS would use up the battery faster. My phone already uses GPS all the time to the best of my knowledge. Does Navionics have a different GPS feature/app/program running that we have to be careful about?

[ULLR]

I use Navionics as well...you can share your subscription on all "I" devices or between android devices just cannot share between "I" & android. I am using mainly on inland lake in BC with no cel reception and as long as you pre download your maps your good to go. Little tricky to share subscription between I phone and IPad as App Store try's to get you to buy HD version for triple the price. I bought 19.99 IPhone version and then shared with IPad....took an email to Navionics to figure out how to share it but happy with it now.

Do you have any issues with GPS and battery life? I just got my Navionics app and haven't had a chance to use it, yet. Just trying to sort out the prompt that said, "if I didn't save the route, my GPS would keep functioning" and someone on this thread indicated that the GPS would use up the battery faster. My phone already uses GPS all the time to the best of my knowledge. Does Navionics have a different GPS feature/app/program running that we have to be careful about?

Battery Life is greatly impacted when running any GPS app whether it is land or sea based as it is continually recalculating location to create a track. I use mine a fair bit in remote back country areas and have found that the biggest battery sucker is a phone that is continually searching for signal when out of range. To conserve battery I usually turn off blue tooth & wifi but on the iphone the radio cannot be turned off without turning the GPS off (airplane mode). I googled a work around which involves putting a sim card lock on to disable radio use on start up but doesn't impact GPS. (if you are sailing in cell range not really a huge issue)

All in all I'm lucky to get 6 hrs out of the battery so I pack a portable battery that I can plug my phone into to extend life about 3 times. (50$ & no bigger than my phone) If you have batteries on your boat the best option is a 12v lighter / accessory port in the cockpit (to plug a USB adapter for your device) then you can put a stationary mount in and leave the screen on all day without worrying about battery...one of my winter projects.

[Herschel]

ULLR wrote

Battery Life is greatly impacted when running any GPS app whether it is land or sea based as it is continually recalculating location to create a track. I use mine a fair bit in remote back country areas and have found that the biggest battery sucker is a phone that is continually searching for signal when out of range. To conserve battery I usually turn off blue tooth & wifi but on the iphone the radio cannot be turned off without turning the GPS off (airplane mode). I googled a work around which involves putting a sim card lock on to disable radio use on start up but doesn't impact GPS. (if you are sailing in cell range not really a huge issue)

All in all I'm lucky to get 6 hrs out of the battery so I pack a portable battery that I can plug my phone into to extend life about 3 times. (50$ & no bigger than my phone) If you have batteries on your boat the best option is a 12v lighter / accessory port in the cockpit (to plug a USB adapter for your device) then you can put a stationary mount in and leave the screen on all day without worrying about battery...one of my winter projects.

That was very helpful. Thank you.

[RichardChCh]

I'd add one more suggestion - rather than a standard 12V plug, put in a 2xUSB plug - same shape, runs off 12V (although like all USB, puts out 5V), now you can charge cell phones, Go-Pro batteries etc.

Can get from AliExpress for under $3. I have several all over my 26M.


Richard

[ris]

Sumner,the river charts from Chicago to Mobile Al. are U.S. Army Corps of Engineers charts. When I loaded the SEAiq the charts from the Army Corps of Engineers loaded along with all the NOAA charts. They are called the Inland Waterway Charts. Active Captain will overlay those charts also. I think SEAiq is a apple app only but am not sure. Hope this helps

[Sumner]

Sumner,the river charts from Chicago to Mobile Al. are U.S. Army Corps of Engineers charts. When I loaded the SEAiq the charts from the Army Corps of Engineers loaded along with all the NOAA charts. They are called the Inland Waterway Charts. Active Captain will overlay those charts also. I think SEAiq is a apple app only but am not sure. Hope this helps

Thanks, I knew about them but thought I was going to have to print hard copies of them. You got me checking and it looks like OpenCPN works with all of those charts also ,

Sumner

============================

1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Jeremysxx]

some of the map apps operate offline, purely on gps. i think even google made theirs offlinable

[FlyboyTR]

I have used EarthNC for 5 years. While connected to cell/internet service, you can download the NOAA charts for the area you plan to operate in. Once that is done, you don't need a cellular signal...the phones internal GPS takes care of everything. EarthNC is also downloadable for your PC and allows plotting functions, etc. I have found it to be a great backup system.

EarthNC is no longer available. I tried several of the ones mentioned in previous comments, but settled on i-Boating as my smartphone navigation app. While it can be used free, they do charge $15 for an upgrade (well worth the few bucks!). Charts are downloadable and it can be used without cell service (after the chart(s) are downloaded). So far, I have been very pleased with this product.

iBoating is available for Android, iPhone, tablets, etc, etc. It is easy to set up routes, waypoints, goto's ,etc. It will also record your tracks and autosave them. This is a link to their home page. http://www.gpsnauticalcharts.com/main/

[Bilgemaster]

I was lucky enough to get a nice decade old Lowrance LMS-525C DF sonar/chartplotter unit from the previous owner. It was basically a hand-me-down off of his kid's boat, who had updated to the latest and greatest gear. I finally got it all hooked up about a month ago and couldn't be happier. Frankly, sailing as I do in the shallow and shoally Potomac and (hopefully next season) the thinwater gunkholes of the Chesapeake Bay, even more than a chart plotter I really wanted that depth finder. It looks like nowadays you can pick up one of these older units or similar for only about $100 on eBay. Not really knowing any better about better or more modern equipment, I can still tell you that the LMS-525C DF already does more than I will ever need. The screen is clear and bright even in the summer sun, and its split display of chart and sonar with speed and compass and water temperature overlayed are just what I need and no more. The head unit mounted nicely on a little chunk of wood attached to the metal helm pedestal pole of my 26X, the sonar transducer is mounted on the stern near the water ballast valve and an LGC-4000 GPS receiver mounted on the starboard stern rail. My point is: You don't really need to blow a "boat buck" on a shiney new system unless you really want to.

With all that said, not having any guarantee that I could get that Lowrance working, I did check out some other GPS options (and you might also marvel at my handmade ol' skool lead weight and knotted line for depth finding with its hollow tallowed tip for bottom sampling. That's some ultra-salty gear suitable for folks who view pine tar as a hair care product!). So here's the lowdown on a couple of the best free or nearly free electronic charting and GPS options I explored:

OpenCPN
I have a spare 7 year old little 14" HP Pavilion G4 laptop running Windows 7--my kid's old rig. Not flashy, and a little beat up, but still a solid little no-issues laptop that works just great, and was, after all, rugged enough to have survived (with an easy keyboard replacement or two) the none-too-gentle ministrations of a preteen boy followed by his kid sister to whom it was handed down, until both got snappier laptops (after which my son also built his own blazin' fast desktop gaming rig from an empty case, motherboard and other parts on sale from Newegg.com--And no, I couldn't be prouder). Of course, the old HP has no built-in GPS, so I got myself a little GPS/Glonass U-blox7 USB GPS "dongle" like this one. I think I paid about $12 for it. I then downloaded the well-regarded OpenCPN (ver 4.0.0), an open source (i.e., free) chart plotter/navigation program. With the dongle installed it works just great and is super-configurable, though perhaps a bit more complicated (read: feature-rich) than many GPS systems. A little bit of study, patience and experimentation will be required. Still, it's great to have on the table in the cabin, works like a charm, and of course the little laptop also makes for a nice compact entertainment center. A little Black & Decker 12V DC to 120V AC cigarette lighter plug inverter keeps her charged up. OpenCPN can be downloaded for free at http://opencpn.org/ocpn/, and it looks like there's also an Android version available now. But if you've got an old laptop gathering dust somewhere, you could still put it to good use.

MarineWays
All I'll say is that I can't believe that this great little feature-filled Android GPS and navigation app is free. For more info, go to www.marineways.com. Get it before they realize what they are giving away!

[kurz]

for better battery life with smartphones and GPS on I had good expweriance with the following:

Buy a cheap waterresitant handy bag. But buy it much bigger, for use for small tabletts.

Then squeese the charger cable through the roller opening and close it.

Well, doesnt look great isnt that perfect like a plotter. But you dont have to worry with water and power.

[warfin]

I use Navionics on my iPad with a DUAL GPS receiver. The tablet is mounted on an off-the-shelf support and powered via a USB socket fixed to the console. Go to Settings/General/Auto lock~Never to avoid unexpected time-out! Daylight viewing is good but quite bright in darkness despite max screen dimming.

[Phil M]

I'd add one more suggestion - rather than a standard 12V plug, put in a 2xUSB plug - same shape, runs off 12V (although like all USB, puts out 5V), now you can charge cell phones, Go-Pro batteries etc.

Can get from AliExpress for under $3. I have several all over my 26M.


Richard

The Standard 12 volt plugs use absolutely no electricity when they are not being used. I cannot say the same for all usb chargers. Plus, Not all usb chargers work for all devices either. But the Standard 12 volt plug will work for all usb chargers.
Play it safe and install Standard 12 volt plugs only in your boat.

[Ixneigh]

Cell phones only work near shore and they use cel signals to help locate themselves. I use navionics on my phone however around the Elliott's key district the app showed me in the GULF OF GUINEA ??!?
I keep a stand alone garmin unit for most uses.
Ix

[drams_1999]

I have a Samsung smart phone. You do not need cell service for the gps to work on mine. I have used in Mid-Atlantic and mid pacific, it just takes a little longer to triangulate without the help of cell towers. (I tested it mid ocean while on big ships not on my mac LOL) It works fine anywhere in the globe. Been using it for 5 years. I have 2 apps that I have used - MX Mariner and another one called Navionics. Both have pros and cons but I have both on my phone. Most of what I do is within 3 miles of shore and I rely on it for my navigation needs (mostly only at night since I know my areas pretty well). Some of my friends have the apps as well on their phones so when they come along their phones are my GPS backup. I definitely don't need to buy an expensive chartplotter anymore for the use I give it.

[March]

drams_1999 wrote:
I have used in Mid-Atlantic and mid pacific, it just takes a little longer to triangulate without the help of cell towers.

How can it triangulate without the help of cell-towers? Are you sure the boat you happened to be on didn't use its own cell transmitter? In which case, your phone was connected to the boat's telephone/GPS system and simply relaying info that the boat got via satellite or whatever?
In absence of a mother-ship, the phone's apps would be useless, would they not?