Android Apps

[Storyline]

Having just recently got a tablet I am like a kid in a sweetshop in the app store.

There are many nautical ones, some good, some not so good so I thought it maybe an idea if users on here could share their favourites.

Today's latest: Marine Compass. Verdict - shows off the inbuilt compass & accelerometer in my tablet (Hudl) and is a bit of fun, do not rely on for serious navigation !

Seriously though, anyone found any really useful ones ?

 

[Mistroma]

Watch out if buying a cover for the HUDL, most seem to have magnets inside and so they screw up the compass.

"GPS Status" is quite a useful free tool. It allows you to check that GPS is working and also allows you to reduce time taken to get a lock by resetting & reloading data for A-GPS. If it does help then you might need to update the data once a week to retain the improvement. It also lets you calibrate the compass and pitch/yaw sensors as a bonus.

Some HUDLs seem to have a problem getting a lock unless they are outside. I have had a couple of Bluetooth dongles for years and both pick up a good GPS signal at home. In fact, one has regularly picked up GPS whilst sitting inside the centre of the ground floor in a concrete 2 storey building.

If GPS reception is poor then you can always disable the internal GPS and use "Bluetooth GPS" (or similar app) to link with an external Bluetooth GPS dongle.

 

[Mistroma]

I suppose that an anchor alarm would be useful. App that I have on smartphone won't run on HUDL so I checked out a load of Anchor Alarms yesterday.

1) Anchor watch (Torsten Schumacher v1.1) Size = 1.76MB
Nice interface & only free one monitoring sectors around anchor as well as distance.
Lots of nice features (Adjust chain length etc.).
BUT.. Instructions aren't clear enough to work out what's happening with the controls without a bit more thought
No manual distance setting. I think that it is automatic based on chain & dragging boat on screen

Not convinced that it will be easy to use but I'm going to give it a try.

2) My Anchor Watch Free (terboel v3.2.3) Size = 352KB
Simple interface with text details for drift etc. plus graphic swing view.
Default sound quite quiet but can select other sounds

I'll install this one in case 1st choice doesn't work well.

3) AnchorSentinel (Paul Lutus v1.1) 320KB
Simple text only interface. Alarms on either distance moved or if GPS fix fails more than a set number of times.
Gives a clear alarm tone and Voice warnings


4) DragQueen (ActiveCaptain) 312KB
Simple text interface and can alarm on either distance moved or drop in GPS accuracy below a set distance.


5) Anchor Watch (Jos Verbeek v3.60) 388KB
Basic but has a graphic to show distance dragged.


6) Following are all pretty basic
Anchor alarm (x-droid V2.3.2) 1.62MB
Sailsafe (HCSoft S.L. v2.0.0) 880KB
Anchor Watch / Alarm (Jokaboat v1.4) 432KB
iMoveAlarm (Alfa Kilo Beheer BV v1.0) 820KB

7)PersonalAnchorAlarm (Zkdsw v2b) 4MB
Beta release. It has features I won't use and didn't look particularly interesting when I did have a quick look at it.

I forgot to mention that I only looked at free Apps.
I'm not big on spending money for Apps. or PC s/w and last big expenditure was for 4 lics. for MS Office Professional (but they only cost about £2.24 per lic. so not exactly breaking the bank ).

 

[Dipper]

Just got my Hudl. It took me half an hour to work out how to turn it on!

I'll let you test all the marine apps then you can let me know which are worth having. I'll send you a virtual beer to show my gratitude.

 

[boguing]

Thread pitch - very handy https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kr.sira.thread&hl=en_GB

Smart ruler. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kr.sira.ruler&hl=en_GB

Sygic. V good driving satnav. Costs a few £, but you get the whole dbase on the device, so don't need web connection unless you want traffic info. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sygic.aura&hl=en_GB

And, of course, Google Sky - probably the best thing that a pad can do that a laptop can't. https://play.google.com/store/search?q=google sky&c=apps&hl=en_GB

 

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Thanks for the tips I particularly like the smart ruler and I don't think I would have found that one. I wanted to find a good log book to supplement our hardback bound one. All the ones I have found are very basic.

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Some HUDLs seem to have a problem getting a lock unless they are outside. I have had a couple of Bluetooth dongles for years and both pick up a good GPS signal at home. In fact, one has regularly picked up GPS whilst sitting inside the centre of the ground floor in a concrete 2 storey building.

If GPS reception is poor then you can always disable the internal GPS and use "Bluetooth GPS" (or similar app) to link with an external Bluetooth GPS dongle.

Yes, I have also been disappointed with the internal GPS and have connected a Bluetooth one like you and it performs much, much better. Mine also gets a signal indoors, in fact it can see 3 satellites even down in my cellar. Cannot believe how it can do it as there is only a tiny view of the sky through a window and a cast iron grating. I have emailed Tesco Hudl support to see if the internal GPS could be improved by a software update as the chip must be similar to those in many devices like this.

 

[Storyline]

Here is my sailing 'page'

View attachment 37066

 

[halb]

I have installed on my Asus Transformer the following:-
GPS Nautical Charts (plotter)
Plan2Nav (Cmap, plotter)
Navionics (don't like this as much as the previous 2)
UK Tides
Meteo Consult Marine (marine weather very good)
Mad Mutt Marine (try the free version it's also a simple log book)
Marine Traffic (Ais returns)
Mais (uses mobile phone to show your position, if in range)

Hope that these Apps will keep you playing with your new tablet!!
Jon

 

[Storyline]

It is a pity Marine Traffic is paid for. I have found one called FleetMon which seems to work (you have to register but it is free).
My Hudl has loads of nautical stuff now - such a shame the boat is on the hard and I won't be sailing for another 5 months