Davidhunter
New Member
Evening chaps and gals
Does anyone have any recommendations for the best chart plotter software for iPad?
Thanks
Does anyone have any recommendations for the best chart plotter software for iPad?
Thanks
Advice chart plotter software for ipad
- Thread starter Davidhunter
- Start date
Tim Good
Well-Known Member
I think you know the answer already. Navionics. Assuming you meant charts for iPad making it a chart plotter.
alex_m24
Member
This
Ohlin Karcher
N/A
Navionics, bear in mind battery consumption.
sigma38dave
Well-Known Member
I would look at iSailor before you jump on the Navionics band wagon!
Blue_mischief
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't. Not a communicative firm and by their own admission their charts for the UK don't always include the Admiralty detail. There are some threads on them and their pricing policy.
I prefer raster charts and Memory map is good, though some of their routing abilities are basic (can't split or concatenate routes for example).
For android tablets, Marine navigator also uses raster charts and can plot AIS. OpenCPN uses vector charts and can also plot AIS. (Assuming you have an AIS receiver)
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Tim Good
Well-Known Member
Isailor has its place when it was one of the only ones to allow AIS data to be plotted from a wifi transponder but now Navionics does it, I feel it is redundant. iSailor is good but it just doesn't compare.
Tim Good
Well-Known Member
If you haven't got a USB lead handy then understanding how to manage battery usage is important.
- lower screen brightness to usable limit
- toggle off Bluetooth off when not needed
- toggle off GPS when your passage planning and you don't need your position
- using in flight mode with no data as GPS still works this way with Navionics
Most of this depends on learning how to toggle things easily so it doesn't become a chore.
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Tam Lin
Well-Known Member
That’s why I fitted a USB socket from my main 12v battery. Works fine.
RobF
Well-Known Member
I didn't get on with this software at all. It's User Interface was absolutely baffling to me - route creation in particular. The process to download charts was not great either and there was no trial period (unlike the Navionics app).
Buck Turgidson
Well-Known Member
I may be the only one but I like IMRAY Navigator. I've tried them all and second would be navionics.
Channel Sailor
Well-Known Member
Me too, I like Imray Navigator. Have used for I think three years now.
Monique
Well-Known Member
We have Raymarine with Navionic charts on our main plotters, OpenCPN on our MAC and the Boating app from Navionics on our iPad. We like the iPad software best. The best feature for us is the Sonar charts and we contribute our own Sonar soundings back to Navionics for the Boating app. If you are in "bommie" infested waters like in Fiji, it is an essential piece of equipment. ... although we still managed to find 2 unmarked ones in our present cruising grounds. Drawback: charts are updated weekly and the download for the area is typically 60 + MB. Luckily, the phone sim cards are very inexpensive in Fiji. We use separate battery packs to extend the usability of the iPad.
GL
GL
dehlerdave
Well-Known Member
Monique
What charts do you use on your Mac? I have a MacBook and am considering buying a windows PC to run open CPN and VMH charts for on board. I have a Raymarine chart plotter with Navionics but am not totally happy with loosing detail at differing zoom levels given I now live up a river with shallow areas.
Those who still use a PC would you share which PC you use and any thoughts. A Panasonic Toughbook seems to come out of many internet searches but there must be others used with varying degrees of success.
Great full for any advice and experience.
Many thanks
Dave
What charts do you use on your Mac? I have a MacBook and am considering buying a windows PC to run open CPN and VMH charts for on board. I have a Raymarine chart plotter with Navionics but am not totally happy with loosing detail at differing zoom levels given I now live up a river with shallow areas.
Those who still use a PC would you share which PC you use and any thoughts. A Panasonic Toughbook seems to come out of many internet searches but there must be others used with varying degrees of success.
Great full for any advice and experience.
Many thanks
Dave
Monique
Well-Known Member
Hi Dave,
On the Mac we have the OpenCPN software and the available charts from OpenCPN; in this area of the world, the NZ charts are very good! The issue is the GPS input and this took a while to resolve but I am now using a "GPS/Glonass U-blox7" USB dongle and it works like a charm (FleaBay will sell you as many as you want at about £7.00 per unit. We have 3 onboard) There is a special procedure to get it to work with MAC. This was described in a thread about 3 years ago IIRC. I'll see if I can find it and place it on this thread.
Found it: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?455598 . Read it through a few times... unless you are far more of a "nerd" than I.
I bought a PC to run OpenCPN then found the solution for the MAC here; save your dosh and buy me a beer when I get back to BOZO land....
Don't hesitate to use your Mac; works beautifully once you get your GPS connected... GL.
On the Mac we have the OpenCPN software and the available charts from OpenCPN; in this area of the world, the NZ charts are very good! The issue is the GPS input and this took a while to resolve but I am now using a "GPS/Glonass U-blox7" USB dongle and it works like a charm (FleaBay will sell you as many as you want at about £7.00 per unit. We have 3 onboard) There is a special procedure to get it to work with MAC. This was described in a thread about 3 years ago IIRC. I'll see if I can find it and place it on this thread.
Found it: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?455598 . Read it through a few times... unless you are far more of a "nerd" than I.
I bought a PC to run OpenCPN then found the solution for the MAC here; save your dosh and buy me a beer when I get back to BOZO land....
Don't hesitate to use your Mac; works beautifully once you get your GPS connected... GL.
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wilucson
New Member
I use Imray Navigator. I like their chart design much more than Navionics which look dreadful and Imray are raster too so no chance of accidentally missing detail at wrong zoom levels. The navigation tools are decent too.
mbroom
Well-Known Member
Please don’t. I have tried iSailor extensively over the past few years; charts can have less detail than competitors and when they had a serious outage a year or so ago, communication was terrible. In addition, if you sail any distance, their pricing is very high. Use Navionics (which is also easier to use) or for cheap raster charts, the excellent Marine Navigator.
Edit: Marine Navigator is Android only..... but worth buying a cheap 2nd hand tablet just to run it!
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Elessar
Well-Known Member
there's a word I had to look up.
Serious question, and I fully understand the difference between vector and raster charts, for those who prefer raster charts, why?
As a back up I get it, as many sources of information as possible is good navigational practice, but as a main plotter I don't understand the attraction.
Buck Turgidson
Well-Known Member
Because the details are never hidden. There is to my mind no point in a chart which hides information when zoomed out. You may as well look at a blank piece of paper.
But I understand most people are happy to play zoom in zoom out all day.
nicappotamus 2
Well-Known Member
we a/b navionics against marine navigator raster for the last 2 weeks.
I like the comfort of proper charts, but in the cockpit, navionics display is superb and clear to see (on an ipad under the sprayhood) that we stopped using the android tablet and will fix up a few permanent mounts for the ipad (it's in a decent waterproof case)
so navionics. However, I use open cpn with admiralty charts for planning on a laptop as it's cheap and good (full uk charts are about £17 a year) but will solely use navionics underway, plus you are always sailing with pretty up to date charts.
I like the comfort of proper charts, but in the cockpit, navionics display is superb and clear to see (on an ipad under the sprayhood) that we stopped using the android tablet and will fix up a few permanent mounts for the ipad (it's in a decent waterproof case)
so navionics. However, I use open cpn with admiralty charts for planning on a laptop as it's cheap and good (full uk charts are about £17 a year) but will solely use navionics underway, plus you are always sailing with pretty up to date charts.
