Anyone manage to get Visit my Harbour charts working with Android ?

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Kinsale373

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Looking at reviews I thought this was a piece of cake now i'm not so sure! After a phone call to the Visit M H office and conversation with a very nice Guy, I deleted all files from by Windows Lap top and started again with the download. Two hours on I'm still getting a "Critical Error: failed to get installed content protection service version " when I try to run the Truscont software to unlock the files.

Anyway I've decided to give up on the Windows Lap Top version and have just downloaded the Map files to my ANDROID Table as this is most likely where I will use them. But how do I unlock the files ? The nice man in VMH says its all in the PDF and mentioned something about an EMAIL to request yet another key to unlock the files. I can't see who I'm supposed to email though!

Anyone any ideas ! I think the 2017 version is just out , could there be a problem with the files?

Kinsale 373
 
I went away and had a glass of wine and thought about it! Came back , re read the instructions and have worked it out! I managed to send an activation email request so fingers crossed for full activation tomorrow on the Android pad ! More wine called for!

Kinsale 373
 
Kinsale373 said:
I went away and had a glass of wine and thought about it! Came back , re read the instructions and have worked it out! I managed to send an activation email request so fingers crossed for full activation tomorrow on the Android pad ! More wine called for!

Kinsale 373
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Glad you managed. Yes it is a bit complex and the instructions, although good and thorough, are a bit off-putting, but the end result using their raster charts and the Marine Navigator app is worth it. The app developer tells me he is working on an AIS overlay, i live in hope...... ��

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
I'm glad that it's not just me! Even with help from the VMH guys I have spent several hours on this, and merging Antares charts is another level of difficulty. Despite being pretty computer literate, and following their instructions to the letter, I have given up. I now use Memory Map, which are fine , but more expensive.
I use a Nexus 10 which is very good, and also have Navionics as well but the Antares charts are a must for close quarter work on the West Coast.
 
It really is pretty simple :-)

- each chartset is stored in a sub-directory named after it in either device storage (e.g. emulated/0/Android/data/de.kemiro.marinenavigator2/files/charts/VMH-UK-IRL-2016) or on the SD card (e.g. extsdcard/Android/data/de.kemiro.marinenavigator2/files/charts/VMH-UK-IRL-2016)
- delete this old version of the chartset either by deleting that sub-directory or using the delete function within the app itself (you can keep it if you want the old versions too and have the space).
- put your new VMH-2017 chartset zip in emulated/0/BSB_ROOT
- import it using the app
- you'll then find a new sub-directory has been created under ../Android/data/de.kemiro.marinenavigator2/files/charts/ on either the device storage or the sdcard (the app decides which).
- do the gmail activation thingy as specified in the PDF

Merging Antares with VMH.
- make a zip of all the Anatares .KAP files EXCLUDING THE CHART SELECTOR ONE and put this Antares-2017.zip in /emulated/0/BSB_ROOT
- import it using the app
then EITHER
- copy all the files from the new Antares-2017 subdirectory into the VHM sub-directory (see directory strings above).
OR
- move the Antares-2017 sub-directory to the storage (device or sdcard) that the VMH sub-directory ISN'T on and then rename it to exactly the same name as the VMH sub-directory on the other storage.

Either method will merge both chartsets in Marine Navigator but the latter method is the best as an individual chartset can then be deleted/updated in the future more easily.
If you end up with, say, VMH on device storage and Antares on the sdcard but would prefer it the other way for space reasons then just move them - Marine Navigator won't mind and will find them by itself.
 
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I recently did this, and there's one point in the instructions that I feel is a bit unclear. They say to use GMAIL to receive the header file. Now, the GMAIL APP can be configured to be used as your email reader for any normal email account, and I've set it up that way for my usual email account. I read the instructions as meaning "email sent and received via the GMAIL app". Unfortunately, what it means is "use a GMAIL ACCOUNT to send and receive the header file"!
 
I would really like this package but jumping through all the hoops has put me off in the past and even the good advice here makes me less likely to buy it. SteveN has summed up nicely, it's a DIY computer science project.

I prefer rodding the drains to messing with computers; all I want is a CD or download to do the lot and I don't mind what the price is. I am sure others feel the same, it could do really well if this was sorted.
 
prv said:
I've no particular interest in doing this stuff, but this seems very odd. Why on earth does it matter what email account you use to receive some authorisation key?

Pete
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VMH say that other email programs have been known to corrupt the file that is sent to them from Marine Navigator, edited and then returned to your Android device. I've had the key file cc'd to a second email address and downloaded it using email other clients and not noticed a problem myself. The Gmail app does allow you to 'open the attachment with' Marine Navigator which automatically enables the chartset and I suppose that other clients may not do this without being configured in the MN app itself so sticking just to Gmail is probably easier for them.
 
I have the VMH charts on my laptop and my Android tablet. In a few ways, i'm disappointed. The installation process and registration is unnecessarily complicated and clunky. Most companies have given up making the customer experience too unpleasant, more people will avoid the product than would make pirate copies.

The Android app is dated and lacking in features. Unless you have extremely good eye sight, the small text on Windows is hard to read.

I recently paid for the iSailor charts for half the Country. The app supports AIS, for an extra £9.50. The charts do work out more money than VMH charts, but can be put on multiple Android devices without having to keep jumping through the registration hoops. Sorry VMH, but those hoops are ridiculous in this day and age.

I think i'll be sticking with iSailor on the tablet and phone. For Windows i'll stick with OpenCPN. VMH charts will be ok for now, but i'll be looking into the forthcoming Vector charts for the UK.
 
PaulRainbow said:
The installation process and registration is unnecessarily complicated and clunky.
Click to expand...

Yes, I think it has a lot to do with smoke and mirrors to give the impressive that the registration/key process is much more complicated and secure than it is in reality.
 
Steve_N said:
Yes, I think it has a lot to do with smoke and mirrors to give the impressive that the registration/key process is much more complicated and secure than it is in reality.
Click to expand...

I call Hanlon's Razor on this one. It's not a deliberate attempt to make things complicated, just insufficient attention and effort spent on making them simple.

Pete
 
prv said:
I've no particular interest in doing this stuff, but this seems very odd. Why on earth does it matter what email account you use to receive some authorisation key?

Pete
Click to expand...

Steve_N said:
VMH say that other email programs have been known to corrupt the file that is sent to them from Marine Navigator, edited and then returned to your Android device. I've had the key file cc'd to a second email address and downloaded it using email other clients and not noticed a problem myself. The Gmail app does allow you to 'open the attachment with' Marine Navigator which automatically enables the chartset and I suppose that other clients may not do this without being configured in the MN app itself so sticking just to Gmail is probably easier for them.
Click to expand...

As above, other email servers can (and do) damage the authorization file. When I used my usual email address (which I use via the GMAIL app) the authorization file was corrupted; when I used a Gmail address it was fine. I suppose that anyone who uses an Android phone or tablet must have a Gmail address, even if they rarely use it! But it isn't the local app that's the problem, it's the email servers between VMH and the user. I must admit I thought that a) the instructions weren't clear on this point and b) the authorization system seems a bit clunky - and I've used software with "floating" licenses over an organization-wide LAN!
 
PaulRainbow said:
I have the VMH charts on my laptop and my Android tablet. In a few ways, i'm disappointed. The installation process and registration is unnecessarily complicated and clunky. Most companies have given up making the customer experience too unpleasant, more people will avoid the product than would make pirate copies.

The Android app is dated and lacking in features. Unless you have extremely good eye sight, the small text on Windows is hard to read.

I recently paid for the iSailor charts for half the Country. The app supports AIS, for an extra £9.50. The charts do work out more money than VMH charts, but can be put on multiple Android devices without having to keep jumping through the registration hoops. Sorry VMH, but those hoops are ridiculous in this day and age.

I think i'll be sticking with iSailor on the tablet and phone. For Windows i'll stick with OpenCPN. VMH charts will be ok for now, but i'll be looking into the forthcoming Vector charts for the UK.
Click to expand...

Like you I tried VMH on Android. Such a hassle installing the charts and no AIS compatibility on the clunky Marine Navigator app. I will not be updating it. If you just want simple raster charts then MXMariner is good, otherwise I prefer iSailor.
 
oldsalt said:
Like you I tried VMH on Android. Such a hassle installing the charts and no AIS compatibility on the clunky Marine Navigator app. I will not be updating it. If you just want simple raster charts then MXMariner is good, otherwise I prefer iSailor.
Click to expand...

MXMariner is 9 quid to install. How much are UK charts after that? Thanks
 
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