Garmin GPSMap plotters: Active Captain session limit?

[davidaprice]

There's no good place for a chartplotter in my cockpit, so I'm thinking of installing a Garmin GPSMap 723 chartplotter at the chart table and using their Active Captain app to show the chartplotter display on my waterproof smartphone, iPad (in waterproof case) and possibly in the future on one or two surface-mounted Android tablets (e.g. Orca Display 2).

Garmin support don't answer their e-mails so I'm asking here: does anyone know if there's a limit to the number of simultaneous Active Captain sessions a Garmin GPSMap 723 will support? E.g., one? At the Helsinki boat show this year I was hold that the 723 and its larger siblings differ only in the size of the screen, so answers for larger GPSMap plotters will also be helpful.

Thanks, David

PS. The problem with installing a chartplotter outside is that it's a tiller boat so no wheel pedestal, there's no room next to or behind the companionway and installing a chartplotter through the bulkheads at the front of the cockpit would require a big box on the other side which people down below would bang their heads on. Why do chartplotters have to be 5cm thick when they're essentially the same technology as my iPad, which is 7.5mm thick?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I can’t say for certain but pretty sure I have had a phone and a tablet simultaneously. I’ll be able to check in a couple of days, as I am certain my plotter will need updating on my next visit.

 

[PaulRainbow]

There's no good place for a chartplotter in my cockpit, so I'm thinking of installing a Garmin GPSMap 723 chartplotter at the chart table and using their Active Captain app to show the chartplotter display on my waterproof smartphone, iPad (in waterproof case) and possibly in the future on one or two surface-mounted Android tablets (e.g. Orca Display 2).

Garmin support don't answer their e-mails so I'm asking here: does anyone know if there's a limit to the number of simultaneous Active Captain sessions a Garmin GPSMap 723 will support? E.g., one? At the Helsinki boat show this year I was hold that the 723 and its larger siblings differ only in the size of the screen, so answers for larger GPSMap plotters will also be helpful.

Thanks, David

PS. The problem with installing a chartplotter outside is that it's a tiller boat so no wheel pedestal, there's no room next to or behind the companionway and installing a chartplotter through the bulkheads at the front of the cockpit would require a big box on the other side which people down below would bang their heads on. Why do chartplotters have to be 5cm thick when they're essentially the same technology as my iPad, which is 7.5mm thick?

It's three.

 

[davidaprice]

Garmin support just replied after nearly a week's wait, and said: "The GPSMAP 723, supports one ActiveCaptain app and the App itself supports TWO smart devices at a time. So using the Helm feature is possible on two Smart devices at the same time." Slightly odd way of saying it, but it sounds like they're saying that you can run the app on only two devices simultaneously connected to one chartplotter. Perhaps they mean the 723 supports one Active Captain account at a time and the app has a limit that one account can only run two instances of the app simultaneously. That would mean that it would require an Internet connection to keep count, not ideal.

But thanks, I'd appreciate hearing about success in practice.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Garmin support just replied after nearly a week's wait, and said: "The GPSMAP 723, supports one ActiveCaptain app and the App itself supports TWO smart devices at a time. So using the Helm feature is possible on two Smart devices at the same time." Slightly odd way of saying it, but it sounds like they're saying that you can run the app on only two devices simultaneously connected to one chartplotter. Perhaps they mean the 723 supports one Active Captain account at a time and the app has a limit that one account can only run two instances of the app simultaneously. That would mean that it would require an Internet connection to keep count, not ideal.

But thanks, I'd appreciate hearing about success in practice.

You do not need an internet connection to use the app

Although it says 2 connections, i have used 3, not sure how that worked, will try again latter. I suspect i may have logged in on 2, then added a 3rd and it didn't disconnect the others.

 

[BCsailor]

Are you able to put chartplotter on a swing-out arm so that it can be used in cockpit and stored inside? (My solution on our boat.)

In case you are interested re non-Garmin: Current Furuno chartplotters also have "N-Remote" app that shows everything that chartplotter is showing, and allows you to fully control chartplotter. I have tried it successfully/easily on my Furuno system. Charts on latest Furuno XL systems (TZMAPS/Timezero) are far superior to Garmin's Navionics.

 

[davidaprice]

Are you able to put chartplotter on a swing-out arm so that it can be used in cockpit and stored inside?

Thanks, but I've thought about that and concluded that it would be rather clumsy on our boat and wouldn't meet with approval.

 

[Refueler]

Charts on latest Furuno XL systems (TZMAPS/Timezero) are far superior to Garmin's Navionics.

Interested in basis for this ... honest.

ALL electronic charts whether Vector or Raster (except of course for VMH or similar) are derived from the same sources. The info / detail are same. Presentation in terms of colours / zooming layers etc may change brand to brnad - but the base material is same.

Navionics is second only to CMap - which is the primary standard of Vector charting.

 

[salar]

Garmin support just replied after nearly a week's wait,

I'm not sure where you are supported from but I had an email response today from Garmin in the UK within 30 minutes of asking. That's probably the fastest ever but they are usually very good.

 

[sailorbenji]

I believe it's 2. If I try and add a 3rd device, I have to choose one of the first two to drop.

 

[BCsailor]

Interested in basis for this ... honest.

ALL electronic charts whether Vector or Raster (except of course for VMH or similar) are derived from the same sources. The info / detail are same. Presentation in terms of colours / zooming layers etc may change brand to brnad - but the base material is same.

Navionics is second only to CMap - which is the primary standard of Vector charting.

Best to go and look at Timezero charts... they are free to look: TIMEZERO Cloud (create a free account).

Yes, the base data are the same, BUT: Navionics (and CMAP) have their own schedule of applying official updates. Here in British Columbia, I've seen delays of over 12 months (i.e., official charts had changes on them 12 mos before they finally showed up on Navionics). There is no clarity/certainty when they update their charts (this is unrelated to a user "updating" their charts on their devices).

(My late 2023 TZT3 Furuno system sadly uses CMAP charts (they are "ok"... I'm used to them for over a decade on previous Furuno Navnet2). In 2024, Furuno came out withTZT3XL, with major benefit of Timezero charts. Oh well....)