Nav data on your phone?

[Refueler]

I have various Chart systems - being connected to Shipping - from full ECDIS to simplest Seaclear etc.

I note a number of times people mention not to download the 'Free' OpenCPN. Interesting as I have the free OpenCPN on a number of units Android and PC. I downloaded from OpenCPN ... not from Playstore ... and I see no limitation in use ... I admit that I have not used the 'paid version' ............. So what is the difference ?? What are you paying for ?

For those that have the required cash .... one of best PC based Plotter Software is : TelChartV3 .... but be prepared to mortgage your wallet !!

And recently - I decided to try the Android Navionics ..... was pleasantly surprised and eventually coughed up the 39 euros for Baltic Charts .... bought a nice new 8" tablet from Banggood .... with AIS via WiFi to it ..... I can now sit anywhere on board and take out from pocket my Tablet and navigate ...

 

[GHA]

.. and I see no limitation in use ... I admit that I have not used the 'paid version' ............. So what is the difference ?? What are you paying for ?

free version is ancient, completely unsupported & lots of it just doesn't work. A guy ages ago got the hump cos he thought all opensource should be completely free so compiled a version & put on play then went away. So now there's loads of opencpn forum traffic about "why doesn't this rubbish app work properly" .
You're paying (next to nothing) for up to date software with support which works.
OpenCPN – Apps on Google Play

 

[Refueler]

free version is ancient, completely unsupported & lots of it just doesn't work. A guy ages ago got the hump cos he thought all opensource should be completely free so compiled a version & put on play then went away. So now there's loads of opencpn forum traffic about "why doesn't this rubbish app work properly" .
You're paying (next to nothing) for up to date software with support which works.
OpenCPN – Apps on Google Play

I was genuinely interested to know what difference ..... and while waiting replies - I googled.

As I understood - it was because there was no full Android version .... and that vers 4.1 was last vers that Free provided.

My free PC version is Vers 5.0.0 (probably out of date as its 2019) .... I note that openCPN.org site does not as I see it - mention Android version at all ... only Win / Linux / Mac and R Pi ...... {edit} .. just updated to 5.6.2 on PC

TBH - I find OpenCPN clunky anyway ... but it serves a purpose and many people like it.

 

[GHA]

I was genuinely interested to know what difference ..... and while waiting replies - I googled.

As I understood - it was because there was no full Android version .... and that vers 4.1 was last vers that Free provided.

My free PC version is Vers 5.0.0 (probably out of date as its 2019) .... I note that openCPN.org site does not as I see it - mention Android version at all ... only Win / Linux / Mac and R Pi ......

TBH - I find OpenCPN clunky anyway ... but it serves a purpose and many people like it.

Android opencpn has it's own forum. You get the link when you get the app.
You understand incorrect, as explained in post 42.
If your old unsupported version hasn't fallen foul of google android changes in scoped storage it likely will soon, minefield, that's what paying a tiny amount to the developers gets you. Plus support.
OpenCPN Dave Register Android 11 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

 

[Refueler]

Android opencpn has it's own forum. You get the link when you get the app.
You understand incorrect, as explained in post 42.
If your old unsupported version hasn't fallen foul of google android changes in scoped storage it likely will soon, minefield, that's what paying a tiny amount to the developers gets you. Plus support.
OpenCPN Dave Register Android 11 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

As I said - I hardly ever use it now ..... mainly because I find it clunky and as far as CM93 - it only accepts Vers2, and even then NOT the final vers before CM93 Vers 3 was issued .... which Vers2 now is ancient.

 

[GHA]

As I said - I hardly ever use it now ..... mainly because I find it clunky and as far as CM93 - it only accepts Vers2, and even then NOT the final vers before CM93 Vers 3 was issued .... which Vers2 now is ancient.

No one would use cm93 V3, far too expensive when you can get official data for most of the world for a fraction of the price. Not sure of the cost to get encryption sorted out, I know it was a big deal & countless flaming hoops to jump through for ocharts to get encrypted access from various hydrographic offices.
There is a back door to download cmap offerings as mbtiles , bit naughty copyright wise though.
The last version of cm93 v2 actually had *less* data than earlier versions so no one really uses that.
Maybe your arguments apply to your own very specific situation but irrelevant to the vast majority of users.

 

[PaulRainbow]

No one would use cm93 V3, far too expensive

Maybe your arguments apply to your own very specific situation but irrelevant to the vast majority of users.

As refueler has his own company Home with "Strategic Offices around the World " he perhaps gets a preferential price.

 

[GHA]

As refueler has his own company Home with "Strategic Offices around the World " he perhaps gets a preferential price.

Sounds familiar. Completely irrelevant to everyone else though.
Big downside of web forums, personal opinions & very speficic situations can morph into some kind of global bjective reality. (personal opinion?)

 

[Refueler]

No one would use cm93 V3, far too expensive when you can get official data for most of the world for a fraction of the price. Not sure of the cost to get encryption sorted out, I know it was a big deal & countless flaming hoops to jump through for ocharts to get encrypted access from various hydrographic offices.
There is a back door to download cmap offerings as mbtiles , bit naughty copyright wise though.
The last version of cm93 v2 actually had *less* data than earlier versions so no one really uses that.
Maybe your arguments apply to your own very specific situation but irrelevant to the vast majority of users.

Yes - Vers2 did end up as a reduced detail charting .... as I understood it - that was partly due to the Jeppesen scandal when the guy illegally released the 'code' to the world. Vers 3 was already in the making so possibly a marketing tactic to make Vers 2 unattractive.

As to Vers 3 and any access I may have - is subject to a specific Commercial NDC ... so speculate all you want ....

For my in hand private use - having avoided Navionics for as long as its been on market - I finally succumbed when it went Android with Boating and Lakes. Why ? I live upriver from the Port and no Charting covered upriver past the railway bridge. That bridge is approx 2km downriver from me. This is where Lowrance Plotters came to fore ... it was fairly easy to compile own charts to display on the Lowrance - which I did. They served me well for years .... then my Lowrance screen started flickering - its a known factor with them after a number of years use ... and being an old unit - now literally zero chance to repair. (Its actually started working again and is used on my day boats now). But Navionics with its Boating and Lakes - somebody had the clever idea to include decent coverage of inland lakes and rivers .... voila - I had chart coverage for my river trips on my tablet / phone etc.

As to the 'other offerings' that OpenCPN can use .... tried them and soon uninstalled them .... was seriously disappointed with them being nowhere near the hype I read about them.

 

[GHA]

As to the 'other offerings' that OpenCPN can use .... tried them and soon uninstalled them .... was seriously disappointed with them being nowhere near the hype I read about them.

Not sure what you mean. What did you try then uninstall?

I was talking about downloading the latest Cmap charts through a back door which opencon can view.
Same for navionics, Bing satellite, google satellite & loads others which wouldn't be of any use.

Cmap sea floor looks pretty! ?

End of the day opencpn is extremely popular particularly among cruising sailors who use it day in day out rock solid, any issues dealt with very promptly, & under constant development. (Beta now can share routes between different machines on the same network with a right click.)

Seems bit odd that just one person on a web forum thinks otherwise.

Let's face it, pretty obvious it's just you, not the software. ?

 

[PaulRainbow]

As to Vers 3 and any access I may have - is subject to a specific Commercial NDC ... so speculate all you want ....

 

[Refueler]

Avatar deleted as "Unnecessary insulting reply".

Laugh all you want ..... but considering that you appeared on these fora many years after the events that caused the NDC to be issued .... and long after I appeared here .... even the date 2008 against my ID is many years after I actually joined these fora.

The only part I can disclose is it was to do with Chart Formats and Archives. If you were around here at the time - you would not be so flippant with your post.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Laugh all you want ..... but considering that you appeared on these fora many years after the events that caused the NDC to be issued .... and long after I appeared here ....

The only part I can disclose is it was to do with Chart Formats and Archives. If you were around here at the time - you would not be so flippant with your post.

I've been here for far longer than you might think.

 

[Refueler]

I've been here for far longer than you might think.

So you may have been .... here when first Forums were created ?? I was within a few months literally ... in fact when the 1st version fora were hacked - I created PBO2 Forum and meetings to provide an alternative home while admin cleaned up these fora. The PBO Burgee in my ID panel was given me for that.
Reason my date is 2008 is because of an error of later admin deleting my 'membership' after another forumite posted a disgusting foul language post. I still have that text as a reminder of how low some can descend.