Navionics-am i missing something?

[Tzu]

It’s not a silly question at all, because whilst that’s obviously what you want the operating system does clever stuff to save battery etc. for developers android phones are all slightly different so even more complicated… and different versions of OS add new features that can break thinks the worked before.

If it’s paid it probably works. If it’s free you’d want to test it by setting up and going for a walk with your phone asleep etc. Note - the “backgrounding” isn’t necessarily instant either so you will want to leave it asleep for a while first.

Then whichever you use you need to understand how alarms/alerts work on your phone. Eg many phones will have a do not disturb mode, some apps can override that but need you to go and explicitly tell the phone you want that to happen…

After a couple fo hours working I'd forgotten that I was testing something and had used the phone for several other things. Even on a couple of occasions making and taking telephone calls. So when I went for a walk down the road I was initially puzzled why my phone was making an alarm sound. On checking, I was exactly on the line on the map between ok and not-ok. A benefit of testing on land where we tend to have more defined borders and landmarks I suppose

Doing more testing, but so far its looking good.

 

[FairweatherDave]

With Anchor Pro on android my son has been traumatised by the alarm going off.....many details being left out, but first time this year I decided I wanted to use it and he really didn't want me too. So I didn't. Essentially I couldn't remember the tricks needed to avoid false alarms, eg the phone going into low power mode and switching off GPS reception. I think I have got it right now for next time, which will be plug the phone in to usb to be always on charge and set the screen to never go to sleep. Is that what others do?

 

[jlavery]

With Anchor Pro on android my son has been traumatised by the alarm going off.....many details being left out, but first time this year I decided I wanted to use it and he really didn't want me too. So I didn't. Essentially I couldn't remember the tricks needed to avoid false alarms, eg the phone going into low power mode and switching off GPS reception. I think I have got it right now for next time, which will be plug the phone in to usb to be always on charge and set the screen to never go to sleep. Is that what others do?

Yes, that's what I do

 

[onesea]

With Anchor Pro on android my son has been traumatised by the alarm going off.....

Don’t start me on Random alarms, recently installed various electronics. Including AIS with NMEA Wifi. It took a couple of weeks to get it all properly installed with new panels instrument shelf and the day job as well.
Every so often we got a “Random” alarm, bloody thing could we find it? smoke Alarm? Voltage Alarm? We tried all sorts. Turned out it was the AIS Collison alarm on a tablet that I had pre installed software but had not bothered setting up yet.
If a boat cam round the bend on a different approach it set it off it took days to work out. As it went of for amoment and we just could not trace.

 

[ylop]

After a couple fo hours working I'd forgotten that I was testing something and had used the phone for several other things. Even on a couple of occasions making and taking telephone calls. So when I went for a walk down the road I was initially puzzled why my phone was making an alarm sound. On checking, I was exactly on the line on the map between ok and not-ok. A benefit of testing on land where we tend to have more defined borders and landmarks I suppose

Doing more testing, but so far its looking good.

I think half the time I’ve set it, I’ve forgotten to cancel it in the morning and then soon after we’ve hauled the anchor in I hear a screeching from down below. My brain still assumes it’s an engine cooling alarm or something!

 

[Mark-1]

With Anchor Pro on android my son has been traumatised by the alarm going

That's me.

I've got a bilge keeler in an area with no rocks so I'm not that anxious about dragging.

I *am* anxious at that mind shattering alarm going off.

...but if it wasn't such a brutal alarm it wouldn't wake me.

I use it when I feel like it which is about half of the time.

 

[Sandydog2]

I *am* anxious at that mind shattering alarm going off.

...but if it wasn't such a brutal alarm it wouldn't wake me.

Even the free version let's you choose an alarm sound. I can't bear the default. I also use the sector alarm so that I won't be woken just because the boat has swung a bit in a safe direction. The free advanced settings also let you set an alarm delay, which helps a lot with false alarms when the GPS gets a momentary false fix.

 

[Cpt.JB]

I find it amazing that after investing a significant amount of money in a GPS navigation aid, the consesus appears from this forum, a downloaded 3rd party app on a mobile phone is more efficient for something as basic as anchoring.

I do not want to loose focus of my surroundings when anchoring by looking and filling out details on a 'wizard'. However if I later decide to stay the night or go below, I want to set an alarm.

Can it be so dificult for a state of the art piece of marine electronics to allow me to tap the screen and tell it where i know i put my anchor and then set that as the centre of my swing radius.

Anchor lite / pro, and may other apps can do it.

Am i missing something? Or can an anchor position on an Axiom 9 only be set using their Wizard?

 

[jlavery]

I find it amazing that after investing a significant amount of money in a GPS navigation aid, the consesus appears from this forum, a downloaded 3rd party app on a mobile phone is more efficient for something as basic as anchoring.

I do not want to loose focus of my surroundings when anchoring by looking and filling out details on a 'wizard'. However if I later decide to stay the night or go below, I want to set an alarm.

Can it be so dificult for a state of the art piece of marine electronics to allow me to tap the screen and tell it where i know i put my anchor and then set that as the centre of my swing radius.

Anchor lite / pro, and may other apps can do it.

Am i missing something? Or can an anchor position on an Axiom 9 only be set using their Wizard?

Sadly, I don't think you're missing something.

It's a classic case of a feature being designed by a programmer who has no experience in the target activity (namely anchoring a boat). I write this as someone who writes software for a living when not sailing.

The best software is often written by people who "eat their own dogfood" - i.e who used it themselves.

 

[wonkywinch]

The problem with incorporating an anchor alarm in the plotter is you have to leave your nav kit powered up for it to work.

The Raymarine function is clever but the Anchor Pro app cleverer as you can set anchor position (usually 20-30m in front of me initially) then set an adjustable guard zone to allow for nearby hazard vs open sea.

I can sleep with the phone by the bed. I know it works as I usually forget to turn the app off and it goes into alarm as I motor away from my anchorage!

 

[jlavery]

The problem with incorporating an anchor alarm in the plotter is you have to leave your nav kit powered up for it to work.

The Raymarine function is clever but the Anchor Pro app cleverer as you can set anchor position (usually 20-30m in front of me initially) then set an adjustable guard zone to allow for nearby hazard vs open sea.

I can sleep with the phone by the bed. I know it works as I usually forget to turn the app off and it goes into alarm as I motor away from my anchorage!

Indeed - and the standard alarm on the Axiom wouldn't wake me anyway.

 

[wonkywinch]

Indeed - and the standard alarm on the Axiom wouldn't wake me anyway.

Nor me, the B&G alarm module costs £210 which is more than I paid for my phone!

H5000 Audible Alarm Module | B&G Sailing Electronics

 

[billskip]

Nor me, the B&G alarm module costs £210 which is more than I paid for my phone!

H5000 Audible Alarm Module | B&G Sailing Electronics

Surely the more economic way is to fit a diy car tracker..cheap to buy, does all you want.
Only problem is they require a sim and about 500ma supply, but with wind or solar shouldn't be a problem.

 

[wonkywinch]

Surely the more economic way is to fit a diy car tracker..cheap to buy, does all you want.
Only problem is they require a sim and about 500ma supply, but with wind or solar shouldn't be a problem.

That sort of GPS tracker is for another purpose and doesn't have the facility to set a guard fence to the same accuracy as a dedicated anchor alarm. An app that costs less than a tenner.

I only want one that alarms when I'm on board sleeping.

 

[Bristolfashion]

I also use the Anchor Watch Pro version and it works very well.
Anchor Watch Pro / Alarm - Apps on Google Play

Yes, I use anchor watch pro on an old Samsung phone - need to leave it charging overnight to avoid Android switching it off, but it works really well.

There's also an anchor watch function on my antique Garmin 276c which also works well.

If only I'd remember to switch it off before setting off - gets me every time, but proves it's working!

 

[Bristolfashion]

And I believe that the anchor watch will SMS you if the boat moves - haven't used it myself, but a cool feature.

 

[billskip]

I only want one that alarms when I'm on board sleeping.

Ok,but in all the years I have only had an anchor drag 3 times (Greece..Dokos, weed and poor holding, Aegina, poor holding and anchor dropped off shelf into deep water...Poros, storm came through 70 kts wind..)

How do you determine an accurate ring guard when your anchor trips and needs to reset? OK you can do a calculated guess but that won't be any different than you suggesting a car system didn't offer the level of accuracy.
My point being if there isn't a reliable simple system on offer from the marine electronics...go down the car route they are certainly accurate enough within the guess work ranges.

 

[Mark-1]

How do you determine an accurate ring guard when your anchor trips and needs to reset?

Personally I don't. If it wakes me, I have a quick look to see if the boat's safe and if I'm happy I use a workaround of choice and go back to sleep. (Usually increase the radius.)

 

[Bristolfashion]

Personally I don't. If it wakes me, I have a quick look to see if the boat's safe and if I'm happy I use a workaround of choice and go back to sleep. (Usually increase the radius.)

I try and set the radius to indicate when things have gone Pete Tong*, rather than just an anchor reset or minor wind shift. I really like the dual distance thingy - allows you to distinguish between that relatively close by rocky shore one way and the miles of sea room the other.

My wife thought that the expression was, "going Pat Tong"! We now use Pat Tong for a minor problem and Pete for a biggun'!

 

[RunAgroundHard]

There is a lot of angst in this thread: not having anchor watch Apps, not trusting anchor watch Apps, having to test the anchor watch App, worried about setting up the anchor watch App. You don't need an App, just anchor, check it is holding and enjoy your time at anchor.