Navionics and Samsung tablets

Could you please find out if it was an A or an E? That would help me a lot. I bought a tab A 10.1" to use navionics while sailing, later found out it doesnt have a magnetic sensor... I think it wont show the direction while sailing?
 
ghostlymoron said:
I got a Samsung tab A (or was it E) last year. WiFi only model runs GPS and Navionics fine. It's only Apple that don't have it built in. It compares favourably with iPad although slightly smaller but has slot for micro SD so can store massive amounts of stuff.
PC world staff seem more knowledgeable about their products but would always check what they say.
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Sorry, I was referring to this.
 
With the Galaxy, "wifi only" is nothing to do with GPS, it's about internet connectivity. Some will take a Sim card for internet access, other are wifi only. Unlike the iPad, a Galaxy should have GPS even if it is a wifi only model. Whether or not it has a magnetic sensor/compass doesn't really make much difference for navigation, it will use GPS data for heading/bearing/course, same as most chart plotters do. I don't think many (if any) Galaxy tablets have a sensor, which is odd because my Galaxy phone does.
 
I had a free two week trial of Navionics Europe HD last year. This is my only experience with a chartplotter and I liked it but it made the battery of my Samsung Galaxy Tab A run down very rapidly and it caused other apps to either slow right down or not work at all.

Was I doing something wrong or is this something I will have to put up with if I go ahead and buy the Navionics app?
 
PaulRainbow said:
With the Galaxy, "wifi only" is nothing to do with GPS, it's about internet connectivity. Some will take a Sim card for internet access, other are wifi only. Unlike the iPad, a Galaxy should have GPS even if it is a wifi only model. Whether or not it has a magnetic sensor/compass doesn't really make much difference for navigation, it will use GPS data for heading/bearing/course, same as most chart plotters do. I don't think many (if any) Galaxy tablets have a sensor, which is odd because my Galaxy phone does.
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Thank you. Its clear that no internet is needed. But I think the magnetic sensor or compass is needed to show a course, or at least it helps... Or is the course calculated based only on the way youve done before?
 
parsifal said:
I had a free two week trial of Navionics Europe HD last year. This is my only experience with a chartplotter and I liked it but it made the battery of my Samsung Galaxy Tab A run down very rapidly and it caused other apps to either slow right down or not work at all.

Was I doing something wrong or is this something I will have to put up with if I go ahead and buy the Navionics app?
Click to expand...

The Tab A actually has very good battery properties. Neverthenless, if you use navionics you should switch off all apps expect Navionics and turn off the wifi and internet (even if it has no connection, constantly scanning for connection needs battery).
When you tried Navionics, did it show a course (Not the course you came from, but where you were heading)?
 
Johnzoon said:
The Tab A actually has very good battery properties. Neverthenless, if you use navionics you should switch off all apps expect Navionics and turn off the wifi and internet (even if it has no connection, constantly scanning for connection needs battery).
When you tried Navionics, did it show a course (Not the course you came from, but where you were heading)?
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Thanks for replying.

It did show the course I had made good and a predicted course line but not a heading, if I remember correctly. Moving the tablet around didn't affect anything.

I'm never sure about turning off apps, or deleting them altogether. Warnings appear with some of them. Most of the apps that were pre-loaded are of no use to me. How should I delete them off safely and temporarily switch off others I use a lot; BBC iPlayer, Reverso translate, for example?
 
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parsifal said:
Thanks for replying.

It did show the course I had made good and a predicted course line but not a heading, if I remember correctly. Moving the tablet around didn't affect anything.

I'm never sure about turning off apps, or deleting them altogether. Warnings appear with some of them. Most of the apps that were pre-loaded are of no use to me. How should I delete them off safely and temporarily switch off others I use a lot; BBC iPlayer, Reverso translate, for example?
Click to expand...

Thank you.
If you press on the two squares next to the home button, you see all the apps that are currently open. Close all you dont really need at the time by clicking on the x.
 
Johnzoon said:
Thank you.
If you press on the two squares next to the home button, you see all the apps that are currently open. Close all you dont really need at the time by clicking on the x.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Yes, I do that but aren't there things running in the background and consuming energy and processing power?
 
parsifal said:
Thanks. Yes, I do that but aren't there things running in the background and consuming energy and processing power?
Click to expand...

If I close all the running apps, the running time of my tablet is good. You can also go to the smart manager and see which apps are consuming energy and close them there...
 
Johnzoon said:
Thank you. Its clear that no internet is needed. But I think the magnetic sensor or compass is needed to show a course, or at least it helps... Or is the course calculated based only on the way youve done before?
Click to expand...

You dont need a sensor, it will work heading out from GPS data, same as most chart plotters do.
 
PaulRainbow said:
You dont need a sensor, it will work heading out from GPS data, same as most chart plotters do.
Click to expand...

Unless a tablet or GPS unit has an in built compass sensor, (eg a fluxgate compass), no GPS will show heading (ie the physical orientation of the GPS in relation to north). It only shows "Course Made Good", ie the direction the GPS is moving over the ground.

Samsung tablets have in built GPS.

Turn wifi off when at sea. You dont need it and it wastes power. Doesnt affect GPS.
 
OceanSprint said:
Unless a tablet or GPS unit has an in built compass sensor, (eg a fluxgate compass), no GPS will show heading (ie the physical orientation of the GPS in relation to north). It only shows "Course Made Good", ie the direction the GPS is moving over the ground.

Samsung tablets have in built GPS.

Turn wifi off when at sea. You dont need it and it wastes power. Doesnt affect GPS.
Click to expand...

You are of course correct, my bad use of terminology. Course, not heading.
 
OceanSprint said:
Unless a tablet or GPS unit has an in built compass sensor, (eg a fluxgate compass), no GPS will show heading (ie the physical orientation of the GPS in relation to north). It only shows "Course Made Good", ie the direction the GPS is moving over the ground.

Samsung tablets have in built GPS.

Turn wifi off when at sea. You dont need it and it wastes power. Doesnt affect GPS.
Click to expand...

My samsung tablet has gps but no magnetic sensor/compass. Do you think it will be a problem to use navionics?
I mean for navigation you nead neither a heading nor a course made good.. its nice to have though..
 
My Garmin chart plotter only shows Course Made Good". The magnetic compass on board shows heading of the boat (ie the direction the bow is pointing rekative to magnetic north). I think you need both to navigate properly. You can get quit cheap and good magnetic compasses that mount all sorts of ways.

Samsung tablet good for navionics so long as power lasts and you waterproof it if needed. Touch Screen on my samsung phone and samsung tablet becomes almost impossible to use if there is water on it. Navionics runs fine on both.
 
OceanSprint said:
My Garmin chart plotter only shows Course Made Good". The magnetic compass on board shows heading of the boat (ie the direction the bow is pointing rekative to magnetic north). I think you need both to navigate properly. You can get quit cheap and good magnetic compasses that mount all sorts of ways.

Samsung tablet good for navionics so long as power lasts and you waterproof it if needed. Touch Screen on my samsung phone and samsung tablet becomes almost impossible to use if there is water on it. Navionics runs fine on both.
Click to expand...

Ok. Thank you. I leave the tablets always downstairs with the paper charts so i dont think itll get wet.
 
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