Navionics App Update -AIS

[ballyabroad]

So it looks like the Navionics Boating App has had an update and AIS overlay is now available. Anyone know the settings to get a Quark Wifi receiver to connect to the App? It's not listed in the compatible devices list, but figure there must be a way to connect it? Thanks in advance. If nobody on here can figure it I'll do a bit of chasing with Quark and Navionics.

 

[scruff]

Following with interest! An ais overlay would be great

 

[laika]

So it looks like the Navionics Boating App has had an update and AIS overlay is now available. Anyone know the settings to get a Quark Wifi receiver to connect to the App? It's not listed in the compatible devices list, but figure there must be a way to connect it? Thanks in advance. If nobody on here can figure it I'll do a bit of chasing with Quark and Navionics.

A while back when they first announced the sonar charts thing I was fiddling with the android version and it seemed to accept NMEA over udp broadcast to port 2000. They might have changed it and after my blog post someone mailed me to say that wasn't working for them on ios, but you could give that a go

 

[RichardS]

So it looks like the Navionics Boating App has had an update and AIS overlay is now available. Anyone know the settings to get a Quark Wifi receiver to connect to the App? It's not listed in the compatible devices list, but figure there must be a way to connect it? Thanks in advance. If nobody on here can figure it I'll do a bit of chasing with Quark and Navionics.

All you have to do is open your tablet/phones wifi setting and connect the tablet to the wifi signal being transmitted by your AIS unit. Your tablet will then receive the AIS data over wifi from your AIS unit. This is the same process as I currently use to get the AIS targets onto OpenCPN running on my tablet.

If the AIS targets then don't show up when you turn on "AIS Targets" in Map Options then it's presumably because there is an incompatibility. My Vespermarine is listed as compatible so I should be OK although I can't test it until I'm back on the boat.

If the Navionics implementation is good, it looks as if OpenCPN will become redundant because AIS is all I use it for.

Richard

 

[Daverw]

Just had a look at m boating app and it has AIS added, it just needs a suitable WiFi AIS, very good update

 

[PaulRainbow]

Been a long time coming, good that Garmin now own Navionics

 

[Yngmar]

A while back when they first announced the sonar charts thing I was fiddling with the android version and it seemed to accept NMEA over udp broadcast to port 2000. They might have changed it and after my blog post someone mailed me to say that wasn't working for them on ios, but you could give that a go

This is still true. We sometimes use your kplex (cheers!) to get depth soundings into Navionics on Android when sounding out an anchorage where the sonarchart is dead wrong. Works okay, although after a few days/weeks uptime kplex seems to need a restart because something in the UDP stuff gets stuck (TCP continues to work - never really had the chance to look into it very much).

Just downloading the AIS update. Might take a while (weak signal from the restaurant wifi at anchor). Expect it will work the same, but will report back once tried.

 

[ballyabroad]

Have tried connecting a tablet with Navionics to the AIS receiver, but no joy with the Navionics App. Open CPN and Marine Navigator work fine pulling in the AIS data. I've emailed Navionics to see if they'll let me have the details of what the App is actually looking for. Hoping I'll be able to emulate another device as I can change the Wifi settings on the Quark. I'll keep the thread updated.

 

[john_q]

Another addition is that Navionics now will upload/download .GPX file formats so waypoints from Garmin devices can easily be installed on Navionics apps on Android and apple devices

 

[Yngmar]

Works fine with kplex. Not a lot of AIS targets in range here, but it shows up just fine. Curious to see how it renders ones underway - should find out tomorrow.

Relevant part of the kplex.conf:

# UDP Navionics broadcast for Sonarcharts
[udp]
port=2000
type=broadcast
address=172.16.42.255
direction=out

Shows up in Navionics like so (under connected device):

And then on the map:

So if you can tell your Quark to do the same (UDP broadcast on port 2000), and have Navionics connected to the same Wifi network, it should show up there.

 

[laika]

Works okay, although after a few days/weeks uptime kplex seems to need a restart because something in the UDP stuff gets stuck (TCP continues to work - never really had the chance to look into it very much).

Not had that reported: Let me know details by email (or on the google group so anyone else who's seen this can pitch in) and I'll look into it

 

[mickbond]

Just set up my opencpn laptop to be a WiFi access point using free connectify software and told opencpn to UDP broadcast ais messages to 255.255.255.255 port 2000. Connected iPad wifi to the virtual access point and ais overlay appeared in Navionics on the iPad.

 

[SeaAndSea]

Looks like Navionics isn't available on Windows devices, does anyone have a view on decent chartplotters for Windows?

 

[Yngmar]

Looks like Navionics isn't available on Windows devices, does anyone have a view on decent chartplotters for Windows?

OpenCPN works well on Mac/Linux/Windows. Charts not included, but available (o-charts etc. - depends where you cruise). This is much better than Navionics. Navionics is really just charts that come with a very basic chartplotting app.

 

[RichardS]

Navionics is really just charts that come with a very basic chartplotting app .....

.... but now with AIS and automatic route plotting so not quite so basic.

Richard

 

[Yngmar]

.... but now with AIS and automatic route plotting so not quite so basic.

Compared to OpenCPN, the Navionics app is still a lot like drawing on a paper chart with crayons instead of a mechanical pencil. Of course it may well be sufficient for many.

We do use both, together, and appreciate each for their strengths. OpenCPN does all the route planning, steers the autopilot, watches the anchor, let's me draw on the chart, load charts from multiple sources (including satellite imagery) and has a ton of useful plugins (GRIB overlays, Climatology, Watch Dog, etc.) and its AIS display is the best I've seen yet (it sure leaves B&G's latest Zeus chartplotters look pretty lame by comparison, at least in this respect).

Navionics however undoubtedly has the best leisure charts by far, thanks to their Sonarcharts, the user-editable data and recent integration with Activecaptain. Also being portable (on a waterproof phone), we can even use in the dinghy

 

[Ningaloo]

it (OpenCPN) sure leaves B&G's latest Zeus chartplotters look pretty lame by comparison, at least in this respect.

I spoke to the developers at Simrad about the crude AIS graphics and they told me that this was as outside their control as it is part of the AIS specification.

Not sure about this but if true, I imagine that OpenCPN, MarineTraffic and others are not as constrained as they are not designing hardware that needs to meet such AIS standards.

 

[ballyabroad]

If anyone is interested here are the generic Wifi settings for what the App is looking for....
Thank you for contacting Navionics.


If you don’t have any of the devices listed in compatibility guide and your Ais receiver allows setting the wifi configurations, you can use one of the below configurations known to the Navionics apps:


ip Address: “0.0.0.0” (or leave empty)

port: 2000,

protocol: "UDP"


ip Address: "192.168.15.1"

port: 39150

protocol:*“TCP”


Best regards,



Marco*

CUSTOMER SERVICE*

 

[stu9000]

Another addition is that Navionics now will upload/download .GPX file formats so waypoints from Garmin devices can easily be installed on Navionics apps on Android and apple devices

Interesting.
I wonder if that means I can import routes to the chartplotter.
Currently, I have to have an active subscription/card.

 

[Daverw]

You should be able to either by exporting to a card and uploading or using plotter sync, we’ve been doing this for the last year, works well even if it as bit clunky