Navionics app

[ghostlymoron]

Sorry, that was my fault. Now off to look at my Navionics app. I wasn't aware of this 'community layer'.

Apology accepted OS. You did actually apologise in advance. GRRRRRRR

 

[Tarka1]

Porthmadog channel community layer

I've just been playing with my new toy and found some strange buoys in my usual cruising area (Cardigan Bay, entrance to Porthmadog). These showed no relation to the charted entrance channel. I thought 'WTF' and recalled something about User Generated Content. Decided to look on menu settings and found that a box was ticked for Community Layer. So - these marks had been put, in the wrong location, by an unqualified person and not verified - could be dangerous. Some of this content could be useful but there's no way of knowing what is accurate and what's not.
I'm leaving it turned off!
Second point with using the App is it's generally very good (and cheap for what it contains). But the way of selecting detail on charted features and tide data requires a great deal of accuracy getting it in the cross hairs (sometimes I can double click but not always. On a moving boat this would be difficult if not impossible.
Third point does not really relate to the App but more to the phone (Samsung Galaxy) which I have recently got. I am on PAYG tariff with a 'bolt-on' for limited 3G use. I found that I was using a lot of 3G for no apparent reason. I discussed with a mate - who has a similar tariff but an iPhone - and he told me to turn off some settings and this has now stopped. Can't remember which settings though.

Hi Ghostlymoron, a bit of a late reply but I'm the unqualified one that put the Porthmadog channel marks on the community layer thinking it would be a useful additional aid for me to use in the dark or fog - which it has been - with the added benefit of giving others a bit of help if they're struggling to see the bouys.
Totally agree that you have to use these with caution but I do update them whenever the HM sends out an updated chartlet of the channel and I'm sure that no-one would be daft enough to TOTALLY rely on info such as this so I hope that they weren't too far out when you came in to Port!

Cheers

Lyndon

 

[ghostlymoron]

Hi Ghostlymoron, a bit of a late reply but I'm the unqualified one that put the Porthmadog channel marks on the community layer thinking it would be a useful additional aid for me to use in the dark or fog - which it has been - with the added benefit of giving others a bit of help if they're struggling to see the bouys.
Totally agree that you have to use these with caution but I do update them whenever the HM sends out an updated chartlet of the channel and I'm sure that no-one would be daft enough to TOTALLY rely on info such as this so I hope that they weren't too far out when you came in to Port!

Cheers

Lyndon

Ah, the mysterious Lyndon appears. I wasn't getting at you but merely raising the point that the community layer is not verified. I'm sure your plots are accurate but might not be up to date. But, the channel markers on the chart base move anyway and, unless you get a chart update,these will be inaccurate anyway.

 

[Tarka1]

Not quite sure what you mean when you say "the channel markers on the chart base move anyway"?
Whenever our HM alters the channel bouyage he sends out an updated chartlet which I use to update the Navionics app so unless I'm away on holiday or it's the depths of winter then it should be accurate (I can vouch for them being accurate on Saturday anyway).
Take your point about none of this info being verified though - use with caution but I think it's still a useful feature.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Not quite sure what you mean when you say "the channel markers on the chart base move anyway"?
Whenever our HM alters the channel bouyage he sends out an updated chartlet which I use to update the Navionics app so unless I'm away on holiday or it's the depths of winter then it should be accurate (I can vouch for them being accurate on Saturday anyway).
Take your point about none of this info being verified though - use with caution but I think it's still a useful feature.

What I meant was that the channel moves and updates are published by the HM but the Navioics only shows the positions current when the chart was produced.
I typed the reply on my smartphone which is tricky so I tend to abreviate too much!