Navionics 'incompatible' with my Android tablet?

[VicMallows]

I have an Android tablet running Kit-Kat. If I try to download Navionics from the Play store (whether the free trial or the paid version) I am told the Navionics App is 'incompatible with your device'.

The only reason I can think of is that my device does not have GPS. Is this likely to be the reason? ... Seems silly as I would still like to explore the mapping and other features of Navionics before deciding whether to buy a device WITH GPS.

Have had no problems with any other App.

 

[Ruffles]

I have a version on my phone that will not install on my tablet.
I think they're trying to charge at a rate that reflects the usefulness of the app. Which is reasonable as on a tablet it makes it a bit like a £400 plotter. Whereas on a phone it's a fun toy. Though it did get me out of trouble last Winter on a moonless night in Portsmouth harbour - they scrapped the ships I'd been using for years to find my way to my mooring!

As an aside how dim do 'proper' chartplotters go at night? If I use my phone at night the screen is bright enough to affect night vision.

 

[Resolution]

As an aside how dim do 'proper' chartplotters go at night? If I use my phone at night the screen is bright enough to affect night vision.

Very dim! My Garmin touchscreen out in the cockpit has a night mode which can be dimmed down to a fraction of a glow worm. Perfect on dark nights when you want to keep you night vision.



But awful if it is still in dim mode when you next start it up! I have had to resort to placing a dark towel over my head in the sunlight in order to see the instructions to bring it back into bright mode.

 

[RichardS]

I have a version on my phone that will not install on my tablet.
I think they're trying to charge at a rate that reflects the usefulness of the app. Which is reasonable as on a tablet it makes it a bit like a £400 plotter. Whereas on a phone it's a fun toy. Though it did get me out of trouble last Winter on a moonless night in Portsmouth harbour - they scrapped the ships I'd been using for years to find my way to my mooring!

As an aside how dim do 'proper' chartplotters go at night? If I use my phone at night the screen is bright enough to affect night vision.

The Raymarine ones go as dim as you wish until effectively off. My tablet is much brighter, even on full dim. It's not a huge problem for me but there might be app which dims it further?

Richard

 

[Ruffles]

... there might be app which dims it further?

I think it might be limited by the hardware. The eye has a logarithmic sensitivity to light so it could be that chartplotters are adjusting to 1/1000 of normal. Google navigation does it's best by going monochrome and inverting but I find that too bright in the car.

 

[Alfie168]

I have an Android tablet running Kit-Kat. If I try to download Navionics from the Play store (whether the free trial or the paid version) I am told the Navionics App is 'incompatible with your device'.

The only reason I can think of is that my device does not have GPS. Is this likely to be the reason? ... Seems silly as I would still like to explore the mapping and other features of Navionics before deciding whether to buy a device WITH GPS.

Have had no problems with any other App.

The maker of the tablet buys a version of Android and with that version go many 'permissions' which may be geographical or practical..such as not permitting a GPS reliant App to download on a non GPS tablet, but there are exceptions. If you wish to 'play' with a Nav App then I'd suggest you try MX Mariner which I have on my non GPS tablet and my phone, which has it. If you can root your tablet (and I have no idea how to do that) you can sometimes circumvent the restrictions anyway, but that is getting into geek country and I am not of that persuasion by a long chalk.

My impression is that Navionics keep things pretty tightly sewn up, but maybe that helps avoid misunderstandings, or even potential liabilities if things don't work as expected.

As for buying a tablet with GPS, today sees the announcement of Tesco's Hudl 2 which sounds very good and I will probably retire my old tablet and get one. £129 or less with clubcard points and 8.3 inch screen. Available from 9th Oct I think I have found me a Nav Station!!

Tim

 

[VicMallows]

The maker of the tablet buys a version of Android and with that version go many 'permissions' which may be geographical or practical

This is indeed news to me. I have been in the computer game since 1970, but am only just getting into Android

I had assumed (it seems maybe wrongly) that Android was essentially 'open-source'. Can you point me towards any useful references please?

Yes, agree, from initial reports the Hudl 2 sounds quite exciting.

 

[planteater]

Navionics installed on my old non-gps iPad 1 so I don't think that is the problem. I reckon it might be based on the display resolution and you need the HD version for a bigger screen.

As an aside, the Hudl 2 looks great. I think I'm going to use one to replace my Lowrance plotter which is small, in the wrong place and power hungry. It's on my Xmas list!

 

[Alfie168]

Navionics installed on my old non-gps iPad 1 so I don't think that is the problem. I reckon it might be based on the display resolution and you need the HD version for a bigger screen.

As an aside, the Hudl 2 looks great. I think I'm going to use one to replace my Lowrance plotter which is small, in the wrong place and power hungry. It's on my Xmas list!

No, it is to do with the version the tablet maker bought and its 'build'. Mine was a very cheap tablet when I bought it over two years ago and it included an emulator that fooled Android market so that you could pretend it was from any part of the world you chose and access Apps not available in Europe. There were no such things as over the air updates for my tablet, but I did get a firmware upgrade which I installed myself via my PC after much faffing and that opened the tablet up to many more Apps than I could originally access...but then I did only pay £50 for the tablet and it was always a trial machine to cut my teeth on.

Things have moved on a lot since then.....as they do.

Tim

 

[DaveRo]

I had assumed (it seems maybe wrongly) that Android was essentially 'open-source'. Can you point me towards any useful references please?

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013...ntrolling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/

Most Android devices are a mixture of (1) the basic OS, AOSP, which is open sourced after a while, (2) Google proprietary apps - including, crucially, their App Store itself, (3) apps and mods added by the device maker which may replace Google ones. Nexus devices do not have (3) and are usually referred to as pure or 'vanilla' Android - Google Android that is!

App makers can control which devices they release for, which may be based on marketing (ie who will pay?) and what they are prepared to support rather than whether a device can run the app. I think that's true of Navionics who have a reputation to protect, but I don't know. (I have a Nexus 7 but not the Navionics App.)

 

[markdj]

Android is open source and free, but when Google services are added which include the app store, and the crucial Google play services app that not only protects a user from rogue apps, but opens up the usefulness of the tablet, this costs a certain amount to be part of the android open handset alliance.

Navionics have recently added navigation options to their app and it is vastly help to improve its usefulness. You could try turning on mock locations in the developer options but you might require root and a fake GPS app. MX Mariner is another good nav app and the nice thing is you can import gpx files from openCpn.

You can use an app to dim the screen further and add a red cast over everything. It's called Lux brightness.

Nexus 7 is the best calibrated screen on the market, so either that or the forthcoming nexus 9 would be my choices. Hudl2 looks good but I don't know how software updates are handled.

 

[Jegs]

Nexus 7 is the best calibrated screen on the market,

Blimey, I've got a good one in spite of general ignorance & am I impressed with Navionics. Never been much good at sharpening quills.

John G

 

[VicMallows]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013...ntrolling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/

Thankyou. A most interesting read.

 

[Paul.m.fowler]

I have an Android tablet running Kit-Kat. If I try to download Navionics from the Play store (whether the free trial or the paid version) I am told the Navionics App is 'incompatible with your device'.

The only reason I can think of is that my device does not have GPS. Is this likely to be the reason? ... Seems silly as I would still like to explore the mapping and other features of Navionics before deciding whether to buy a device WITH GPS.

Have had no problems with any other App.

Hi VicMallows, I have a few questions for you. I'm looking at buying a Sadler 29 called Eventide (formerly Sundash) Are you able to help?

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I have a version on my phone that will not install on my tablet.
I think they're trying to charge at a rate that reflects the usefulness of the app. Which is reasonable as on a tablet it makes it a bit like a £400 plotter. Whereas on a phone it's a fun toy. Though it did get me out of trouble last Winter on a moonless night in Portsmouth harbour - they scrapped the ships I'd been using for years to find my way to my mooring!

As an aside how dim do 'proper' chartplotters go at night? If I use my phone at night the screen is bright enough to affect night vision.

Doesn't your phone have a setting to adjust the brightness?

 

[V1701]

Here's how (without downloading any additional apps) to get the brightness of an Android device to a level below the lowest normal brightness setting:

Settings > Accessibility > Colour Inversion - switch this on and it's way better for use at night, like switching a plotter to night mode...

 

[peteK]

Thr op has had 5 years to sort the problem.