Navionics plotter. To renew or not?

[stu9000]

My Navionics micro sd card for the plotter expires in 4 days and there is a 50% off offer, accompanied with dire warnings that my sd card will be blacklisted if it expires.

It's good to have a plotter and that is where the ais data is currently viewed. It's at the helm which is more exposed than under the hood. The day to day reality is I use the tablet or phone android app far more than the plotter.

I'm halfway through Andrew_trayfoots suggested build of a 10" Android digital car display and plan to do the mod that allows ais data to transmit via WiFi to various devices. It's not marinised but at £60 I'm willing to take the chance.

Lst time I tried I could not export routes from the app to the plotter, although the gpx adverts I'm getting suggest it may now be easier.

In spite of the " blacklist" comment I assume the sd card will still work on the plotter, but won't get updates. Is it worth £119 a year to renew the plotter card? I am a fan of navionics but there is no point in throwing money where it'd not needed. I'm not sure I will renew but welcome other views.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

It will "work" but be as fixed as a paper chart at the time of print. It can't be updated, and some features won't work (eg autorouting).

 

[stu9000]

Thanks. Good to know.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

It will "work" but be as fixed as a paper chart at the time of print. It can't be updated, and some features won't work (eg autorouting).

With the additional disadvantage that you can't bring it up to date with a purple pen?

 

[ithet]

Not sure where you get the blacklisting from? The expired card will operate with the last data loaded on it. Your plotter will give you a nag screen about out of date data. You can use the expired Navionics card to activate a new 'update' card (at 50% discount) or renew an online subscription at any time, provided the expired card has not been registered for a different update. Even when used to activate a new card the old card will still work, although not updateable of course. My Navionics account gives me the 'renew' option for my card whose subscription ran out two years ago. Typically I run subscriptions every other year.

Navionics | Renew the Subscription to Chart Updates

BTW,
You can even update to different chart areas and both Navionics and C-Map will allow an 'update' against the others equivalent size card.

 

[stu9000]

Not sure where you get the blacklisting from? The expired card will operate with the last data loaded on it. Your plotter will give you a nag screen about out of date data. You can use the expired Navionics card to activate a new 'update' card (at 50% discount) or renew an online subscription at any time, provided the expired card has not been registered for a different update...

Their words not mine.
I'm a fan of Navionics and am not here to throw muck, but was taken aback by the wording.

Screenshot attached states I "won't be able to update it anymore".

I'm not willing to spend the discounted renewal price of £119 every year but might spend the £200 in 4 years as the old card gets long in tooth.

If you are listening Navionics, you'd probably get more revenue out of me if you dropped the blacklisting bit. I'd update every other year. X

 

[stu9000]

With the additional disadvantage that you can't bring it up to date with a purple pen?

All true. But I do my detailed route planning on the pc at home, and use the tablet routinely when on board. The tablet does have up to date charts.

 

[ashtead]

Far cheaper to update on iPad navionics or other makes of tablet I believe. I guess the need depends on ones sailing plans ? As you say might be worth updating chart plotter card every 5 years but if it was say £30 per update I would sign up for annual renewal .

 

[stu9000]

Far cheaper to update on iPad navionics or other makes of tablet I believe. I guess the need depends on ones sailing plans ? As you say might be worth updating chart plotter card every 5 years but if it was say £30 per update I would sign up for annual renewal .

As would i

 

[Andrew_Trayfoot]

m halfway through Andrew_trayfoots suggested build of a 10" Android digital car display and plan to do the mod that allows ais data to transmit via WiFi to various devices. It's not marinised but at £60 I'm willing to take the chance.

A Yakker NMEA WiFi bridge does that job very well.
Yakker 1 Port NMEA to WiFi Bridge - UniversalYachtParts

 

[MarkCX]

Your screenshot refers to completing a transaction. Could it mean that if you upgrade with a discount, you get a new card and the old one becomes ‘blacklisted’?

This is just how I read it based on the information on the screen. If that is the case then ‘blacklisting’ prevents you giving the card to someone else so that they can also get a discounted upgrade. I think if you did nothing you would just be able to continue using it. Possibly.

 

[Robin]

When we lived aboard in USA, We inherited from previous owner a number of obsolete Garmin chart cards, no use to us as we had replaced all electronics. I advertised the obsolete cards as they could be useful to somebody with old gear still. Garmin lawyers got in touch and threatened dire consequences if I sold them as they were their copyright. I had listed them with a bunch of stuff on Amazon. Having taught said lawyers some choice Anglo Saxon words, I pointed out the the cards were actually offered FREE, or only postage costs. Amazon intervened and I heard no more, but quietly mailed them to a delightful lady liveaboard who was returning from Mexico and could not buy new cards from Garmin to fit her obsolete plotter. I hate bullies.

 

[ithet]

Their words not mine.
I'm a fan of Navionics and am not here to throw muck, but was taken aback by the wording.

Screenshot attached states I "won't be able to update it anymore".

I'm not willing to spend the discounted renewal price of £119 every year but might spend the £200 in 4 years as the old card gets long in tooth.

If you are listening Navionics, you'd probably get more revenue out of me if you dropped the blacklisting bit. I'd update every other year. X



View attachment 94844

Your screenshot is from a checkout basket. The warning here is that once you complete this transaction the current card can no longer be used for another update. The use of blacklisting is perfectly valid - they will record that the old card has been used for a new discount. If you do not complete the transaction then the card is not blacklisted and can still be used for a discounted update (say in four years time - and it will only cost the £119 at current prices). Their use of expire is not so valid, as whether used for update or not the card will still contain usable date.

Your screenshot refers to completing a transaction. Could it mean that if you upgrade with a discount, you get a new card and the old one becomes ‘blacklisted’?

This is just how I read it based on the information on the screen. If that is the case then ‘blacklisting’ prevents you giving the card to someone else so that they can also get a discounted upgrade. I think if you did nothing you would just be able to continue using it. Possibly.

Exactly this.

 

[MarkCX]

A clearer explanation than mine ?

 

[stu9000]

Ah ok. "...once you complete this transaction..."
Makes sense.

 

[[3889]]

As Navionics chops and changes all the time I can't confirm that this still works but it was the case that by installing a new, cheap region such as USA, all existing regions could be updated for another year.