New iPad Pro as plotter

[Bojangles]

Just noticed the new iPad Pro has a 12.9" screen and might work nicely as a second screen for the Raymarine e series plotter on the boat. Would suitability of a bigger screen need to be checked to ensure the scale would be optimised on a bigger screen or are there already alternative wireless devices with screens this size that can be used at the moment?

Am I right in saying that in order to use the Navionics app, you would need the cellular model?

 

[mcanderson]

I run the navionics app on my iPad that is the wifi version with no problems when it is wifi linked to my dongle which I use to get internet access when in France. I imagine the same is true linked to your phone if you are in the uk.

 

[Momac]

I have a Raymarine e7 on the flybridge and use a tablet at the lower helm as a repeater using the free Raycontrol app. The e7 is fully operational from the tablet screen.
The tablet screen is not visible at all in full daylight and can be hard to see on a bright day even in shady conditions of the lower helm. The tablet has 'Marine Navigator' as a backup for navigation. The tablet also has built in gps so it works without a sim card and doesn't need internet/phone connection. I bought the tablet from London Chartplotters for about £140 - a lot less than an ipad. Don't but a tablet without built in gps.
.

 

[ian38_39]

Not sure about the new pro but certainly on the older models they only fitted a GPS receiver on the cellular models.
If you rely on a wifi link then A: it won't work when you have no signal, B: is far less accurate than GPS.

 

[julians]

You dont need connectivity forbthe navionics app, you just download the charts you want to the device so they caen be used when you are offline. I use the navionics android app on my boat with no Internet connectivity. It works quite well.

You need a very bright screen for it to be readable in bright sunlight, and if you leave the device in the sun it can overheat and power down.

It goes without saying that the device you choose needs to have GPS capability

 

[Nigelpickin]

Received my Ipad pro last Thursday, the first app installed was Raymarine
We nice, super quick and he recent updates are fantastic. You must have the gps enabled version, (128gb cellular), as the others in the range work on wifi triangulation and other trickery.
We use an ipad for all of our passage planning and then tx the data to our Raymarine set up, very slick, saves spending ages sitting at the helm plotting away.
As a complement to our existing Raymarine install it's a real efficiency, not sure if I would want to rely on a tablet as my sole solution; it's more of a convenient redundancy.
The multitasking is very good and when Raymarine update the app to allow that then the ipad will be even more viable.
Agree with comments regarding screen, we have a sports cruiser so less of a problem.

 

[ian38_39]

we solved the overheating problem in the sun by putting our boat on the East Coast of the UK. strangely the sunlight viewable bit is not much of a problem either :encouragement:

 

[prv]

It goes without saying that the device you choose needs to have GPS capability

Yes, and that's where the "cellular" bit comes in - it's nothing to do with connectivity per se. The older models of both iPad and iPhone (I don't know if it's still the case) only had GPS on the "cellular" models. So you didn't need to put a SIM card in it or be in range, but you needed to have bought that version (or a fiddly external GPS).

Not sure where Navionics comes into the equation if the OP wants to use it as a second screen for his Raymarine though...

Pete

 

[Nigelpickin]

If op wants that then Ray view is good but more so Ray Remote. They do what it says on the tin with the head unit doing all the work. Great for keeping an eye on the anchor slip while you're resting and so on.

GPS unit doesn't need a sim and based on my first week with the IPP it's super slick working with the RM app, versus a Garmin or Raymarine head unit it's a world apart.

Garmin/RM et al must be worried about convergence devices, but I guess that they are currently structuring their models toward new income streams in readiness for a decline in hardwear demand?

 

[Hurricane]

For those poor people who can only afford an Android, it might be worth noting that OpenCPN has now ported across and has been released onto the Google Play Store.
All my PC charts just copied across and worked.

I also had the opportunity to run the software in a proper working environment when we helped Whitelighter with his delivery from Sant Tropez to Sant Carles last month.

Here is a screen print of my Android Tablet running OpenCPN
The purple line is our track.
Please don't comment on the wavy line - we were trying to get the auto pilot to work.
OpenCPN was following our track EXACTLY!!

 

[Bojangles]

Thanks for all the replies and sorry it seems my original post had a lot of additional text which didn't make sense, now removed, no idea what happened there.

I already have a Raymarine E7 (on FB) which allows an existing ipad to be used as a remote screen I just wondered if the new ipad pro with such a big screen would work in the same way. I need to replace my old ipad anyway so looks like the Ipad pro would make sense.

Nigelpickin, sounds like you have a similar set up so that is reassuring that the IPP will make the best of Navionics app as well.

I have the old C80 at the lower helm and considered changing this to another E series but might just try having the larger ipad next to this to avoid the additional cost of a new plotter.

Thanks

 

[nauticalnomad]

I have an Galaxy note pro which is 12 inches in size.
I use it with navionics and it works fine.
Its good that its 2 inches bigger than my normal galaxy tablet.

 

[IDAMAY]

We are considering going a similar route to this on Ocean Spirit to supplement the 2003 vintage Raymarine electronics and avoid reinvesting in CMap cartography - v expensive when NT Plus is the largest card you can use. From a daylight visible point of view which is best on the FB - E7 or Ipad or similar?

 

[IDAMAY]

And as a supplementary is the screen of the Ipad Pro considerably better than earlier Pads when considering sunlight performance?

 

[Nigelpickin]

And as a supplementary is the screen of the Ipad Pro considerably better than earlier Pads when considering sunlight performance?

It's better Richard but I've not tested it in anger. Let's have a play when you come over in Feb....it would be nice to have a run out if Falmouth with you guys if you don't mind slumming it on our small boat

 

[Bojangles]

We are considering going a similar route to this on Ocean Spirit to supplement the 2003 vintage Raymarine electronics and avoid reinvesting in CMap cartography - v expensive when NT Plus is the largest card you can use. From a daylight visible point of view which is best on the FB - E7 or Ipad or similar?

I wouldn't like to rely on just having an ipad, as others say, not the best screen in sunlight and I think they are prone to overheating in sunlight (like phones also do). I used the E7 because of the available space on my dash but I do find the remote screen is a handy feature on the wi-fi link to the ipad.

 

[SteveSarabande]

If i had an e7 on board I would run the ray control app on the ipad, rather than navionics. It is more integrated into the boat electronics.

 

[Nigelpickin]

If i had an e7 on board I would run the ray control app on the ipad, rather than navionics. It is more integrated into the boat electronics.

ah but with multi tasking you would run both....thats the big step change imho. so raymarine navionics with a data feed or radar from ray control. You could even rig up a gopro feed so easily....

 

[IDAMAY]

It's better Richard but I've not tested it in anger. Let's have a play when you come over in Feb....it would be nice to have a run out if Falmouth with you guys if you don't mind slumming it on our small boat

Sounds like a plan, Nigel! Small isn't a good description of your boat though,