Tide Plotter, feeling ripped off

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DogWatch

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My 3yr tide plotter ran out in January so I went shopping for a new licence / plotter and decided to buy from Bellfield again after reading their pages. It was this page that really sold it to me >>

View attachment 28259
http://www.chartsandtides.co.uk/tideplotter



We have added a Pocket PC version and the latest innovation is a version for the mobile phones, Smart Phone.
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It was this app that I really fancied, being able to dial up tides on my phone was irresistible so I paid and downloaded the latest software from the site. There is NO bundled app for the telephone so I contacted Bellfield by e-mail.

My email to Bellfield sent 13 Jan
Just bought this program (3 years) with the hope to load it onto my mobile device. I downloaded the plotter paying with paypal and found all I received was a windows installer msi file.

The only reason I bought Belfield this time around was for the mobile device app. Your page promises a mobile device app, yet reading the instructions it appears I must buy the program on DVD to get this facility. WHY?

And so, I am left with something I didn't really want, tides on my phone is far more useful day-to-day than at home on my PC.

Is there a way to solve this, is there a download location I can use to acquire the app, am I really expected to spend out more money to buy what I was expecting in the first place?

Hoping for a quick resolution
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Received on 14 Jan 2013
Currently we only have a Windows PC version

regards

Keith Belfield
Belfield Software Limited

Www.chartsandtides.co.uk
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Sent 14 Jan
Don't be daft, read your own pages

http://www.chartsandtides.co.uk/tideplotter

"We have added a Pocket PC version and the latest innovation is a version for the mobile phones, Smart Phone. "

Was this just a wish list?
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And that is the last I have heard from them. I have been using Bellfield for many years now and thought I could trust them. It seems that Keith thinks he is running a cottage trading company and I will forgive him for an outright and blatant lie about his product. I have given enough time now for a resolution, now I want this fixed one way or another. But in the meantime, be wary of this product if you expect the smart phone app, the webpage is an outright lie.
 
I use the Tucabo tide planning app on my phone. The basic app is free, but you pay for extensions from the default 1 day. I've just downloaded the 2013 UK and Ireland tables for £1.49. I seem to recall that there was another small charge somewhere, but can't recall what it was.
 
Moonshining said:
I use the Tucabo tide planning app on my phone. The basic app is free, but you pay for extensions from the default 1 day. I've just downloaded the 2013 UK and Ireland tables for £1.49. I seem to recall that there was another small charge somewhere, but can't recall what it was.
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Many thanks, but I have just paid for 3 yrs from Bellfield and am loathed to pay out again for something I should have now (according to their blurb). You're quite right I should have shopped around more, but I had some loyalty with Bellfield and when I saw they were selling the product with a bundled app I stayed with them. Even after my e-mail they have not altered the webpage (11 Feb 2013). They're not the cheapest tide plotter about, I sucked it up because I had misaligned trust of their product.
 
Moonshining said:
I use the Tucabo tide planning app on my phone. The basic app is free, but you pay for extensions from the default 1 day. I've just downloaded the 2013 UK and Ireland tables for £1.49. I seem to recall that there was another small charge somewhere, but can't recall what it was.
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I use the same one. Made by Tucabo, branded Imray for some yachty recognition :)

You pay a charge for each year. This covers all countries, and needs paying again each spring.

Some countries add an additional restriction - in the UK you can only get the next seven days' tides, in France only one day's. You then pay separately for each of these restrictions to be lifted. This is a one-off and doesn't need to be paid again each year.

It's a little fiddly to understand, but it's imposed by the way the hydrographic offices license their data, not by the app designers. In practice it's not a problem, you set up what you need when you first get the app, then just renew the yearly fee each spring. Each amount is peanuts by non-app-store standards, so although there's a lot of talk of paying, the overall costs are not high.

Pete
 
sarabande said:
There's a TidePlotter for smartphones on the Belfield CD (mine is dated 2010).
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intriguing, Keith has told me they only write for the PC. Does your app take the same unlock code as the PC version, would you consider posting me a copy if this is the case, Bellfield seem unwilling to furnish me with something I have paid for. I chose not to buy the CD as I don't need a squillion photographs of the Arctic ice.
 
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I have had the same row with Keith over this. I have used his program on my specially bought pocket PC for years. I had it mounted below so I could instantly see the state of the tide. He has discontinued the pocket PC version as of 2013, even though he still advertises that it is available as you have found out !
My solution has been to buy an iPad mini and use the Tucabo and tides uk apps. The Tucabo one is the best but unlike Belfields program the time line doesn't move by itself. The tides uk app has moving time line but limited number of ports. It doesn't as yet include Falmouth, the one I need the most!
So I've bought the iPad mini and a mounting bracket, just hoping that the app from Tucabo is updated to moving time line.
Such a pity about the Belfield prog.
 
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Shakemeister said:
Have a look at Marine Weather by Bluefin. App for Android, dunno if it's on iPhone.

Hundreds of UK tide stations, plus shipping forecasts including inshore waters. Also sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset.

And that's the free version. I think if you pay for it it removes the adverts.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bluefinengineering.android.marineweather&hl=en
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Does this require regular data on the phone as I have it turned off at my provider as I am odd and tend to use my telephone as a telephone with a monthly bill under £2.00. I don't wish to change this just to get tide times.
 
DogWatch said:
Does this require regular data on the phone as I have it turned off at my provider as I am odd and tend to use my telephone as a telephone with a monthly bill under £2.00. I don't wish to change this just to get tide times.
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Am not a mobile expert ! I assume that everytime you access it you use up some of your download allowance - so if you're on pay as you go (PAYG) then you'll pay for data everytime you use it.

If you're on PAYG then you'll also be paying to download a free app in the first place - I see why you wanted a CD-ROM which I assume you'd bluetooth/USB from your PC to your phone.

Nothing odd about using a telephone as a telephone! Though you can't get the best out of a smartphone without access to the interweb IMHO.

Perhaps someone who sells phones and mobile contracts can offer advice on good deals? Then you can balance the cost of buying the software with the cost of buying data.

£2 a month! Lucky get! :D
 
Shakemeister said:
Am not a mobile expert ! I assume that everytime you access it you use up some of your download allowance - so if you're on pay as you go (PAYG) then you'll pay for data everytime you use it.

If you're on PAYG then you'll also be paying to download a free app in the first place - I see why you wanted a CD-ROM which I assume you'd bluetooth/USB from your PC to your phone.

Nothing odd about using a telephone as a telephone! Though you can't get the best out of a smartphone without access to the interweb IMHO.

Perhaps someone who sells phones and mobile contracts can offer advice on good deals? Then you can balance the cost of buying the software with the cost of buying data.

£2 a month! Lucky get! :D
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Tucabo works when off the network so the upfront cost is all you pay
 
I would be a pretty naff tide calculator to require network connectivity in order to show tide predictions. The calculations aren't that complex and the harmonic data is pretty static. Even my ancient & long defunct Psion had enough memory & power to show tidal predictions.

It might connect to upload a new batch of adverts rather than anything to do with tidal prediction. Unless it doesn't hold any local data and simply requests it from a server, but that's a poor way of doing is (as I mentioned at the start).

Downloading a free app. would also be free if connected cia WiFi, I leave mine on whenever I'm at home but turn it off outside to extend battery life.
 
This is all very interesting advice on which FREE app I should have downloaded, but I chose to continue my trust with a well known tide predictor who it appears has sold me a pup. As can be ascertained, I am not afraid to pay for the right software, why this has turned into a stampede to inform which free apps each of you use, which I have taken note of, it doesn't help me as I have paid out for something and don't wish to pay again, be it cash or the inconvenience of adverts or nag screens. I want Keith to put this right.
 
Interesting, I bought through paypal, I could lodge a formal complaint. Well thought that man.
 
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