Warning from VisitMyHarbour about Marine Navigator

[AntarcticPilot]

It may have changed but it certainly used to be true that VMH charts could ONLY be used with Marine Navigator on Android.

 

[Plum]

It may have changed but it certainly used to be true that VMH charts could ONLY be used with Marine Navigator on Android.

I have just had a reply from AngelNav 'We have started work on the Android version, but I think it will be at least 6 months before it is released." Then you would have to buy the raster charts from them.

 

[Whaup367]

I have just had a reply from AngelNav 'We have started work on the Android version, but I think it will be at least 6 months before it is released." Then you would have to buy the raster charts from them.

Hmm, could be a while before the first odd-numbered-release comes out. Is anyone able to advise whether Antares charts are supported on the Apple version, please?

 

[jlavery]

Hmm, could be a while before the first odd-numbered-release comes out. Is anyone able to advise whether Antares charts are supported on the Apple version, please?

Yes they are - although you have to pay for a plugin to load Antares.

 

[Whaup367]

Yes they are - although you have to pay for a plugin to load Antares.

...of course you do!

That's why I never started down the Apple route in the first place; too much to hope that it might have changed in the intervening decades...

 

[jlavery]

...of course you do!

That's why I never started down the Apple route in the first place; too much to hope that it might have changed in the intervening decades...

The need to buy the plugin is a business decision by AngelNav actually, not related to Apple.

 

[Whaup367]

The need to buy the plugin is a business decision by AngelNav actually, not related to Apple.

Interesting, thanks: does that suggest it (or one) would be needed for the Android version, too, do you think?

 

[dunedin]

Hmm, could be a while before the first odd-numbered-release comes out. Is anyone able to advise whether Antares charts are supported on the Apple version, please?

Most people seem to run Antares Charts on Memory Map. And can also get the entire UK raster charts for £30 or so, and OS maps as well.
Memory Map works well on Apple, Android and Windows, and the same chart licence allows use on multiple devices irrespective of platform.

 

[KRG]

I had the Google "not activated" message, but it went away if there was no internet (no Wifi or mobile data) when starting the app, But I can't say how reliable that solution is - the message may come back.

What VMH don't explicitly say is that you need to pay again for the non-Google version activation! £8.65, so worth it.

Thanks for that tip, I turned off data and mine works again. Hoping to export all the way points.

 

[ProDave]

Will this new rule and / or enforcement affect any other apps like Open CPN in the future?

 

[Steve_N]

The developer himself removed Marine Navigator from the Play Store about a couple of years ago and since then it has only been available through VHM, from the developer himself or by using an APK extractor to retrieve it from an existing Android device. Perhaps this is some kind of tit-for-tat by Google.
Whether an app previously downloaded from the Play Store and then extracted from one Android device and installed on another remains linked to the the Play Store I'm not sure but the answer anyway is to extract the APK and then run an APK signer on the extracted APK prior to installation on other devices.
That way the app becomes completely disassociated with Goggle, will never be updated and they can do nothing to affect or stop it's use.

 

[jlavery]

The developer himself removed Marine Navigator from the Play Store about a couple of years ago and since then it has only been available through VHM, from the developer himself or by using an APK extractor to retrieve it from an existing Android device. Perhaps this is some kind of tit-for-tat by Google.
Whether an app previously downloaded from the Play Store and then extracted from one Android device and installed on another remains linked to the the Play Store I'm not sure but the answer anyway is to extract the APK and then run an APK signer on the extracted APK prior to installation on other devices.
That way the app becomes completely disassociated with Goggle, will never be updated and they can do nothing to affect or stop it's use.

It's not a tit-for-tat. Believe me, Apple and Google have so many apps in their stores that they're not interested in individual apps.

The action from Google is purely a policy update to reduce the risk of apps tracking people without their knowledge, which is a good thing.

If you're "side-loading" an APK from a non-Google source, it's up to you to verify that you trust the source of the APK.

 

[PaulRainbow]

It's not a tit-for-tat. Believe me, Apple and Google have so many apps in their stores that they're not interested in individual apps.

The action from Google is purely a policy update to reduce the risk of apps tracking people without their knowledge, which is a good thing.

If you're "side-loading" an APK from a non-Google source, it's up to you to verify that you trust the source of the APK.

Not forgetting that forcing app's to be compiled for Android 10, as a minimum, means that they won't run on older devices, so more sales of Android devices.

 

[Pye_End]

Thanks for that tip, I turned off data and mine works again. Hoping to export all the way points.

Yep. Good for me. Can turn on wifi/data on as soon as the app is running and it still seems to run ok. Hopefully this makes it 'usable' again.

 

[Plum]

The developer himself removed Marine Navigator from the Play Store about a couple of years ago and since then it has only been available through VHM, from the developer himself or by using an APK extractor to retrieve it from an existing Android device. Perhaps this is some kind of tit-for-tat by Google.
Whether an app previously downloaded from the Play Store and then extracted from one Android device and installed on another remains linked to the the Play Store I'm not sure but the answer anyway is to extract the APK and then run an APK signer on the extracted APK prior to installation on other devices.
That way the app becomes completely disassociated with Goggle, will never be updated and they can do nothing to affect or stop it's use.

I have the Marine Navigator app as a APK file whick I loaded successfully but goole playstore would not let me open the app. How do I run an APK signer on the extracted APK prior to installation ? Many thanks.

 

[Steve_N]

I have the Marine Navigator app as a APK file whick I loaded successfully but goole playstore would not let me open the app. How do I run an APK signer on the extracted APK prior to installation ? Many thanks.

Install the 'apk-signer' app from the Play Store, choose the 'sign a file' option and point it to the Marine Navigator APK file. It will change the APK's signature so that Google will no longer recognise the app. Then install the modified APK as normal.

 

[Plum]

Install the 'apk-signer' app from the Play Store, choose the 'sign a file' option and point it to the Marine Navigator APK file. It will change the APK's signature so that Google will no longer recognise the app. Then install the modified APK as normal.

did that, thanks, clicked on the modified APK file. It downloaded. I got a Google message asking if I wanted the app to be sent for checking. I selected no. Opened the app then after a few seconds I got the message "Application not licensed....." with the option to Exit or Buy App. Selected EXIT and the app closed. Tried again to open it, same result. Any idea what I did wrong?

 

[Skylark]

Slightly concerned after reading through this thread . I have a Lenovo Tab with Android and use the Marine Navigator App with VMH Raster charts. I haven’t connected the Tab to the interweb for a long time.

I fairly regularly sail boats other than my own (which has Simrad & Navionics plotter). I used the Tab successfully as recently as two days ago in The Clyde.

Are you guys saying that if I connect the Tab to the internet the App will become disabled?

 

[Plum]

Slightly concerned after reading through this thread . I have a Lenovo Tab with Android and use the Marine Navigator App with VMH Raster charts. I haven’t connected the Tab to the interweb for a long time.

I fairly regularly sail boats other than my own (which has Simrad & Navionics plotter). I used the Tab successfully as recently as two days ago in The Clyde.

Are you guys saying that if I connect the Tab to the internet the App will become disabled?

That is my experience. The VMH site provides instructions on how to buy a fresh copy of the app from them, outside of Google, to overcome the problem although I have yet to try that

 

[Pye_End]

That is my experience. The VMH site provides instructions on how to buy a fresh copy of the app from them, outside of Google, to overcome the problem although I have yet to try that

Have you tried turning off data/wifi when opening the app? Works for me.