Simple electronic navigation solution?

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by sepharad

I am prepping for my first cruise. My Standard Horizon CP300i GPS Chart Plotter is so old they no longer sell the chips and am lucky a king member send me his old European chip.

I read that a Samsung Galaxy S8 loaded with Navionics was simple, straightforward, and economical. Now I see a multi-page complaint about 100+% price increasing and use limitations.

What is a solid, simple electronic navigation solution for me, please.

Super technical solutions are incomprehensible to me.

If it say things like download X files Convert them to Z files and upload them as Y files, it is utterly meaningless to me.

Solid and simple without being gouged.

It is still Navionics. Even with the price increase, you won't find quality up to date charts cheaper, or even close to the price. Go price charts for a Raymarine or Garmin plotter, then look at what Navionics charges for the same chart.

The complaints are a result of it's simplicity. More sophisticated users hate it for it's lack of features. But if you want something simple and adequate for most uses, nothing is cheaper or more simple.

[AedanC]

I use OpenCpn with oeSenc charts, can’t recommend it highly enough. Works on Windows, Mac and Android.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by wholybee

It is still Navionics. Even with the price increase, you won't find quality up to date charts cheaper, or even close to the price. Go price charts for a Raymarine or Garmin plotter, then look at what Navionics charges for the same chart.

The complaints are a result of it's simplicity. More sophisticated users hate it for it's lack of features. But if you want something simple and adequate for most uses, nothing is cheaper or more simple.

I’ve tried navionics and it is good but at least for me, on the west coast US, iSailGPS works well and downloads NOAA charts free on my iPhone.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by fxykty

OpenCPN is good, but charts can suck depending where in the world you are. We’re in Indonesia and the only commercial chart available is €270!!! The CM93 world base map is more offset and useless than useful around here. If it wasn’t for satellite chart repositories available from other cruisers and the ability to make our own (neither job suitable for the computer near illiterate), OpenCPN wouldn’t be all that good either. And it’s not available on devices.

I use OpenCPN on an Android Notebook, gps Puck and CM93 world charts that have taken me round the Med, across the Atlantic and round the Caribe.. they also took me through the Panama canal and across the S Pacific, over the top of Oz and down to Perth where I picked up another boat which I took across the Bight and down the E coast of Tassie to a little place S of Port Huon all for €300.
Why should I waste good money on an IPad.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I use OpenCPN on an Android Notebook, gps Puck and CM93 world charts that have taken me round the Med, across the Atlantic and round the Caribe.. they also took me through the Panama canal and across the S Pacific, over the top of Oz and down to Perth where I picked up another boat which I took across the Bight and down the E coast of Tassie to a little place S of Port Huon all for €300.
Why should I waste good money on an IPad.

You don’t need to spend money on an iPad, but the OP has one and wants a solution. The OP can add a GPS receiver to their iPad via Bluetooth or Lightning connector. Then they can use the iPad with Navionics or iSailor or any of the other navigation apps that are available.

We also use CM93 world chart with OpenCPN (running on an old MacBook) and while we were in NZ and Australia and most of the South Pacific the charts were pretty good (in Australia, better than the official chart bought from o-charts). But in SE Asia, forget about it, CM93 is useless. Either spend €280 in o-charts for an Indonesia chart (and nothing for Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, etc), or import satellite images.

[boatman61]

Luckily SE Asia has little appeal for me.. maybe 30yrs ago but today naah..
A USB GPS Puck is just €20 or so..

[Hugh McCormack]

Listen to this. It's excellent.

[Kettlewell]

A couple of points. Choose your system based on the charts you need and want. For example, here in the USA OpenCPN is great because we have every single official NOAA chart available for free to download. I'd ask around the marina where you are for what other people are using and like. Second, don't cheap out on the devices you use for any charting program. For phones I would only purchase the latest flagship models, or expect poor performance. I use OpenCPN on my Samsung S22 smartphone and it works very well here in the USA. I can attach my phone to my Nexdock and it becomes a laptop-sized chart plotter not requiring an external GPS to run. Very simple in use, with only a bit of hassle setting up at first. Also, just sips power, very easy to replace the phone and carry a backup, and I have found the GPS to be spot on where I have used it.

[rdempsey]

Originally Posted by sepharad

Solid and simple without being gouged.

Solid Simple Inexpensive

Pick 2

[Hugh McCormack]

https://spoti.fi/3R6n1ld Listen to this 35 minute podcast from Andy Schell from 59 North. It's all you'll need. Any trouble loading let me know.

Hugh

[Amapola]

I happily run AquaMap and Navionics on my 12" iPad Pro.

[sck5]

It is a mistake to assume you will always have cell service. Maybe where you are it always works but if you go cruising then maybe not. As suggested above, get a GPS puck. Even the computer illiterate can figure out how to plug it in. And the non-cell ipad is cheaper

Warning re ipads : Keep it in a ziploc bag with some of those moisture absorbing little packets. You cant get them wet and if you do it will void the warranty

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by sepharad

I read that a Samsung Galaxy S8 loaded with Navionics was simple, straightforward, and economical. Now I see a multi-page complaint about 100+% price increasing and use limitations.

It is still simple straightforward and economical just not quite as economical as before. The price increase is annoying but let's get real it is $50 a year which is a essentially a penny in boat terms. People are acting like the price was increased to $2,000 + $50/mo. If someone can't afford $50/yr they likely don't own a boat.

You said Galaxy S8 but honestly even a Samsung Tab A9 wifi-only will work ($200). Pretty much impossible to beat an A9 + Navionics on a cost vs utility. If you got a few bucks to spare upgrade to the Tab S9 F3 ($400) because is waterproof. Navionics allows two devices per subscription so you can also load the app and charts on your phone as a backup to the tablet. One nice thing about Samsung tablets is the wifi-only version still has GPS unlike ipad.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by sck5

It is a mistake to assume you will always have cell service. Maybe where you are it always works but if you go cruising then maybe not. As suggested above, get a GPS puck. Even the computer illiterate can figure out how to plug it in. And the non-cell ipad is cheaper

Warning re ipads : Keep it in a ziploc bag with some of those moisture absorbing little packets. You cant get them wet and if you do it will void the warranty

The reason for cellular ipad is more to have integrated gps to avoid the need of a puck (another thing to break or lose). Unless someone is wedded to the idea of apple products samsung tablets are likely better in that respect even the cheapest wifi-only tablets have gps.

[nofacey]

I’ve used multiple programs on ipads, easiest way to go. Just buy a gps puck for the ipad you own.

Mine live in an Otterbox cover (okay to splash, though I try to minimize that), usually in holder at helm.
- needs to be plugged into 12v power, suxs when it dies.