Navionics App on Android Phone

[Ambler]

Originally Posted by gettinthere

So who is happy with their android navigation ap? Looking for recommendations...

I use a program called memory-map Memory-Map Aus/NZ | Topo Maps | Marine Charts | GPS Software for PC Android and iOS for Australia. It costs up to $350 AUD but you get 2 computer and 2 other gadget licences to use on smaller hand held devices such as an android tablet or I-Pad. The charts supplied with the program are the raster scanned official Australian Hydrographic Charts. You can subscribe to the Aus Navy Notice to Mariners for free (on their website Australian Hydrographic Service - Australian Notices to Mariners 2013 ) to keep aware of any chart updates. Memory-Map covers other regions of the world as well
Wayno

[jackdale]

While merchant vessels do use electronic navigation, they use ECDIS which have redundant charting and power systems and cost about $75,000.

[Jubilee39]

Originally Posted by jackdale

While merchant vessels do use electronic navigation, they use ECDIS which have redundant charting and power systems and cost about $75,000.

I applaud your classroom knowledge about how much charting can cost. This thread started with asking about Navionics on an android phone. I am using it on an Android tablet and find the charting so far to be accurate. A great many of the cruisers out here in the real world are using openCPN with various editions of CM93. We certainly do not have the means to pay $75,000 dollars for a commercial system but all want to navigate safely. Knowing that in the places I have been the 100 plus year old surveys on paper charts are no more accurate than what is available on electronic charts leads me to have faith in my simple system with redundant computers. My complaint with navionics has been and still is that it is not what one leads to believe, I cannot share tracks, edit or get waypoints easily among my navigation devices. IMy Samsung tablet with Navionics is good for the cockpit as it is readable in fairly bright lighting condition even though Samsung does not advertise "daylight readable" The Navionics led me out exactly the way I came in through reefs into a remote Phillippine anchorage this morning. I would like to have put a set of waypoints for reference from other cruisers to guide me in but I could not. However they were on my main Navigation Computer, a 12v powered mini-ITX running OpenCPN. This is not to say that one does not need vigilance and a proper knowledge of navigation using conventional methods. But to stick to the topic and to reiterate the thread, I use Navionics in the real world of entering remote anchorages, I do not care about all the extra bells and whistles of a chart plotter. Nor would I with my experience of having manufactures such as Raymarine and Navionics changing their chart format making chart libraries obsolete invest in a chart plotter. With poor lighting and small screens I do not know how useful the app would be on a phone.

[jackdale]

Jublilee

First I have 36,000 miles under my belt. 10,000 of that is bluewater. My cruising ground is the PNW, a rather tough area to navigate.

I have more than classroom knowledge.

I personally own the following
- Navionics on a Galaxy S III
- A Garmin 76Cx
- OpenCPN and Canadian Hydrographic Service raster charts on an Acer netbook (BU-353 GPS receiver)

I teach on OPBs, so I do not own a chartplotter.

I have found some serious errors in Navionics.

I still use paper charts and my own eyes. When entering harbours and anchorages I use danger bearings, etc and my eyes to avoid problems.

My comment was made becuase many folks have naive views about that type of electronics charting systems that are used in merchant vessels.

In Canada we are required to use official publications unless we have an ECDIS, ENC charts and the required training.

One of my favourite photos from a Canadiian Coast Guard cutter

[rbyham]

I am new to sailing... taking first steps in Charleston harbor. I have the Samsung S3 phone and Marine navigator lite loaded for testing purposes. The challenge I find is how hard it is to read the screen in daylight with sunglasses on. Even with brightness set to full, the phone plugged into 12v charging system, I find it difficult to see what I am looking for... largely because of lack of backlight. I do not have one but I am assuming a full-on plotter is more readable.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by rbyham

I am new to sailing... taking first steps in Charleston harbor. I have the Samsung S3 phone and Marine navigator lite loaded for testing purposes. The challenge I find is how hard it is to read the screen in daylight with sunglasses on. Even with brightness set to full, the phone plugged into 12v charging system, I find it difficult to see what I am looking for... largely because of lack of backlight. I do not have one but I am assuming a full-on plotter is more readable.

Are your sunglasses polarized? Many screen including depth sounders, wind instruments, knotmeters are hard or impossible to read with polarized sunglasses.

Chartplotters are easier to read. Chart are no problem at all.

[wingssail]

Navionic sucks, from my perspective.


We navigate with OpenCPN on a laptop at the nav station and this has worked well for us for several years and across a few oceans.


But it is hard to navigate into a harbor or to a specific location when you can't see the chart from your helm position (we don't have a chart plotter at the helm). Usually one of us drives and the other pops up and down from deck to the nav station and gives direction to the helm.


So we downloaded Navionics and installed it on an Android tablet, and bought the appropriate charts. We thought we'd keep the tablet on deck and use it to help us navigate.


Imagine my dismay when I found that I cannot place a waypoint on an exact lat/lon location and then navigate to it.


If I wanted only an approximate location I'd have just guessed, without loading Navionics. But if I want to navigate to an exact location, which should be one of the most basic navigation tasks, Navionics is no help at all.


For my purpose, it's little more than a child's toy: useless.

[SoFla Sailor]

I've used Navionics for a while now with only minor issues. Personally, I've not needed to input exact coordinates for navigation purposes, but only view channels and passages and plan rough routes.

Now, I'm facing a challenge for which I hope the community might know a solution: I'm planning a week long bareboat charter and would like to plan a few routes using the Navionics Android application. The boat I'm chartering has a helm station chartplotter (I don't know brand / model). I'd like to export my archived routes from Navionics and upload them to the chart plotter. The only file format I can get the app to output is a .kmz file. Does anyone know if that is compatible with modern chartplotters or have another way of accomplishing same?

Thanks!

[Jubilee39]

Originally Posted by SoFla Sailor

I've used Navionics for a while now with only minor issues. Personally, I've not needed to input exact coordinates for navigation purposes, but only view channels and passages and plan rough routes.

Now, I'm facing a challenge for which I hope the community might know a solution: I'm planning a week long bareboat charter and would like to plan a few routes using the Navionics Android application. The boat I'm chartering has a helm station chartplotter (I don't know brand / model). I'd like to export my archived routes from Navionics and upload them to the chart plotter. The only file format I can get the app to output is a .kmz file. Does anyone know if that is compatible with modern chartplotters or have another way of accomplishing same?

Thanks!

How did you get kmz file. I like the navionics ap but the waypoint issue is a bugger. Try gps utilty program to convert kmz to other formats you can use

[Ziggy]

There are several free utilities that convert from KMZ to GPX format (just google KMZ to GPX converter). GPX format is recognized by most chartplotters.

[SoFla Sailor]

Originally Posted by Jubilee39

How did you get kmz file. I like the navionics ap but the waypoint issue is a bugger. Try gps utilty program to convert kmz to other formats you can use

Go to menu / archive / routes / select saved route / choose share / share via email.

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[CaptTom]

How about going the other way? Can you load waypoints you've developed elsewhere into Navionics?

I've been trying this app, and it's not bad at first glance. But there are so many missing features, and apparently no documentation. Or maybe there's so few features that there's nothing to document.

[SoFla Sailor]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

How about going the other way? Can you load waypoints you've developed elsewhere into Navionics?

I've been trying this app, and it's not bad at first glance. But there are so many missing features, and apparently no documentation. Or maybe there's so few features that there's nothing to document.

Not that I've been able to find... Looks like it's only one way. I'm sure that's intentional.

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