iPad

[Selene]

For landnavigation I use app.: NavFree USA, maps are free, and downloaded to device, so no wifi required while using it in car.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Selene

For landnavigation I use app.: NavFree USA, maps are free, and downloaded to device, so no wifi required while using it in car.

Yes, but it doesn't warn you about police traps, traffic jams etc. which is the real charm of Waze.

ciao!
Nick.

[Selene]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Yes, but it doesn't warn you about police traps, traffic jams etc. which is the real charm of Waze.

ciao!
Nick.

Not claiming it does, don't think any application will give you that without being connected to the internet. With regard to Waze, which I have tried, it is my impression, that those features are also dependant on other users reporting traps, jams ect.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Selene

Not claiming it does, don't think any application will give you that without being connected to the internet. With regard to Waze, which I have tried, it is my impression, that those features are also dependant on other users reporting traps, jams ect.

Yes, everythin incl. the maps themselves are dependant on other users. This is what makes it quick to adapt to changes and allows direct reporting.

Do you see that as a negative? It's he only way it'll work imho...

ciao!
Nick.

[Selene]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Yes, everythin incl. the maps themselves are dependant on other users. This is what makes it quick to adapt to changes and allows direct reporting.

Do you see that as a negative? It's he only way it'll work imho...

ciao!
Nick.

No I do not see it as a negative, it's actually good, provided you have loads of users contributiong. I am not comparing Waze with NavFree. But compared to Google Maps, I found its neat having access to maps, even when not having i-net cover on my iPad 3G.
I will give Waze another try, initially used it in Mexico, right after having bought the iPad.
ciao!
Simon

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

For those trying navigation ashore:

1. With Google maps but no 3G, start the GOTO while still on wifi, and activate the first leg of the trip. Now pan all along the route to the destination and then center back on current position. Switch wifi off, step in the car and drive, the map is cached. Do not cancel nav because you can only start one when on-line.

2. With 3G give Waze a try. It's free and pretty good. I have become "area manager" in this remote part of Panama and put all the roads between marina and Colon on the map etc. A local SIM prepaid card costs $1.- and data mode also $1 for a day, which gives you full navigation for $2.- !

ciao!
Nick.

Good tip on google maps for use in a pinch.

Also a quick thought on tethering. Once I turned tethering on I discovered that when I broke the bluetooth link, either by being too far away from the ipad or by turning off the bluetooth the link and tether is immediately reestablished by selecting bluetooth, connect to phone.

Also the cigarette plug in the car I was using with the elf setup was dead. The ipad lasted 4 hours and still showed about 70% charge. The iphone can go to sleep and the tether is still active. The phone lasted 4 hours, then about 3 hours of video and photos (I was at my kids birthday party) and was down to 20%.

So in regards to ipad battery life the bad elf is not bad. The iphone never lasts a whole day for me and this 6-7 hours was typical.

If you are daysailing you can probably make 4-5 hours easily. If you are iphone tethering for longer times you definitely need external power.

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by svHannabel

If you've got an iPad, you can try AnchorAlertHD. If you have an iPhone, try Anchor Alarm. I haven't had a chance to try either of these on the water yet, but both look promising.

I have yet to see a full-featured anchor alarm app for the iPhone. Anchor Alarm does the absolute bare minimum.

It would be really nice to be able to set the anchor and then pull out the app and tell it "I have 120 feet of line going that direction and the water is 30 feet deep and I have 3 feet of freeboard" and have it calculate the position of the anchor. Instead you have to set the alarm when you drop the anchor, which is a bad time to be messing with your phone. Your only other option is to set double the rode length in allowable drift to account for a full 180 degree swing, which is also dangerous and defeats the purpose of an alarm.

[Greene]

We recently purchased an iPad without GPS to use on our sailboat. We bought it this way because it was cheaper and we liked the idea of locating the GPS outside the companionway for better reception. We purchased the Dual XGPS150 which connects via Bluetooth from Amazon for $77 shipped free. We added INavX and some Navionics maps from X-Traverse. Hope it works as well as advertised.

We plan on documenting our experience with this setup on our blog.

Mike and Brenda