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Looking for nav app for Droid

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/02/2013 : 11:20:54

Any experience will be appreciated!

1989 C25 TR/WK, #5822
1973 McVay Minuet 19
1975 Jester 12
1981 C25 SR/SK, #2428
1981 C22 SR/SK,
Tanzer 16
Sunfish

"There is nothing, absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Kenneth Grahame

Edited by - on

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2013 : 12:07:26

Different people want different things. You'll get lots of recommendations for "commercial" apps that want to charge you for each chart update (usually in a proprietary format). Personally, I keep my own database of NOAA charts on my computer for use with OpenCPN, and I wanted an Android app that would use the same non-proprietary charts at no cost. For this, I really like Marine Navigator, which costs about $8 for the full-feature version of the app, but uses the NOAA charts directly (after a simple import procedure) at no extra charge.

There's a free limited-feature version (Marine Navigator Lite) that you can use to try out the app.

Other people will recommend other apps, but hardly anyone ever mentions Marine Navigator, so I thought I'd put in my pitch for it.

EDIT: Here are direct links on Google Play Store:

[url="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.kemiro.marinenavigator"]Lite (free) Version[/url]

[url="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.kemiro.marinenavigator2"]Full (paid) Version[/url]

Edited by - TakeFive on 12/02/2013 15:46:15

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2013 : 19:41:15

Navionics works well.

The phone version seems to be feature complete on the Nexus 7 (despite that being a tablet) and is $15 for US and Canada. I bought the $50 tablet version and tried the phone version later and the phone version is just as good.

If you want to do some real work there is a way to run OpenCPN on Android.

Edited by - on

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2013 : 20:32:19

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 ...If you want to do some real work there is a way to run OpenCPN on Android.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
If you have a link to a version of OpenCPN that runs directly under Android, please post it. Until your post, I was only aware of a version that runs on Android tablets that are specially rooted to boot in Linux - a lot of major surgery and voided warranties.

FWIW, the app that I linked will easily import waypoints and routes that I create in OpenCPN on my PC, and that's a big help, since I generally create my routes on a PC at home. It's frustrating that even Garmin Bluecharts for iPad won't transfer routes to/from anything other than a fancy Garmin chartplotter with proprietary WiFi connection.

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shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2013 : 04:50:56

I've used Navionics... for $10 its a bargain... despite being "commercial" I've not had to pay but once for it. Well NOT entirely true, I paid for the phone version for $10, and the "tablet" version for "$50." I can't really tell the difference other than the tablet version runs at a higher resolution.

If you are less in need of "charts" and just want a fast app that shows you where you are on a map, and gives speed, waypoints and the like... then right now Sailing Tactician is still free... once it goes live though (out of beta) then all bets are off. The software is really designed for racers, and has ways to mark the start line, and countdown to start, distance from start, and several functions there were previously ONLY available to $500+ devices. I've beta tested it, and it's great for what it's designed for, but you almost have to have a dedicated crew member to run it.

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TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2013 : 07:24:25

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by shnool
 I've used Navionics... for $10 its a bargain... despite being "commercial" I've not had to pay but once for it....<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
When I looked into Navionics a year ago, it was much more than $10. For that price I am willing to consider it. Does that price include lifetime updates, or do you have to pay each time you want to update charts.

I noticed that the $10 Navionics app includes a very detailed chart for Lake Wally (depth coutours for every foot???), in addition to the normal US coastal charts.

I didn't mean to put down any commercial apps (though my poor wording may have implied that). I mentioned Marine Navigator mainly because nobody else seems to know about it, and it's worth considering because it's worked very well for me. I also like it because it allows you to import your own custom charts. I had converted some scans of the NGA's charts of BVI to KAP format on my computer, so that program enabled me to use those charts when I was down there a year ago.

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2013 : 09:15:29

John, thanks for the reference to Sailing Tactician. It looks good. I can't wait to try it next spring.

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2013 : 10:33:18

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TakeFive
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 ...If you want to do some real work there is a way to run OpenCPN on Android.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
If you have a link to a version of OpenCPN that runs directly under Android, please post it. Until your post, I was only aware of a version that runs on Android tablets that are specially rooted to boot in Linux - a lot of major surgery and voided warranties.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You need to root the device to run OpenCPN on Android. That is why I qualified it with "real work".

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2013 : 10:35:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TakeFive
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by shnool
 I've used Navionics... for $10 its a bargain... despite being "commercial" I've not had to pay but once for it....<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
When I looked into Navionics a year ago, it was much more than $10. For that price I am willing to consider it. Does that price include lifetime updates, or do you have to pay each time you want to update charts.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The phone version is $10 for lifetime updates.

I don't think that the software can tell if you are using it on a phone or tablet, which is why it works well on small form factor tablets like the Nexus 7. The Nexus 7 has the same resolution screen as current high end Android phones. It might not work well on some very high resolution 10" tablets.

I have the $50 version on a "2013" Nexus 7 and have used the $15 (US+Canada) version on a "2013" Nexus 7 and can't tell a difference.

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