iNavx - serious short comings

[mrdrew]

I'm not an iPhone user, but I frequently have to help out guys who are. After paying $25 for iNavx, I discovered:

Downloading individual NOAA charts is a real hassle. Unless you download the entire west coast RNC, each chart has 4-5 steps for downloading

App receives NMEA data over the wifi, but won't follow your vessel for navigation on the chart.

If you sail off the chart you're currently on, you have to go through the same 5 steps above to load the next chart - no automatic quilting. Not a problem! You can pay an additional fee (gotcha!) and get (free) NOAA RNC charts quilted together for your area.

This app does not work how I need it to work, and have Submitted for a refund - which is also a serious hassle. I'm sure that's no mistake.

Maybe I can blow another $50 and try out some more iPhone navigation apps! Once I get this refund, I'm going to try out:

iSailor Transas iSailor - Marine Navigation, Chart Plotter and AIS Viewer for iPhone and iPad
NMEA unlocked
charts purchased

[Ostinato]

You will not find those problems with Navionics though all systems are still evolving.

[ErikFinn]

I don't understand why some people like the iNavx... Are they mostly Americans who like the idea of using the FREE NOAA charts ? Is that thee reason?? For rest of the world no benefit there.. Someone educate me please.

[skipperearly]

I use iNavX since 4 years now and still like it. Yes some updates earlier this year were a step back but the developers have recovered.
iNavX is still the most intuitive and straight forward to use nav apps around.

iSailor: have just tried it shortly but could not get friendly with the interface
Navionixs : could be an option but offers currently only features iNavX had years ago, may develop to the same level and Android support is attractive but is also not cheap.

OpenCPN: iPad version not naturally available, but with RPI & OpenPlotter a viable alternative with many useful optional features (e.g. weather routing, tactics, watchdog alarms etc). To run it on iPad via VNC is possible but drains your batteries.

My conclusions when jumping on different vessels and have familiar navigation software available is still iPad with iNavX. The reported "quilting! issue I never noticed, I always load the data I need for a journy on the ipad when on wlan and dont have any issues when crossing chart borders.

Those are only my 2cent - other opinions may be different.

[seandepagnier]

It is technically possible for anyone to recompile opencpn to run natively on IOS.

This requires a mac (or virtual machine) with osx and xcode, as well as jailbreaking the actual ipad or whatever device.

The resulting app cannot however be distributed in the apple store as free software violates apple's terms, so would always require jailbreaking for every user who runs it.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by ErikFinn

I don't understand why some people like the iNavx... Are they mostly Americans who like the idea of using the FREE NOAA charts ? Is that thee reason?? For rest of the world no benefit there.. Someone educate me please.

We use INavx and Nobeltec on iPads and iPhones in Europe. No problems and cheap to use.

[mrdrew]

All excellent points! I really appreciate the responses despite my ranty original post. I _really_ wish Apple had a reasonable app return policy. Dropping $50 on an app, only to find out that it doesn't meet your basic requirements is crazy.

Once this refund comes through (fingers crossed) I will do more in depth research to both Navionics and iSailor. Having come off ships, I have to say I really like the TRANSAS iSailor charts and interface. I'd wrestled with the Android version a ways back there, and it was too wonky to use as a daily driver. But I suspect the iPhone version is more polished. They certainly charge more for it.

My requirements
1. I can follow my own vessel from chart to chart seamlessly
2. App accepts both position, hdg, and AIS contacts via NMEA wifi

Will post again when I figure it out.

BTW: I have met these two requirements with opencpn for Android. It ain't perfect, but charts (for US waters) are excellent (RNC and ENC) and it works.

[Kenomac]

You're going to be using the same charts with Navionics. Why not just use INavx a little and learn more about it?

INavx does all the tasks you want; except for the AIS interface with some units, it's designed to have your ipad or iphone work as a stand alone, independent device. Which is what we like about it.

[cottonsail]

Tried INavx. Deleted it. Very satisfied with Polar Navy for the US. Navionics for the Bahamas.

[Mike OReilly]

mrdrew, some of the issues you are reporting are not consistent with my experience with iNavx. It certainly does "follow your vessel for navigation on the chart” and quilting of loaded charts is absolutely seamless in my experience. I suspect you’re either doing something seriously wrong, or somehow the app was installed incorrectly (although I don’t know how that can happen).

iNavx is not the most intuitive program to use. It did take a bit of learning, and I still wish for improvements on how some things function, but the issues you are reporting are some of the things the app does well, so I really suspect you are faced with an odd issue.

Have you talked to iNavx support? I had an issue a few years ago and found them to be immediately helpful, and eager to solve any issues.

[Pendragon35]

I've used iSailor for a year plunking around the Chesapeake, mostly near Baltimore. I bought the charts. I use a Garmin GLO for GPS on an iPad mini without cell capability. The interface takes some use to make it intuitive (don't they all?) but I've found it generally accurate and easy.

the one thing I wish it offered was Active Captain but I have that on other apps. I do use PolarNavy as well on occasion and I use OpenCPN on my mac for planning. I haven't figured out how to create a route on OpenCPN and send it to iSailor. It may be possible to do this, but I haven't successfully done it. That's one feature I would love.

Just for reference: I sail an Alberg 35, many years sailing/cruising, only a couple years on this boat and in this area.

[eheffa]

Originally Posted by mrdrew

I'm not an iPhone user, but I frequently have to help out guys who are. After paying $25 for iNavx, I discovered:

Downloading individual NOAA charts is a real hassle. Unless you download the entire west coast RNC, each chart has 4-5 steps for downloading

App receives NMEA data over the wifi, but won't follow your vessel for navigation on the chart.

If you sail off the chart you're currently on, you have to go through the same 5 steps above to load the next chart - no automatic quilting. Not a problem! You can pay an additional fee (gotcha!) and get (free) NOAA RNC charts quilted together for your area.

This app does not work how I need it to work, and have Submitted for a refund - which is also a serious hassle. I'm sure that's no mistake.

Maybe I can blow another $50 and try out some more iPhone navigation apps! Once I get this refund, I'm going to try out:

iSailor Transas iSailor - Marine Navigation, Chart Plotter and AIS Viewer for iPhone and iPad
NMEA unlocked
charts purchased

I am having some of the same issues. I bought the app, an iMUX Wifi interface, the Canadian charts...the whole schmeel as a backup to my Raymarine E120 Helm Chartplotter and my PC based Coastal Explorer.

So far, my experience with iNavx on the iPad has been very disappointing.

The ability for the app to maintain a fix of my vessel on the charts is very erratic and often fails completely, despite the fact that the WiFi connection is intact and feeding a GPS fix to the system. The lack of quilting when you are planning a trip or even when moving to from the edge of the current chart onto the area of a new chart is a real hassle and unintuitive.

I have refrained from throwing it in the bin as I'm still hopeful that the bugs could be fixable with some more troubleshooting on my part but so far the whole app comes across to me as poorly implemented beta effort.

There is no way that I would rely on this as a primary navigational aid. It's OK as a way to review the charts when I'm at home or work in an idle moment but even as a third level backup Navigational Aid it gets a failing grade.

Too bad, as it has the potential to be excellent.

-evan

[Kenomac]

Most of you folks are having issues because you didn't buy the correct ipad. For iNavx to function properly, you need a cellular ipad with the built in GPS antenna. It's not the app, it's your ipad that's the problem. The wifi only ipads won't work properly.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by mrdrew

I'm not an iPhone user, but I frequently have to help out guys who are. After paying $25 for iNavx, I discovered:

Downloading individual NOAA charts is a real hassle. Unless you download the entire west coast RNC, each chart has 4-5 steps for downloading

App receives NMEA data over the wifi, but won't follow your vessel for navigation on the chart.

If you sail off the chart you're currently on, you have to go through the same 5 steps above to load the next chart - no automatic quilting. Not a problem! You can pay an additional fee (gotcha!) and get (free) NOAA RNC charts quilted together for your area.

This app does not work how I need it to work, and have Submitted for a refund - which is also a serious hassle. I'm sure that's no mistake.

Maybe I can blow another $50 and try out some more iPhone navigation apps! Once I get this refund, I'm going to try out:

iSailor Transas iSailor - Marine Navigation, Chart Plotter and AIS Viewer for iPhone and iPad
NMEA unlocked
charts purchased

Mrdrew,

I can't help with iNavX as it is one of the few I never tried.

If you are asking what meets your listed requirements and more, I find SEAiq Open [written by a cruiser] among the most powerful- yet still easy to use- of the iOS apps for navigation. [It is similar to Open CPN in may aspects...] It is truly an international application. [SEAiq has other versions as well including one for USA only- which is a bit cheaper...]

When we have landlubber guests onboard, we hand them an iPad running Garmin Bluechart. It is very intuitive and our guests typically have no problem tracking our journey and exploring the area as we travel- all without interfering with the primary chart plotter which is also available on their iPads. [View only for guests...]

In summary, we use SEAiq Open as live back-up on iOS, Garmin Bluechart for quick looks, rough planning, and guests, have Navionics charts on our B&G MFD, and run OpenCPN on a laptop. [Which can immediately become the primary system if the MFD stopped functioning.]

All of these receive all NMEA 0183 and 2k data either on WiFi or on the ethernet network in the case of the laptop. [Hardening against WiFi issues...] The iOS apps have Active Captain integration as well.

If you are interested in more details about what works best for us, see our Computers, Devices, and Applications page. [Which we keep current...]

Best wishes finding what is best for you.

Cheers! Bill

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Most of you folks are having issues because you didn't buy the correct ipad. For iNavx to function properly, you need a cellular ipad with the built in GPS antenna. It's not the app, it's your ipad that's the problem. The wifi only ipads won't work properly.

That is a very important point, Kenomac.

Thanks for reinforcing this. It applies to any hardware of this type. Today, if the pad/device cannot take a cell SIM card [or has one built-in] then it won't have built in GPS since they reside on the same chipset- for now... [There may be exceptions I am unaware of...]

I never tried our iOS pads [with built-in GPS] using only the GPS data feed from the N2K network [vs. their built-in GPS] so I have not proofed this out to see how our apps would behave using external GPS data.

It may be worth mentioning that all our devices show the same position on various apps and chart sets, so the independent GPSs and charts are typically in agreement. [I'm ignoring all the caveats regarding GPS and chart accuracy that navigators should already be aware of...]

Cheers! Bill