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Old 15-03-2019, 11:17   #1
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Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

I guess many of us have Navionics Boating (HD) on our Android device.
Now Bluestacks 4 (BS4) (Galaxy S8+) emulator allows (some) Android apps to run on a PC.
https://www.bluestacks.com/bluestacks-4.html

(currently v. 4.50 for Windows)
This is true for Navionics Boating Marine & Lakes (HD)

The size and memory usage of BS4 suggest that it is better adapted for W10 with 4 Go memory (my hunch would need testing)
From the Google Play store (included in BS4), just download the free Navionics app. If you've already paid for charts, you can dowload them for free (no Navionics+ subscription required) through Menu / Chart Download on the Navionics app.



Choosing a 1920 x 1080 screen size in BS4 parameters / settings...
the charts can be displayed full size (true for my 17' screen, YMMV)
Tides, currents and practical infos display fine.


Everything perfect then ?
Not quite: Navionics cannot access a USB GPS.
There may be a way to use a bluetooth GPS, but I haven't tried (yet)


So this is not a full nav app on PC, but rather yet another chart display that requires no internet access.
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Old 15-03-2019, 14:14   #2
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorF54 View Post

Everything perfect then ?
Not quite: Navionics cannot access a USB GPS.
There may be a way to use a bluetooth GPS, but I haven't tried (yet)

I'm not expert, maybe they are useless indications,
but did you try with something like these?

Franson GpsGate
https://gpsgate.com/products/gpsgate_client
Eterlogic - Downloads: security tools
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Old 16-03-2019, 07:46   #3
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

By the way I just installed PrimeOS a Android-x86 derivate on this notebook. It's very clean and does not come with all the crapware of Bluestack. Doesn't load unwanted apps in the background either. Be aware that bluestack uses tons of data to load unwanted stuff automatically in the background.
I guess if one does not update PrimeOS beyond the current built it could be a longterm solution. Not sure how many updates they will keep it so nice and clean.
For now I am really impressed.

We run Sailgrib WR with it & it works very nice and is fast when it comes to weatherrouting.

For now I run it as dualboot with windows 10. The notebook is a Dell Latitude E7240.
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Old 16-03-2019, 08:45   #4
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Eagle View Post
I'm not expert, maybe they are useless indications,
but did you try with something like these?

Franson GpsGate
https://gpsgate.com/products/gpsgate_client
Eterlogic - Downloads: security tools

The problem is: there is no way to instruct Navionics to access the GPS USB port. It will use the internal GPS output present on all Android devices.
So e.g. Franson GpsGate (which I routinely use) is useless
I have tried the following combination: GPS over B(blue)T(ooth) on my phone, and Bluetooth GPS on BS4, but the latter freezes on trying to connect to Bluetooth.
So no luck so far...
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Old 16-03-2019, 08:47   #5
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

Quote:
Originally Posted by Franziska View Post
By the way I just installed PrimeOS a Android-x86 derivate on this notebook. It's very clean and does not come with all the crapware of Bluestack. Doesn't load unwanted apps in the background either. Be aware that bluestack uses tons of data to load unwanted stuff automatically in the background.
I guess if one does not update PrimeOS beyond the current built it could be a longterm solution. Not sure how many updates they will keep it so nice and clean.
For now I am really impressed.

We run Sailgrib WR with it & it works very nice and is fast when it comes to weatherrouting.

For now I run it as dualboot with windows 10. The notebook is a Dell Latitude E7240.

Thanks for your comments. I agree that BS4 sucks.
I will give PrimeOS a spin...
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Old 16-03-2019, 08:57   #6
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorF54 View Post
The problem is: there is no way to instruct Navionics to access the GPS USB port. It will use the internal GPS output present on all Android devices.
So e.g. Franson GpsGate (which I routinely use) is useless
I have tried the following combination: GPS over B(blue)T(ooth) on my phone, and Bluetooth GPS on BS4, but the latter freezes on trying to connect to Bluetooth.
So no luck so far...

Ok sorry, as I told I'm not expert.
Anyway, keep us informed, it's very interesting.
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Old 16-03-2019, 09:50   #7
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Eagle View Post
Ok sorry, as I told I'm not expert.
Anyway, keep us informed, it's very interesting.
To get bluetooth GPS position input from your external GPS (like a mobile phone with Android) into your PC running Android, which has no internal GPS follow these steps:
Install Bluetooth GPS Output Paid by MEOW (in Play Store or under www.meowsbox.com.
Start location service by GPS on your phone
Start Bluetooth GPS Output Paid it on your phone.
In PrimeOS go to settings,

To get bluetooth GPS position input from your external GPS (like a mobile phone with Android) into your PC running Android, which has no internal GPS follow these steps:
Install Bluetooth GPS Output Paid by MEOW (in Play Store or under www.meowsbox.com.
Start location service by GPS on your phone
Start Bluetooth GPS Output Paid it on your phone.
In PrimeOS go to settings,

To get bluetooth GPS position input from your external GPS (like a mobile phone with Android) into your PC running Android via Bluetooth, which has no internal GPS, follow these steps:

1)
Install Bluetooth GPS Output Paid by MEOW (from Play Store or under www.meowsbox.com)
2)
Install Bluetooth GPS by GC MobLab on your Android PC (from PlayStore)
3)
Start location service by GPS on your phone and on your Android PC
4)
Start Bluetooth GPS Output Paid it on your phone
5)
Start Bluetooth GPS on your Android PC
6)
In PrimeOS go to settings, scroll to the bottom, about device, all to the bottom click several times on the last entry "built number" until you are granted developer options.
7)
Go back one level, in developer options enable "Mock locations" and choose Bluetooth GPS as "Mock location" app.
8)
Than connect phone & PC via Bluetooth
9)
Presto, you have your GPS location on your Android PC which has no internal GPS

Do not be fooled by the term "Mock location" it is the actual location piped down through the "Fake=Mock location" option in Androids developer interface.
Test it.
I can not be held responsible for any navigation mistakes occuring due to this description. You do this at your own risk.

Works for us with the Dell Latitude E7240 & a Mate 9 Pro smartphone.

Enjoy,

Fran

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Old 17-03-2019, 20:59   #8
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

I have GPS working on Acer Netbook with BS4, windows 10, U-Blox M8030-KT USB puck type GPS.
In Device Manager I changed the driver that I usually use with the device that makes the USB GPS appear on a COM port so it can be used with OpenCPN; to the GNSS Location Sensor so that it uses windows location services.
The position is slow to refresh, approx every 30 to 60 seconds, but it does work.
The whole system runs slow, slow load, slow refresh of screen, slow update of GPS position, but it is running.
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Old 18-03-2019, 12:09   #9
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

Quote:
Originally Posted by martinz View Post
I have GPS working on Acer Netbook with BS4, windows 10, U-Blox M8030-KT USB puck type GPS.
In Device Manager I changed the driver that I usually use with the device that makes the USB GPS appear on a COM port so it can be used with OpenCPN; to the GNSS Location Sensor so that it uses windows location services.
The position is slow to refresh, approx every 30 to 60 seconds, but it does work.
The whole system runs slow, slow load, slow refresh of screen, slow update of GPS position, but it is running.



I also have a u-blox6 puck gps. u-blox virtual Com port (Com 3) is always present. When I plug the gps in, the GNS Location Sensor appears.
Navionics shows a gps position, but when I turn wifi down to be offline, this position disappears, which shows that the position shown does not depend on the gps, but on internet information probably linked to my IP. This is also confirmed by the fact that the Navionics position is slightly off, right in the middle of the town I live in, not in the actual position I am.



Is your experience similar, or did I misunderstand the instructions you gave ?
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Old 18-03-2019, 12:41   #10
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

sailorF54,
your experience is exactly the same as mine, with the limited testing I have done.
What I did to get the USB GPS to change from a Virtual COM Port to GNS Location Sensor:
Device Manager, expand Ports (COM and LPT), right click on Virtual COM port, update driver, browse my computer, let me pick ..., pick GNSS sensor
After doing this, the GPS shows up in Device manager under Sensors, GNSS Location Sensor
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Old 18-03-2019, 14:02   #11
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

Quote:
Originally Posted by martinz View Post
sailorF54,
your experience is exactly the same as mine, with the limited testing I have done.
What I did to get the USB GPS to change from a Virtual COM Port to GNS Location Sensor:
Device Manager, expand Ports (COM and LPT), right click on Virtual COM port, update driver, browse my computer, let me pick ..., pick GNSS sensor
After doing this, the GPS shows up in Device manager under Sensors, GNSS Location Sensor

I must be a bit thick... When attempting to update the driver on clicking on the Virtual COM port, a full search on my computer fails to find a suitable driver... ???
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Old 26-03-2019, 21:57   #12
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

Because some people use charts and equipment not only from one source, which is a good habit.
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Old 27-03-2019, 00:23   #13
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

In no way do I claim to know much about anything PC related.

SAS planet used to also run navionics, I had it on a PC Windows 10, how did they have it working?
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Old 27-03-2019, 01:29   #14
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

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Originally Posted by daletournier View Post
In no way do I claim to know much about anything PC related.

SAS planet used to also run navionics, I had it on a PC Windows 10, how did they have it working?
They probably reverse engineered whatever protections/encryptions allow a program to read and understand their mapping format.

It could probably be done with OpenCPN as a plugin too, but i bet is avoided due to legalities.

I bet if you put a reward somewhere, someone, perhaps anonymously would give it a go.

PC plotter software below also uses Navionics charting. Maybe they pay for a licence to do so, maybe not.
http://www.pcplotter.com
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Old 27-03-2019, 02:00   #15
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Re: Navionics charts on PC with Bluestacks 4 !

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Originally Posted by FreeSpearit View Post
Maybe I missed this but what is the purpose of all of this? Why don't we all just use the Navionics app on a tablet, ipad or phone, or use a Navionics chip on a chartplotter?
And also, you can access chart data any time on the Navionics online chart viewer:
Navionics ChartViewer

For the same reasons that one use it on a tablet, but someone prefer using an a laptop!
And the on line charts are not accessible "any time" but also when you have an internet connection!
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