smart phones used as stand alone GPS

[xymotic]

I've used iNavX on an iPhone and it was pretty great. I have an android and it works as a gps but I find it harder to use

I wanted an Ipad but decided I couldn't afford it right now and got a Garmin Montana (used). Going to use as backup and a 'main' plotter in the dinghy.

[ohdrinkboy]

it works. just make sure you have a charger handy because it can chew through batteries.....at least mine does. Won't make it 12 hrs.

[Cotemar]

Always have the Iphone & Ipad at the ready as a GPS/Chartplotter backup

[mgirvin]

We've had good luck with 2 android phones (Droid X and Razr Maxx) and an android tablet (Toshiba Thrive), using the Navionics app for planning (and daydreaming), and in the cockpit in good weather. But we also do have a chartplotter and a backup hand-held gps - and wouldn't leave home without them.

- Mark

[captainKJ]

what ever happened to paper charts, dividers, triangles, parallel rullers., and a good pair of eyes, along with a depthfinder?????????

are there any real sailors left????????

Bring back CAPTAINADD

[conachair]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

what ever happened to paper charts, dividers, triangles, parallel rullers., and a good pair of eyes, along with a depthfinder?????????

are there any real sailors left????????

Bring back CAPTAINADD

Don't worry too much, you're allowed to use both paper and electronic. Even at the same time

Real sailors use anything and everything they can get their hands on

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

what ever happened to paper charts, dividers, triangles, parallel rullers., and a good pair of eyes, along with a depthfinder?????????

are there any real sailors left????????

Bring back CAPTAINADD

Like what?

Real sailors do not use iPhones? Real sailors use parallel rulers?

Well, I have neither, and yet, somehow ...

;-)
b.

[captainKJ]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Like what?

Real sailors do not use iPhones? Real sailors use parallel rulers?

Well, I have neither, and yet, somehow ...

;-)
b.

yes but in order to be a real sailor your boat has to leave the dock

[four winds]

I guess I'll never be a real sailor. But I'm sure having a lot of fun pretending to be.

The back up to my plotter at the helm, laptop, handheld gps, and paper, is a no contract Go-Phone from wal mart. An Andriod Fusion smart phone.

The gps works independent of the cell system, is accurate as well. Charts are downloaded free from NOAA since I'm Gulf Coast based.

Pretty handy for me as a phone, fm radio, wifi web browser, chart plotter, and nav aid on land as well. Not bad for $125 no contract.

Actually, even without a phone sim installed it's worth that for the other functions.

[Jbaffoh]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

what ever happened to paper charts, dividers, triangles, parallel rullers., and a good pair of eyes, along with a depthfinder?????????

are there any real sailors left????????

Bring back CAPTAINADD

I have all of the above, plus maneuvering boards, hand bearing compasses, pencils and erasers, and I update my charts per the Local Notices to Mariners and List List updates that the USCG email to me on my iPhone every Wednesday.

But I also have RADAR, a Raymarine chart plotter, a fish finder, hand-held GPS, handheld VHF with GPS, stationary VHF with AIS and dedicated GPS.

Plus, everyone on my crew is glued to their iPhones for myriad reasons. Navionics USA/Canada was only $4.99 when I bought it, so why not? More useful to me is the NOAA Buoy Data app. Sometimes I use the phone's compass for comparison with other onboard compasses. The Clinometer app is great for finding "level" on an unlevel boat. I keep PDF manuals for all onboard systems on the phone--and frequently refer to them. But then there are all the other reasons: camera/video, music, streaming HD movies into the boat TV, etc. much much more--like typing this post.

Smart phones make life on the boat much easier!

[noreault]

I think a good sailor uses all information from all sources. The local charter company tells all charter skippers about EAG, Electronic Assisted Groundings. They claim that most of there groundings are a result of over reliance on the chartplotter. People look at course on plotter, see course is clear, and happily steer the course. They then get set into a rock. This is not just rookies either.

I have to admit that my use of hand bearing compass has been mostly replaced with chartplotter, but it is still on board and easy to get to. Twice I ended up using the chartplotter, since I didn't have the right paper charts with me. I felt blind.

I look at the coast for reference, consult the paper charts, watch the chartplotter, and see what the wind and current appear to be doing. If everything doesn't agree, stop and figure it out.

[jackdale]

Here may be a problem. Two years ago I got a Hero HTC that run 1.6 I waited for the upgrade to 2.1 so that I could run Navionics. This past week I start the app and and informed that an update is available, so I get it. Now the app will not start. I contact Navionics and they inform me that the Hero is no longer supported. I have a year left on my contract so it would cost me money and some inconvience to get a new phone. My wife just got a Hero One - nice, but that does me no good.

It is a good thing I am a committed paper chart users. I run Open CPN in my netbook, so I do have other option.

It is a good thing that updates to paper charts are independent of the OS.

[engele]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Here may be a problem. Two years ago I got a Hero HTC that run 1.6 I waited for the upgrade to 2.1 so that I could run Navionics. This past week I start the app and and informed that an update is available, so I get it. Now the app will not start. I contact Navionics and they inform me that the Hero is no longer supported. I have a year left on my contract so it would cost me money and some inconvience to get a new phone. My wife just got a Hero One - nice, but that does me no good.

It is a good thing I am a committed paper chart users. I run Open CPN in my netbook, so I do have other option.

It is a good thing that updates to paper charts are independent of the OS.

This is a major Android issue vs the iPhone. There is a chart floating around the Internet showing that almost all Android phones are supported with the current version for something like a year. It's a forced upgrade sales model. My iPhone 3G from several years ago still runs Navionics fine.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Here may be a problem. Two years ago I got a Hero HTC that run 1.6 I waited for the upgrade to 2.1 so that I could run Navionics. This past week I start the app and and informed that an update is available, so I get it. Now the app will not start. I contact Navionics and they inform me that the Hero is no longer supported. I have a year left on my contract so it would cost me money and some inconvience to get a new phone. My wife just got a Hero One - nice, but that does me no good.

It is a good thing I am a committed paper chart users. I run Open CPN in my netbook, so I do have other option.

It is a good thing that updates to paper charts are independent of the OS.

I used to have a palm pilot. I used to have a blackberry. I used to use compuserve for email.

I am the king of picking the dark horse in technology...

It sucks when your tools fall by the wayside and it can be tough picking the technology that survives long term. I am no longer the early adopter that I used to be.

[Jerry Woodward]

I've used an Andriod smartphone and Navionics while bareboating in the Leewards and BVI. Yes, the GPS works great without a cell signal. The boats I have chartered had their chartplotters in the salon, not in the cockpit, so it was very convenient to be able to pull the smartphone out of my pocket to get a quick position fix, check the heading, or read SOG. Yes, I have paper charts and use them as well. The GPS and Navionics charts were also amazingly acurate for those locations.