The death of Active Captain

[Southpass]

From what I can gather there is no way to access Active Captain on a mobile device like a phone or tablet without owning a Garmin Chart Plotter. Am I mistaken?

[rtoner]

I have downloaded the Garmin app for iOS. It seems to work ok. It does want to sync up with a Chartplotter but I just ignore as I have Raymarine.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Southpass

From what I can gather there is no way to access Active Captain on a mobile device like a phone or tablet without owning a Garmin Chart Plotter. Am I mistaken?

Last I heard, yes. As of a few weeks ago, there are still several apps that integrate AC markers...

Time Zero is one, MX Mariner is another...

-Chris

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Southpass

From what I can gather there is no way to access Active Captain on a mobile device like a phone or tablet without owning a Garmin Chart Plotter. Am I mistaken?

You are. But you have to have something that integrates with it. I have Aqua Map on my tablet and it has AC data on it. When I loaded it it was $14.99 with unlimited US maps, or free and you paid for chart areas.

It has been one of the best cheap things for the boat I've done.

[sailorboy1]

Was on the garmin active captain site the other day, seems to be working fine. I wrote a couple of reviews on it and they later downloaded to my Aqua Map tablet app

[a64pilot]

There is an Active Capt app that you can download, it’s not worth much, unless of course you own a Garmin plotter, that is clearly its intent.

However I have noticed that on my Blue Charts app that still functions, that Active Capt will no longer update, and on the SEAiq App I just purchased, it has Active Capt, but cant apparently connect to Active Capt any longer to download the database.
So to me it would seem that Garmin is slowly ensuring that to use Active Captain, that your going to have to have a Garmin plotter.
I had hoped that when Garmin purchased Navionics and killed their Blue Charts App that meant that maybe they were going to beef up Navionics and maybe add Active Capt to it.
It is beginning to appear that their intent is to make it so that AC is available only on a Garmin plotter.
My biggest dislike of Garmin plotters, is that you can only use a Garmin map on them.

Building up a business, and then selling it for a good profit is the American way, but I wonder if the developer knew it would go this way.

I wonder if Garmin’s purchase of Navionics was to kill it? From their Avionics way of doing things, it wouldn’t surprise me. In the aircraft world, they make a huge amount of money, but mostly through very expensive updates, that is where the real money is.

[Southpass]

Thanks all!, It looks like I'll be buying Aqua map. Is there a handheld Garmin Chartplotter that is Active Captain compatible? Thanks in advance.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Southpass

From what I can gather there is no way to access Active Captain on a mobile device like a phone or tablet without owning a Garmin Chart Plotter. Am I mistaken?

I can access Active Captain on any device I have with internet access. I have a couple of different laptops and a desktop. Only one has been linked to my Garmin plotter, the other two not at all. I can go to www.activecaptain.com/map and see all the charts and points of interest. This does require internet access so if you're offline no help.

[sailorboy1]

The main reason I got Aqua Map was the off line Active Captain use. Then I found it had better maps than my chartplotter which was going to cost $700 to update chips, so I got a GPS for $99 for my iPad and now the Aqua Map is my "close quarters" chartplotter.

[a64pilot]

Downloaded Aquamap, it won’t let me sign in to my Active Capt account, neither will Blue Chart now, or SEAiq.
I assume Garmin is blocking it.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Downloaded Aquamap, it won’t let me sign in to my Active Capt account, neither will Blue Chart now, or SEAiq.
I assume Garmin is blocking it.

A fess the AquaMap technical assistance. I had to do that also. They sent me detailed instructions to wall me through the process. I have found their tech support to be VERY good.

[a64pilot]

I can sign into AC on my blue chart app, but when I try to update AC, it won’t, I get a message that the download has been interrupted.
I have even reset my password, same result.

I don’t think this is a glitch

[jkleins]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

There is an Active Capt app that you can download, it’s not worth much, unless of course you own a Garmin plotter, that is clearly its intent.

However I have noticed that on my Blue Charts app that still functions, that Active Capt will no longer update, and on the SEAiq App I just purchased, it has Active Capt, but cant apparently connect to Active Capt any longer to download the database.
So to me it would seem that Garmin is slowly ensuring that to use Active Captain, that your going to have to have a Garmin plotter.
I had hoped that when Garmin purchased Navionics and killed their Blue Charts App that meant that maybe they were going to beef up Navionics and maybe add Active Capt to it.
It is beginning to appear that their intent is to make it so that AC is available only on a Garmin plotter.
My biggest dislike of Garmin plotters, is that you can only use a Garmin map on them.

Building up a business, and then selling it for a good profit is the American way, but I wonder if the developer knew it would go this way.

I wonder if Garmin’s purchase of Navionics was to kill it? From their Avionics way of doing things, it wouldn’t surprise me. In the aircraft world, they make a huge amount of money, but mostly through very expensive updates, that is where the real money is.

Try again. They seemed to have fixed it just this week. I downloaded the entire database just yesterday on my iPhone on BlueChart.

Jim

[jkleins]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I can sign into AC on my blue chart app, but when I try to update AC, it won’t, I get a message that the download has been interrupted.
I have even reset my password, same result.

I don’t think this is a glitch

You have probably done this but restart the app by closing and opening again and see what you find. Mine had the interrupted message but it had actually downloaded and everything was working fine. The message went away after restart and showed "Updated 3 hours ago" or something of that nature.

Jim

[BobHorn]

AC works on my Android tablet running Firefox.