The death of Active Captain

[BobHorn]

AC works on my Android tablet running Firefox.

[Southpass]

Originally Posted by BobHorn

AC works on my Android tablet running Firefox.

It's not Active Captain that's the issue for me. It's accessing current Active Captain (or for that matter adding comments or observations to active captain) without having purchased a chart plotter from Garmin. I'm installing Aqua Maps as I type this in the Sea of Abaco Bahamas. I'm heading back to sail up the East coast to Annapolis eventually and I'd like access to the latest and greatest info on the inlets and marinas.

[Bleemus]

Originally Posted by Southpass

It's not Active Captain that's the issue for me. It's accessing current Active Captain (or for that matter adding comments or observations to active captain) without having purchased a chart plotter from Garmin. I'm installing Aqua Maps as I type this in the Sea of Abaco Bahamas. I'm heading back to sail up the East coast to Annapolis eventually and I'd like access to the latest and greatest info on the inlets and marinas.

Then just go to the web interface. Always has the latest data. Not sure why everyone is so obsessed with having AC on their plotter. It is a planning tool.

[Exile]

My experience with the Bluechart/Garmin AC thus far on various Apple devices & my onboard Garmin chartplotters:

Old iPad2: BC still works but won't update; AC app says not compatible; AC website won't load

Old Macbook: AC doesn't work, won't load

iPhone 7: BC gets automatically replaced with AC which had trouble updating but is now OK. Old AC log-in is toast and now have to log-in/register on the Garmin website

Newer iMac desktop: AC works fine (after new log-in via Garmin) but I agree with previous posters who report much less capability than old AC. NOAA charts provided only for backdrop to view AC icons & not much more

Onboard Garmin chartplotters: Over 10 years old now and no longer supported. No compatibility with the new AC. Too bad since this now seems to be the thrust of Garmin buying AC, i.e. getting people to buy new chartplotters that fully integrate. My plotters still seem to be working fine so I'll probably just update my tablet and continue to use AC as a supplementary guide to my electronic nav charting where applicable

BC is gone, but does anyone know if the new AC will update and continue to work with SeaIQ, Navionics, and maybe other apps?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Bleemus

Then just go to the web interface. Always has the latest data. Not sure why everyone is so obsessed with having AC on their plotter. It is a planning tool.

Uh, no it’s more than that. I find it invaluable when running the ICW, there are all kinds of alerts about shoaling etc. that I find helpful. Plus all bridge data is displayed, opening times etc.
And an internet connection is not always available.

[Swammy]

Garmin has a market tactic to provide both hardware and an ongoing software/data revenue stream. In Automotive it is map updates. In Aviation (of which I own) it is the monthly $50 map updates which includes airport gas prices, storage, and even restauraunt info (which I dont use). In wearables, they sell the watch and have a social platform that is about half the size of their nemisis FitBit. They jumped into acquiring the InReach and now have experience with Satellite communications which the strategy includes the equipment and then the yearly charge.

Now they purchased Active Corporation. What was the value? The software sucked. It was the Data. The info. It was in the past the informal users that did not generate much revenue that the owner could not figure out how to monetize. So Garmin came along and bought it. Now they have likely assigned some Jr. marketing person to make it work, and determine how to integrate it into an eventual money stream. But how to do it with all of you plugging in the cost of some mooring ball or the price of diesel in some remote marina? They will want to get you to buy into both the equipment and the $$ subscription but they are struggling how to do it. Thus, all of your questions. You are seeing a company in the midst of trying to figure out a way to have you pay while you are still inputting data. Or, they do it like they do the aviation program..... not so well and we all then go to another program (foreflight) and pay $200 yearly and get good stuff.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Swammy

Garmin has a market tactic to provide both hardware and an ongoing software/data revenue stream. In Automotive it is map updates. In Aviation (of which I own) it is the monthly $50 map updates which includes airport gas prices, storage, and even restauraunt info (which I dont use). In wearables, they sell the watch and have a social platform that is about half the size of their nemisis FitBit. They jumped into acquiring the InReach and now have experience with Satellite communications which the strategy includes the equipment and then the yearly charge.

Now they purchased Active Corporation. What was the value? The software sucked. It was the Data. The info. It was in the past the informal users that did not generate much revenue that the owner could not figure out how to monetize. So Garmin came along and bought it. Now they have likely assigned some Jr. marketing person to make it work, and determine how to integrate it into an eventual money stream. But how to do it with all of you plugging in the cost of some mooring ball or the price of diesel in some remote marina? They will want to get you to buy into both the equipment and the $$ subscription but they are struggling how to do it. Thus, all of your questions. You are seeing a company in the midst of trying to figure out a way to have you pay while you are still inputting data. Or, they do it like they do the aviation program..... not so well and we all then go to another program (foreflight) and pay $200 yearly and get good stuff.

True....
BUT I think you are a little out of order. I think Garmin already figured out this BEFORE they bought the Company. Now they just are in the "selling it" to the folks that once got it for Free to Pay for it. Monetizing what was once free on the net takes a little time for people to eventually say "uncle" or they move onto the next new "free app" and so the cycle goes over and over. There is no Free Lunch and that includes data that was given freely to the Company. If Garmin flubs the transition, they lose money. If they do it well they make money from their purchase. That's how the Free Market works (well see Chapter on Buying off your elected Officials to control the Market, but that's a 201 level class).

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

True....
BUT I think you are a little out of order. I think Garmin already figured out this BEFORE they bought the Company. Now they just are in the "selling it" to the folks that once got it for Free to Pay for it. Monetizing what was once free on the net takes a little time for people to eventually say "uncle" or they move onto the next new "free app" and so the cycle goes over and over. There is no Free Lunch and that includes data that was given freely to the Company. If Garmin flubs the transition, they lose money. If they do it well they make money from their purchase. That's how the Free Market works (well see Chapter on Buying off your elected Officials to control the Market, but that's a 201 level class).

Software being my field, and being an owner of some Garmin gear, the whole AC thing has been interesting. The initial kerfuffle instigated by the Polar Navy announcement, leading to sky is falling threads like this, was an unforced PR error, and they've gotten a bit better at speaking to the base.

As I understand it, the intent is still to make AC data available for free and as widely as possible. I don't yet know the plans around how they will manage contributions, and that is part of the new GPDR regulations that global companies have had to adapt to. I've signed onto their AC developer program to find out more.

Re "free lunch" ... you do know that well over half of the Internet runs on open-source software that is available for free? Did I just hear your head explode? There are values and goals in the world that can't be captured on a balance sheet. Community-generated content is of little use if people stop using or contributing to it, and I think Garmin knows that.

Btw, the creator of AC (Jeff Seigel) has stayed with Garmin and is managing the transition, as far as I know.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Btw, the creator of AC (Jeff Seigel) has stayed with Garmin and is managing the transition, as far as I know.

His last contractual day came and left...and he's gone.....

Cruisers Forum is a "Free Resource" paid for by the Sponsors and Ads.
Someone is ALWAYS paying my friend...no one gets a Free Lunch except maybe...well I won't go there....

[a64pilot]

I had heard that it would be free and widely available, but only way I can download it is with the Garmin AC app, which exists to connect to their plotters.
Perhaps what they meant as free and widely available was on this website meaning of course you have internet access, and not on possibly competing apps, You think?

Use to be you paid to have internet access, now you pay by the amount you use and “unlimited plans” have a limit.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Lets not talk about internet or the "Sky is Falling because "Net Neutrality" was ended" folks will go crazy and start threatening the FCC's Children with Death again....sheesh...

The Net becomes what it was/is without Net Neutrality and then when it goes away you would have though the entire internet was going to go away next Tuesday if you listen to the voices of panic. Where is the sanity in today's world? But on second though...maybe I found it here in La Paz.....

[rbyham]

Just tried my fave MX Mariner but it would not update..

[Bleemus]

Really good in Australia so start adding stuff in US if you are on the water and eventually AC will die a slow death. Open source should stay open source.

https://www.zuluwaterways.com/map

[CarlF]

It's ridiculous to say that Garmin made the changes around BCM as a strategy to increase profits. That would only have worked if they stopped making AC available to other apps - which they haven't. And they also should have killed BCM instead of just taking it out of the app store for new users.

Garmin fixed the server side bug with BCM and Garmin AC about a week ago. Since then, I've been using BCM everyday on Ipad and Iphone with current AC markers and expect to do so for a while.

This has been a PR disaster for Garmin and I expect people have lost their jobs over the poor transition. Panbo lists the apps now supporting AC. I expect in six months there will be many more including Garmin's promised AC of Navionics.

https://www.panbo.com/active-captain...y-app-support/

You need to reinitialize your database by going into settings in BCM to ActiveCaptain and choosing "Log Out". It will ask you if you want to delete the local copy of the database to save space. Say "Yes". Then login in and update. The first loading will take close to an hour and may get stuck a couple of times. Just hit update again and it will continue from where it left off. Separately, you should setup a new free account on the new AC web site in a browser. https://activecaptain.garmin.com

[model 10]

[QUOTE=SV THIRD DAY But on second though...maybe I found it here in La Paz.....[/QUOTE]

When are you going cruising?