Marine Navigation for Android

[viben]

Any thoughts and experiences with marine navigation apps for Android? OpenCPN is still in Beta, bet what about other apps, such as Navionics' Boating etc?

I am considering replacement alternatives for an elderly Garmin Trackfish 6500 w/ 5-inch display, and would like to check some out before I am forced to make the change - as well as for redundancy.

[four winds]

I use MxMariner on my phone. Inexpensive, works well.

Also have OpenCPN , no longer beta, check the play store.

I don't think PolarView from Polar Navy has a droid version, but it's my favorite on the Mac Laptop. Also have OpenCPN for osx there as well.

If in the US, free charts from NOAA.

Garmin 441s at the helm.

[jmackay]

Look ar MX Mariner. I have it on my phone for a backup and have found that it works well in coastal waters.

[nknowland]

We use Plan2Nav.

[rbyham]

love MX Mariner and Active Captain for ICW travel

[puffcard]

Originally Posted by rbyham

love MX Mariner and Active Captain for ICW travel

Me too, very good program and can get the Bahamas added for $20. If you do buy the Bahamas, you can load on phone and tablet for the same onetime fee. Sure I wish it had more features, but it's quick to start and never locks up. I won't have any nav program if it didn't have Active Capt.

[MarkJ]

I have Navionics Boating HD on my Android large screen smart phone and its just a frikkin toy.
Bloody useless.

You can't even put in a route and follow it. It's a steaming pile of crap.

Try it as its free. But that's what its worth NOTHING!

because I do long passages I want multiple redundancy, but its the bare minimum emergency only.

IPad is marginally better but still the nav apps are useless compared to a PC or plotter.

I do want to try Opencpn for android. But I hear getting it to find the charts on the phone is difficult and the Opencpn forum on here is too difficult to get a layperson understandable response.

If I like an app, whatever it is, I tend to inherently use it. If I don't inherently like it I don't use it. So no nav apps can I recommend.

Ps, I am not paying for charts for a third tier redundancy on an app that's crap.

Mark, rant out.

[StuM]

Unlike MarkJ, I'm a fan of Navionics. I have it on both a 10 " tablet and a smartphone.

By paying for the Nav module, it does all I need to do with routing and has been my primary plotter now for several trips through the GBR, across the Coral Sea and right around the PNG coast.

Check out https://webapp.navioncs.com to look at the level of charting available and to and have a play with the routing.


You don't say where you are sailing. I've looked at MXMariner, but it's not much use away from the areas for which charts are available. Navionics gives world wide coverage.

[jackdale]

Navionics is OK, OpenCPN works OK.

I compared Sailgrib WR to Expedition on my last passage. Sailgrib WR is pretty good value for the money. It integrated well with Iridium Go for acquiring grib files through saildocs.

[Afrinus]

MarkJ, you might want to take another look at Navionics.
Its been a number of years now that I've used it, so can't remember the cost, but I think the app with full USA and Canada maps (including lakes) was $9.99 and $4.99 9er year for renewal. In addition, there is a routing piece that cost IIRC $4.99.
With this I can do pretty much everything I can do on my > $1000 Raymarine MFD.
in addition, you get very high resolution sonar maps included.

I have no connection with Navionics other than a very satisfied user.

Pete

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

[ranger58sb]

We use both MX Mariner (raster charts) and Plan2Nav (C-Map vector charts), both with ActiveCaptain data integrated.


Charts for MX Mariner might depend on where you are...


-Chris

[AZ-Oldguy]

Afrinus, where/how do you get the routing piece?

[mikecambrai]

I have used Marine Navigator on my Android for a couple of years. The charts are Raster chart from Visitmyharbour. The combination of the 2 is excellent with routing and waypoints so easy to use.
What ever system you use, the first issue is always to find who sells the charts for your cruising area.
The only real issue that I have faced is with the cheaper tablets, daylight viewing os not good. Sitting out in the sun is not an option if I want to read my tablet.
Samsung Amoled screens are far better but cost £300 more than my cheapo tablet which works really well, and I am not afraid that if I dunk it the cost of a new one is not so much.
Tablets and charts are so much the way to go. So portable and so practical. Updating is always an issue with any of these electronic charts.
Monthly notices to mariners are impossible to add. I do look at the N2M's for my cruising area and make a paper note of anything really significant and keep it alongside my log.
I have also built a dark box with a hole in the top which I find enables me to have the tablet by the helm in the sun and makes it more readable.
I wish someone would make a good black box or better still an affordable daylight screen.

[capnbillchx]

Originally Posted by Afrinus

MarkJ, you might want to take another look at Navionics.
Its been a number of years now that I've used it, so can't remember the cost, but I think the app with full USA and Canada maps (including lakes) was $9.99 and $4.99 9er year for renewal. In addition, there is a routing piece that cost IIRC $4.99.
With this I can do pretty much everything I can do on my > $1000 Raymarine MFD.
in addition, you get very high resolution sonar maps included.

I have no connection with Navionics other than a very satisfied user.

Pete

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

I must agree. I just checked my app to be sure the functionality is still there -- it is. I am underway and following a route on my Samsung 5S as I write this. I use open cpn on my laptop and Navionics on my IPad and my Android. I find them useful, priced right, and I think the charts are very good -- for my locality.

I have read reviews that claim the charts aren't accurate. I think that must be very dependent on the poster's locations. I use US&Canada series. Great bargain, especially since it includes Canadian charts almost free compared to all other sources.

[Nanamuk]

We've been using Navionics HD for 2 years and agree it is just a toy - so much miss information at least in the Pacific North West (soundings in Quatsi Cove way off, same in the Copeland Isd south end where a whole island is missing to name a few) that we never use it to decide where to go or not go. It is handy to confirm what your eyes and paper charts are telling you and if currents or leeway are altering your course.