"Best" chart/navigation software

[El Pinguino]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned i-Sailor which is my 'go to' on my iPad.
I also have the old 'burgle brand' Cmap on the ship's computer along with OpenCPN with a lot of local/Patagonian rasters which gets quite a bit of use.
Also have OpenCPN as above on my Macbook.
Works for me.
Forget about sat pics down here.

[rgleason]

Originally Posted by JPK

Earlier in the thread I suggested that one of the biggest deficiencies in OpenCPN was the lack of updated documentation for things as simple as a list of GPS receivers that work with the current version of a given OS. I was advised by Nohal that this is not the responsibility of the developers, and it is the user community that updates documentation. The lack of thorough and up-to-date documentation is honestly the biggest achilles heel of OpenCPN. If documentation for something as simple a "what GPS receiver should I use" can't be kept up to date, is it realistic to expect support for advanced features like hiding/seeing chart locations? IMO, the more "advanced" OpenCPN gets with all sorts of creative and unique features, the more critical documentation becomes, and without this documentation the app just becomes more and more unapproachable by beginners.

@JPK
Please understand that the "Supplementary Hardware" pages are NOT a part of the OpenCPN Manual. These pages were updated extensively last year, however keep in mind that we are dependent on user GPS use, experiences and contributions for updating this page. What would you have us do now, delete the page?

Also since there are multiple OS and platforms, there is not one single way to get your GPS device working. The best way to get help is to start a new thread on Cruiser's Forum OpenCPN, list your hardware and OS and exactly what you have done and what has happened. Also include relevant screenshots.

Unfortunately complaints and succumbing to anger due to unrealized expectations is not the way to get this working. We understand it can be frustrating to get your GPS device drivers working properly, identify the com port, test the GPS with the software provided by your GPS company, then disengage that software before setting up OpenCPN for GPS. There is no universal "wizard" in existence for completing this operation.

If you post your problem in a new thread on the CF OpenCPN I am sure you'll find lots of help from other supporting users.

PS: I've added a WARNING to the top of this page. https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...re:gps_devices

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by rgleason

@JPK
Please understand that the "Supplementary Hardware" pages are NOT a part of the OpenCPN Manual. These pages were updated extensively last year, however keep in mind that we are dependent on user GPS use, experiences and contributions for updating this page.

Also since there are multiple OS and platforms, there is not one single way to get your GPS device working. The best way to get help is to start a new thread on Cruiser's Forum OpenCPN, list your hardware and OS and exactly what you have done and what has happened. Also include relevant screenshots.

Unfortunately complaints and succumbing to anger due to unrealized expectations is not the way to get this working. We understand it can be frustrating to get your GPS device drivers working properly, identify the com port, test the GPS with the software provided by your GPS company, then disengage that software before setting up OpenCPN for GPS. There is no universal "wizard" in existence for completing this operation.


If you post your problem in a new thread on the CF OpenCPN I am sure you'll find lots of help from other supporting users.

I understand both sides of this. If this were a commercial product, there would be a person or team of people that were not developers that created the documentation. Users expect that. Developers don't write documentation, they develop. I expect most developers simply don't know how to write a good manual. To add to the difficulty with OpenCPN, because it is community written and supported, no one really knows what GPS devices work until someone tries, gets it to work and then they do or don't update the documentation. Most often then don't. The developers just don't have time to test hundreds of products solely to add to the documentation what works.

I will say, as "poor" as OpenCPN documentation is, I feel it is a lot better than the manual for many other commercial products. I think the biggest deficiency right now is that there is a "new" manual and an "old 2021" manual. The old manual is more complete, even if it doesn't exactly reflect the current version of software. But it is difficult to find and perhaps confusing for some if they happen on it by accident. A good project for an ambitions person would be to rewrite some sections of the old manual to include into the new manual.

[rgleason]

Originally Posted by wholybee

I understand both sides of this. If this were a commercial product, there would be a person or team of people that were not developers that created the documentation. Users expect that. Developers don't write documentation, they develop. I expect most developers simply don't know how to write a good manual. To add to the difficulty with OpenCPN, because it is community written and supported, no one really knows what GPS devices work until someone tries, gets it to work and then they do or don't update the documentation. Most often then don't. The developers just don't have time to test hundreds of products solely to add to the documentation what works.

I will say, as "poor" as OpenCPN documentation is, I feel it is a lot better than the manual for many other commercial products. I think the biggest deficiency right now is that there is a "new" manual and an "old 2021" manual. The old manual is more complete, even if it doesn't exactly reflect the current version of software. But it is difficult to find and perhaps confusing for some if they happen on it by accident. A good project for an ambitions person would be to rewrite some sections of the old manual to include into the new manual.

Warren, I've been working my way through this, step by step, between my normal daily demands. The current "User Manual Basic" may be more complete than you realize, as I have moved, touched and rewritten many pages. What is ahead to do (yet again after Hakan) is the hardest, GPS Install (along with some other pages).

I have yet to figure out how to quickly and easily copy/transfer needed screenshots from the old manual into the new one. That is another pesky task that has to be done properly so we can remove the old manual.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Warren, I've been working my way through this, step by step, between my normal daily demands. The current "User Manual Basic" may be more complete than you realize, as I have moved, touched and rewritten many pages. What is ahead to do (yet again after Hakan) is the hardest, GPS Install (along with some other pages).

I have yet to figure out how to quickly and easily copy/transfer needed screenshots from the old manual into the new one. That is another pesky task that has to be done properly so we can remove the old manual.

Your work is noticed. Thank you.

[hpeer]

Yes, and thank you for your efforts.

As a complete outsider my imagination tells me that something like OCPN needs at least 2 kinds of effort. First is the creative genius to make a truly new and very complex product. Ans that creative process has its own rewards, satisfaction. But then comes the process of maintaining that new thing, making it come alive and thrive in the user community. That nurturing has, I suppose , its own rewards. But it will be relentless.

And I think this is where mist of the cost if commercial systems comes in, in the maintenance and “customer service” aspects.

You guys meed money to maintain the system and to make it more accessible to folks like me, the Homer Simpsons of the boating world.


I think a good example of a successful creation > mature product evolution is the Pelagic Auto Pilot.

Good luck and I hope you succeed.

[Malkomax]

Originally Posted by requiem

Navionics I still consider very much a toy: some of these may have been since corrected, but last I checked it only works in degrees true, has no concept of night modes, the chart annotation features are limited to dropping pins, has only rudimentary integration with boat systems, and uses annoyingly tiny chart icons. In its favor the charts have better shallow water / inland detail compared to NOAA.

Navionics seemed a great app until it failed one day and needed to reinstall itself. This was last year, and on land, but all its waypoints, tracks etc were lost.

I left feed back on the Google app store and the Navionics devs replied to me basically saying that the tracks etc are stored on the cloud and not on the device itself. Perhaps things have changed by now.


For me, this raises serious safety issues especially if we are at sea with no internet connectivity. Of course these failure are probably rare but I don't trust it now so have paper charts and routes etc in a separate notebook. Also now have OpenCPN on a laptop.

[Pizzazz]

Navionics wins hands down. It runs on a tablet/phone/headunits, worldwide charts are very reasonably priced and it is very simple and intuitive. Integration with heading, depth, speed and AIS is a breeze. Most people use Navionics.

All the other software, including OpenCPN, has strong points but they do not get the simplicity and ease of use of Navionics. This is the problem with open source software, it is nice to play, has many features with but when it comes to simplicity and actual use, it fails. Any sailing app that does not have a good version for the phone/tablet is bound to fail in 2024.

The only part I wish Navionics takes from OpenCPN is the radar plugin code - that is clearly not going to happen now that it is owned by Garmin. The other way, to take OpenCPN for Android and add the radar plugin code there could work but then you will still have the problem with charts for the rest of the world. So, just use Navionics stand alone with AIS and purchase the radar stand alone.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

Most people use Navionics.

I suspect not "most."

Many, probably more accurate.

-Chris

[Pizzazz]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

I suspect not "most."

Many, probably more accurate.

-Chris

Sailing schools in the Med, charter captains in Greece, boating communities in Turkey... all of them just use Navionics, nothing else. That is most in my part of the world.

[requiem]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

Sailing schools in the Med, charter captains in Greece, boating communities in Turkey... all of them just use Navionics, nothing else. That is most in my part of the world.

I too must agree with the "most" here. If only counting full-time cruisers the numbers may be lower, but among all boaters I wouldn't be surprised if it had over 90% market share.

However! What makes it a breeze is its relative lack of functionality. It doesn't have such issues with external GPS devices simply because it doesn't run on laptops that might need to use them. It also doesn't have any concept of magnetic bearings; everything is in true. (Oh, and the last time I tried to get it to talk to a boat's AIS it didn't work so well.)

Personally I consider it a toy, but I also readily acknowledge that for a large chunk of potential users, such a toy is all they need and much more that that would either confuse them or go unused.

[rgleason]

"Most" is not necessarily "Best".
"Best" is a very personnal metric, not really useful for "some" people.
Maybe "most" is a good metric for "most" people, but "most" sailors are more particular and discerning.

[Don C L]

I mentioned earlier I use iSailGPS and it works well for me and has never failed, but I noticed it does slow down when loaded with track info and it has some trouble deleting a long tracks. I suspect loading it down with many waypoints may not help either. Best to delete old tracks as soon as they are not needed. And is there really a need to keep a library of waypoints?

[sv_pelagia]

Here in Canada, Navionics often takes months to years to add CHS updates (rocks, shallows, new charts). Even when you "update" your Navionics, you cannot be sure your Navionics charts are actually up-to-date. (C-MAP has similar issues.)



O-Charts for OpenCPN updates within 1 month of CHS updates.

[Marc S]

I'll put in a pitch for qtVLM. Free on Linux, Windows and Mac, has at least as many features as OpenCPN and is way less fiddly. And the UI poses much less of a learning curve than OpenCPN in my experience. It's very much oriented to GRIB file display and route planning and one can use the same free NOAA charts as OpenCPN as well as many others.