Electronics charts, tablet or chart plotter

[Zonker]

Hello, I am thinking of buying some charts. And I was wondering, why the charts for the chart plotters are so much more expensive then the Navionics charts for the apps?!


Any issues with quality that the app versions are so much cheaper?

[sv_pelagia]

Chart cards (or charts on chartplotter) usually don't expire.


Navionics app chart fee must be paid annually. Otherwise they are not useable. Update frequency not necessarily at same frequency as official charts.



FYI, O-charts for OpenCPN are inexpensive and do not expire. At least for Canada, they are identical to official ENC charts, and update as frequently.

[Zonker]

You in Canada and the US are lucky. We in Europe have to pay a fortune for paper charts.


Whether you have electronic charts on "plotter" or "tablet", they have to be renewed annually.


For ex. Navionics Platinum+™ | NPEU644L | microSD™/SD™ and One-year Subscription


$349.99 USD Save $100.00 USD
$249.99 USD

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Chart cards (or charts on chartplotter) usually don't expire.


Navionics app chart fee must be paid annually. Otherwise they are not useable. Update frequency not necessarily at same frequency as official charts.



FYI, O-charts for OpenCPN are inexpensive and do not expire. At least for Canada, they are identical to official ENC charts, and update as frequently.

[sv_pelagia]

Chartplotter charts should be renewed annually (for safety reasons) but many do NOT require annual renewal (e.g., my C-MAP charts on my Furuno chartplotter do NOT expire even if not renewed/updated).



Printed paper charts (and official digital charts) are NOT cheap in Canada! (Anyways, CHS no longer prints paper charts.) Hence my note about O-charts for OpenCPN. Others here on CF may chime in about Aquamaps, etc.

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Navionics app chart fee must be paid annually. Otherwise they are notuseable. Update frequency not necessarily at same frequency as official charts.

False for Navionics!
The charts continue to work, but they aren't updated and some application functions stops. But basic navigation, use of chart datum, lat/long/speed etc all continue to work perfectly.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by grantmc

False for Navionics!
The charts continue to work, but they aren't updated and some application functions stops. But basic navigation, use of chart datum, lat/long/speed etc all continue to work perfectly.

Navionics charts in up-to-date app expire (not accessible) if subscription not renewed, according to others' communications with Garmin:

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3839730


If the Garmin folks provided incorrect info, great.



I have not updated my Android Navionics app so my charts are indeed still accessible (however, I rarely look at them... o-charts much better).