I Pad and plan2nav for Bahamas

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by Racer86

Google , "BAD ELF " it's a small plug in Gps module for Ipad that is much more accurate than the Gps built into the ipad. Their site shows all the charting apps that it works with. We used it in the Gulf of Mexico and south west Florida and it was way faster and more accurate than the built in chart plotter on the boat.
it is also used in aviation, and is well through of by jet pilots for its speed and accuracy.
plus it's not expensive.
We loved it!

I don't believe Bad Elf is more accurate than the cellular iPad.

[Kenomac]

Whether the naysayers like it or not, we've been using an original iPad with built in GPS for over five years for primary navigation along with an iPad Air cellular model. The original iPad uses the Inavx app and the iPad Air uses the Inavx app along with The Nobeltec app. The Nobeltec app and charts are superior, but we still prefer the Inavx for anchoring and the built in anchor alarm.

After you get out and begin actually cruising, you'll quickly notice that most who are actually out doing it, instead of dreaming, discussing, speculating, or talking about cruising someday.... are big fans and users of the iPads. The dedicated chartplotter is becoming an expensive dinosaur, so glad we didn't waste money on one five years ago. With an iPad, it's also very easy to share information with other cruisers.

[l2ridehd]

I have an ipad with gps. I will use this as my main backup to the chartplotter and probably use it most of the time do to it's mobility and other functionally. I have been researching and even downloading and trying different navagation apps. I am still trying to decide which one to use. I like Active Captain, and have tried Navonics, about to test Garmin Blue Water and inavx. I want to settle on one before I download and pay for all the charts I want. It seems there are pros and cons to each.

I want current and accurate charts, ease of use, feature rich. Has anyone gone through all this process and found a winner?

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

I have an ipad with gps. I will use this as my main backup to the chartplotter and probably use it most of the time do to it's mobility and other functionally. I have been researching and even downloading and trying different navagation apps. I am still trying to decide which one to use. I like Active Captain, and have tried Navonics, about to test Garmin Blue Water and inavx. I want to settle on one before I download and pay for all the charts I want. It seems there are pros and cons to each.

I want current and accurate charts, ease of use, feature rich. Has anyone gone through all this process and found a winner?

Nobeltec and Inavx. Each uses a different set of charts, each set of charts Raster vs vector has its own unique advantages. Nobeltec offers satellite photo overlay. After you buy a set of charts, free updates are available. Nobeltec is a free app, try it out. We're only talking about $50 or so for a set of charts.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

I have an ipad with gps. I will use this as my main backup to the chartplotter and probably use it most of the time do to it's mobility and other functionally. I have been researching and even downloading and trying different navagation apps. I am still trying to decide which one to use. I like Active Captain, and have tried Navonics, about to test Garmin Blue Water and inavx. I want to settle on one before I download and pay for all the charts I want. It seems there are pros and cons to each.

I want current and accurate charts, ease of use, feature rich. Has anyone gone through all this process and found a winner?

SeaIQ. It is the only app I know of that will use CM93 charts, as well as any charts you make yourself. I have not found any format it won't support yet. It also creates Google Earth charts for you. It is also the most full-function navigation app I have come across, and it is the least expensive ($40 unlocks everything). It will take NMEA and AIS over wifi.

Most others only allow their own chart formats - Navionics, Garmin, CMap. Very little choice with them and many of them have extremely limited functionality. My opinions have been formed by also owning and using iSailor, Navionics, Garmin, Jeppeson and iRegatta apps.

SeaIQ beats all of them hands down for me in terms of price, functionality and performance.

Mark

[Swammy]

Jersey Girl, Take a look at some of my previous posts regarding INavX. I move boats for a living (poor living at that!), and use the Ipad2 with INavx for redundancy. Look a this thread for a brief positive and negative for using the Ipad http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...eply&p=1769327

and pictures for what you need to protect and charge your Ipad at the helm http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1769751

Next, the tablet type navigation with an apple GPS is less accurate than some, not all, external GPS like bad elf(as only an example). The difference is the bad elf error is 1/2 meter(yard) for every 1 mile , and is faster by .2 seconds. The Apple is 3/4 meter for every mile in error and is slower obviously by .2 seconds. I am open to anyone correcting me on these technical details. This is important in aviation. It is not important when you are moving at a slow 10 knots. The charts for maritime use are no where near that accurate, so it also does not matter this small rate of error. A paper map is not any more accurate as if it is the same company, it is the same map. Now, I agree that some companies have much better maps than others depending on where you are in the world. If the most accurate maps are not available for the Ipad, use the other maps and other programs for navigation.

Available maps that are listed on xtraverse,com that is the company that you purchase the maps from for INavx. They include Swedish, New Zeland Brazil and Mexico Marine Charts (this is how Xtraverse lists them), Navionics charts for navigation and separate fishing charts, CHS-RM maps for Canada, Nv. Charts for all of their offerings, and Wavey charts. This is the offering that is available on Inavx. Also, all of the NOAA charts are free.
PM if you want any clarification.

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by Swammy

Jersey Girl, Take a look at some of my previous posts regarding INavX. I move boats for a living (poor living at that!), and use the Ipad2 with INavx for redundancy. Look a this thread for a brief positive and negative for using the Ipad http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...eply&p=1769327

and pictures for what you need to protect and charge your Ipad at the helm http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1769751

Next, the tablet type navigation with an apple GPS is less accurate than some, not all, external GPS like bad elf(as only an example). The difference is the bad elf error is 1/2 meter(yard) for every 1 mile , and is faster by .2 seconds. The Apple is 3/4 meter for every mile in error and is slower obviously by .2 seconds. I am open to anyone correcting me on these technical details. This is important in aviation. It is not important when you are moving at a slow 10 knots. The charts for maritime use are no where near that accurate, so it also does not matter this small rate of error. A paper map is not any more accurate as if it is the same company, it is the same map. Now, I agree that some companies have much better maps than others depending on where you are in the world. If the most accurate maps are not available for the Ipad, use the other maps and other programs for navigation.

Available maps that are listed on xtraverse,com that is the company that you purchase the maps from for INavx. They include Swedish, New Zeland Brazil and Mexico Marine Charts (this is how Xtraverse lists them), Navionics charts for navigation and separate fishing charts, CHS-RM maps for Canada, Nv. Charts for all of their offerings, and Wavey charts. This is the offering that is available on Inavx. Also, all of the NOAA charts are free.
PM if you want any clarification.

Swammy, thanks for that experience. I don't rely on any GPS. We also
have paper charts, hand bearing compass etc as well as chart plotter and iPad.

Also we shouldn't cut too close relying on any GPS fix. Some years ago a charter skipper in Auckland NZ was taking clients on a fishing trip to Great Barrier Island and was relying on GPS at night. He made a turn at some speed into the entrance of Fitzroy Harbour. Unfortunately one or two of his passengers were killed when they ran into a small island (I know well) near the narrow entrance.

Later the police checked and found error in the system at that place. So the map can have an error, the GPS can have an error and the whole system might have an error. They can all add up. I'm sure in the years since then it's all improved.
However near that same location I found a visible rock in a pass that was GPS mapped on the wrong side of the channel. A friend in another boat with a different GPS system found the same error.

If I'm navigating to a headland, and I'm sure most careful people would, I sail to a waypoint maybe 1/2 a mile off and know that reaching there we need to turn right or left. I learnt that when I happened to be on several search and rescue missions. We would fly to a point one side of the last known location then turn say to the right and know we should overfly the missing vessel. If you go directly to the location you don't know which way to turn if you can't find it.

Using a cellular iPad on the Amtrak as I was doing in the last couple of weeks, the little dot on my map moved in about 1/4 second jerks at 79 mph. Cross a road or river it was exactly correct in 70 hours of train travel, while I watched it and also 1600 miles of driving our car. On one occasion we were shown driving slightly off road which must have been a mapping error.
It didn't work in the 6 mile tunnel in the Rockies west of Denver. Surprise. But it started again within a second or two of leaving the tunnel/s.

I find my cellular iPad just as accurate in our boat but still don't rely only on it to just miss a rock which might not be correctly mapped. Incidentally I usually keep it on charge either with a external battery, or other power source.

Joshua Slocum navigated single handed around the world in 1896/7 using a sextant and a wind up alarm clock with only an hour hand.