Garmin discontinuing Vesper Watchmate devices and apps

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

Bad news for those of us who own one of those. Android / iOS updates may render the apps unusable

https://panbo.com/garmin-shrinks-ves...cortex-remain/

I wrote to them asking that they reconsider the decision or at least release the source code for the apps so the community can keep maintaining it

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/forms/ideas/

[Cyrus Safdari]

So if I have bought a Vesper AIS xb-800 does this mean I cant install it?

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

Originally Posted by Cyrus Safdari

So if I have bought a Vesper AIS xb-800 does this mean I cant install it?

As long as the app works on your phone/laptop you should be able to install it

[Cyrus Safdari]

This is a terrible shame, Vesper made good products & i liked the Vesper AnchorWatch app that came with their AIS, not sure if current apps compare

[FabioC]

I was about to buy a Cortex...
Anybody has any insight on what's going on with Garmin and the former Vesper's product line?
Recent moves of "consolidating" the former Vesper's are simply the results of the usual company politics that goes on every time a company acquires another company?... (essentially, killing the products of the acquired company one by one...)
Despite all the promises of Garmin's commitment to Cortex, at this point they do not seem very believable... When they say that most of the "good" Cortex features will propagate to other Garmin's products, that is like a death sentence for Cortex... Garmin's old-timers will make sure to eventually erase all traces of where those features come from...
I am sure I am not the only one who is re-evaluating whether to buy the Cortex... If long-term doubts spread (as it is likely), Cortex business will be negatively affected, starting a vicious circle, and ending eventually with Cortex being discontinued.
Any insider's intelligence on Garmin/Vesper?

[wholybee]

They have not killed Navionics, which is a direct competitor to their chart plotters and Blue Chart offerings. That is surprising, actually.

RE: Vesper, my guess is that because Garmin offers a nearly identical product, probably even using the same chips inside, it didn't make sense to keep them both. But, Garmin doesn't make anything like the cortex. I would guess they might drop the Vesper branding, but continue to offer it as the cortex, and newer products will simply be Garmin Cortex.

Support is another matter. Vesper support may be consolidated into Garmin support, and there may end up being little in depth knowledge of the legacy products.

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by wholybee

They have not killed Navionics, which is a direct competitor to their chart plotters and Blue Chart offerings. That is surprising, actually.

RE: Vesper, my guess is that because Garmin offers a nearly identical product, probably even using the same chips inside, it didn't make sense to keep them both. But, Garmin doesn't make anything like the cortex. I would guess they might drop the Vesper branding, but continue to offer it as the cortex, and newer products will simply be Garmin Cortex.

Support is another matter. Vesper support may be consolidated into Garmin support, and there may end up being little in depth knowledge of the legacy products.

navionics is too big to kill it and they just optimized their revenue stream, you still need to buy sd cards with charts for your plotter and again for the app. Blue charts was enhanced by navionics, wouldn#t be surprised when they get shut off.
Garmin bought navionics to control it better, so they can't eg offer white label services to other plotter companies or other start up companies like Orca.

They killed the Isailor from Wärtsila as beside radar that is a full chartplotter replace on the tablet/phone but this is still going strong, you can install it and it works fine thanks to updated transeat maps

And the Vesper products are a big thread to their chartplotters, the cortex is extremly expensive in my eyes and in hands of garmin they will sell what they can without support more features that could harm their other products.

If your are staying in Europe I suggest to have a look at the orca core, a new version with Radar support is coming very shortly bringing finally radar to your tablets and phones together with autopilot and NMEA support. Will get one. Sadly they make their own maps, very good quality but besides Europe the coverage of the maps is thin...but they are in constant development.
You can still use the orca core with radar in all other areas, they have basic maps and in parallell eg Isailor with transeat maps or Navionics eg in split screen mode on your 12.9"Ipad pro. I do this anyhow already with Isailor and Navionics in split screen mode to have two different chart providers.

Like this you are brand independent and have radar on your tablet also outside european regions.

[hjohnson]

Given that the vesper WatchMate app communicates with the unit via NMEA sentences, it shouldn’t be too hard to work out how to replace it. The problem is that it would be primarily be a labour of love, with a small and diminishing market.

One of the things I really like about my XB-8000 is how the anchor watch setup works. I don’t have to have the app running continuously to monitor my swing. It also shows the last n hours of motion, helping me better center the swing circle before going to bed.

[CaptainRivet]

Anchor! App only for Iphone and Ipads has the same functionality then the watchmate anchor alarm just doesn't get NMEA data.
It has even a remote functionality where you get an alarm even you are not on the boat.
Using it for years now.

[LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating]

Originally Posted by CaptainRivet

Anchor! App only for Iphone and Ipads has the same functionality then the watchmate anchor alarm just doesn't get NMEA data.

It has even a remote functionality where you get an alarm even you are not on the boat.

Using it for years now.

The real advantage of the vesper anchor drag alarm is that you only use the app when you drop the anchor. The info is kept on the vesper's internal memory and it will trigger the alarm itself

Sent from my SM-A225F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by LifesBetterWhenYoureBeating

The real advantage of the vesper anchor drag alarm is that you only use the app when you drop the anchor. The info is kept on the vesper's internal memory and it will trigger the alarm itself

Sent from my SM-A225F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I have the Anchor! App on every device as receiver, the sender is an Ipad mini fixed installed at nav station and always powered as it eg also works as remote monitoring for the BMS.
So i can switch off all instruments but that ipad will keep running also the Anchor alarm and send warning to the other devices running Anchor! Too. Don't know any other anchor alarm app that can do that.

[crayiii]

They’ve kept the Fusion line intact so I don’t see why they would kill off the Cortez.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by crayiii

They’ve kept the Fusion line intact so I don’t see why they would kill off the Cortez.

Well, they did kill off all the wonderful Interphase forward looking sonars...

Jim

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, they did kill off all the wonderful Interphase forward looking sonars...

Jim

Private.equity involved heavily...the only things that interests them is squeeze the lemon, profits and a double digit growth strategy they can sell to a new owner...the rest they don't care...
Cortex is a niche product with a high margin, so they melk it and make promises but will only deliver what won't cost much. What creates advantages but doesn't cost much will be joint, cash cows kept and rest erased.
As others say R&D, sales and support will be joint together, rest will be erased.

[Nicholson58]

We have Vesper Watchmate 850. I’ve returned it to NZ twice for factory service. Nice folks and a really great machine. Anchor watch, NMEA interface to my Simrad. Anchor watch does not require any other electronics, only about 7 watts. We never turn it off. Under way it has saved our skins three times in night passages. I’ll keep it until there are no alternatives.