iPad gps plotters

[Myjane 40]

How good are the iPad Nav systerms , I here navionics have a down load for I pads that , gps for boats , are the accurate say in bay depths , showing all dangers etc , I here they are used off shore

[Jon 391]

We sailed back from Europe mostly on an IPad

Had two fixed plotters plus hand held gps plotter and laptop with independent Nav system

Ran the autopilot and AIS off the cockpit plotter but everyone was always using the iPad

Found the iPad to be every bit and sometimes more accurate than the Ray/Navionics on the plotter.

The big proviso is we have a dry cockpit and over 12,000nm out of 15,000 were down wind in the tropics

But wouldn't go anywhere without my iPad

[Island Time 1,278]

Myjane, if you do a search on Ipad on this forum you will find this has been discussed in depth before.

 

IMO the Ipad is a great accessory, NOT a primary nav system. Electronic charts (AND paper charts) vary in quality around the world, depending where you are. In parts, there is simply no good survey data. The Navionics on your ipad comes from the same data as the ones on a real plotter - provided the plotter has the updated data.

 

The issues with ipad are; Poor sunlight visibility, waterproofness (none, except in a case, then it can't be charged), battery life, chaging difficulties, ruggedness (Can be broken pretty easiliy, dropped, sat on, etc etc). Lack of connection (to NMEA) marine devices - ie AP control etc.

 

The good side is the price (Although an Andriod tablet is cheaper, and available waterproof), portability, flexibility of useage types.

 

It is worth noting though, that for the price of a high end Ipad, you can get a pretty decent real plotter - like the B&G Vulcans. These provide proper robustness, waterproofing, Accessory control and interfacing (AP, Music, Race data with startline and laylines etc etc). They have built in wifi and allow control from an IPAD or Andriod device - great Accessories to a real plotter.

 

In the end it comes down to your choices and the type of boating you do. An Ipad may be fine for local sailing. If that is your choice, please get a decent waterproof housing...

[John B 108]

We sailed back from Europe mostly on an IPad

Had two fixed plotters plus hand held gps plotter and laptop with independent Nav system

Ran the autopilot and AIS off the cockpit plotter but everyone was always using the iPad

Found the iPad to be every bit and sometimes more accurate than the Ray/Navionics on the plotter.

The big proviso is we have a dry cockpit and over 12,000nm out of 15,000 were down wind in the tropics

But wouldn't go anywhere without my iPad

What charting did you run on your Ipad ,Jon?

[Jon 391]

We have a cig charging point in cockpit which we used if we needed to enter a pass or the like and no one had bothered to plug it in but generally it lived in the cockpit and anyone could use it as long as you plugged it in down below when ever it's battery got low, probably twice a day ?

It uses a little more power running GPS but other than that the only thing we used it for was email and txt via the Irridium Go

Below is attached a screen shot from a 23hr run

[John B 108]

Although that is topical as well.  I did buy one of those  dual cigarette/ usb charge port things to fit for that very porpoise.. Its on the round tuit list.

[Jon 391]

Firstly wear glasses

Then I use Navionics below is our track into Maupihaa

This track was more accurate than the boats chart plotter, so we zoomed in fully for our exit and followed the same line, just going a lot faster as with 6kts flowning out we were doing 1.5kts going in but struggled to stay under 9kts coming out.

[John B 108]

Thanks Jon ,  a friend of mine uses Isailor(?)on ipad  in Fiji and thought it was very good , but we had a thread on here last week saying how bad navionics was.

 

 oh.. Maupihaa.. Mopelia , didn't run into the Seeadler then ?

[1paulg 20]

I found isailor v good in Fiji -espec the Lau Group where Navionics was out considerably -enough to put you on the reef going thru passes if you werent aware it was out (obviously always have a spotter on deck too) .

[Jon 391]

Yes we missed the Seadler but she only lies in 5m of water or less but south of the pass.

Hio that lives there along with his parents and sister just north of his house and his Aunty and Uncle to the south said the gun powder burns very hot on the open fire still, one cannon is in a park in Papaeete but all the rest is still there, next time I call in I'm going for a snorkel on the wreak.

We only stayed two nights and snorkelled just a small part of the lagoon

Ate Crays, oysters, unga and giant clams all close at hand.

[Jon 391]

I found isailor v good in Fiji -espec the Lau Group where Navionics was out considerably -enough to put you on the reef going thru passes if you werent aware it was out (obviously always have a spotter on deck too) .

Haven't used Isailor but that's the good think about using an iPad/tablet, if the other boats in an area are using and recommending something else then it's as easy as finding Internetness and downloading what you need, not so easy with a chart plotter

When we were in Fiji everyone was overlaying google earth on navionics but that was last year or so.

 

The other thing I used the iPad for was saving info off line on the next destinations

[all fired up 6]

 

It is worth noting though, that for the price of a high end Ipad, you can get a pretty decent real plotter - like the B&G Vulcans. These provide proper robustness, waterproofing, Accessory control and interfacing (AP, Music, Race data with startline and laylines etc etc). They have built in wifi and allow control from an IPAD or Andriod device - great Accessories to a real plotter.

 

 

 

 Hi Island Time

Will the WiFi signal from the B & G Vulcan  connect through an IPad and allow me to use some of the fancy software around such as iRegatta from Zifigo. ( (http://www.zifigo.com ).

I start reading up on this stuff and then get bogged down in the NMEA0183 and NMEA2000 jargon and what bit of kit runs with what.

[Island Time 1,278]

No, the B&G wifi does not multiplex the nmea data. However, both the Vulcan and the Zeus 2 have similar functions to the Iregatta program - you can ping the start, and the marks, and they will give you countdown, early/late for start data by seconds or boatlengths, info on wind phase and oscillations so you can be on the right side of the course and the shifts etc, plus much more. What exactly are you after? 

 

The B&G wifi from the Vulcan allows screen duplication and control from a tablet, or viewing from a phone with no control...

 

Cheers

Matt

[Tim C 23]

I've found the problem with my iPad in bright sunlight is that even with charge going in, the charger won't keep up with the screen draw on a sunny day. The solution is to set it to turn off the screen every few minutes, but that is precisely what you don't want in a race situation, having to swipe a screen to liven it up, as you are glancing between woolies, instruments and navigation as helmsman. I run Navionics which I think is great. But the iPad is not the answer I though it would be. At night it is much better, and of course that is when good safety nav is needed. Great back up, but I'm in the market for the next system...