Plus the charts automatically update when you connect to a network.
They have much better screen resolution and work in sunlight - I'm typing this in my cockpit in full sunlight on my Galaxy S10. I've had handheld Garmin devices fail but I have mistreated several Samsung's that have never let me down (until the battery finally dies). phones or tablets, I'd put my life in a Samsung before a Garmin.
When it comes to discussing dedicated purpose built GPS handheld devices vs. My Lenovo without cell capability has a very good GPS receiver. iPads are oddball in that the GPS receiver is part of the same radio component as the cellular radio, not true with most Android devices. What ever path you take study up on navigation, dead reckoning, and weather.Ĭlick to expandIf you are talking about Android tablets (not iPad) then the discussion about cell capable is different. This may cause you to look for a Chart Plotter and all that installing one and the battery needs included. Print as many off as you desire.Īt some point you may want to extend your adventures.
You can get charts free from the NOAA site. That is not when you want to bet your life on a tool designed to work in the safe secure environment of your home.Īssuming that economics is driving this question, I would lean towards one of the Garmin hand held GPS gadgets. It is times like this that the best of the digital equipment can suddenly fail. My thinking about GPS and navigation or "Coastal Cruising" is not about the beautiful weather days, but the nasty, wind blowing, huge waves, rain, fog, dark miserable weather that can suddenly appear and test your sailing skills. Load 3 weeks of movies on the thing if you want.Ĭlick to expandWelcome to the SBO Forum and congrats on your starting new adventures. Seems an easy choice to me.īonus-Sd card expandable memory. The tab active is designed specifically for outdoor use other tablets are fragile, prone to overheating in the sun, not even water resistant, and must be treated with great care. Charge it in the pouring rain no problem. If it’s charging in the sun and getting too hot it will stop charging and run off the battery to cool down (an iPad will shut down).īattery ages (as they all do) and you can buy just the battery. Electrics on the boat go down you can get about 12-16 hours of navigation on a full battery (double that if you keep a charged battery as a spare). Get a ram mount you can click it in in 2 seconds and you have waterproof charging, remove from mount and store below when at the dock. AIS overlay on the charts from any compatible wifi enabled unit. I run navionics on mine, will sync happily with the one on your iPhone (one account works on all devices you own regardless of OS). IP68 rated (yes even when charging, ports are waterproof too), can handle higher temps than standard tablets, battery is swappable so you can have a backup.
Download the iOS or Android versions of the Navionics app.I recommend a Samsung galaxy tab active. So your "free" app may actually end up costing you a lot more than the one you paid for a few years ago. This move is also evidence of a shift that is happening more broadly with navigation apps: moving from stand-alone fee-based products to free apps that require add-ons to integrate with chartplotters and other electronics. Navionics is likely also counting on us buying the add-on modules, such as the advanced navigation or chart updates that you are still required to pay for. We all like free, right? This will help develop a whole new user base, including casual boaters and people that have been hesitant about using mobile apps on the water. What this means for the expense-conscious boater (aka cheapskates like me) is that you can download this app, get a really easy to use navigation tool with straightforward chart data, and immediately use it to navigate around your local waters.
In a move that I for one appreciate, they released a new version of their boating app for free including all the Government S57 charts, and also free trials of their add on Nav module. But when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stopped printing charts in October last year, they began offering free vector and raster chart downloads, which led to the introduction of quite a few new mobile apps that provide free or low-cost charting and navigation. Navionics is introducing a free version of its popular smartphone and tablet navigation app.