Navigating by your Telephone?

Hi Jim (JennyKatz),

Yes, our Droid has apps for navigation, weather, tides, etc, etc, etc. We had thunderstorms on the lake again tonight, and I pulled up Radar Now and deviated from our usual route, using that information. Nice ride.

Right now, we are in the boonies, and I have to use our Wilson Sleek (amplified phone cradle/antenna) to get a good signal. Folks by us with AT&T tell me that they have to go somewhere else to get a signal. We use Verizon. I have no idea if Sprint has any kind of an Android phone.

We have been very pleased with the Droid. The Droid X sounds like a good set-up, too, since you are also able to use it as a wifi hot spot.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
JamesTXSD":2thcrkrd said:
Hi Jim (JennyKatz),

We have been very pleased with the Droid. The Droid X sounds like a good set-up, too, since you are also able to use it as a wifi hot spot.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
Click to expand...

Just ordered a Droid X Jim, do you need a special service to use it as a hot spot? by that I assume you mean it will take the place of a hot spot for other wireless devices?

Charlie
 
Jim B (JamesTXSD),
What apps do you like for navigation, weather, and tides? I have loaded Radar Now which you mentioned and will try it out.

Thx, Cindie
 
Mein gott, and here I am going into Lake Superior waters and my back-up plan is a voice only phone and a paper chart...
Pray for me Father Baraga, for I know not what I do!
 
Aurelia":2lf310ii said:
Jim B (JamesTXSD),
What apps do you like for navigation, weather, and tides? I have loaded Radar Now which you mentioned and will try it out.

Thx, Cindie
Click to expand...

Hi Cindie,

Besides Radar Now, I use The Weather Channel, Compass, iMap Weather, Navionics (for chartplotter back up to the back up), Maps, Navigation, TideApp, WeatherBug, WhatZip, and Where. I also have quite a few other apps for info and entertainment, but the ones mentioned help us with our traveling. When away from the boat, I have White Noise Lite loaded so I can hear ocean sounds at night. :wink:

I am in the process of getting our iPad set up to be as functional as the Droid; have loaded it with Navionics charts for selected areas and all the weather apps. I do like the bigger screen. Both the Droid and the iPad handle our e-mail faster than our laptops/desktop. My old Garmin 176c (first generation color portable chartplotter) gave out this summer, and I doubt I'll replace it. For the price of a couple Garmin charts, you could pay for a pretty good chunk of an iPad, Droid, or iPhone. And with Navionics charts for those devices running $20 or less, it's an even better bargain.

As an iPad side note, we did buy the wifi/3G model because it also has the GPS chip. It will run all the navigation/GPS apps with good accuracy without having to have a wifi signal. I have no need/intention of subscribing to the AT&T service with the 3G, but I did want that GPS chip that the wifi model doesn't have.

One of the other neat features of these devices when you are connected (either via wifi or cell/data signal) is the fact that you can pull up info from Google or other similar services while you're rolling/cruising. Want to know fuel prices while you're towing the boat in an unfamiliar area? Pull up Where on the Droid, find the best fuel price nearby and have it map the way. The first time I used that, it saved me about 20¢ per gallon. Made me a believer.

Yeah, I know some will call 'em "toys"... I consider these more like tools... tools that can also keep you connected and entertained. More information isn't a bad thing. 8) As long as you don't have your face in the screen all the time. Yesterday on one of my cruises, I had a young passenger come aboard with a GameBoy... while we were cruising by some of the most beautiful scenery in the lower 48, he was more engrossed in his game. Yeah, I had to point that out. :mrgreen: I am more interested in the REAL world than any electronic/virtual world... but, if that additional info can help me find great places, save me $$, and find the way to the nearest Carino's Italian Restaurant... even better! :D

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
El and Bill":16nqrq2b said:
Yes, Peter. Lake Champlain (and the St. Lawrence River) is on my iPhone Navionics Great Lakes App. Not on the Lakes North app.
Click to expand...

The only Navionics product I'm finding for Lake Champlain is "FISH-G Fish'N'Chip - Great Lakes", which is $200 for a two-year subscription.

Upon retirement (meaning fixed income) in two years, I expect to do 100% of my boating on Champlain. I really resent having to spend so much money (Garmin, Jepperson, or Navionics) to navigate one lake. To add insult to injury, I believe two chart packages are necessary to get both the Canadian and US portions of Champlain. When you live four miles from the Quebec border, that sucks.

Bill, Peter et al: are there any cheaper solutions?
It reminds me of cable TV where you are forced to pay for 79 channels that you have zero interest in just to get the seven channels that you actually watch.

Are any electronic charts available à la carte?

Didn't mean to highjack the thread...it's still about iPhones, etc.
 
Hi El and Bill,

Glad to hear that you are still on top of your game. I am a little slow of the electronic stuff. I will have an I-Phone as soon as Verizon gets them. In our area AT&T does not do as good a job.

Fred, Pat and Mr. Grey (the cat)

PS: Mr Grey could care less. He does not even wake up when the phone rings right beside him.I so think he would like to E-Mail as every now and then he tries to type by walking on the keyboard. His spelling is so bad that spell check cannot figure it out.
 
Karl":1cmwtifz said:
El and Bill":1cmwtifz said:
Yes, Peter. Lake Champlain (and the St. Lawrence River) is on my iPhone Navionics Great Lakes App. Not on the Lakes North app.
Click to expand...

The only Navionics product I'm finding for Lake Champlain is "FISH-G Fish'N'Chip - Great Lakes", which is $200 for a two-year subscription.

...

Bill, Peter et al: are there any cheaper solutions?
It reminds me of cable TV where you are forced to pay for 79 channels that you have zero interest in just to get the seven channels that you actually watch.

Are any electronic charts available à la carte?

Didn't mean to highjack the thread...it's still about iPhones, etc.
Click to expand...

Karl, I'm a bit confused... $200 for a two-year subscription? If you're buying a chip for a chartplotter, you buy it, you own it. The charting you buy will be dependent on the brand of chartplotter you use. If you are downloading a chart/app for an iPhone or Droid, you'll spend less than $20... and you own it. Or if you want to go really inexpensive, download an ENC chart for free...

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/index.htm

and use it with a free reader on a laptop.

The Fish'N'Chip is not for navigation on its own, but shows detail bottom contour for fishing. I haven't seen a dedicated fishing app for the phones, but I haven't really looked.

I don't believe I'd use a phone as my only nav aid, 'cause we also carry paper charts and the CF card with the appropriate charts for the Raymarine chartplotter. But, the phone/iPad is an interesting backup.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Karl - I can only speak of the iPhone Navionics charts since we have a Garmin chartplotter for primary nav.

The iPhone Navionics Great Lakes app has all of Lake Champlain (Canada and US) and the Great Lakes for about $10.

Of course, if you don't have an iPhone that device costs some bucks - and you would only have it if it serves other functions you consider important enough to own. For us, it served the bill so has been worth the purchase. But that's an individual decision.

Others might prefer other 'phones' that suit their needs (and perhaps have better connectivity in their areas), although the navionics charts work with no cellular connection.
 
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