IPhone Apps

Woodsongs post about the IPhone got me thinking about apps for the IPhone. I have one called FlyToMap, a $4.99 chart plotter and the Flashlight app is another good one. I found one anchor alarm app and it was a waste, no audio for the alarm.


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I really like the little chart app, what else have you other IPhone users found for the boat?
http://www.flytomap.com/ftm/ViewMaps.aspx?maptype=Watermaps

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There are several Apps for AIS.
Google "AIS Apps IPhone" and you'll get several hits. They seem to be regional.

Navionics has a chartplotter app for the Android phones.

They have it for the IPhone, its $10. I decided to give it a try today, looks like its a little better than the FlyToMap.

They also have it for the IPad, it would be nice to have on a large screen!

I need to check these apps out!

I'd have to say the Navionics app is pretty damn cool. Nothing like a chartplotter in your pocket!!!

I used the $9.99 Navionics chartplotter app on my iPhone this past weekend as our chartplotter on the cruise we took.* It was perfect and had all the info I needed.* The only drawback was the tiny screen.* * We were using AIS (ship finder) on a second iphone to watch commercial traffic.

-- Edited by troy994719 on Wednesday 8th of September 2010 01:07:05 PM

If your looking for iPhone apps you really need to check out the new EarthNC application. It is fantastic. It is also iPhone and iPad compatable.
http://earthnc.com/iphone-marine-charts
Chuck

Isn't charting and AIS coverage on apps* limited to whatever your cell phone will see?

Are these app prices one time or by the month?

sunchaser wrote:

Isn't charting and AIS coverage on apps* limited to whatever your cell phone will see?

Click to expand...

No. Chuck

One time price, however some have limits to coverage and to get additional coverage you will have to pay again, but only a few have this issue. Chuck

can you use Iphone gps even when no phone/data signal?
do you have to turn off the phone part or how?

last few times where i have been out of cell phone range, i tried to run the gps apps but with no avail.
it says searching.. eventually run down the battery.
my Iphone is 3G version, dont know if that is 3rd generation?
you dont have to go far on the ocean before you loose cellphone reception and if that limits the GPS then i guess its not worthwhile.

superdiver wrote:

The thing is that most gps apps use the cell signal as its source. the iNavX actually used the satellite signal it receives. I have a hard time believing that here in SE AK we have better satellite coverage then where... well almost anywhere in the world....

LOL

Click to expand...

not satelite coverage, cell phone coverage which is limited to less than line of sight.

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the satellites used for gps positioning are very reliable in most locations of the world, the satellites are made and installed by the US military, initially for military purposes but have since been opened up for commercial use such a precise flight navigation.

my query is related to the issue if an iphone can be used for GPS navigation without the cellular service connected.
last time i went offshore fishing the iphone died in search of a connection.. but i am wondering if i should have disabled the phone/data service and if doing so would leave the gps active or not..

The iPhone uses something called "Assisted-GPS".* It's really hard to find any good info how well it really works.* My thought is that you really should use electronics that are designed as navigational devices.* I know my iPhone seems to be hit or miss on accuracy where as my good 'ole Garmin seems to be "hit" everytime.* I found this on one site:


The iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 use A-GPS -- or "Assisted GPS" -- which in basic terms accesses an intermediary server when it is not possible to connect directly via satellite -- indoors, for example -- and this server provides the nearest satellite with additional information to make it possible to more accurately determine a users position.

Apple explains that the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 also use "wi-fi hotspots and cellular towers to get the most accurate location fast" when GPS is not the most convenient method of location detection. The iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 also have an integrated digital compass to also provide the direction one is facing, which is quite useful when combined with mapping software.

When combined with a service -- such as AT&T Navigator which "transforms your iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 into a voice-guided GPS navigation system for traveling across the country and just across town" for an additional monthly charge -- theses iPhone models are capable of providing real-time navigation. The original iPhone is not.

Doug, that makes sense to me and disappointingly answers my question.
This also explain why you dont need a gps antenna on these devices, most "real" GPS devices have some sort of external antenna.

For four months last summer my Furuno GPS powering NN3 was mounted on the boat dash - no external GPS antenna needed. It sometimes lost a signal whereas my other radar arch units were OK, but at least 99 % of teh time it was up and running inside the boat.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but is not an assisted GPS a step up?* When indoors it still gives you lat and lon. My Nuvi does not have that feature. My hand held radio with GPS needs a view of the sky and will not work in my basement.

sunchaser wrote:
Maybe I'm missing something here, but is not an assisted GPS a step up?* When indoors it still gives you lat and lon. My Nuvi does not have that feature. My hand held radio with GPS needs a view of the sky and will not work in my basement.

Click to expand...

That's what I thought when I first heard about A-GPS.* However, my personal experience just doesn't show it to be any better.* To be honest, I really don't use my iPhone for navagating.* I've got a Garmin in the car and a DeLorme USB puck on my laptop in the boat for primary navagating.* All other GPS' I use for backup.

I'm not the only wireless challenged one on the planet!

SeaHorse II wrote:

I'm not the only wireless challenged one on the planet!

Click to expand...

Good one.

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superdiver wrote:
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I use both the iPhone and iPad WAY OUT of cell reception for iNavX, it runs strickly off the satelite reception...... thats what I am saying..

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Click to expand...

That's great info!* So they will work off of the GPS that's built in.* That's for iPhone 3GS and up, correct?* And of course the iPad, no?

Do you basically run it in Airplane Mode?* In other words, could you turn off WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. to save battery power?

Nevermind, I just answered all of my own questions on their website:

iNavX | Navigate Confidently w/ the #1 Handheld Chartplotter




-- Edited by dougd1 on Saturday 19th of February 2011 09:28:38 AM

There are certain apps that need cell reception...and some that don't. The reason for this is that some apps store data on their servers and not in your phones memory. Google maps or Earth is a perfect example. That would be a tremendous amount of data to store in your phone so they keep most of the data on their servers and cache the data needed at that particular time.