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I'm not a long distance oceanic navigator by any means, but I've been boating around SE Alaska my entire life... I've got a C-Map NT based Furuno chart plotter that I use more as a backup to my local knowledge. I've had iNavX installed with all the raster charts I'm familiar with since I can remember it being available. I downloaded the Maptech app (West coast US) for my iPhone last week, and, as a pocket reference tool, it's absolutely fantastic!
The charts have every bit as much detail as what's on the Furuno, and I always enjoy being able to sit at a local restaurant with crew and plan an upcoming trip instead of having to host a trip planning party aboard the boat.
The major difference I notice between the two apps (on the same iPhone so we're comparing apples to apples - AHEM!) is speed. The Maptech charts are vector, so loading, panning, zooming, etc. is lightning fast. I might like a quick access button so I can zoom out to a coastal reference chart and then zoom in to specific areas without 6 or 8 pinches, but other than that, I'm thrilled with the product.
The review in the app store was written by the developer of iNavX, and it - of course - both praised the Maptech product and offered (very constructive) criticism.
I'm in the process of planning a delivery of my 35' SeaWolf from Juneau, AK to Bellingham, WA this May, and I'll be using all of the available products for the iPhone along side my C-Map Furuno unit and my MacBook Pro running MacENC...
In summary: Pro: Great detail, awesome rendering/resizing speed. Con: lack of quick zoom, on initial exploration it appears to lack even basic navigational functions. If I could plot my position according to the GPS at close intervals and record my track for the whole trip, (and then export the track to an app review or blog site) I'd be even happier... as it is, I think I'll have to use Maps and FirePin to track the course and show our progress to everyone as we go.
-Case
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>> I downloaded the Maptech app (West coast US) for my iPhone last week <<
I am not aware of any iPhone application offered by Maptech. Do you mean Navionics, FlyToMap or possibly Navimatics? Maptech sells raster charts (that do work great with MacENC and GPSNavX).
>> The review in the app store was written by the developer of iNavX, and it - of course - both praised the Maptech product and offered (very constructive) criticism. <<
Also not familiar with this review as I have not written any such review. I did write a Customer Review of the Navimatics Marine Maps (WA, OR) iPhone app.
Scott Dillon
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Yep, you are correct on both accounts... I have been researching the Maptech site for days trying to find reasonably priced ENCs for BC, Canada... Couple that with a bit too much coffee today, and Maptech and Navionics were easily confused...
My review above still stands, we just need to substitute "Navionics" for "Maptech" - too bad the forum doesn't allow the author of a post to edit... oh well!
As for the review, as of 7:44 pm Alaska Daylight time, there was a review for the Navionics map viewer offering a bunch of points of improvement for the program. As of 7:51 pm Alaska Daylight Time, that review is gone. Apple must be listening to this conversation... either that, or there are some odd caching related settings on my iPhone! ;-)
-Case
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CHS produces the vector ENCs and raster RNCs for Canadian waters. Soon we will offer them for use in iNavX. They work great with MacENC and can be purchased from Fugawi ...
http://www.fugawi.com/web/products/chs_index.htm
Scott Dillon
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Yikes! $75 for just Nova Scotia...$600 for the ENC's for Nova Scotia.
Tell me - what happens if I purchase a few hundred dollars of Fugawi/CHS charts for my iPhone and then my iPhone stops working? Since purchasing the data from Fugawi is going around the AppStore, you don't get the extra copies to download if something goes wrong.
Does Apple allow you to purchase charts much more expensive than the application by going around the AppStore to get them?
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Charts for iNavX can be downloaded to an iPhone and Mac/PC as many times as a user wants. The AppStore provides no mechanism for data downloads so many applications (i.e. book readers) get their data from their own servers. So the answer is Yes Apple allows for data to come from sources other than the App store. One of the major downsides of bundling data with an app is the user then has no way to keep their data current. That being said, Apple is the gate keeper of the app store so they can change their policy on which apps are available at any time.
Scott Dillon
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One of the major features of the AppStore is that you get automatic notification when there's an update! Certainly you know about that with the 10 or so updates to iNavX already. The AppStore also makes it trivially simple to instal the new update.
It's good to know that Apple currently permits you to purchase data outside the AppStore. The real question is, what happens when something happens to your iPhone or you upgrade it to the next version (or just replace it in 2 years when your contract expires)? Does Fugawi have a download server? Won't their charts be somehow registered to the device itself? Will Fugawi allow you to purchase $300 of charts and then move them to a new device? I don't see how they are able to do this today - is there a new server coming for Canadian charts at Fugawi? Odd that they wouldn't have shown it at the Miami Boat Show.
I would be very careful buying expensive charts for a mobile device until all of those questions are answered in writing by the chart dealer.
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I would prefer not to be dependent on the app developer releasing a new version of an app to get a new edition of a chart. That is why we have steered clear of using bundled proprietary charts in all of our apps. Any GPSNavX, MacENC, or iNavX user can get the latest chart edition without needing a new version of the app. Also why use up limited storage with charts I won't need?
iNavX uses the
Fugawi X-Traverse server for exchange of waypoints, tracks and non US charts.
Scott Dillon
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And yet oddly, they don't talk about charts on the X-Traverse site. Perhaps this is so new that they're not providing it yet.
I think that X-Traverse is a good idea. Something like it is needed. Just keep in mind that the answers to my questions raised above need to be answered. So far, I see no attempt to answer them.
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Yes new. We just brought
Swedish Charts online. We plan to add many more regions. Agree there needs to be more detail. It is in the works.
Scott Dillon
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This post was reported to me as containing personal comments targeted against another user, that were against the practice of this forum. As such I have banned ActiveCaptain for a period of 1 week and closed this topic. This gives me no pleasure whatsoever.
I know that forum posts can get a little heated from time to time, and that opinions will differ, and the last thing I wish to do is stifle debate. However personal insults or inaccurate assumptions within anyone's postings will not be tolerated. I would ask you all to show respect for your fellow members at all times.
ActiveCaptain is a regular contributer to this site, and I know that we will look forward to his return.
Regards,
Jon
Never knowingly overcanvassed!
