Navigation: Charts, GPS, or APP?

This might be in the wrong forum sub, but I'll start here. I'm sure someone will correct me.

What does everyone use for navigation? real Charts? an APP and a Tablet? Just the GPS in the boat?

My issue, and man I have a few:
the GPS screen is pretty small, and in the sun hard to read. Phone is really small and hard to read unless you zoom in a bunch then there isn't enough info on the screen. I don't have a Tablet, maybe I should. I had a really nice chart book for the Tennessee river produced by the Army Corps Of Engineers, but I gave it away with my previous boat, because I'm an idiot. Now it is out of print, and I can get a used one sight unseen, but you all know how that goes.
So Long story longer, what's the general consensus? What does everybody like? Where is a good place to look for that sort of thing?

I used 2 iPads. One with a Garmin Glo gps because non cellular iPads don’t have onboard gps, and a second cellular iPad, both running Navionics app. I think data was $50.

I boated all around Tampa Bay with this setup, one at a higher zoom for details and the other zoomed out for big picture. The only issue was the iPads will shut off in the sun when they get hot. I have a fairly protected helm, so it worked for me.

This is what I was considering. I have no tablet, but I am looking at them. Thanks for the info!!!

dtfeld said:

I used 2 iPads. One with a Garmin Glo gps because non cellular iPads don’t have onboard gps, and a second cellular iPad, both running Navionics app. I think data was $50.

I boated all around Tampa Bay with this setup, one at a higher zoom for details and the other zoomed out for big picture. The only issue was the iPads will shut off in the sun when they get hot. I have a fairly protected helm, so it worked for me.

Click to expand...

+1. I did the same with an iPad and a standalone GPS receiver. I only use a single iPad and I run the Garmin app. Works great. This is not a true "marine grade" setup but for the kind of boating I do I could not justify the investment in a real MFD. You may struggle a little in full sun. Especially if you put the iPad in a watertight case (as I did)...

For the money this solution is hard to beat.

I use my Garmin chart-plotter primarily. iPad seems like a good idea, but if it gets hot where you boat they will shut down from an over-heat condition at the exact moment when you need them most.

Regardless of what you use, always, always, always have a paper chart handy as a backup. Did I mention always?

I am installing a Raymarine Axiom. While it runs on their LH3 software it is basically a marinized android tablet. They are also starting to open up to apps like Spotify and Netflix - Hopefully that will continue. I am going to be running the Navionics maps also.

Personally, I prefer the built in for mounting purposes and integration with radar, sounder, N2K, etc. These units are also better weatherproofed along with a tougher outer glass and better heat dissipation. Nothing against a tablet as a backup but for a 9" Axiom listing for $950 why fight the battle?

-Kevin

iPads will work but they are not the best, for reasons stated above, and really should not be used as your primary source of navigation. That said, I used an iPad, with Navionics Charts, as a backup to my Raymarine E120 and network in my last boat.

I prefer to use a built in, or mounted, GPS/Chartplotter. You get used to one device, learn how it works and you're not jumping back and forth between devices. The boat I am currently restoring has a fairly small instrument panel but I really don't like Navigation devices mounted on top of the panel blocking my view. So for this boat I flush mounted this...

This is the Simrad GO5 GPS/Fishfinder but I won't fish in this boat and had a depth gauge already installed, so I bought mine without the transducer. The 5" is the smallest and the also have a 7", 9" and on up. It is full touch screen technology with pinch to zoom in and out, just like an iPad or iPhone, very clean....only 1 button, has built in wi-fi for downloading charts and accepts charts from all manufacturers. GPS antenna is also built in. There is even a function that allows you to load any previously purchased charts....like the Navionics from my iPad. Installation is super easy....just 3 wires. Here's how it looks in my boat....

As I said, I went with the 5" but in hindsight I think I could have used the 7".

Any, just another guy's opinion but this is going to work great for me. Oh....by the used chart book, it will be a great back up.
Shawn

I have Navionics on my Android phone and Android tablet. I really appreciate the SonarChart function. It allows me to see the chart updates made by other boaters. I use my older dash-mounted analog system too, but will replace that with digital indash this year.

Forgot that we also have 2 chartbooks on board.

I use Navionics on my IPad and on my Ray Es98 but I also have my chart book.

To me it's still important to know how to plot and navigate using the compass and charts. GPS is a great thing but over reliance is becoming the norm. I think there was a great article written about it in a BoatUS awhile back.

I'm landlocked on a new to me sizeable lake with a lot of areas one doesn't want to go in a bigger boat, and I use a Garmin 942xs (love it) and gasp.....actual paper chart. In tandem, so far, so good.....though the Garmin is showing to be more accurate than my plotting...I just get a warm fuzzy feeling from the paper, especially from a pre-planning perspective.

I’ve got an iPad with a data plan and I use it for everything but navigation. I love the thing, but it’s really hard for me to see it in the sunlight.
I’ve got two 12” Raymarine MFD’s which are much easier on the eyes, but probably overkill for your boat.
I had a 10” Garmin on my 300 Sundancer and loved it. It was a great size and I liked the Garmin a lot better than I like Raymarine. But that’s a personal choice.
Since you don’t have an iPad or tablet, you’re probably better off just getting a large screen chart plotter. If you found a sale on a leftover that was from maybe a model year earlier you probably could get it for not too much more than a tablet would cost and at the very least you could add a transducer and get your depth on the screen too.
Disclaimer: I have chartbooks aboard to cover any area we may go to and I always use them to plan ahead and then keep them at the helm with me when I’m going somewhere I’m not familiar with.

I have a chart book of the bay on board since as one great PMY author once wrote "We all are only one fuse away from being Columbus..."

(I think it was Bill Pike relating a story a tug captain told him... I really like Bill's articles... That's another thread..),

I used an iPad on a Sea Sucker mount for a long long time on my 330. I have an old, albeit color, small Northstar GPS that does a good job zoomed out in the current boat. But it is mounted low, below my radar so it's not the easiest thing to see while cruising.

So I use this Android Tablet and the Navionics app on an old Sea Sucker mount and it works really good. The tablet has a GPS built in and runs flawless. Seems to be a little less sensitive to heat then the iPad. This is an older tablet but they updated it to 7.0 which was nice, 8.1 is the current Android Op. System and I doubt it will get updated. I got mine for $149 on sale, its only 16G of memory, but since they updated it to 7.0 I added a memory card for $35 and have 64GB of storage (7.0 you can merge the device memory with the card). Seems like the larger 64G of memory is the only one available anymore. Still a solid cheap android tablet I think... I also have Navionics on my phone. What I really enjoy about Navionics is you can plan a route on their website and when you log into your account on your tablet it downloads to it.

If you prefer Apple, you can get a refurbed iPad here http://www.refurb.me/en-us/ipad. Just be aware that if you get a WIFI ONLY iPad you will need a bluetooth GPS module like the Dual which will add $80-$149 to the cost.

I think this question depends on where you cruise. On the Chesapeake the USCG does a darn good job of picking up and putting back in the same locations the buoys over the winter and we don't get much shoaling in the channels (Except for Kent Narrows... LOL)... Good Luck!!

I have an iPad Pro, 12”, mounted with an anti glare screen protector. The mounts are magnetic, so it just pops on and off (nano mount?). I use it as my main chart, keep it out of the sun, and then I have my old Northstar 6000 as a backup always on and providing me a big picture view. Eventually I will replace the Northstar, but for 1000$, my money is better spent elsewhere, and the maps on my iPad update weekly, and easily. I will replace with a 7” model, but still, pretty expensive and my iPad was already bought and paid for.