Handhelds, New & Future

True marine chartplotter tablet?

2011-05-18T22:45:56Z

I've used all the google-fu I know in an attempt to find out if any of the big manufactures are planning to offer a tablet chartplotter.

I just can't bring myself to use a iPad as a plotter but the convenience of having a tablet over a mounted cockpit plotter can't be denied. The ability to move around on deck with your plotter, take it with you vs. leaving it below to help prevent theft, not having to maintain corrosive prone connections on the binnacle and a large number of other benefits.

Are there any rumors, promises or information that a company like Furuno or Garmin is thinking about offering a proper marine chartplotter tablet?

How about starting a One iPad per boat campaign ?!

2011-05-06T11:52:50Z

Wouldn't that be a good idea ?

Which is the best app for iPhone & iPad?

2010-12-29T06:55:53Z

I am interested in purchasing Marine maps for my iphone & iPad as well. Before I purchase it would like to know suggestions from users!

Which developer app is best?

1. Navionics
2. Flytomap
3. MotionX
4. iNavx

or any other! Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!

iPad, iPhone, android N2K view

2010-10-18T15:06:48Z

Has anyone noticed Maretron now have a N2k View application available for these devices?

Anyone using them?

The best Blackberry Apps

2010-09-13T12:45:07Z

Hi Friends,
I would like to share with you about Blackberry Apps. In the Blackberry Apps have more Apps. In the main Apps are GPS & Tracking, Medical, Social Networking, Utilities
1) GPS & Tracking: Not While Driving, SimpleTrax
2) Medical: In Case Of Emergency (I.C.E.)
3) Social Networking: Contaxx
4) Utilities: ASAP - Ignore Call & Send Custom Text Message, BerryJoose - Memory Optimizer, One Touch Email, One Touch Flashlight (Users Camera Light), One Touch Launcher, One Touch SMS, One Touch Translate, One Touch Voice Mail, Power-boss, Who Is It? - LED Light Alerts for Contacts etc..

jaredcompany.com

Droid X apps?

2010-08-18T12:21:17Z

I'd appreciate some coverage of the DroidX. I too love Apple but ATT coverage of US east coast does not compare to Verizon's. We are headed from Chesapeake to the Bahamas this fall.

iPhone GPS

2010-07-02T02:53:39Z

All this talk about using the iPhone navigation apps has me a bit confused. Whenver I've tried to use a GPS app, either MotionX or Navionics, without having a cell phone signal, I got either no position or the wrong position.

In China, with neither a cell phone or WiFi connection, I simply got no position, the GPS could never locate me.

In Bonaire, with a WiFi connection, but no cell phone connection, Navionics placed me in Messina, Sicily. No kidding, and I even know a guy named Messina! I tried several times and Navionics always put me in Sicily, quite far from Bonaire.

Am I the only one with this problem? Has anyone had success using an iPhone GPS based app without a cell phone connection?

I just got an iPhone 4 and it seems to behave the same way.

iPad

2010-03-13T21:45:10Z

Well, someone had to start this. My only starter on this is - do not forget that the wifi only iPad models have no gps. BTW, if we ever do get iPad multitasking I note that at least with my gps imbedded on the internal wwan card [as in the ipad] my Lenovo T400 laptop it provides the gps data to however many apps are requesting it. This is very handy if you want to have, say, CE running and also google maps/world etc side by side or just to pick up POI info. You can also do this with additional 3rd party 'gps virtualizing' software and an external usb gps Brian

UHF Crew Handheld Radio - License to Program?

2010-03-01T15:45:57Z

Hi,

Handheld UHF radios used by crew, such as the Motorolla DP3600 and Icom IC-F51, would I need any kind of a radio license to program these (i.e. use the programming software/cable to configure channels / names)?

As far as I am aware the UHF band they work on is license free, but I have heard various things about needing a license to program.

Any information great appreciated!

TIA

Oregon 400c

2010-01-13T22:18:12Z

Has anyone used the Garmin Oregon 400c? Likes and dislikes?

iPhone & Touch Bluetooth

2009-11-30T17:49:15Z

As best I can tell, iPhone Bluetooth, as well as the Bluetooth the Touch got with V3.0, only support mono and stereo headsets. That's nice (love my Motorola Rkrs), but it sure would be nice if they also supported Bluetooth GPS units, keyboards, and more...without any hacking. Does anyone know if this going to happen?

Garmin GPS 60 - NMEA devices

2009-04-28T04:16:54Z

I desire to hook a handheld Garmin GPS 60 that has a 4 pin NMEA 0183 port to some sensors to capture water temperature and depth.

I'm finding it impossible to get a straight answer out of Garmin tech support weenies and haven't found anything on the internet.

I'm looking for pure KISS =keep it simple stupid.

Kayaking usage for capture of stream/river depths and temperatures.
Many foolish kayakers in Michigan completely unaware that many lakes and rivers are still 45-50 degrees with water over their head in April and May.

Data would also be shared with Fish & Game, DNR and EPA personnel

Please respond if you have detailed knowledge how to make this happen for relatively cheap $$$$.
Hell the GPS unit is under 150 dollars on the internet
BUT it does come with the NMEA 0183 port on the back.

"Rex the open white box"

2009-02-28T00:42:32Z

I have read Panbo since April 2006 when I used all the good info to purchase my AIS receiver for my trip from boston to florida. I never felt the need to join until now. I have been watching this unfold and I gotta tell you its spot on. Check out the documents in TTAMARINE.COM

Solara Device

2009-02-26T18:08:55Z

Has anyone gotten their hands on a Solara unit? Ben's latest news about the Fast Find is welcome news and will, hopefully, convince some people to buy a real PLB but for less-than-emergency situations I think there is still a great need for commercial tracking devices. What caught my eye with the Solara (and the version 2 unit with a keypad) is SMS over satellite. I think this is going to be a killer feature if someone can get the price down.

A bridge from N2K to Apple iPod or Google Andoid ?

2009-02-25T20:47:13Z

Could a future Apple iPod or Google Android equipped cell phone or PDA be a universal configuration device for our N2K based boat networks ... and more ?

It has been a disappointment that configuration of some NMEA-2000 (N2K) devices require an instrument display of the same brand, due to brand x not recognizing a brand y N2K PGN. Same goes with field upgradeable software.

It seems to me that all the standards exist, and just a little additional engineering could produce a dumb N2K device that could bridge N2K protocols over Bluetooth to a iPod or Android enabled PDA, making it appear to software on such a device that it is hardwired to the N2K network on your boat.

Imagine then we could download an application from Google or Apple, for each N2K device we purchased, that could enable us to use our PDA or iPod as a GUI to configure our N2K devices and download software updates.

I don't know much about Google's Android and it's Apple App Store equivalent, but both seem to be robust platforms for enabling average people to purchase, download, and use very dissimilar applications on the same device without turning them into a brick. So .. by extension we should be able to cram a bunch of dissimilar configuration applications for our boats N2K network together in once device ... something impossible to do with any one vendors chartplotter or instrument display today.

It doesn't have to end there either. Perhaps some additional software can be downloadable to our iPod or PDA that converts popular PGN's to more generic XML format. Then many other types of applications could be available to boat owners that utilize information from our boat sensors.

Applications could conceivably be created for a variety of uses such as:

• a remote sensor display, as simple as depth, or as complex as showing lift and headers (sailboat racing)

• providing an application like ActiveCaptain Mobile access to our boats GPS and heading

• enabling position, speed and wind, to be sent once an hour (or whenever it senses a nearby cell tower) to friends and family

• enabling position and performance to be recorded, sent as email, and recombined to play back todays regatta at the bar

• crunch data and place new data on the network. For instance use my boat polars and true wind data to produce a target boat speed for display back on my network ... to an N2K instrument that would show both boat speed sources (one actual and the other target).

• enable an application to compare AIS target information to MMSI numbers in an iPod address book .... and warmly alert if friends are nearby.

How would you use such a capability on your boat? Want to expand on this idea?