Re: {Beneteau Owners} nav apps on phones or tablets

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Eugene Kharlamb

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Aug 31, 2015, 6:42:59 AM8/31/15
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A boat sailed into our YC for a few days.. A couple, sailed over from Europe.  All they had by the wheel was one IPAD in watertight casing and a really cool removable mount.  I think they told me they used  Navionics app.  
 
Made mental note to look into it when considering upgrades.  I use Samsung devices but I am sure it's all similar.  
 
I wonder if u can bring NEMA and radar and autopilot data  into a tablet via blue tooth or NFC and make it a smart display..   
 
I can just imagine this set up
- 2 tablets on Navy station, on rotating mounts (landscape or portrait modes) and blue tooth keyboard on Navy station
-1 tablet in watertight casing by the wheel
 
diverse, cost effective, redundant  system that can be used for navigation communication and entertainment while having a very small footprint and relatively inexpensive comparing to cost of the display heads.
------ Original Message ------
Received: 11:51 PM EDT, 08/30/2015
From: Scott <jbi...@gmail.com>
To: Beneteau Owners <benetea...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} nav apps on phones or tablets


I know this topic is more hot stove league stuff when lots of us have our boats on the hard, but I haven't seen an updated discussion for a while (if i missed this thread, pls let me know).

Since I always have my phone on board, and usually a PC and tablet, I am wondering if anyone has 

1. connected PC to instruments?
2. Using tablet as backup (or primary) for nav, and if so what app you are using.

Also, any nav apps on PC. I still use my free copy of chart navigator I got from the power squadron for plotting and planning at home. I don't have it connected to any instruments, i don't think it is supported anymore, but i like doing things on my pc with a mouse rather than the tablet. the tablet oth has gps built in.

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Dan Barac

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Aug 31, 2015, 7:31:51 AM8/31/15
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I have iNavX app on my iPad. Good for a backup, however:

 

-          Useless in bright sunlight.

-          Useless if one is wearing polarised sunglasses.

 

Regarding the chart plotter screen flickering problem, had the same with my Raymarine E-series classic displays. After much hair pulling, what solved it once and forever was powering both chartplotters from a power conditioner (Intervolt unit).

 

I had low voltage alarms from the Seatalk bus until I injected 12 VDC directly into the bus instead of relying only on the autopilot to provide power to the bus.

 

Good luck,

Dan

Eugene Kharlamb

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Aug 31, 2015, 10:28:48 AM8/31/15
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Dan,

Can u please elaborate on the chartplotter issue in simpler terms... 
I do not quite understand what you have done.  Where in the chain power conditioner is located.  

thank you


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Mark Stillwell

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Aug 31, 2015, 10:39:56 AM8/31/15
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I have Navionics on my iPad and iPhone. Worked great on recent trips to BVI and Tahiti.

Mark & Suzanne Stillwell
S/V Dragonfly II
Beneteau 393

ejsa...@gmail.com

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Aug 31, 2015, 6:37:20 PM8/31/15
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We have used Navionics on our iPad and iPhone for years with a Bad Elf GPS. This enables us to save on data costs. We have the traditional Raymarine system in the cockpit, including AIS. That said, we also use Marine Traffic app to track ships. 

Ed English
OBS

Sent from Ed's iPad

Dan Barac

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Aug 31, 2015, 9:24:04 PM8/31/15
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Eugene,

 

You connect 12 VDC from your batteries to the input of the power conditioner and the output of the power conditioner (via a fuse) to your chart plotter(s). It’s that simple.

 

The power conditioner (see the attached info) will do two things: a) make sure the powered equipment is fed constant voltage (12.5V or 13.6V depending on the switch) and b) stop any voltage ‘ripples’ which may be in your DC system from affecting the chart plotter. According to my Raymarine dealer, chart plotters are sensitive to those ‘ripples’ in the DC voltage and unexpected things can and do happen. Whether or not they should be that sensitive is another question, but apparently that is the situation. Personally, I would have expected the chart plotters to have some sort of voltage conditioning circuit internally. I can not say if the problem is inherent to Raymarine product only, or even to E-series classic models only.

 

At first I was sceptical, but I also had this nagging problem where both my chart plotters (E80 at the helm and E120 at the nav station) would occasionally have their screens flicker to black and back, without actually rebooting the units themselves. This would also happen in the pen, when the boat was on shore power, so no question about low voltage as the dealer first suggested. After 8 months of my complaints, servicing the E120 twice with all kinds of boards replaced and what not and after I threatened legal action unless they gave me new replacement units under warranty, the dealer brought his own Intervolt unit and rigged it temporarily into the system. Much to my surprise (but apparently not his), the problems magically disappeared.

 

Today I have one 20 A Intervolt unit power both my chart plotters and another powering my DC fridge/freezer compressor. I use the 12.5 V setting. It was tempting to use the smaller and cheaper 10 A model, but some equipment (like fridge compressors) has higher inrush current and the 20 A model runs cooler and is apparently more efficient. Works like a charm. Btw, I have no vested interest in Intervolt and I’m sure there are other similar brands on the planet which will do the same thing.

 

Hope this helps you.

 

Fair winds,

interVOLT Maxi SPCi Instructions.pdf
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