Database not showing on Avare Maps & Navigation

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The Rebel guy

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Jul 11, 2020, 3:45:29 PM7/11/20
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I really like the looks and design of this application.  Unfortunately it is unusable.  First, it is not available on Google Play on my Android 10 phone, so I had to try a manual install (twice) based on the apps4av website instructions. The app and maps install fine.  The aviation database appears to install and update, but none of the data appears on the map.  The most frustrating part is receiving no reply from their support email address after two attempts.   Anyone have a similar experience and a solution?  PS. I also looked on Google Play on my computer, and while Avare comes up, it tells me it is not available in Canada.  Such is life with computer technology.

Jeffrey Ross

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Jul 11, 2020, 3:53:37 PM7/11/20
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The best place to get responses for issues would be this forum.

Avare requires a minimum version of the Android OS to work, right now it should work with 4.3 or later but 5.0 will be the minimum version soon, see this posting:

https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/apps4av-forum/eRIt-6_KOTA/discussion

You can manually load the newer version of Avare onto an older device but because of how the charts are stored the older versions of the Android OS are simply incapable of displaying the graphics.

Jeff


On 7/11/20 3:45 PM, The Rebel guy wrote:
I really like the looks and design of this application.  Unfortunately it is unusable.  First, it is not available on Google Play on my Android 10 phone, so I had to try a manual install (twice) based on the apps4av website instructions. The app and maps install fine.  The aviation database appears to install and update, but none of the data appears on the map.  The most frustrating part is receiving no reply from their support email address after two attempts.   Anyone have a similar experience and a solution?  PS. I also looked on Google Play on my computer, and while Avare comes up, it tells me it is not available in Canada.  Such is life with computer technology.
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The Rebel guy

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Jul 11, 2020, 4:45:29 PM7/11/20
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As it says in my note, my Android version is 10.  PS.  Tried the install for the 3rd time with some different steps - still no joy.


On Saturday, 11 July 2020 15:53:37 UTC-4, Jeffrey Ross wrote:
The best place to get responses for issues would be this forum.

Avare requires a minimum version of the Android OS to work, right now it should work with 4.3 or later but 5.0 will be the minimum version soon, see this posting:

https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/apps4av-forum/eRIt-6_KOTA/discussion

You can manually load the newer version of Avare onto an older device but because of how the charts are stored the older versions of the Android OS are simply incapable of displaying the graphics.

Jeff

On 7/11/20 3:45 PM, The Rebel guy wrote:
I really like the looks and design of this application.  Unfortunately it is unusable.  First, it is not available on Google Play on my Android 10 phone, so I had to try a manual install (twice) based on the apps4av website instructions. The app and maps install fine.  The aviation database appears to install and update, but none of the data appears on the map.  The most frustrating part is receiving no reply from their support email address after two attempts.   Anyone have a similar experience and a solution?  PS. I also looked on Google Play on my computer, and while Avare comes up, it tells me it is not available in Canada.  Such is life with computer technology.
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Jeffrey Ross

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Jul 11, 2020, 4:52:39 PM7/11/20
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Charts are not available for Canada, when I saw the message about Canada I incorrectly assumed you were possibly near the or for whatever reason you were being identified as being in Canada incorrectly.

The reason Canadian charts are not available in Avare is that Canadian charts to the best of my knowledge are not freely available for redistribution. 

Jeff


On 7/11/20 4:45 PM, The Rebel guy wrote:
As it says in my note, my Android version is 10.

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The Rebel Guy

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Jul 11, 2020, 5:00:49 PM7/11/20
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Charts are not the problem - what is available downloads and shows just fine.  It's the airports, nav aids, airspaces, etc. that do not show, i.e. all the aviation database content.  I live in southern Ontario, which is well covered by the US VFR charts.

Jeffrey Ross

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Jul 11, 2020, 5:05:43 PM7/11/20
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More specifically what is not available, is it just the Canadian airports, navaids etc?  Even though the airports might show up on the US sectionals, Avare does not contain the airport and navaid information for the Canadian resources.

Jeff
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Jeffrey Ross

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Jul 11, 2020, 5:25:37 PM7/11/20
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Let me clarify somewhat, SOME Canadian airports and navaids are included, but not many.  For example Toronto  (CYYZ) is the database for position and some very basic details but there is no Chart supplement available so frequencies other than what might be displayed on the chart are not available.  Same is true with theToronto VOR YYZ it is in Avare but Pearson VOR YTP is not.

The problem is not Avare, the problem is the Canadian Navigation data is simply no freely available for redistribution and the cost is prohibitive for an application that relies on volunteers and donations.

I wish i could give you some better news but for now the limitation is with the data available not with Avare.

Jeff

The Rebel Guy

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Jul 11, 2020, 6:07:25 PM7/11/20
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Jeff, thanks for sticking with me.

I agree, in part.  I can search for and find CYYZ in plan mode, but another major airport CYXU (London) is not in there. The fact still remains that no airport shows on the map (other than what is already printed on the chart).  Even Detroit airport is not there!  I had high expectation because that app was reviewed and touted in COPA Flight (counterpart of AOPA) as suitable for Canadian aviators.

Perhaps I am under a misconception.  Every other nav app that I have tried has airport icons on the map that you can click on to get airport information, direct-to, runway extensions, etc.  Does all navigation have to be managed through the Plan function?  In any event, I'm giving up.  Uninstall.

Maybe I'll give Zubair Khan a call, I have his number.

Cheers.

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John W SBA

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Jul 11, 2020, 6:07:57 PM7/11/20
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> airports, nav aids, airspaces, etc. that do not show

O' Canada! Like you I'm disappointed that Avare has such limited
capabilities in Canada (in fact, everywhere but U.S. as noted on the
Play Store page and elsewhere). I used to live in B.C. before getting a
license and have flown there since then, across Canada, and to many
Provinces more than once. It's possible to scan a Canadian chart and
put it in the Plate section of Avare, but the functionality is sorely
limited. Instead I've flown my old Lowrance 1000 for data and Avare on
the Canada Topo maps, supplemented with NavCan paper charts and
screencaps of Skyvector in a browser window.

I know that the Apps4Av all-volunteer Core Development Team has tried
multiple times to work out a deal with NavCan on charts and database,
without success.

The only other (non-certified) solution for good open source maps there
that I know of is Open Street Maps (the OSMand+ app is quite good in
flight). There was an effort to create an aviation version of those
charts, but I think it fizzled and even if completed (beyond
non-certified status) it would be a problem for Avare. That's because
Avare uses the FAA's "raster" (image file) format, while OSM and
Jeppesen are vector format. :(

> southern Ontario, which is well covered by the
> US VFR charts.

I lobbied to have everything across the border on Sectionals and other
FAA charts included in Avare. For a variety of excellent reasons, so
far the Dev Team has decided to crop the charts at the border. There
has recently been some talk of changes to Avare's complex and time
consuming process for converting FAA charts to Avare's format. While
perhaps unlikely, it's possible that if enough people request it the
all-volunteer team might start to include complete FAA charts.

Hope this helps give some context on the problem you're facing. If you
choose to go with another aviation app, do check in on Avare now and
then to see if there's any change.

Happy Flying -j

John W SBA

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Jul 11, 2020, 6:19:40 PM7/11/20
to The Rebel Guy, Apps4Av Forum
I forgot to ask if you downloaded Avare's VFR Area Plates and Canada ADs
(Plates/d-TPP/ADs section)

> Uninstall.

Makes sense living in Canada, due to Avare's stated support of only FAA
materials (and excluding the FAA charts' Canada margins at that). This
is why the Avare page on gPlay says U.S. only. :(

It might be helpful for others flying in Canada if you'd be willing to
post a followup here once you've chosen an app.

> was reviewed and touted in COPA

That's surprising news to me, given Avare's stated focus on FAA only.
This gives me hope that more Canadians might request additional chart
margins to include all that's on the FAA charts. Pilots and aviation
groups in some other countries have worked with the Apps4Av Dev Team to
add materials, so maybe COPA will.

Peter Gustafson

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Jul 13, 2020, 1:09:13 PM7/13/20
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Hi, sorry you had some trouble but please don't give up so quickly... it
looks like you only gave < 3 hrs to get an acceptable response on an
email thread.  Not sure how much time you gave our support email
address, but that goes to one person only rather than the community. 
Note the play store explicitly says this:

** No support in Reviews, please visit our Forum. **
** Friendly and helpful Support is available 24/7 at
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/apps4av-forum **

Regarding the actual problem:
> I agree, in part.  I can search for and find CYYZ in plan mode, but
> another major airport CYXU (London) is not in there. The fact still
> remains that no airport shows on the map (other than what is already
> printed on the chart).
What doesn't show on the map?  It isn't clear what you mean.  If it is
on the chart, it is on the map, at least in my understanding of how the
word "map" is used.  Are you are saying the sectional chart doesn't
exist at CYXU?  You need to download the appropriate sectional.

Downloading the database only gets you some high level tile images
(overview) rather than zoomed in sectional images.  CYXU lat,lon is in
the underlying database, however not much else if there as would be
expected for many Canadian airports (here is the raw database entry):

INSERT INTO airports
VALUES('CYXU',43.035598999999997715,-81.153899999999993038,'OUR-AP','London
Airport','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','');

> Even Detroit airport is not there!
Did you download the Detroit sectional?

> I had high expectation because that app was reviewed and touted in
> COPA Flight (counterpart of AOPA) as suitable for Canadian aviators.
Likely fine for VFR in parts covered by US sectionals... but I don't
know the regs in Canada.

>
> Perhaps I am under a misconception.
Yes, it appears so. :)

> Every other nav app that I have tried has airport icons on the map
> that you can click on to get airport information, direct-to, runway
> extensions, etc.
We do not put additional airport icons on the charts. Avare is not a
clone... you'll have to learn to use it like you did the others.  In
this case, you can long press anywhere on the chart to get additional
info on the location.  If you do it on an airport, it will bring up
relevant info and allow you to add it to the existing plan.

>   Does all navigation have to be managed through the Plan function? 
> In any event, I'm giving up.  Uninstall.
No, just long press on screen and you'll get a menu of options.

I hope you'll try again, good luck.

Roger R

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Jul 13, 2020, 2:40:22 PM7/13/20
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Yes, do not give up. Avare has a wealth of info but there is a learning curve. I personally went on walks with the tablet trying back then learning the tabs and how they relate. Or be a passenger in a friend's flight and play with it then.

And I have had excellent support on the forum when I encounter a problem which is usually due to my lack of specific knowledge.

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