Create Profile or Login

Forum Menu

Home > Forum Home > General Forums > Tech Topics

Phone app chart plotter

  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Phone app chart plotter Forum Search Events FAQ FAQRegister RegisterLogin Login

 Post Reply Post Reply
Page  12>
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Phone app chart plotter
    Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 11:58am
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 6005
I'm looking for a phone chart plotter app. It'll just be a backup in case my main unit fails, so doesn't need to be flash, just have reasonably detailed charts and show me where I am.

Navionics is the obvious choice, but now seems to need an annual subscription which I'd rather avoid. Happy to pay once though.

Any suggestions? Cheers.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 4:21pm
Steps View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Franklin
Status: Offline
Points: 12854
When your subscription expires you still have all your maps markers  and stuff but  cant update the maps.

You will that other apps tend to run on the lower detail  LINZ maps which , besides less detail, can be rather out dated in comparison

I also believe you can load ther navionics, full version for limited time .. then cant update.

Also note that if run navionics maps on your gps, your markers , routes , tracks get uploaded , and get synced onto your phone/ tablet and visa versa...Wink


Bottom line, if annual subscription is an issue, then personally I would still be gong for the 'free' version navionics over the others.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bigred1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 6:56pm
bigred1 View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 06 Feb 2018
Location: Tauranga
Status: Offline
Points: 181
$35 a year for Navionics is a cheap GPS unit, that goes across devices (ipad gives you a 10" screen). That said Navionics also offers a two week free trial, so you really have nothing to lose. The only downside is you need cellphone coverage, e.g. telecom has none down the east coast area.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 7:56pm
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 6005
I thought Navionics was going to be the answer, but don't see a 'free' options for anything other than a two week trial. Also, I didn't think you needed cellphone coverage if you have the relevant maps downloaded on a device with a GPS chip?
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bigred1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 9:09pm
bigred1 View Drop Down
Silver
Silver
Avatar

Joined: 06 Feb 2018
Location: Tauranga
Status: Offline
Points: 181
The app (and the maps) download onto your device, after the trial it still remains but the quality drops back. In theory your phone GPS tracker can work directly with the satellites, in practice you need to access the internet, hence you need coverage-just so that big brother knows where you are.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 10:19pm
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 6005
cheers
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Otto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2019 at 7:03am
Otto View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 23 Apr 2013
Location: North Shore
Status: Offline
Points: 1835
Marine NZ i use as a back up or when i'm on another boat
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Sufishent Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2019 at 9:58am
Sufishent View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Location: Browns Bay
Status: Offline
Points: 1485
wetmaps.co.nz is what you want - merges street, terrain, satellite, navionics and navionics sonar and LINZ charts
You can never have enough fishing tackle
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2019 at 4:46pm
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 6005
Originally posted by Otto Otto wrote:

Marine NZ i use as a back up or when i'm on another boat

Looks good, but looks like you need a 3G/4G connection.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2019 at 4:47pm
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 6005
Originally posted by Sufishent Sufishent wrote:

wetmaps.co.nz is what you want - merges street, terrain, satellite, navionics and navionics sonar and LINZ charts

Nice maps, but again, lack of download options as far as I can see. 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2019 at 5:51pm
Steps View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Franklin
Status: Offline
Points: 12854
Navoinics dont need cell coverage...
 just need a cell phone or tablet that has GPS sensors..for gps location satellites which I think all do now after about Adroid 4 or 5  thats maybe 6 yrs ago now.
 Yep if navionics revert back after a couple weeks , you still have basically the  latest LINZ maps except updated to when expiry ran out

 The wetmaps thats rather cool.. did the download , but it looks like a zip file and the contents the contents of a web page without the index page??

The other options... Which has been a while since looked at, but should meet your requirements are
OpenCPN
.. Max sea ??
embark
Osmand marine plug in.. thu from memory have to buy the base program...great app for street navigation on a phone.
seamaps ... was rather primitive when looked.. and rather dated from memory..
 
 Comes back to navionics and in my books, pay the subscription, and being able to sync the gps to your phone.. able to update notes , routes , tracks, markers while at work or where ever then have the gps sync them back...

 At less than 75c per week.
 Then throw all the other stuff.. tides weather currents up to date maps etc..
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2019 at 6:53pm
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 6005
cheers steps. i use a gps app for hunting and no cellular coverage required, so that makes sense.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Otto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2019 at 7:25am
Otto View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 23 Apr 2013
Location: North Shore
Status: Offline
Points: 1835
Originally posted by MightyBoosh MightyBoosh wrote:

Originally posted by Sufishent Sufishent wrote:

wetmaps.co.nz is what you want - merges street, terrain, satellite, navionics and navionics sonar and LINZ charts

Nice maps, but again, lack of download options as far as I can see. 

Don't think so as if i've set my phone to aeroplane mode and the WiFi's off still works.
Used it when in China to find my way around since google wasn't aloud.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 1:08am
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 6005
Update:

1. Navionics past the free subscription period is pretty much a waste of time in terms of chart detail.

2. Marine NZ works, but you need a data connection. It's a shame there isn't a map download option because it's a nice, simple app.

3. wetmaps.co.nz looks great on a desktop, but I have no idea how I would use this as a chartplotter on an iphone.

In the meantime, I have found iSailGPS NZ. It is from the same stable as iHikeGPS-NZ. I use the latter when hunting in the bush with no cell coverage and it has got me home every time. Hopefully, iSailGPS NZ will be just a useful. Had a play with it today and while you wouldn't want it as your main chartplotter for fishing purposes, it does seem to do the job without any frills.

 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote like_to_strike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 7:54am
like_to_strike View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 13 Apr 2011
Location: whangarei
Status: Offline
Points: 1008
I have had navionics for at least 5yrs, my subscription ran out years ago and i did not lose any map detail. 

I am fairly sure while your subscription is expired you dont get map updates from navionics or other users not lose map detail. 

Here is a few screenshots



Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 8:11am
Steps View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Franklin
Status: Offline
Points: 12854
I have had navionics for at least 5yrs, my subscription ran out years ago and i did not lose any map detail. 
I am fairly sure while your subscription is expired you dont get map updates from navionics or other users not lose map detail.

 I believe that is correct and that is also what it says on the download page descriptions
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 8:57am
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 6005
OK, I'll give it another go.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 9:06am
Steps View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Franklin
Status: Offline
Points: 12854
Subscription is about $30/ yr  thats about the amount of Brand name 2S oil I go thru from Te Torro, over the bar to 30m mark..

And yeah those map updates.. 99% of the time you will never notice anything.. then once in a while.. east coast, a reef one frequents shows up a gutter you didnt know was there..
 Or West coast and harbours...a change in channels.. dont get too close to certain markers.

I have the tab with navionics plus the old huminbird as a gps...yep one sees the changes esped after extreme weather one in 100 yr storms that come in every yr now..
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2019 at 10:49am
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 6005
This is what I'm getting (and the "SonarChart" option isn't available). Guess you have to pay at least once to get the detailed charts.

 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote lika Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2019 at 10:21am
lika View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 09 May 2019
Location: NZ
Status: Offline
Points: 5
Nice maps, but again, lack of download options as far as I can see. 
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
Page  12>
Forum Jump
Forum Permissions View Drop Down


This page was generated in 0.443 seconds.

Most Thanked Forum Posts

3 Manukau Harbour & West Coa...
3 Manukau Harbour & West Coa...
2 Manukau Harbour & West Coa...
2 Manukau Harbour & West Coa...
2 Out with the "Twelves&quo...
2 New anchor setup, could use so...
2 Manukau Harbour & West Coa...
2 Freeing a stuck anchor ...
2 Freeing a stuck anchor ...
2 Freeing a stuck anchor ...

Fishing Reports Visit Reports

Saltwater Fishing Reports
Top of the South Fishing Report - 23/01/26

Snapper, cod and marlin on the menu Despite the weather we have had recently, when... Read More >

23 Jan 2026
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Bream Bay Fishing Report - 23/01/26

Snapper out deep in cooler water As happens at this time of the year, the... Read More >

22 Jan 2026
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Inner Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 23/01/26

Small snapper the norm Over the last 10 years I have noticed with great concern the... Read More >

22 Jan 2026
Freshwater Fishing Reports
Rotorua Fishing Report - 23/01/26

Fishing will be exceptional when water clears The massive amount of rainfall to hit the... Read More >

22 Jan 2026
Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites

All information © 2026 The Fishing Website