Navonics on a Tablet

[Breakin"even]

I'm thinking of setting up Navonics on a tablet. I believe all I need is a tablet with GPS.
Are there any tips or sugestions on a good setup for the least amount of money.

 

[Fish_whistle_express]

I bought a new iPad mini With 4g which is what you need, or 3G whatever. For this very purpose and use navionics. I use my Elite x depth sounder/gps till I troll then pull out the tablet and use it for gps and switch to the fish finder. Long battery life, overheated once in summer, I obviously put a waterproof case on it, just need a suction cup mounting bracket. I Currently just lean it against the wind screen. Plus I now have a new tablet and not just a better gps/fish finder. Never had a problem finding a signal from sidney to Oak Bay Area

 

[Stosh]

For years, I’ve used a blue tooth GPS receiver with an IPAD that did not have GPS included. Mine was a Garmin GLO, cost $100. There are other brands that probably work well. So, if you already have a tablet, just pick up a GPS receiver.
Stosh

 

[sly_karma]

This can work ok for boats with a decent cabin on them. Direct sunlight becomes an issue for conventional brightness screens like tablets have. Screens purpose built for outdoor use are 5-8 times brighter and accordingly expensive. That is a big part of the cost of marine gps units.

 

[ericl]

You need a tablet that can run the Navionics app. You can add an external GPS to a tablet but if buying new avoid the hassle of this external device.

The app has no MOB (Man Over Board) function, something I consider mandatory; some VHF radio's & other devices provide this function. Another member reported an issue where if you were not upgraded to the newest version, the maps stopped working. This was discovered while underway in the fog. I have a tablet & was going to use Navionics but after the previous incident will use another solution. The post above by sly_karma may be s show-stopper for some.

 

[trophywife]

all the ones i have seen are not bright enough in broad daylight. PITA

 

[Rain City]

I run a 9" samsung on a Ram Mount at my rear helm. It can link to my HDS 12 inside and actually control it. When I'm prawning I switch back and forth between that and the navionics app to dial them in. I can also run my music via bluetooth from spotify and check my emails. I installed a charger close by so battery power is no longer an issue. $500 including the keyboard case for if I'm writing emails. No brainer as a second screen. Oh and I can bring it up onto the command bridge where I have another mount base installed, sunlight can be issue up there but still manageable. And last we have a suction cup mount for the table so the kid can watch a few cartoons if we're doing something that needs her out of the way and safe.

 

[Kristo]

Samsung Tab A works great and are inexpensive make sure that any android device has built in gps...should be able to find a used one cheap

 

[beemer]

the key is to have enough RAM on the tablet to download the charts so you are not a slave to wireless.

 

[sasqman]

This is the one I bought last year. Works flawlessly and has room for all the maps I need downloaded.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07Q6DGGXS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[Bham Brian]

I use a seasucker naked flex mount for my ipad with navionics. Works great! Typically keep it on the dash but can quickly move it to the back of the boat if needed
https://www.seasucker.com/collections/electronics/products/naked-flex-mount-w-travel-case-black

 

[Redfisher]

I use a Samsung Tablet A which was $200 new 2 years ago.

I guide and mine lives on the dash with Spotify connected to Bluetooth speaker. Runs all day with no battery issue.

It doesn’t like sunlight so I often have it in a Ziploc bag both to keep it dry and so screen doesn’t mark.

I don’t use mine as my go to chart plotter but navigate with it using the heads up line particularly when running offshore. I like using it to mark Hali and ling places to prospect.

Cheap useful navigation aid on boat but it doesn’t replace a mounted chart plotter for me.

 

[Senorjeem]

Better also have paper charts for when the iPad quits due to overheat from the sun, or the battery goes dead

 

[zurk]

I'm thinking of setting up Navonics on a tablet. I believe all I need is a tablet with GPS.
Are there any tips or sugestions on a good setup for the least amount of money.

simbans tangotab $100 has built in GPS runs navionics good. reasonably bright.
as far as paper charts - if my simbans tangotab, 2 phones, 2 chartplotters and GPS solar watch all fail then ive got bigger problems than paper charts anyway. like a nuclear war or something.

 

[Wondermur]

I have been using the same old 3G iPad 4 since 2014 with Navionics. It still runs the latest navionics app perfectly. It sits beside the Lowrance HDS 9.
- We like that it is a completely seperate system.

MOUNTING: if you have a canopy or hardtop the screen will be plenty bright dependant on the angle you are looking at the screen. When you are at the helm consider where the screen is pointing - if the screen was a mirror what would you see reflected - it it is the underside of the canvas or roof of the hardtop - Perfect! If it reflects out the back of the boat it will be hard to see the screen at times. If you have an open boat an iPad Screen will be hard to see Many times for sure.

- great for exploring new grounds from the couch at home.
- the new “Fishing Ranges“ on Sonarchart is cool. Easy to setup and change. We have it set up like a traffic light. Green is our ideal fishing depth, orange is getting a bit shallow, red is too shallow for fishing. You can say to the inexperienced driver “try to stay in the green part of the map” Or “run along the line between green and orange”. You can see from the back of the boat what colour you are in and if trouble is coming.

 

[Speyside]

I run an iPad and it is great (but have a hardtop to help with brightness). They are definitely less bright than a good marine MFD. A note with the iPads: if you buy an iPad with cellular capability it will have a GPS chip built in. You DO NOT need to have a sim card or plan for it for the GPS to work. If you buy the WiFi only models, you will need an external GPS accessory.

 

[Hot-Streak]

Any modern and cheap tablet will do if it has GPS. also NOTE*** you do NOT need 3g or cellular on it (as in a sim card for phone/cell service) GPS is a radio fixing aid from satellites no cell phone signal needed. Direct sunlight will be your main issue. I have a tablet as a slaved disply from one of my Fishfinder/mfd. I also have charts on my phone and tablet as back up navigation. I use Navionics sonar chart for scouting structure. I use my navigation charts (think scanned paper charts in electronic format) for tight navigation and general area info.

 

[Dan The Man]

If u have an old tablet WITHOUT gps . You can just buy a GPS receiver . Garmin Glo for example. It works great!!

 

[jlaffin]

I used this external GPS for years with an old iPad in a waterproof case. It worked well.