Mission: Install Charplotter/Fishfinder/GPS for around $500

[JJ-B-Boatin]

Might want to look into the Humminbird Helix 7 Fishfinder/GPS. Their prices seem good and there reviews look pretty favorable. (Please note that I have not owned or used one, nor do I work for them. Just providing a suggestion.) I almost purchased the Helix 5 but got lucky and won a Lowrance 5hdi prior to purchasing.

 

[gpp7824]

I got the totalscan transducer and externally mounted to the ride plate. It sounds like the standard transducer for you mounted as thru hull would be ideal. Totalscan can not be mounted thru hull option.

Can you share any details on that install? I want to use my transom mount rather than make a hole(thru-hull) or lose functionality(shoot-thru) but really don't want to have it hanging off the back.

 

[Mainah]

@robert843 That is pretty cool. Especially if they make updated maps available w/river hazards, and I mean major rivers such as Alton pool of the Mississippi, with all the wing dams and rock dikes.

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I used the paid version of the Navionics app on my iPhone this year which has auto route. The river just down the road from me (Penobscot River in Maine) has dozens of very large (ocean style) metal channel marker buoys. The app had them all correctly placed along with a peninsula of rock hazard that is not visible at high tide. The auto route feature worked flawlessly to route me 16 miles each way (from Penobscot Bay to Bangor waterfront and back). That said it wanted to keep me in the center of the channel even though my draft (which I set in the app) would allow me to cut a lot of corners on this windy river saving me a mile of distance each way. It was so good that I was able to navigate this river at night 3 separate times this past summer after confirming that it had everything marked during the day. Now keep in mind this is a very low traffic river compared to most so I have to assume the data would be just as good for higher traffic rivers. I also used it for a couple of ocean trips along the coast or across a large bay and must say that auto route was spot on but playing it a bit safe (not a bad thing). It will literally take you dock to dock and knew where the lanes were for each harbor.

I always dumped my boat back in the lake after each salt water voyage and ran her around the lake for a few minutes to clean her out. I can also say that the app worked very well for two very large lakes I visited allowing me to get from where I had rented a camp to restaurants and again knew where channel markers, sandbars, rock hazards, and such were all at. It did not however have everything marked on the small lake that I stay on during the summer.

I can't speak for other software or charts but I can say that Navionics is very good.

 

[swatski]

I used the paid version of the Navionics app on my iPhone this year which has auto route. The river just down the road from me (Penobscot River in Maine) has dozens of very large (ocean style) metal channel marker buoys. The app had them all correctly placed along with a peninsula of rock hazard that is not visible at high tide. The auto route feature worked flawlessly to route me 16 miles each way (from Penobscot Bay to Bangor waterfront and back). That said it wanted to keep me in the center of the channel even though my draft (which I set in the app) would allow me to cut a lot of corners on this windy river saving me a mile of distance each way. It was so good that I was able to navigate this river at night 3 separate times this past summer after confirming that it had everything marked during the day. Now keep in mind this is a very low traffic river compared to most so I have to assume the data would be just as good for higher traffic rivers. I also used it for a couple of ocean trips along the coast or across a large bay and must say that auto route was spot on but playing it a bit safe (not a bad thing). It will literally take you dock to dock and knew where the lanes were for each harbor.

I always dumped my boat back in the lake after each salt water voyage and ran her around the lake for a few minutes to clean her out. I can also say that the app worked very well for two very large lakes I visited allowing me to get from where I had rented a camp to restaurants and again knew where channel markers, sandbars, rock hazards, and such were all at. It did not however have everything marked on the small lake that stay on during the summer.

I can't speak for other software or charts but I can say that Navionics is very good.

I think I'll do that, thanks for that review, very helpful.
@Bruce - is this the app that you have been using while in Bimini, walking around and all?

There is just so many Navionics apps, it has kept me from jumping in so far.

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[Summers420us]

Starting to like the Garmin echoMap 74dv, mainly for the Auto-Route feature.

But:

1. Shoot through hull transducer might be an issue. Any advice (pictures would be great) of transom mounted transducer on AR190?
2. I see that this particular Garmin has a lot of Salt water navigation. Anyone using one that can comment on the lake and river navigation?

 

[Bruce]

I think I'll do that, thanks for that review, very helpful.
@Bruce - is this the app that you have been using while in Bimini, walking around and all?

There is just so many Navionics apps, it has kept me from jumping in so far.

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Yes, I use the Navionics Boating USA app. It is $10 a year for a phone or $50 for a tablet. The tablet renewal may be less than the initial purchase price.

The app is better than any chart plotter software that I have seen. In 2013 I used a Nexus 7 with Navionics instead of a plotter. The mount I was using failed in rough water so I bought a plotter at the end of that year.

I download the charts for any area that I am going to in advance so that I will not need to use data on the water.

 

[Bruce]

I would like to have auto routing on my plotter but I prefer having it on my phone. I use autorouting for planning. Once on the water I already know the route well enough that all I really need is a directional pointer to the destination. The ability to wirelessly transfer routes from my phone to the plotter would be more beneficial to me than autorouting on the plotter.

 

[2nazt]

I wonder if you can NFC to any new plotters or transfer the route via an onboard wifi network?

 

[swatski]

I download the charts for any area that I am going to in advance so that I will not need to use data on the water.

I really like that aspect of it.
Thanks @Bruce !

 

[Mainah]

You can transfer routes to some raymarine units. Simrad just added to the auto route feature when using navionics plus or platinum on their newer units. My guess is the trasfer feature could also come to simrad units as the dependency for dock to dock auto routing seems to be on navionics plus.

I agree with @Bruce. Route planning ahead of time and downloading the chart areas for offline on phone or tablet is the way to go. That said there is just something about having a dedicated unit. Heres hoping that all of the chartplotters get on board with mobile device route transfer.

A post by @Bruce turned me onto the sailflow app as well. That app is awesome for figuring when ocean conditions will be right considering wind, wave height, and wave period. You will need to learn how to interpret all of that for what is right for you but the consolidation of the data hour by hour is great. Beware that ocean forecasts can change in a hurry and should not be relied upon until right before you set off. That said 48 hours out is directional and 12 hours out is pretty good. There will also be localized spots where the waves do different things depending on the bottom floor and adjacent land masses.

 

[robert843]

I wonder if you can NFC to any new plotters or transfer the route via an onboard wifi network?

I did figure out a way a while back of how transfer an auto route from my navioncs app into my garmin gps unit this is great for long routes in unfamiliar waters such as the Exumas trip we did. The link below should take you to where I show how to do it.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/how-to-plot-with-my-chartplotter.9639/#post-165363

 

[2nazt]

I did figure out a way a while back of how transfer an auto route from my navioncs app into my garmin gps unit this is great for long routes in unfamiliar waters such as the Exumas trip we did. The link below should take you to where I show how to do it.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/how-to-plot-with-my-chartplotter.9639/#post-165363

Ya I've done that too from copying that post when we did our trip to the keys. Just so much to try to remember sometime. So I have those routes saved just incase or for night time boating.

 

[swatski]

I agree with @Bruce. Route planning ahead of time and downloading the chart areas for offline on phone or tablet is the way to go. That said there is just something about having a dedicated unit. Heres hoping that all of the chartplotters get on board with mobile device route transfer.

Thanks @Bruce, @Mainah, and @robert843. Navionics it is for me, for now.
I finally made myself read and look into it last night. Basically - it is crazy good.

Having a dedicated unit notwithstanding, there is almost no disadvantage to using the Navionics app (on my very large and very expensive iPhone 6S, anyway, LOL).

Will just have to think of the best way to mount and waterproof it while in use in that capacity.

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[Bruce]

@swatski, I would consider a Lifeproof case and mount.

 

[2nazt]

Plus have an onboard way to keep on charge. It can eat away the battery pretty quick as it runs in the background also.

 

[Mainah]

Yes the Navionics apps is a huge and fast battery drain so keep it plugged in. I use this for the mount www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GNNH3Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works grea , very solid gooseneck and the screw down lock on the expansion inside cup holder holds it there well. Plus the helm cupholder is a great position on a 15' plus 24 footer. Good thing there are three more cupholders to the right Similar type windshield mounts could work well too. I run a black amazon basics lightning usb cord from the stock outlet over the steering wheel hump and wrap it around the gooseneck of the mount. I don't use a water proof case but I do keep one of those bag type cases on board in case of un-forecasted rain. Another plus of this set up is that it is the cleanest way to deliver audio to the head unit from your phone (don't get me started on the mediocre bluetooth performance of the polk head units).

I think a few of us and certainly myself took this thread to a whole new level beyond what @Summers420us was asking but hopefully there has been knowledge gained by he and others as to all of the options out there.

 

[swatski]

Yes the Navionics apps is a huge and fast battery drain so keep it plugged in. I use this for the mount www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GNNH3Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works grea , very solid gooseneck and the screw down lock on the expansion inside cup holder holds it there well. Plus the helm cupholder is a great position on a 15' plus 24 footer. Good thing there are three more cupholders to the right Similar type windshield mounts could work well too. I run a black amazon basics lightning usb cord from the stock outlet over the steering wheel hump and wrap it around the gooseneck of the mount. I don't use a water proof case but I do keep one of those bag type cases on board in case of un-forecasted rain. Another plus of this set up is that it is the cleanest way to deliver audio to the head unit from your phone (don't get me started on the mediocre bluetooth performance of the polk head units).

I think a few of us and certainly myself took this thread to a whole new level beyond what @Summers420us was asking but hopefully there has been knowledge gained by he and others as to all of the options out there.

That is BRILLIANT. Gosh, never in a million years would I think of it. Love this forum, LOL.

I have, so far, been kind of annoyed with the location of that one cup holder - right under the dash. Well, it will come in mighty handy for that!


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[swatski]

So, I got the Navionics+ app for my iPhone 6S and find it to be mind-boggingly awesome. Autorouting seems to be the default, too. Don't know what took me so long to go that route! Now, I just need to try it on the water.

Frankly, between the iPhone (or iPad) w/Navionics+ (and my OEM depth gauge working quite well) I'm not sure what would it take for me at this point to buy a dedicated chart plotter...
(Well, maybe dropping the iPhone in the river which would make it the 3rd... I hope not!)

The only flaw/concern with the Navionics app I see right now is about the location settings: it only allows it to be "always" or "never" (with "while in use only" option conspicuously absent) . Does it mean tracking is always on, even if/when the application is not actually running? That would be bad, wouldn't it?
(Privacy concerns aside, wouldn't it drain the battery much faster? )

What would be the solution? Do I need to change the location settings before/after each use? What am I missing?

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[2nazt]

@swatski i believe if you do the double tap and hard close the app it stops tracking but if you just hit home and open another it stays tracking. I have it on my phone and make sure to close after a day on the water. You can leave it off and open the settings to see what has used location recently and mine shows it has not.

 

[WTScott]

Can you share any details on that install? I want to use my transom mount rather than make a hole(thru-hull) or lose functionality(shoot-thru) but really don't want to have it hanging off the back.

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