Over the years they have added waypoints, routes, GRIB file download, tidal information, AIS and most recently the ActiveCaptain points of interest offline database. The free PolarCOM program is also great for displaying GPS and NMEA data on your laptop. After all these developments, it only makes sense that the folks at Polar Navy enter the iOS world with their own app.
Application: iPhone 4/4s, iPad 2/NewFunction: Nautical Chart Viewer
Rating: **Cost: Free!
Features:
- Free NOAA BSB Raster and S57/S63 Vector charts
- NOAA USACE ENC charts
- Chart filtering
- Passage and chart planning
- Latitude and longitude indication
- Multi-touch function for panning an zooming
- Seamlessly quilted for fast rendering
The chart download and settings screens can be accessed by selecting the menu button at the bottom left side of the screen. NOAA ENC, NOAA Raster and USACE ENC charts can be downloaded for free to the device for offline use. Simply tap the chart type name at the top of the screen to view the available charts for down load.
Select the chart or charts that you want to download, a blue check mark will mark the charts for down load. When you have checked all the charts you want, hit the download button on the lower right side of the screen.
All charts can be checked with the gray check mark and unchecked with the regular screw head looking icons on the lower left side of the display.
Charts can also be filtered by All, Not Installed, Installed or Installed/Expired with the icon on the top left of the the charts download display.
Once a chart is downloaded it will appear in bold black text with indications in the right column with two green boxes. I am not sure what the color indication of the boxes means yet. I think the first box may indicate that it is good or expired. I will try to do some research and get back to eveyone on that.
Color schemes for day, traditional or night vision can be selected also. Contour depths can also be customized here.
The Units settings include Depth, Height, Distance, Position, Bearings and speed. Each of these have English and metric settings.
The folks at Polar Navy have indicated that this is just the first basic version of this app. I am confident we will see many new releases with additions to give the app the needed features and functionalty similar to their PC base software.
Not bad for a start Polar Navy. Keep up the good work, I like what I see so far!
The box "lights" on the right hand side of charts do indicate status. The one on the left will be green if chart is current, red if chart is expired. The one on the right will be green if chart is turned on, amber if it is turned off.
ReplyDeleteFor best rendering quality it usually helps to download all available charts for a given area. The total size of all ENC (vector) charts for US is about 500Mb, raster - perhaps 1Gb. So, these are fairly modest amounts (compared to, say, movies).
BTW - I am glad you have used Key West as an example. It's one of my favorite areas (chart and otherwise) - I use Florida Keys charts for testing all the time :)
Thanks for clearing up the lighted boxes, it make sense now. Key West is one of my favorites too. Please keep in touch and let me know of any major upgrades if you can.
DeleteSail On
Mark
I down loaded the free version some time ago - and it crashed several times during my evaluation. But, it is a terrific integration with Active Captain so I paid the small fee, down loaded it again, and went to work learning the product enough to use it in my day to day travels South on the ICW.
ReplyDeleteBoom, it crashed twice more.
I feel like a guy with a pace maker that has just been informed that the software inside has a bug. Now, electronic navigation isn't the only means I have, but it is the preferred means. So, when I'm traveling along and a sudden squall hits and I decide to pull over and anchor, the electronic charting program is the way I find "over".
I have two running - Polar Navy and or the one it is replacing - and a Standard Horizon chart plotter.
Nevertheless, two crashes in 4 hours doesn't speak much for a product I just bought.
Maybe I should wait until XP is replaced by Windows 7 (8?) (9?). My experience is that unreliable software doesn't get better with time, but maybe this is different.
CaptStu,
ReplyDeleteI would correspond with the developers on their website and try to resolve the crashing problem. An upgrade to Windows 7 might be of help also. Crashing is not good, especially in a emergency situation. Always having a backup is a good idea. I still carry my Garmin 76C as my backup.
Good luck.
Mark
I just downloaded the PN navy app and have downloaded the gulf of mexico chart but how do you launch the chart? No matter what i do it doesn't launch/open/ Anyone know how? Thanks Jerry
ReplyDeleteTap the chart you want to download, then tap the download arrow in the bottom right of the screen. It will show that it is downloading. When finished, hit the Done button top right, that will take you back to the map. Your chart will show up as a blue rectangle for the area you downloaded.
DeleteTry that
Mark
The current version of PolarView MX works perfectly on my old IPAD, but is apparently no longer available to re-install in my new IPAD. Sorry I said bad things about version 1 - the new version is quite good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback Stuart! Glad to hear the new version is working for you! Appreciate the comments. Make sure to become a follower of the blog and share the site with your friends! Have a super Holiday Season.
DeleteMark
Mark, Your post is confusing - at best - and on examination it looks like a scam. Polarview MX has been withdrawn by the developer - my old version works - and I was trying to find out if the developer intends to release a new version for the IPAD or I should just look further.
DeleteThanks for your good Holiday Wishes - but with answers like this, I must look for ILL INTENT. /Stu
Stuart,
DeleteI reviewed this app about 4 years ago. At the time PolarView MX was a viable app and I reviewed the functionality at the time. I only review the apps, I am not the developer of this app.
I try to update the posts if I see new releases of the apps. In this case I have not kept up with PolarView. Sorry for the confusion, there are other great apps out there like Navionics, iNavX, SEAiq and others. Check out others options here -
http://i-marineapps.blogspot.com/p/best-marine-charting-apps.html
Good luck, let me know if I can be of further help.
Mark
Polarview MX is no longer available in iTunes. The developer must have stop supporting it.
ReplyDeleteMark