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iPolar 2.0 arrives with several improvements, including one expected from the beginning : the possibility of exporting fleeces by email. Done, and moreover the export of fleeces (single or multi-sail) is systematically done in 3 file formats : CSV, TXT and POL. Enough to reuse the fleeces with any application on Mac, PC or other mobile devices.
The dream !
With iNavX, with iPhone like iPad, charts update goes through two processes. It is necessary to distinguish individual charts update, and update full charts folders with a new edition. Read more …
With the advent of powerful weather-routing applications on our tablets and smartphones, as Weather4D and SailGrib WR, at truly affordable prices, routing is becoming more popular for pleasure boating. The quality of these applications is already appealing to amateur sailors, and even some high-seas professional riders, but also a growing number of leisure boaters. Riders use the routing in the essential interests of performance, Achieve the fastest route from one point to another, so leisure boaters are more focused on getting safer and more comfortable routes. For them, The notion of speed is mainly used to avoid periods of bad weather, and the optimized route to escape areas where sea and wind conditions can be dangerous. Routing is also used for this : even in powerboating, you may try to avoid too much wind speeds or wave heights to ensure ypur crew comfortable and serene trip. But what credibility can be given to routing ? Read more …
The least I can say, it’s that the new things don’t jostle. After the frenzy of announcements of 2013, the developers seem to be marking time. It is likely that the proliferation of navigation apps should not promote their profitability, and that the financial return on investment in development and maintenance time should not be obtained by everyone. Navionics charts remains the undisputed leader. By creating its new “Boating” formula to complement and/or replace “Marine” (¹) it revives sales which were probably starting to run out of steam. iNavX remains the best-selling independent application in the USA, and the rest of the world through combination with Navionics cartography, and particularly in France thanks… to the strong promotion to which I contribute. Its developer multiplies very regular updates, which ensures good positioning on the AppStore and user satisfaction, despite the questionable ergonomics of certain functions. Read more …
iNavX 4.0.0 greatly improves the display of raster charts : continuous seamless tiled charts (¹) and access to a new Navionics Gold chart : the 50XG covering almost the entire Pacific Ocean. Read more …
With the basic 1.3.3 and PRO versions 1.3.9 delivered last November, Weather4D had replaced the GRIB files fine grid from Great Circle by its own files based on the U.S. model WRF (¹), computed under his own steam. These files cover Europe, Greece, Canaria, Azores, Greater and Lesser Antilles, offer a resolution of 0.1° (6 NM) up to 96 hours by 1 hour steps. The data provided is the same as the GFS model (¹). At the same time, The annual subscription price has been reduced by 60 to 30 €.
Thanks to the implementation of new means, the next updates that have just been submitted to Apple Store will provide even more details. Olivier Bouyssou explains :
« FYI, App4Nav uses 6 different servers, 2 for the calculation of WRF model and 4 for distributing GRIBs : 2 for the US+Asia region and 2 for Europe. At this time 8000 GRIBs are distributed per day and triple during the season… ”
This now enables to provide, for the French coasts, including Corsica, ultra-fine grid to 0.04 °, that to say 2,4 NM. It also adds to the GFS and WRF files new data evaluating wind gusts. Read more …
The relationship of a recent experience of an iNavX user and Weather4D PRO routing function invites me to bring a warning to the attention of novices boaters in computer use.
A regatta course, departure from St Helier (Jersey) to arrival Granville, optimized with Weather4D PRO using fine grid GCWF model and MyOcean currents prediction, gave the following route in iNavX :
The optimized route transferred to iNavX
Improvements…No respite for this application : two and a half months after integrating the currents into the routing calculation, this latest version provides significant advances on this function. The improvements bring greater precision to the calculation of the optimized route and new parameters allow for fine-tuning.
They concern currents, follow the leader… Read more …
Request more frequent from boat owners is for the installation of a WiFi reception onboard. The proliferation of computers, tablets and smartphones on boats incentive to maintain a connection with the Internet, even while sailing. Exchange emails, Follow social media, Receive weather files, and how many other reasons lead to an irrepressible addiction. C’est la vie !
I have already mentioned on my website, in chapter about means for receiving GRIB files, some available solutions : Read more …
With the version 1.3.2, Weather4D PRO allows to get and display currents as GRIB data. To begin with, currents available are provided with subscription by Tidetech, I mentioned there in the past (¹). Once entered in Weather4D PRO settings a username and password, provided at the time of subscription, you can access Tidetech global catalog.
Only one PRO subscription to Tidetech allows you to obtain files in GRIB format. The company is considering a specific offer for applications on iPad / iPhone. Read more …