Author : Francis

From 2009 independent IT trainer and consultant for boating. Translator of several navigation apps on iOS and MacOS. Professional in boating for over 30 years old, I dispense from training to applications as well as advice and assistance for the integration of mobile devices (tablets, smartphones) on board pleasure boats.

iOS 5 can erase your Navionics charts without warning

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Good surprise during the ARC transatlantic 2011.

After transferring photos from my device to my iPad, for an unknown reason the storage memory was full. I had 9GB free and I only transferred the contents of a 2GB SD-Card. Mystery !

Anyway, after two or three system messages warning me of the upcoming saturation, iOS 5 has simply deleted all my Navionics map used by iNavX !

When asked by e-mail, Rich Ray confirmed the fact possible :

"This is an unfortunate change in iOS5, the iOS will and can clear any apps downloaded data without notice if another app needs more space.. iOS doesn't give any notification to the app if this happens".

Olivier Bouyssou told me it was possible for developers to store application data in a folder reserved unerasable, but that this was rarely allowed by Apple. This was a big problem because no one knew how iOS selected which apps it cleared from.

Yachtmen my friends, be prudent : if you do not want to lose your charting during the cruise, away from any network allowing you to download them again, monitor the available space of your iPad and iPhone.

Navigation with iPad trainings : a complete solution

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With Weather4D PRO and Iridium Mail, associated with a satellite phone Iridium, we now have a complete solution, reliable and low cost to receive, display and manage GRIB files in open seas with iPad.
iNavX and Navionics cartography also provide a complete navigation solution, supporting files transfers with Weather4D PRO : GRIB, routes, tracks, that allows simultaneous display in both applications.

These solutions, perfectly complementary and consistent with each other, have been tested on more than 2800 NM in the automn during a crossing from Canaria to the Caribbean, on board Catana 47 "Burst", token place in ARC rally 2011. In addition, Olivier Bouyssou was able to improve his Weather4D Pro application "over time", correcting, adding and optimizing daily development onboard. Read more …

Weather4D PRO 1.0 integrates routes from iNavX

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Weather4D ProThe new app Weather4D PRO for iOS (iPhone / iPad), developed by Olivier Bouyssou, was submited yesterday to Apple. It provides advanced functions associated with GRIB files for demanding users. It comes in addition to Weather4D app which was promoted as one of the best apps in Apple AppStore for few weeks.

This Pro version, quickly available, will provide following features :

GRIB files management :

  • Importation, sharing (export ), copy-paste, folders filing, history, request from SailDocs by email

Routes management :

  • Route import in KML format from iNavX or other apps, overlay route display with forecasts, boat progress with forecasts scrolling, route settings (heading, speed, date, etc…).

Iridium satellites tracking :

  • Prediction of transition from Iridium satellites to optimize the connections to run queries GRIB files. Automatic updating of ephemeris and parameter setting coverage (rising, timing). Read more …

I am writing to you from Gibraltar

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Hey yes ! After this wonderful stay on the island of Reunion, here I am embarked without transition aboard "Rafale", a Catana 47 chartered for the ARC rally, A specially equipped proprietary model with carbon mast, Horn Mylar SGS, spinnaker, and other I forget . Underway to the Canarias, via Gibraltar, to start in Las Palmas.

Gibraltar

Under way to Gibraltar

Read more …

Galileo, here we go !

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Barely published, the 20 October, my previous post about iPhone 4S new GPS chipset – allowing you to receive signals from the Russian GLONASS system – in which I inserted a skeptical comment about the future of Galileo, that I see myself caught up in the news.

Not only did the first two satellites of Galileo were launched the next day 21 October with success from Kourou, but also by the Russian Soyuz launcher ! I hope you enjoy the comic of the situation… Read more …

iOS5 and iNavX update

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Richard Ray informs us :

I noticed after updating to iOS 5 that all my maps downloaded in iNavX were gone. This happened because the iOS update 5 update requires a full restore of the device and the charts are not stored in the iOS backup (because of iCloud). Let me know if you experience any different operation.

To restore any NOAA charts, Select any NOAA region, then select the Recent filter (looks like a clock), then select "Update Maps".

To restore any charts from X-Traverse (Navionics charts, NV-Verlag, Solteknik, aso.) : Select the folio you want, select "Update Map List", select a map and then "Download all".

If you have any problem with your X-Traverse account, Contact support@x-traverse.com

Iridium - iPad connection – is coming out !

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The Iridium AxcessPoint WiFi Router

I dont like to advertise products or features before they are available, but in this case the subject can guide choices or postponements of purchase among potential users.

Iridium announced on last 7 September the creation of a free service called Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web app which will be available before the end of the year 2011. This will be a mail and web compression service, hosted by Iridium, specially designed to optimize data transmission with the new Iridium WiFi router Iridium Mail. Read more …

Anchorage alarm with iNavX

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inavx anchor alarmiNavX offers for a while an "anchor alarm" feature, currently available at the bottom of the application Home page.

This function was frequently criticized as impractical.. iNavX 3.3.0 rectifies the failure in an improvement that makes it particularly clever now fully operational.

The "Anchor Alarm" function allows you to set the radius of a drift circle, with an adjustment from 0,01 NM (19 meters high) down to 0,30 NM (556 meters high) beyond which an alarm (Buzzer) Fires. Read more …