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Application:  iPad2, New iPad iOS 6.0 or later
Function: Marine Navigation and charting
Rating:****
Cost: Free, charts $39 to $49

NOBELTEC is a well known marine supplier of PC based charting software, hardware and marine charts. Their new app, Time Zero is their latest addition to a long line of successful products.  The same app is also marketed under the MaxSea Time Zero name. The only difference is that the MaxSea version can be provided in French.

The app was developed and targeted towards small boats who do mainly coastal cruising.  At first glance it has some of the basics but lacks the horse power to do some advanced features at this time. The app is free to download and comes with a demo chart for the Miami area. Charts can be purchased for $39 to $49 depending on what set you need. Coverage includes NOAA USA, Canada, Caribbean, Mediterranean West, Central and East, English Channel, United Kingdom and Western Europe.

Features:

• NOAA Raster Charts
• Range and Bearing Measuring feature
• Satellite view
• Tide height and currents
• Track up or course up
• Routes including customizable color and thickness with centering and XTE
• Tracking including customizable track color and thickness
• Redo/Undo
• Customizable plotter display transparencies
• Customizable units English or metric
• Customizable boat length and icon size
• Local Weather
• COG
• SOG
• Course to Steer
• Next Course
• Time to Go
• Distance to Waypoint
• Cross Track Error
• Velocity Made Good
• Estimated Time of Arrival
• Time to Arrival
• Distance to Arrival
• Pan, Zoom
• Standard or 3D display
• Customizable data display 

User Interface:

The user interface in made up of a chart display with many icons, tool bars, drop down menus and layers. 

There are a variety of ways to access the settings which are spread over several screens.  The user interface was a little confusing at times. I could not remember which Nav Bar or layer to view to turn on or off certain features. I suppose if I used it everyday I might remember where everything was. It would have been nice if the designers chose just one way to access all the data and settings.

Chart Slide Bar is located on the right side of the screen. It allows you to  zoom in and out on the charts.  You can do this with the slide bar or by tapping the + and - sign.

The Tool Bar runs across the top of the screen. This contains Do/Undo buttons, Track on/off and Route buttons, Ruler feature, Order and Manage charts and open Facebook. I like this tool bar and wish the author would have put all the settings and selections in this one location.

A Center Vessel Button is located on the top right side of the Tool Bar. Selecting this bring the vessel to the center of the chart.

The NavData section, on the left side of the screen, is where all navigation data is displayed.  This is by far the best feature of the app. It displays all the navigation data in either digital or analog displays.  Select the + icon on the top to add or delete displayed items. At the bottom of the box is a 3D feature which can be toggled to display the charts in a 3D perspective. To the right of that is the North up or Track up button.

The display can be minimized by tapping the down arrow on the top center of the NavData display.

On the top left side of the display is the NOBELTEC category menu. These are in fact settings for the the Ship and Track, Routes, Marks, Plotter, Units, General and About info.


Routes settings include color, thickness, Auto zoom, waypoint switching, switching radius and cross track error vales.

Marks  has settings for the appearance, color an size of the marks. 

Plotter options lets you configure the display settings.  Settings are available to show or hide the chart slide scalar bar. Transparencies for the NavData, Photo fusion and tides can also be set. The 3D tilt angle can also be customized here. 

The Units page lets you set the English or Metric unit for the display of data in the app. Data includes GPS position, Range, depth, height, Temperature, Boat speed, Wind speed, and Atmospheric pressure, 

The General options include boat length, boat icon size, demo mode, start up tips and disabling sleep mode. 

The About section includes App Usage Tips, License, Data usage and Chart memory. 


The Layer Tab can be accessed in the bottom right of the screen.

Simply swipe up to access setting for Satellite photo, Tide currents and heights, Tracks, Routes and Marks.

Select Satellite photo and 3D to give yourself a unique perspective of the coastal areas with the charts.

Charts:

Time Zero only supports the NOAA Raster charts. I am a big fan of Vector charts so this was somewhat of a let down. They have chosen to provide the app for free and charge for the charts.  With the purchase of charts expect to have about $39 to $49 invested for a working app with charts.  This is on par with some other premium charting apps.

Chart coverage is of the US, Canada, Caribbean, Mediterranean, English Channel, UK and Western Europe.  Chart coverage is far from world wide so make sure these cover your area before purchasing the charts.

One thing I did not like was that it does not support vector charts.  Hopefully they make these available in the future. Prices for the raster charts seemed high at $39-$49 compared to other apps that offer them for free.

It has some cool features like 3D, satellite maps overlays, tides and a little weather box.  It is missing several key features including Points of Interest, AIS, NMEA instrument data, GRIB weather data, Weather Radar, Routes and Tracks Import/Export.  This of course is version one so I can only hope we will see some of these additional features in the future.
Waypoints and Routes

Time Zero switches things up a bit by calling their waypoints, Marks. I wish they would have stayed with standard navigation terms.

You can create a Mark by tapping the screen anywhere on the chart. A pop up box will display showing the latitude and longitude with selections for Mark, GoTo, New Route and Move Boat.

If you select Mark it will create a marker(waypoint) on the screen. You can easily move these by tapping and holding your finger on the Mark or selecting the Move option. It will then highlight and allow you to drag it to a new position. Taping the Mark with your finger will display a pop up box showing location, range and bearing from your current location, SOG and time to the destination.

Creating Routes is done easily by tapping the screen and selecting the New Route selection. Continue tapping points on the screen to create your route marks or waypoints.  To activate a Route simply select the point in a Route and select Activate or select the Route Boat icon in the top middle icon menu. To deactivate a Route deselect the Route Boat icon in the top menu or select the route and select Stop Nav.

Time Zero has made it easy to visually keep track of all your Routes.  There is no list of Routes or Waypoints in the app. All marks and routes are displayed on the charts. Deactivated routes are shown with a Blue Ships Wheel with an arrow. Simply tap this icon to expand the Route to show the marks in the route. If you create a lot of Routes and Marks the chart might become pretty congested with icons.

Tracking

A Real time track of your position is captured if you select the Track icon in the top center menu. It is the boat with a red arrow on it. I will continue to record your track until it is toggled off. I was not able to find a setting to view or delete tracks.

Winner or Loser?

Time Zero has a winner with it's introduction to the iPad marine navigation app market.  It has some cool feature like the NavData display and 3D satellite views but it falls short in a few areas.  When I compare it to apps in a similar price range I was expecting a few more bells and whistles.  It does not have NMEA data, AIS, GRIB files, weather radar, vector charts, night mode, Points of Interests or import/export capabilities.

It is only their first release so I look forward to many of the feature being added in the future releases. 

If your a basic coastal cruiser this app will be a great addition to your Marine navigation tool box.

~~~ Sail On ~~~ /)

Mark 

Navionics has added some new features to enhance the performance and functionality of their charting apps. Back in September of 2012 I wrote about the new Nav Module features. This added additional routing information including estimated time to destination, distance to waypoint, course heading, time to next waypoint, and fuel consumption.

The Advanced Map Options is one of the more recent additions.  An Auto Routing feature had been introduced with version 4.6 but was recently pulled to make some improvements. It is planned to be released again soon.

Navionics has chosen to charge for each of these additional features, unlike other apps that include a lot of these same features in the base price.

This marketing model allows users to pick and choose what additional features they want to add to their apps rather than paying for a lot of features that they may not want.

Navionics is already priced at $49.99 for the Marine and Lakes USA HD iPad version. One would expect many of these features to be included for that premium price.

The Advance Map Options let you customize how you view the map data. To add the advanced map options or other upgrades, select the Menu/Upgrade & Apps. This upgrade and others will cost you $4.99.

Features:

• Highlight Shallow Areas
• Select Depth shading
• Filter Depth Contours
• Adjust water level
• View seabed composition
• Toggle Fishing mode.

Some of these features are only available in select regions of the Navionics charts.

The options are selected in the Menu/Map Options panel. Buttons and sliders are used to enable and set the options.

Many of these features appear to be geared towards fishing. The fishing range option
allows you to highlight a specific depth range that you could easily follow on the chart.
As a sailor or motor boater, I am not sure if I would find them that useful.

Navionics makes it easy to select and add additional functionality to their apps. Sometimes I feel that I am getting nickel and dimed for the purchase of each feature. That is why I will probably pass on this one. The upcoming auto routing feature does look interesting and may be useful.  It is nice to have the option to only purchase the features I need.

~~~ Sal On ~~~ /)
Mark

Application: iPad, iPhone iOS 4.3 or later
Function: High Frequency Weather Fax Data
Rating:****
Cost: $2.99

If your making long distance passages with your yacht your in need of up to date weather information.  Weather is key to timing your travels and staying safe while underway.  Weather information over the radio is not a novel thing. I listen to the radio everyday to get weather forecasts.  But getting a weather fax on my iPad over the radio, now that is almost James Bond cool! 

BlackCat Systems has a variety of apps related to HF marine radio facsimile transmissions that can be received on your yacht with the use of a HF marine radio. Many cruising yachts already have HF SSB radios and rely on them for long distance communication.

Two of their apps caught my eye. One is called HF Weather Fax and the other is Navtex Pad Weather.  The HF Weather Fax app allows you to download radio facsimile graphics to your iPad over a HF marine radio.  This can be done without a cell phone or Internet connection.  These software products have been available for laptop PCs for a while and are now available for your iPad or Android mobile devices too. The Navtex Pad app, shown at left, downloads the marine weather forecast for specific areas.

The HF Weather Fax app also has a built in copy of the NOAA/NWS Radio facsimile schedule along with an option to download the latest copy of the schedule from the NWS website.  This will keep you up to date on the broadcast areas and schedules.

NOAA or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration broadcasts weather fax and forecast data from a variety of locations around the world.  Most of these can be picked up with your SSB radio on board your boat.  Other lower cost portable weather radio options are available too.

Coverage includes broadcast stations in South Africa, Asia, South America, North America, Pan Oceanic Basin and Europe.

How It Works:

Once you open the app it automatically starts trying to decode whatever it is hearing through the audio input or microphone.  The menu at the top includes  selections for Tune, Schedule, Stop, Auto, Save and View Saved.

If you are not ready to decode a fax signal hit the Stop/Start button. The Tune button brings up a display showing you the signal strength of the audio.

The Schedules page is a document from the NOAA/National Weather Service that list the broadcast locations and stations around the world. The broadcast site list their call sign, frequencies, times and power. Schedules are include for each site and the contents of their transmissions. Many include surface analysis, air prognosis, weather bulletins, GOES satellite view, tropical cyclone maps, 24, 36 and 48 hour surface pressures and coastal wave analysis.  Several other products are available depending on which station you connect to.

Tapping the Auto button will change the Auto save mode on and off. When set to Auto, the stop tone of a fax will be used to save the received image.

The Save button can be tapped to manually save an image at any time.

The Download Latest button downloads the newest broadcast schedule to your device. You will need to be connected to the Internet or have a cell connection to download the new schedule.  You can also tap on Default Schedule to erase any downloaded copy, and revert back to the default copy that was provided with the app.

The FAQ section has a lot of good pointers on how to get the app to work the best.

Back on the main page there are buttons to Save and View Saved images.  Tapping on the Save button will archive the current image to the saved directory.  The View Saved button will bring up a list of the saved images. Tap the name of the image and it will be displayed. The option to delete stored images can be done at this time. 

Tips and Tricks:
 
The app picks up the audio from radio fax data broadcast by NOAA and coverts it into images and forecast data.

The app requires that you feed the audio output from your SSB or HF Weather radio into the iPhone or iPad.  There are several ways to accomplish this.

The easiest way is to just set you iPad near the speaker of the radio. This works but any background noise will interferer with the the audio and may cause poor reproduction of the fax data.

You can plug a set of headphone or ear buds into the mic of your iPad and then place these next to the speak of the radio.  This cuts down on some of the back ground noise and works rather well.

Direct connection of into the microphone jack of the iPad is the best way to go. This eliminates all of the back ground noise and produces the best data.  The iPad USB Camera Connection Kit accessory will allow a USB cable to be plugged directly into the iPad.  This is the best solution for eliminating all background noise.

If you don't have an SSB radio other lower cost weather radios will work. Take a look at the authors listing of radios to use with your app and some suggestions on how to choose a radio.

The weather fax frequencies are published in the app.  For best results make sure to tune about 1.9 kHz lower in frequency than the listed carrier frequency.

Your first transmission may seem slightly slanted due to the timing delays between the devices.  This timing can be corrected by adjusting the delay settings which are located at the top of the screen.

The default delay value is zero. If the received image is slanting to the right, the timing adjustment must be increased by pressing the + button. If the received image is slanting to the left, the timing adjustment can be decreased by pressing the - button. Once set the timing adjustment values will be automatically saved and used each time you run the app. 

I really like this app. It does what it is made to do and does it well.  For $2.99 it is a great way to receive valuable weather data at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated weather fax. You don't need a $1000 dollar SSB to receive the signals.  A low cost HF weather radio will work just fine too.

If you sail offshore, an app like this can provide you with much needed weather information to make
a safe passage.  Having another source of weather data can help you make better routing decisions and verify any other forecast you may have.

~~~ Sail On ~~~ /)
Mark

Application: iPhone, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5 and iPad
Function: GPS Charting, planning and navigation app
Rating: ***
Cost: $9.99





The creative folks at Electric Pocket have another great app offering for sailing enthusiasts.  I have previously reviewed their Boat Beacon and Compass Eye apps.  They have built on these apps and expanded their lineup with a new navigation and charting app called SeaNav.  It was just recently released in April in the iTunes Store. They have released two versions of the app. One is for the US coastal waters and includes the Great Lakes and the other is for the UK and Ireland.


SeaNav is a basic planning and real time charting navigation app.  It uses the NOAA vector charts so the all of the United States coastal waters including the Great Lakes can be downloaded for offline use on the device.  When you zoom into an area the charts start to download automatically.  The charts have a very vibrant colorful look to them and include a map, satellite and hybrid versions which also show roadways and a satellite view of nearby land.  You only have to buy the app once and your able to use it on both your iPhone and iPad.  Charts are downloaded on the device and can be used while your out of cell range.

Navigation on the charts includes the usual panning and zooming and multi-touch functions. The vector charts allow the user to display a variety of layers and data about the chart.  Charts are automatically updated through NOAA so you always have the best data.

AIS targets collected through the Internet or your onboard receiver are available as an overlay on the charts.

Features:

• Route Planning and real time tracking including Waypoints, SOG, COG, ETA, CTE etc.
• Waypoint
• Routes
• Distance and Bearing measuring feature
• Route export, import and sharing .kmz format.
• Map, satellite and hybrid displays
• Charts downloaded and stored on device so they work without mobile coverage!
• Seamless fast panning and zooming across charts.
• NOAA Vector Charts
• Live AIS Ship positions overlaid from Boat Beacon app.
• Live buoy weather data, Internet required
• Configurable layers; buoys, lights, depths, rocks, wrecks, anchorage areas etc.
• Automatic Chart updates

The on screen menu is shown at the bottom of the display.   The Ship icon starts the real time GPS navigation tracking and enables the heads up display. Basic navigation data including latitude, longitude, distance, bearing, course over ground and speed over ground, estimated time of arrival, velocity made good and ETA are provide with the heads up display.  If you have a route or waypoint selected it will give you the distance and bearing to your next waypoint.  The next waypoint in a route can be selected by tapping the forward or backwards arrows. Reverse your route with the two circular arrows in the lower left of the heads up display.

The next Bullseye Eye icon locates your current GPS position and centers it on the chart. 

The Search icon lets you quickly search for any location in the world. Hit search and it displays that position on the chart.

The Compass icon brings up the distance and bearing measuring tool. The green pin is your starting position and the red pin is your ending position. Tap these to move them and measure between any two points. Latitude, longitude, distance and bearing are shown at the bottom of the screen for the two measured points.

The Route icon is next, it lets you add waypoints along with the ability to edit and manage routes on your charts. Tap the Route icon and select New Route, Edit Route or Manage Routes. Select New Route then tap your finger and hold on the chart to start creating waypoints for your route. Continue tapping to add points until your route is complete. Tap and hold any waypoint to reposition it on the chart.  You can rename the route at the bottom of the screen while in Route Edit mode.

Selecting Manage Routes has settings to show, select, edit, delete, rename and share your routes through email. A handy double arrow allows your to reverse the direction of your route.

Setting can be found under the Gear icon. Here you can manage Routes, Map Layer, Charts, and Display Mode.  Advanced settings has a variety of options for charts, units, sounds, power save, safety depth and others.

The last Export icon is for sending your position by email, message or saving the image to your camera roll and printing it.

Optional AIS and buoy weather buoy data is available within the app.  To receive AIS data you will have to have the Boat Beacon app installed also.  The AIS position data will be shared from this app.  The Boat Beacon app can be configured to use the data from land based AIS receiving stations.  This data is received on land and re-broadcast over the Internet.  This option requires that you have an internet connection. This AIS data can be added to the chart display under Settings/Manage Map Layers.

The Boat Beacon app can also be configured to use your on board AIS receivers data over a NMEA TCP/IP wireless connection.  These NMEA settings can be setup in the Boat Beacon app under Local AIS Settings. 

The app is a welcome addition to the many charting apps on the market.  The charts are very colorful and incorporate multiple layers which can be turned on or off the de-clutter the display. I liked the map and hybrid versions especially since they show surrounding towns and highways for reference. Whenever you tap on an item on the chart a pop up first tells you what it is. Tapping again provides additional details.

The waypoint and routing function is very easy to use and I found that I could quickly create and edit a route with minimal effort.

The AIS feature is versatile and can be configured to utilize either Internet based data or on board AIS data through the Boat Beacon app.

I had trouble finding the buoy weather data. It would be nice to have a weather icon to select the weather buoys in the immediate area. Other obvious additions would include GRIB weather data, NMEA instrument data, night mode, points of interest, social media posting, anchor alarm and track recording.

I did have the app freeze on me a few times and it did crash on occasion.  I can only hope some optimization can be done to make it more responsive in future versions. The price is comparable to other app with similar features.

This is a great start for Electric Pocket and their SeaNav app.  I look forward to more additions and improvement in future revisions.

~~~ Sail On /)
Mark

Wow, I am a gadget lover and this one really caught my attention.  Imagine being able text message from anywhere in the world and provide your location data to your buddies back home. Let them share in your hiking, kayaking or sailing adventures by tracking your GPS path through a web portal.

Delorme has created a newer version of their popular satellite communicator. I wrote in a earlier post last September about the Earthmate app and the Delorme Satellite communicator. The older version linked via Bluetooth to an iOS or Android phone through Delorme's Earthmate app.  This unit has the option of being operated stand alone or also linked to your smart phone through the Earthmate app.

How it Works:

The Delorme inReach SE allows your to send and receive text messages from just about anywhere on earth. For you long distance sailors it is a fairly economical way to keep in touch with loved one back home. This new version has a handy color screen and virtual keyboard. It also works with Delorme's Earthmate app on you iPhone, iPad or Android device.  When out of cell phone range, the inReach SE will let you share your travels with family and friends. It has a ping and message feature that lets your loved one keep tabs on you.  It works with the extensive Iridium satellite network which has the best global coverage.  It also has an SOS feature that you can trigger and send preset messages in the event of an emergency.  The inReach SE allows you to have a two-way text conversation with the search and rescue monitoring center until help arrives.  This could prove useful to give search and rescue details about your position or possible injuries.  Every message has confirmation so you will know if you are getting through.  Being able to communicate with the device will give you and your loved ones back home peace of mind. 


The device has a color screen which allows you to access all of its features. Monitor your data use, set up your tracking, check in, set up preset messages, manage contacts, social media and manage the SOS feature.  It can all be done now on the device. The screen allows you to text on the device but you may find it easier to use your smart phone for the texting feature.

The InReach SE has a few more bells and whistles that make it more functional and user friendly. It is also ruggedly constructed to take on the elements. 

Features:

Color screen with predictive, virtual keyboard for standalone two-way messaging.

GPS accuracy to +/- 5 meters.

Waterproof/dust proof (IP67; standard submersion to 1 meter for 30 minutes).

Impact-resistant (Mil-STD-810F for vibration/shock).

100 hours of battery life in 10-minute tracking mode with a clear view to the sky.

Send and receive free-form, 160-character text messages outside of cell phone range.

Trigger an SOS and interact back and forth with GEOS the 24/7 search and rescue center.

Turn on tracking to share and view GPS coordinates.

Intuitive LED indicator for satellite availability.

Audible message notifications.

Waterproof, dust proof, and impact-resistant.

Post to social media.

 Cost of Service:

To activate your device there is a one-time fee of $19.95.  You will also need to select a subscription plan.  There are several different plans to suite your needs.  They allow you to move to different plans based on your usage.  There is no charge for moving to a higher-priced plan, but there is a $24.95 charge for moving down to a cheaper one.

The two higher plans provide cheaper messaging and allow unlimited tracking of your position.
                            

	Safety Plan	Recreation Plan	Expedition Plan
Annual (12 Months)	$9.95 Monthly	$24.95 Monthly	$49.95 Monthly
Seasonal (4-month minimum)	>N/A	$39.95 Monthly	$64.95 Monthly
SOS	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Predefined Messages from inReach	10 per month shared with Messages	Unlimited	Unlimited
Messages	10 per month shared with Predefined Messages	40 per month	120 per month
Tracking	Not Included	Unlimited	Unlimited
Overage	$1.50 per message	$0.50 per message	$0.25 per message
	$0.25 track

Web Portal:

Delorme has set up an Explore web portal which allows you to share your journeys with family and friends.  Set up an account and login.  Use the MapShare feature to include tracking of your GPS position.  All your previous trips, messages and tracks are saved for later viewing.  The Ping feature allows others to see your current position and exchange messages with you. The inReach allows you to set up preset messages that can be quickly sent in case of an emergency.  It allows you to link to many of the social media sites and post your tracking and position data. Firmware updates for your inReach device can also be done through the portal.

Device Cost:

The inReach SE is not cheap. It will set you back $299.00. But it is a much more cost effective way to communicate that a full blown satellite phone costing thousands of dollars. It will be available for sale starting in May, 2013.  The original inReach for smart phones runs about $249.

If your disconnected from the world and traveling in remote places I think this device is a great option to keep in touch.  It provides your family and friends some peace of mind in knowing where you are at and if you are OK.  At any time you can text or check in with them or they can pull up the web and find your exact location and progress of your trip.  On my next ocean passage I plan to give one a try.

~~~Sail On~~~ /)
Mark

Application: iPhone 4, 4S
Function: Satellite/iPhone communications
Rating:****
Cost: App Free, sleeve $499.00


Wow, there is a new way to stay globally connected with you iPhone 4 or 4S. A new device called the SatSleeve turns an ordinary iPhone into a satellite phone.  The present model fits the iPhone 4 and 4S but the iPhone 5 version is reportably in the works. The Thuraya SatSleeve App only lets you set up and use your satellite phone to make voice calls and text messages at this time.  Thuraya also plans to release a SatSleeve with data capability later this summer.

Features:

• iPhone 4 and 4s compatible
• Bluetooth connectivity
• 12 languages
• Voice Calls
• SMS text
• Battery backup 2400mAh
• Emergency Call button
• Coverage in 140 countries, 2/3 of the earth

Your phone simply inserts into the case and is transformed into a satellite phone.  The app pairs through Bluetooth to connect to the sleeve.  The case contains a satellite antenna and a 2400mAh battery that can also be used to recharge you iPhone.

The sleeve itself has an SOS button that can be programmed to make an emergency call to whoever you want.  The Thuraya network cover 140 countries around the world but you will notice that North and South America are missing from the coverage map.

The app shown at left links with your contacts and allows you to make calls or text your friends. The SatSleeve is easily paired to your phone.  Take the back cover off of the SatSleeve and press the pairing button on the bottom.  On your phone go to the Settings menu and turn Bluetooth "ON". The SatSleeve selection should be shown. Once it automatically pairs to your phone you will not have to pair it again.

For you world travelers this may be the ticket. Total freedom from landlines and spotty cell coverage.  The $499 dollar price tags seems pricey, but compared to a bulky satellite phone costing $600-$1500 it is a nice solution.  A $99.00 per year pre-paid calling plan has rates from 99 cents to $1.49 a minute. It is not cheap but that is the price of world wide service.

I am bummed out that they do not cover the Americas. Must be a licensing issue or something.  I can only hope that it will be offered in our area at sometime in the future.