iPhone and iPad Navigation

I've spent some time at various anchorages this year looking into Navigation using iPhones and iPads.

Many people use INavX. INavX is a commercial app that is from the same folks that provide GPSNavX, which is a good Mac based navigation program. The difference is that while GPSNavX allows the use of all BSB charts, which are widely available and mostly free, INavX requires purchased charts. There is nothing wrong with purchased charts as long as they are accurate, but the fact is that in quite a few cruising grounds, scanned charts from good cruising guides that are then calibrated are much more accurate and much safer than commercial charts. The San Blas Islands in Panama are a prime example. We often crossed over the shallowest part of reefs and anchored on islands according to our Raymarine chart plotter with Navionics, but while using GPSNavX on a Macbook with scanned Bauhaus charts the Mac screen duplicated reality as seen from the cockpit.

Problem solved… sort of. On Passport, I have installed an Aircable Mini, a bluetooth transmitter connected to the NMEA data stream from the chart plotter. http://www.aircable.net/index.php This allows our computers to receive position information wirelessly. That eliminates one cable, but we still have a power cord to the cockpit, the inverter on, and since a computer has not been our main chart plotter, we have no provisions to keep the Macbook dry if it rains.

Wouldn't it be nice to have this ability on an IPhone or IPad? Should be easy, but in reality it is a bit complicated. Back to the problem stated above. Although there are several navigation apps for Idevices they mostly require purchased charts which are not accurate in our current locale.

Enter Memory Map.

Memory Map is a windows based navigation package that has been around for a while. http://www.memory-map.com/ They now also provide a version of the program as an app for IPhone and iPad. The app is free but once again you must buy commercial charts. But for $50 you can unlock the app to use 3rd party charts or scan and calibrate your own images into charts. They will provide a 30 day free trial of this feature. So for $50 you have a method of using iPhone or IPad for navigation with good 3rd party charts. Now the downside. Memory Map uses a .QCT file type which is their own proprietary file type which is difficult to convert to. However with the $50 unlock, you can import .BSB charts, although they sometimes require additional recalibration, or you can import scanned images and calibrate them yourselves. There are .QCT charts for the San Blas and some other areas that are traded around the southern Caribbean by cruisers, which will save the work of scanning and calibrating. They were given to me for the (ahem) Windows version of Memory Map but work fine in the Idevice Apps. One killer caveat: the import and calibration of new charts must be done in the Windows program and is not available in the apps. You do get license to run the Windows version and calibrate charts included in the $50 app unlock fee. Memory Map is not available as a MacOSX program so to put it through all its tricks you must have a PC or a Macbook with dual boot or Fusion, etc. to run Windows.

Google Earth

Another interesting option for navigation with an Idevice is Google Earth. I have only used Google Earth to enter a very few anchorages so far but in my limited experience it is amazingly accurate and very clearly shows the shallow water. Of course there are no navigation aids, depth soundings, or anything else that you have on a proper chart, but you end up with a powerful and useful backup to charts and visual navigation. To get the images you need for navigation you first need a data connection for internet. I start off by clearing the cache, done from the settings menu in Google Earth. Then zoom in on each anchorage or tricky passage area you will need to see while underway. Once this is done, turn off the cellular data on the device you are using. The areas you zoomed will remain in the Google Earth cache and allow you to see those zooms again while you are underway. This does require that location services are on and that the device you are using has a real GPS. Some older iPhones did not have GPS, they get location by interpolating from towers. This is NOT suitable for  navigation. If you are using Google Earth on a computer you must have an external GPS connected to the computer. Also, beware that as you continue to use Google Earth with the internet on the cache will eventually erase the oldest stuff and you will lose your navigation zooms.

Unless…

Unless you save your cache. There are very good instructions for doing this on computers on the web so I'm not going to reproduce that here. What I haven't seen on the web is any information for how to do this on an iDevice. Here is how you do it. Download Iexplorer from http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/  Version 2 used to be free. They are up to Version 3 now and want money because they added some new features. But none of those features are needed for what we need to do with Google Earth. Just run Version 3 in the demo mode. It doesn't expire.

When you hook up your Iphone or iPad to the computer running Iexplorer you will see the file structure of the device. The Google Earth cache files live in a folder:

apps/google earth/library/caches/cache/

Save the 'cache' directory in a named directory on your computer hard drive. Copy them back to the iDevice as needed and you will have the navigation zooms back. Be very careful to put things back exactly as they were. For example I created a directory called Google Earth Zooms on the computer hard drive. Under that I created a directory call Honduras Bay Islands. Drag the 'cache' directory from the Iexplore window onto it. To put it back drag the 'cache' directory onto the 'caches' directory above. This is standard stuff but you want to be fluent in moving stuff around between directories. Many people are not. Be warned!

Even Better...

There is retired systems analyst that has taken all this Google Earth navigation to the next level. He has developed a free package that will convert Google Earth zooms into actual .BSB navigation charts. There is even a plug in that allows it all to be done in OpenCPN. Download links are at  http://www.sail-world.com/news_printerfriendly.cfm?Nid=91281. It is even possible to overlay Google Earth zooms with charts and create combination charts.  The charts created work perfectly with GPSNavX and OpenCPN. It is a bit difficult getting them into Memory Map for iDevices. I have worked out a way to do it, but for my purposes just having the Google Earth zooms is painless and serves our purposes. Email me for more info if needed.

Pocket Earth

The final piece to the iDevice navigation scene for Passport is an app called PocketEarth Nav by Geomagik. Not to be confused with Pocket Earth by someone else that shows views of the earth from the sun or something. Pocket Earth uses Open Street Maps and provides worldwide free road maps. Open Street Maps is a map wicki which will improve as millions of nerds update the maps. I count myself among them. This summer I updated my neighborhood's roads, bike and hiking trails on OSM which now show up on Pocket Earth and any other app using OSM data. We have found it very useful navigating the towns and islands in the Caribbean. Most roads are already there and they are often better than in the expensive apps sold for individual countries. You need data service to get maps but once loaded the maps are available offline. The app does routing but is tricky and you have to be online to get a route which is then saved for offline. Routing is perhaps mostly useless compared to a good automotive GPS but at $1.99 we have found Pocket Earth to be very useful for finding our way around almost anywhere. For cruisers interested, it is pretty easy to take a track from a handheld GPS  and add hiking trails, roads not currently on the maps, and points of interest to Open Street Maps. Once entered they will show up on Pocket Earth within a week or two. Go to http://www.openstreetmap.org for more information on free membership and editing. There is also a topo map based version for hikers and cyclists. http://www.opencyclemap.org

Digicel Panama and the San Blas Islands

     Panama and the San Blas Islands have several options for cell service and internet.  I used Digicel there and it is the only provider I have information for.  There are some islands and anchorage's that cannot receive cell service in the San Blas, those that can are always more crowded.  While we used the iPhone primarily for internet and phone calls, we discovered that often iPad's had a better signal, and could oftentimes be surfing the web while the iPhone had no signal at all.

     For Digical in Panama all the codes are input using the phone dial pad.  To use the internet the APN must be set first.  If you have been using a cell phone or dongle for internet in other countries then you may already be familiar with this setting.  On an iPhone after, you have installed the Digicel sim card, the setting should be found under; Settings > General > Network > Cellular Data Network.  On an iPad it should be under; Settings > Cellular Data > APN Settings.
The settings are:  APN:web.digicelpanama.com
    Access# *99#

     The easiest way to add money to a Digicel prepaid sim card is to buy scratch off recharge cards available in several denominations.  Buy extras and only put the money on the sim card when you need it.  The instructions to use the recharge cards are written on the card.

    After you have money on phone, to get internet access type in *142*number# then hit CALL/SEND.
The different packages available (all in US dollars) are:
1 day for $0.75 - number = 40
1 week for $4.95 - number = 60
2 weeks for $8.00 - number = 80
1 month for $14.95 - number = 100

For example to purchase 2 weeks of internet data, on the phone dial pad type:  *142*80# then hit CALL/SEND.  There will be a verification message that needs to be accepted activate the internet package.
To accept: *142*1#
To cancel: *142*9#

     Unfortunately, I didn't get around to writing this entry while I was still in Panama and able to double check my notes.  Going from my notes, to get 100 US minutes for $1.99 type: *134 CALL/SEND.  That may just sign you up for the plan, or it may give you a list of the different packages available for calling  different countries.  If it gives a list, the list will contain the code for the package you want.  This is where I think I should have taken better notes!

Several other useful codes to know are:
To Check Balance on Phone:  *120#
To Check Phone Number: *129#
To Call Customer Support:  *100
To Check remaining data (internet): *120*3#
To Check the remaining minutes in a US calling plan:  *120*5#
To Renew a US calling plan:  *134*5*31#

Tigo Honduras - Using a local sim card

     The inexpensive availability of local cell service paired with smart phones and iPads has provided an easy and mostly reliable means of communication for cruisers and foreign travelers. We began cruising in 2008 with a Pactor modem and Kindles with 3g data service. The Pactor modem still gets used at sea, but the Kindles have become e-readers only. With the flood of iPhones on the used phone market, and the ease to unlock them, or buy one already unlocked, this has become our primary means of communication. Every country or island we arrive at, it's simply a matter of stopping in a local cell phone store getting a local sim card, popping it in the phone and voila! It's really that simple…. sorta.

      The catch is, every cell carrier, in every country have a slightly different method for using the sim card and activating the services. It can be difficult in the United States to decipher what services you are actually buying from the cell phone company and they are speaking English. The same is true for cell phone companies in the Caribbean except they are rarely speaking English. There are different codes to activate internet, or calling packages, sometimes there are great rates to call the US. It's just a matter of figuring out what the heck these codes and procedures are! Usually you can get an employee at the cell phone store to set it up for you, but that always leave you with the question of "Did they do it right?" I have had more than one experience of having data activated on my phone to find out later they didn't actually get it activated and the phone eats up any money left on the prepaid balance. The number one lesson here: Don't leave money on the phone that you don't want to lose.

      I am going to try and share the information that I have gathered in an attempt to help someone asking the same questions I had when I put my new sim card into my phone. This is not a complete step by step guide, but hopefully with help save someone else some time tracking down the answers.

      I know there is more than one cell phone carrier in Honduras, but when I checked in on the island of Guanaja, Tigo was my option, so it's Tigo that I have. It is pretty easy to go into any Tigo store or tienda that recharges Tigo phones to get more money put on the sim card, or buy little scratch off cards to recharge the phone. In keeping with my #1 rule to not have excess money on my phone I looked about for a way to recharge online. Sure enough on the home page for Tigo Honduras I found a little yellow button to recharge (recarga aqua). I went through the process of setting up an online account (Registrate). My first few uses of this were great. I did find that sometimes I had to clear out my internet browser cookies to be able to log back into the account. And then I've had some issues with it not allowing me to complete my purchase, telling me I have exceeded my monthly or daily purchase limit. If it works, it's simple and great, and if it doesn't… well not so great.

      Once I have money on the phone, to check the balance on the phone: on the phone dial pad key in #123# and CALL/SEND. A text screen will pop up with the money balance in Limpira (the Honduran currency).

      To make local calls just keep a little extra money on the phone card.

      To add an internet plan to the phone: on the phone dial pad key in #111# and CALL/SEND. A menu will pop up on the screen with numbered options. Internet is option 5, Hit the "Reply" button at the bottom of the screen. A new screen will pop up with the same list, type in the selection "5" and hit the reply button at the top of the screen. A new menu pops up with only two internet plan options, choosing "0 Siguiente" will take you to more options. One more selection of "0 Siguiente" will take you to the last three options. I either choose "7" For 2GB of internet for 1 week at L.150 or "8" for 4GB of internet for 1 month at L.500. You will receive confirmation text messages when the transaction is complete.

      After you have activated an internet package, to check the data usage from the phone or a connected computer you can go to www.tigointernet.hn. This may or may not actually show you the data usage on your phone. It may or may not be accurate.

      There are cheap calling packages to buy minutes to call the US/Canada, there are other country option packages as well but I have not explored the options and am not familiar with them. The tricky thing with the international minutes is that they expire at midnight the day they are purchased, so just buy what you need a the time you plan to use it.
#111# and CALL/SEND
Reply "4" (International) REPLY
Reply and choose your package USA/Canada 60 Minutes for L.30, USA/Canada 15 minutes for L.10 or explore the other options.