Use of Routes and Tracks by Robert Sherer
These observations and good advice come from Robert Sherer on his blog, Bob423. Thank you Robert!
I was asked this morning via an email about using routes and tracks. I thought the reply may be of general interest so I’ll repeat it here.
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I use Aqua Map on an iPad at the helm. I do have an old chartplotter but I use the iPad with Aqua Map for navigation. I have two types of files for downloading: routes and tracks.
Routes are for shallow sections of the ICW. I maintain them as conditions change through the year so they remain current. There are about two dozen routes reflecting the many shallow sections of the ICW. They are in GPX format which is accepted by Aqua Map and many other apps (except Navionics).
Tracks are my path down the ICW in the fall. They are good at the time I recorded them and the date of the track is in the track name. They are not updated like routes are so their accuracy may degrade with time as the ICW changes. I will be adding new tracks this spring. They are available in both gpx and kmz format. Starting this spring, the kmz format will show the depth I saw at any point on the track with a tap.
Both tracks and routes can be downloaded at
http://bobicw.blogspot.com/
Aqua Map Marine will run on either an Apple or Android device. Just be sure to get a device with a gps chip which is required for navigation. All phones have one but for Apple products, only cellular capable iPads have the chip.
A cellular contract is not required to use the gps chip but a cellular capable iPad is required. Many Android tablets come with the gps chip by default, you have to look at the specs. All tablets and phones are WiFi capable but WiFi is not needed while used for navigation at the helm, Aqua Map charts are stored on the tablet.
You can use your phone’s hotspot for a WiFi signal but the gps positioning data is not transferred to the iPad. You can actually navigate with your phone but the screen is kind of small, that’s why I have an iPad.
| And this link to his Tracks and Routes https://bobicw.blogspot.com/? |
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