Garmin BlueChart Mobile, hands-on #1
As mentioned yesterday, there was significant news today regarding Garmin's BlueChart Mobile app. In fact, anyone with a relatively current iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone -- that is, one that's running iOS 6 or better -- can download the basic and free BlueChart app right now. And I think you should because I suspect that the app has value even if you don't go on to buy detailed charts ($30 for U.S. coastal) or the extra NEXRAD weather data (at just $4 it's nearly a no-brainer). But I say "suspect" because when I tested BCM after the Lauderdale show, the loaner iPad3 was already fully loaded with charts and Premium Weather. But I sure saw a lot to like...
At first I'll stay with the weather features, as Garmin's own descriptions of BlueChart Mobile (BCM) seem overly modest about what they've packed into this app. Consider the Weather Stations menu, for instance. On the screen above you're seeing all the stations that are reporting Wind Direction, and in the one below are all the stations that ouput a "Conditions" symbol. (While they're obviously displayed along with Premium weather radar, do note its long and clearly demarcated animation.) However, it took me a while to figure out that weather buoys don't output "conditions" for some reason and BCM can give you even more than a full buoy report...
The screen below shows what I got by tapping on the Wind Direction icon for the weather buoy near my home on Penobscot Bay. Not only does BCM display all the near real-time buoy sensor readings but it tacks on the NOAA marine forecast for my section of coast. Now I'd like it even better if they used NOAA's more fine-grained Bay forecast, but that's a quibble and could be changed easily. And remember that BCM can also download and display GRIB wind files, as I saw during hurricane Sandy. That's nearly all the major wx food groups in my view, all very easy to get at and with world wide coverage according to Garmin (please test that, readers, as I failed to when I could have)...
Before we leave the screen above, notice all the ActiveCaptain information icons. I think that BCM right out of the gate does as good a job of managing and displaying AC data as any other app, and that's saying something. For instance, you can filter the icon categories you want to see -- say Marinas and Hazards, but not Anchorages and Local Knowledge -- easily using a near top level check menu...
To illustrate the sort of AC ratings you'll find in BCM, I've used a slightly risqué one I wrote back in early 2007 when AC was an infant. My, how far it's come. During my trip I sometimes came across marinas that had more than 50 ratings, with the recent ones often just days fresh and containing details like fuel prices that weren't even up to date on the marina's web site. Add a whole bunch of new users, like a lot of Garmin owners with iThings, and the richer AC will get (you do have register on AC to get the data and you can add ratings right in the app)...
But I hope you've noticed in these screenshots how good the Garmin charts look, which is why -- along with the weather data and AC -- that I think BCM will also be popular with folks who don't own Garmin hardware. One thing I noticed during the often complex 1,100 mile trip to South Carolina was how I would often turn to the Garmin 7212 when things got a little hairy navigation wise. Hat's off to Garmin's cartography department for emphasizing and clarifying what you really need to know. Not that Garmin charts are perfect. None are, which is why I've always advocated having more than one chart format on board.
Please also notice the "radial chart object menu" on the screen above. That's what pops up when you touch a spot on the screen and it cleverly labels nearby objects and can also begin a route making session or take you to almanac data for that day at that spot...
The various information windows above were all reached with just another tap on the radial menu. Nice! BCM's chart management is similarly well designed. If you're online and zoom into a new place the app will simply download the detailed charts (assuming you've made the in-app purchase). But if you want to make sure you have the charts you need when your iThing is offline you'll get to the screen below, which let's you select sections while telling you everything you need to know about file sizes, space available, etc. In this particular case I was trying to break it by tapping multiple sections, but BCM was unfazed. Also note my demo iPad had the full North American chart package ($50) and that there are other packages for much of the planet...
BCM also has a nice version of the distance/bearing tool seen in most charting apps, as shown below. But what I haven't talked about yet is BCM's route-making abilities and especially the Garmin WiFi Adapter that let's the app share routes, tracks, and GPS with a Garmin MFD system. Look for that discussion here tomorrow but be warned that it's not as happy news as what I've described so far. Then again, the WiFi thing could be viewed as just icing on the cake anyway. Meanwhile I'm hoping the Panbots with iOS 6 will download BCM, give it a try, and report back. Thanks!
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Some folks over at BoaterEd and Tugnuts have already downloaded BCM and are discussing:
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=158319&
http://www.tugnuts.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2956&start=30