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

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