Navionics Plotter Sync for Raymarine Chartplotters

Application: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
Function: Marine Charting, GPS, Navigation
Rating:*****
Cost: Boating app is free, Chart through in app purchase

Navionics is one of the leaders in providing GPS locational navigation and charting with mobile apps for the recreational marine environment.  They recently announced some significant new features with their Navionics marine apps. The Plotter Sync functionality has been added for use with Wi-Fi enabled Raymarine multifunction chart plotter displays.

How it works:

The Navionics apps include an innovative ground breaking feature called Plotter Sync that allows boaters to wirelessly connect their mobile device to a Wi-Fi enabled Raymarine chart plotter. This connection allows the chart plotter to automatically update itself with the freshest chart data from the Navionics app on your iPhone or iPad.

This provides a convenient way to update your chart plotter without having to remove it or the card for updating. Updates are done wirelessly through the Navionics apps without the need for a computer.

The Plotter Sync feature works only with Raymarine a, c and e series chart plotters which are equipped with Wi-Fi. Models must have the LightHouse II R10 software software updates.  Your mobile device such as the iPhone or iPad must have the Navionics and Navionics Boating app version 7.1 or newer with Navionics+ chart updates covering similar Navionics+, Platinum+ or HotMaps Platinum charts on your chart plotter's cards.

Features:

• Activate your Navionics+ charts and map regions. 
• Download new coverage areas and updates to your Navionics+ charts.
• Download updates to Navionics+, Platinum+ and HotMaps Platinum cards.
• Enhance the SonarCharts by uploading your sonar logs from your chart plotter to your iPad.
• Upload updated SonarCharts from the Navionics app to your chartplotter.

Setup:

To set up Plotter Synch on your chart plotter make sure you have a Navionics+, Platinum+ or HotMaps Platinum card with maps loaded on your chart plotter. Turn the Wi-Fi network on your Raymarine plotter by going to System Settings/Wireless Connection/Wi-Fi ON.

On your mobile device, go to Settings/Wi-Fi/and select the Raymarine network. Open your Navionics app and it will read the data on your chart plotter's Navionics card. Next connect your mobile device to the Internet and the Navionics app will download the freshest data for your chart plotters card.

Finally reconnect your mobile device to your chart plotter and your updated charts will be automatically uploaded.  Once you have done this the Navionics app will automatically keep your chart plotter chart data up to date with the most recent chart every time you visit your boat.

Some Raymarine chart plotters can also record sonar logs using your depth sounder. Sonar logs are detailed depth readings of areas that you have covered on your travels. Learn how to record your own SonarLogs here.  Navionics created the SonarCharts program to crowd source detailed marine depth charting information. The Navionics app can then upload this sonar log data and contribute it to the Navionics SonarCharts
database. So by participating you can help build more detailed Sonar Chart data for yourself and the Navionic's community.

It is good to see that some of the electronics manufacturers are getting it and embracing the mobile device functionality.  Navionics is there to make it all work seamlessly with the Boating app and SonarCharts.

I do not own a Raymarine Chart plotter so I was not able to test all the features. Is anyone using the Navionics app and PlotterSynch?

~~~ Sail On ~~~ /)
Mark