iCloud Syncing
Overall great tool. Would be great if you could sync the Sight Archive to the cloud so that sights entered on iPhone could be accessed from iPad or vice versa.
Best in class
As a professional US navy navigator I've used this app daily for at least 7 years. First on a TI89 calculator, then on iPhones starting with a 4s when that was new. Now on a 7 Plus.
Makes my work easier and would be lost without it. The U/I may not be as polished as an app from Apple but it certainly does the job.
Have never had a single crash or malfunction. Paid once for the app years ago and have benefited from regular updates.
It is the only Nav app I recommend to other officers and cadets.
Makes my work easier and would be lost without it. The U/I may not be as polished as an app from Apple but it certainly does the job.
Have never had a single crash or malfunction. Paid once for the app years ago and have benefited from regular updates.
It is the only Nav app I recommend to other officers and cadets.
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WORTHLESS
It constantly closes itself, wiping out all readings. When I reopen the app, everything is back to zero. All entered shots gone. My DR position gone. My course gone. My speed gone. I go through the whole process again, make it plot, and BOOM, back to my home screen, and it’s all gone again. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. For some ridiculous reason, I kept at it and it finally plotted my position on the fifth attempt, for only for a minute, then BOOM, all gone. Tried again, and it wouldn’t plot. Absolutely worthless! I’ll be pursuing a refund.
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Many Glitches Poor Support
The problem here is that when you run into a software glitch, GMN will not only blow you off, but will absolutely refuse to even admit the most obvious and easily fixable problems. It very much seems that the software writer is tired of maintaining the product and is unwilling to address any new or old problems.
As you can see, the one star bar is rapidly catching up with the five star bar and will very soon pass it by.
If you can tolerate the small problems, the program is still fun. However don't even dream of staking your safety on this tool. Bring your sight reduction tables with you.
Ron DiGiovanni
Easton, PA
As you can see, the one star bar is rapidly catching up with the five star bar and will very soon pass it by.
If you can tolerate the small problems, the program is still fun. However don't even dream of staking your safety on this tool. Bring your sight reduction tables with you.
Ron DiGiovanni
Easton, PA
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Only navigation app you need
With this app and a sextant you can go anywhere. Learning how to use it takes some time but there are helpfull utube videos. Even if you flunked your astro course you can become an ace navigator with this app.
Good app with room for improvement
After making the decision to purchase this rather expensive application I appreciate many of its abilities, True Wind, Sunrise/Sunset, Body ID, etc. but it doesn't have an apparently easy Azimuth/Amplitude function which is one of my most frequent practices in celestial navigation. If this is added in a later version I will amend this comment.
One bug for iPhone 5 are the buttons at the bottom don't work. Tried removing the app from recent app memory and then rebooting. Did not help. Hopefully next update corrects the issue.
One bug for iPhone 5 are the buttons at the bottom don't work. Tried removing the app from recent app memory and then rebooting. Did not help. Hopefully next update corrects the issue.
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Just AMAZING!!
This is the app that I've recommend for all mariners! No more manual methods!! Just easy way... Thanks.!!
Interface needs work
This is ported over from a PC and HP program. Interface is not intuitive eg 49deg50.2'W is entered as -49.502. So there's a learning curve. Help file is okay but pretty rudimentary. So far I can't get it to agree with my hand calculated results for sun sights. Not worth the price.
Waiting for any updates
I'm using Starpilot for taking gyro errors and position fixing frequently. It's giving a very precise figures and very reliable and can be used for navigation on big vessels. I'm recommending this app for all navigators, at the moment it's the best one.
But it will be great to have a features such as : printing of determined position by dead reckoning and observed position. At least possibility to save it and then to print manually from album or whatever. Also will be nice to have an option to take a position and time fix automatically by pushbutton on taking a sight! A little improvement in a drawing of chart mercator's scale and observed position will be nice(sometimes very hard to read something there and not a perfect tool for zooming). Will be nice to include possibility of reviewing of daily Almanac and associated pages for manual calculations(useful for practical navigators for improving skills). Thanks, and waiting for updates! If will be any improvements I'll recomend and spread between many of my iPhone-users and navigators this great application! Good luck!
But it will be great to have a features such as : printing of determined position by dead reckoning and observed position. At least possibility to save it and then to print manually from album or whatever. Also will be nice to have an option to take a position and time fix automatically by pushbutton on taking a sight! A little improvement in a drawing of chart mercator's scale and observed position will be nice(sometimes very hard to read something there and not a perfect tool for zooming). Will be nice to include possibility of reviewing of daily Almanac and associated pages for manual calculations(useful for practical navigators for improving skills). Thanks, and waiting for updates! If will be any improvements I'll recomend and spread between many of my iPhone-users and navigators this great application! Good luck!
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Great Professional tool
The Starpilot iphone/ipod program is a well made celestial navigation application for the professional mariner. I have made a number of sea passages using the app for iphone and have found it very useful, well designed, and fun to use. No matter what your level of involvement is with celestial navigation (C-Nav), from just doing a few azimuths or amplitudes to check your vessel's compass to doing full days worth of celestial navigation, this program has it all covered. For me it puts the fun back into C-nav by removing almost all of the tedious number crunching and calculation errors (human) that can go along with using the publications and I have found the results to be highly accurate. I do not recommend that someone preparing for professional testing/licensing use this program as the sole means of learning Celestial Navigation. For that there is no substitute for learning to use the publications in this situation. Though, it could be used as a way to check your work.
One advantage I can see this App would have onboard a small vessel is the precious space saved by the reduction of publications needed to do C-Nav. Another advantage that using this app on an iphone or ipod touch has is that the device is backlit so you can do your calculation on a dimly lit bridge or chartroom without having to hold a flashlight to see your work, ruining your night vision.
The program is well designed and layed out. But, Don’t be fooled though, it will take some time to learn your way around and get your bearings. But, I would think this would be expected based on the complexity of c-nav and the number is different uses the program has. After playing around with it a bit and taking a few sights most people should have no problem with it. Also the manual is built into the program under the “help” option.
The creator of this app seems to be very passionate about his product. I wrote to him to make a suggestion about the Starpilot program and within minutes of hitting the send button I had a reply from him. I strongly recommend this app.
One advantage I can see this App would have onboard a small vessel is the precious space saved by the reduction of publications needed to do C-Nav. Another advantage that using this app on an iphone or ipod touch has is that the device is backlit so you can do your calculation on a dimly lit bridge or chartroom without having to hold a flashlight to see your work, ruining your night vision.
The program is well designed and layed out. But, Don’t be fooled though, it will take some time to learn your way around and get your bearings. But, I would think this would be expected based on the complexity of c-nav and the number is different uses the program has. After playing around with it a bit and taking a few sights most people should have no problem with it. Also the manual is built into the program under the “help” option.
The creator of this app seems to be very passionate about his product. I wrote to him to make a suggestion about the Starpilot program and within minutes of hitting the send button I had a reply from him. I strongly recommend this app.
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Star Pilot
A remarkably comprehensive app. V impressive and saves a fortune on almanacs and tables!
Most useful, nearly complete solution to marine navigation
Nearly complete version of the renowned Starpilot program for PC / TI 89 Calculator: Celestial and nearly all computations of costal navigation covered. Plus: incorporation of the iPhone´s GPS capability ! Wonderful solution !
Dear Mr.Soltero,
David Burch writes in his book "Inland and coastal navigation" that you made "a very convenient digital solution to the problem" of horizontal-sextant-angel-navigation (3-Body-fix) available in the Starpilot navigation software program.
Will you make this solution also available in the iPhone version of your program ?
Also please include a chapter about the used abbreviations
Best wishes
Dear Mr.Soltero,
David Burch writes in his book "Inland and coastal navigation" that you made "a very convenient digital solution to the problem" of horizontal-sextant-angel-navigation (3-Body-fix) available in the Starpilot navigation software program.
Will you make this solution also available in the iPhone version of your program ?
Also please include a chapter about the used abbreviations
Best wishes
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great
I havent learnt cellesttrial navigation however i can do compass errors, this has proven to be very useful and makes everything simpler, probably not relevant as im a cadet and taking short cuts is not great for exams, but if your name is dexter and your urrently on the ever sigma , you should get it !!
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Starpilot on Antarctic Voyage
The Star Pilot package is absolutely fantastic. I have had the good fortune to complete two voyages across the South Atlantic, the first in the yacht Pelagic Australis and the second via Antarctica in the three masted barque Europa, both were hugely enjoyable voyages. Throughout both voyages I took sun, moon and star sights whenever possible, instead of dreading getting out all the tables I had a position within minutes of taking the final sight thanks entirely to the Star Pilot software installed on a Ti 89. This has huge advantages over a laptop as the skipper does mind if you leave it around the chart table and it is much easier to keep safe and dry. The satisfaction of consistently getting positions within 10 miles of the GPS is very satisfying but on a two month voyage there is also a great deal of pleasure to be gained in planning the star sights each day and entering the results in the log, it is a great way to learn more about the our universe. There are other navigational calcs as well and even though I don't need the rhum line course from Cowes to Lymington I still take the Star Pilot on my coastal cruises.
Excellent piece of kit.
Many thanks,
Ken Barker
Excellent piece of kit.
Many thanks,
Ken Barker
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Red screen
The last update has left the screen red. I can't see any of the menus and I paid way too much for this app. Please fix or let me download again. Don't purchase until this red screen problem is fixed.
Celestial Navigation for the 21st century!
Let me say from the outset that this is a glowing review. Starpilot truely is a comprehensive navigational tool. From the simple task of keeping track of your DR position, through route planning, sight planning and on up to graphically analysing a series of sights to increase accuracy and doing the involved maths for a lunar distance, starpilot can handle it all. In true iphone fashion it manages this variety of tasks very intuitively and without fuss. Make no mistake, this is not a toy! This is a serious and honest tool for today's celestial navigator. I would recommend starpilot to people learning to navigate by the heavens as a check on their maths, I would recommend starpilot to occassional or 'emergency' celestial navigators who may go a bit rusty though not using the skills enough to keep them fresh. I would heartily recommend starpilot to people who prefer to leave the GPS at home or in the locker because that is what makes them smile inside. I would also recommend it to armchair sailors who enjoy learning about the way things were once done and want to simply associate themselves with the historical wonder of the whole process.
Did I say that I like this app? : )
Did I say that I like this app? : )
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Wow! What a program!
This app is brilliant! It will save me so much time when setting up exercises for my nav students.
