We designed the Training Mode supplement to qtVlm to be available to all schools that teach marine navigation or weather. The getting_started link explains how to install it for Mac, PC, or mobile devices — with the note that qtVlm is free for Mac or PC computers, but to run Training Mode on a mobile device requires the paid version of qtVlm mobile (iOS or Android), which as of Oct, 2025 is $49.
We recommend getting started with qtVlm on a computer, then when ready to use it underway you can wirelessly transfer all the set up information to a mobile device with its new Data Exchanger function.
In this note we will go over what is included in the Training Mode and explain how to get started using its contents. The Training Mode install does two things to your installed copy of qtVlm:
(1) Assigns several optional settings
(2) Installs several data sets for navigation and weather work
• Changed the water color from dark blue to white. This makes a few of the weather data overlays or image overlays easier to view.
• Minimized the toolbar icons to ones we need at first, knowing we will want to add others back later in the training.
• Choices have been assigned to dozens of other optional settings, such as extent of the COG predictor, set to start at 6 min; length of the heading line, set to start at half a mile (926m), colors and thicknesses of these two lines, depth contours that control alarms and water colors, instrument display options (size and location of selected meters, etc), and so on. All easy to change as desired.
Install Environmental Data and Data Links
• qtVlm is an international product, so it does not come with US tidal harmonics installed. We have videos on how to do that, but we do this in advance for the Training Mode.
• State of the art tides and currents, however, are not the NOAA harmonic values at a few selected locations, but rather the Operational Forecast System (OFS) that provides high res digital forecasts across the chart. We included two links to this live data, one for San Francisco Bay and one for Chesapeake Bay. These files provided by qtVlm also offer unique data on actual water depth at each location on the chart, which can be used for very realistic navigation simulation, plus the OFS forecasts are a way to demonstrate the limits of the harmonic predictions.
• We also include custom link to NCOM currents, which are typically better than the ubiquitous RTOFS global values for waters adjacent to the US.
• To get a quick start on weather work, we include three preloaded GRIB files: HRRR and GFS model wind and pressure data, plus the Salish Sea OFS tide and current data for the same region, so routing and simulations can be practiced. Later users can, of course, display GRIB files from external sources or use their direct connections to XyGrib and to Saildocs from within qtVlm.
Pre Installed Charts
• qtVlm focuses on official electronic navigational charts (ENC). It has one of the best presentations of these charts of all navigation software, including the very expensive ECDIS units used on large commercial and governmental vessels. As it turns out, qtVlm also has a state of the art built in system for selecting and downloading US charts, but to save some time several have been loaded.
• Several scales of charts in the Pacific NW are included, as well as several samples in other parts of the country to seed the NOAA catalog function for further download — of charts from your local waters, for example.
• Also included are two raster navigational charts (RNC) as samples, one for 18456TR that we use in the Starpath Inland and Coastal Nav Course and also 1210TR which is used in many of the ASA navigation courses. The US no longer produces RNC, but other nations do, so it remains of interest to have a look at these, plus piloting exercises from nav courses can be solved with them.
Special IHO Resources Included
• The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) creates several custom products that are useful for learning ENC. One is called ECDIS Chart No. 1. This is a set of ENC showing all ENC symbols. It is a good place to review and compare symbols. Just like paper chart symbols, some that are very similar have notably different meanings. The dozen or so ENC for this presentation is hidden in the desert near Timbuktu, Mali! There is a mark assigned to the location so we can get there quickly from any place in the program.
So that is most of what is included in the Training Mode. Schools can use these resources as they see best. Advanced instructors can also create their own Training Mode if they need something different.
On the other hand, once the program is learned, which does not take long with instruction and the support resources available (Manual, Cheat Sheet, PlayList, English FaceBook), it is easy to change all the configurations, and to load all resources from built-in or primary sources. The Training Mode is just intended to make the initial introduction a little bit easier.
Note that once the Training Mode has been loaded, the menu item shows these options:
Download and activate will take you back to the initial configuration of the Training Mode.
Deactivate closes the Training Mode but saves all the changes you have made. You will then have the option to Reactivate Training Mode bringing back the configuration you you had, or you can then also choose to Uninstall Training Mode, which takes you back to the base configuration you had before installing the Training Mode.
Uninstall Training Mode does just that. All trainings settings will be lost and only option is to start over from scratch with a new Training Mode install from the getting_started page.
Later we will add sample videos on how we use these tools in our courses... plus a video tour of the above discussion.
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