Log In | Register
Skip to main content
Topic: Using IPAD 2 for GPS (Read 8 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Using IPAD 2 for GPS
Yahoo Message Number: 145562
My GPS is about to kick the bucket so I am thinking about using the trusty IPAD 2 with a GPS app. I see there are many dash mounts on the market. Can anyone recommend the best mount? It needs to be sturdy as I off-road a lot and would want mounts for my Toad as well as the LD.

Thanks for any and all input.
Bob 01 23.5 TK, Jeep Cherokee toad at the doc for engine/exhaust mods.
Las Vegas NV. for a few...
Re: Using IPAD 2 for GPS
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145593
George, That is really cool! Thanks for the info and going to get that.
Bob 01 23.5 TK, Jeep Cherokee toad getting engine/exhaust mods.
Re: Using IPAD 2 for GPS
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145594
Bob, what GPS app are you using with the iPad?

When I used my iPad 1 with 3G service for a Navigation aid it went out whenever I lost the cell phone signal.  So it wasn't usefull at all in the back country.

Maybe I can find a better app that works like a true GPS and doesn't rely on an Internet connection.

I tried Co-Pilot but it won't work with an iPad 1 because it demands a newer version of iOS and apple, in their "infinite wisdom", has decided that older units are not allowed to upgrade.

thanks, Bill
Re: Using IPAD 2 for GPS
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145597
"When I used my iPad 1 with 3G service for a Navigation aid it went out whenever I lost the cell phone signal.  So it wasn't usefull at all in the back country."

At the time the original iPad was introduced, Apple was still in its five-year exclusive contract with AT&T. Regrettably, AT&T's coverage out in the boonies wasn't great (and still isn't, although it has improved somewhat sine then), so any navigation app that depended upon an internet connection to get its maps was likely to run into problems as soon as the cell signal was lost.

But times have changed. First, current navigation apps such as Apple Maps and Google Maps are smart enough to cache (store) your route, so that even if the internet connection fails en route, the maps will still be available. The only caveat is that you'll need a connection in order to create a route in the first place. But after that, you can do without the internet until you reach your destination.

Second, some apps such as Garmin U.S.A contain complete map data within the app, just as a standalone Nüvi GPS unit has all the US maps built in. These apps need no connection to the internet to plan or follow a route. The tradeoff is that unlike Apple's and Google's free mapping apps, the self-contained GPS apps cost money. (They're still cheaper than buying a good GPS, though.)

"Apple, in their 'infinite wisdom,' has decided that older units are not allowed to upgrade."

Apple may be wiser than you think. ;-) The original iPad had a slow processor (today's iPad Air is 47 times faster) and minimal RAM. If you tried to run iOS 7, or some of the more demanding applications written for it, on your iPad 1, you'd find it becoming unusably sluggish and probably crashing a lot. This technology has developed so rapidly that even a four-year-old tablet is not capable of running the latest software at an acceptable speed. But look on  the bright side: your old iPad is still just as useful as the day you bought it. Nothing has been lost. It can still do everything it used to do; it just can't keep up with current hardware. Such is the life of a computer device.

Andy Baird - http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Using IPAD 2 for GPS
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145609
Andy, The Garmin USA App shows it's for the IPhone when I go to the ITunes store. Will it work okay on my Ipad2 with 64GB memory? Want to make sure before I spend the $50. I need something that will work without an internet connection as I boondock in remote areas most of the time.

Thanks, Bob 01 23.5 TK, Jeep Cherokee Toad at Larry's for surgery.
Re: Using IPAD 2 for GPS
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145616
I use the Garmin USA App on my iPad 1 & 4, works great. Gives essentially the same interface that the Nuvi has on a 10" screen....fro $50!
20 + MH's since 1977 incl...
Past
FMC, 2x GMC's, Foretravel, 2x LD
Present
1996 LD RB under restoration, my project to keep me off the streets.
Re: Using IPAD 2 for GPS
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145617
"The Garmin USA App shows it's for the IPhone when I go to the ITunes store. Will it work okay on my Ipad2 with 64GB memory?"

Yes. As mentioned in this Eureka article (which contains a direct link to the app, for those having trouble finding it), Garmin U.S.A runs on any iPhone or iPad. On an iPad, it will initially show up as a phone-sized image in the middle of the iPad screen, but if you press the "2X" button in the corner of the screen, it'll enlarge to fill the screen.

Ordinarily, one doesn't want a designed-for-phone app that's just blown up to fill a tablet screen, as is true of so many Android apps. But in this case, it's actually an advantage, because when it's blown up, the large type, bold lines and simple layout make Garmin U.S.A very easy to read at a glance when driving. Ironically, Apple's and Google's GPS apps, which are designed for tablet use, have much smaller type and thinner lines, making them less suitable for GPS use while driving.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
 
Re: Using IPAD 2 for GPS
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145626
Thanks Andy! Excellent info and insight on this APP.
Bob 01 23.5 TK, Jeep Cherokee toad in surgery.