I'll tell you what....

[Matt Wright]

The iPad 3 has a GPS that works without needing data, the iPad 2 doesn't - so check before you buy an add on..
I used my iPad 3 which has no 3G all over the USA as a GPS recently and it worked great

only the 3/4G Cellular version that has the real GPS chip set built in enabling true real time navigation without having to be logged into the internet or a Cell Phone Tower. You can still use the WiFi only pads for real time navigation, but you have to buy a stand alone GPS dongle and conect this to the iPad via Bluetooth.

 

[Chris]

Steve, you know I never actually thought of that. I have a Bluetooth GPS binger. I shall give it a go.


Chris

 

[BRE Fabrications LTD]

Your GPS Puck needs to be apple approved/ endorsed product to work unless you jailbreak your iPad...

 

[Chris]

Matt, when I tether to my iphone 5, can the ipatch mini share GPS location? Huh, d'y think?

C

 

[Matt Wright]

And (not saying a dongle is a bad idea at all), but many cost £60+ which made it unfeasible for me..

 

[Chris]

Ryan, the one Steve was suggesting is. On Amazoon for around £60+

C

 

[Matt Wright]

That (IMveryHO) would be more efficient - save cost and one less device.
I'll have a look in to it. There are apps that show GPS location, just a case of linking them brb....

Matt, when I tether to my iphone 5, can the ipatch mini share GPS location? Huh, d'y think?

C

 

[BRE Fabrications LTD]

I bought a £10 CoPilot jobbie off of eBay, jail raped my iPhone and hey presto works a charm. The apple approved CoPilot one is closer to £40.

 

[Matt Wright]

This seems to say that you can share the GPS signal - but not in a useful way ie it can only be used by a non navigation app. I've only been looking for 2 mins but I'll close the loop on this.. £10 device endless problems waiting for new jailbreaks and not being able to get the latest firmware. Don't get me wrong, i've done it too in the past but it was too much headache. If I had to find a solution I'd just buy a compliant device for £60..
-> Yes it's a major drawback that iPad 2 without 3G (which has the GPS circuitry built in to it by default) cant' work with navigation apps easily
-> It works out the box with iPad 3 when they changed the base circuitry

"There is now an app for that. AirLocation (iTunes App Store 99¢) uses an iPhone's Personal Hotspot to enable an iOS device without GPS to use the GPS on an iPhone in the AirLocation app ONLY. The information cannot be used by another navigation app on the iOS device that does not have a GPS."

That (IMveryHO) would be more efficient - save cost and one less device.
I'll have a look in to it. There are apps that show GPS location, just a case of linking them brb....

 

[Scott]

I received an iPad2 wifi as a gift last Christmas. To enable me to use it for navigation duties I bought on of these https://www.emprum.com/ It wasn't cheap but it works on my iPad and iPhone4, the reviews say that it's more accurate than apples inbuilt GPS as this is built to be an accurate GPS and not another feature on the phone. It takes its power from the apple product, so no power hungry Bluetooth or batteries to worry about, and you can dialogue and charge through the GPS dongle with no problem. Signal has been excellent everywhere I've taken it so far, around Europe and North Africa, cold start up times are pretty quick, warm start up is almost immediate.

I was looking at the iPhone5 the other day and as they've changed the cable port the GPS dongle won't be compatible.

For mapping apps I use Memory Map and Bit Map. I've been very pleased with Bit Map, but you do need to add your own digital maps.

 

[Matt Wright]

The solutions I came up with look like this, all dependent on what you've already bought and committed to + budget

1) iPad 3 £400 with the inbuilt GPS, everything works out the box
2) iPad 2 £300? with the dongle Steven has. It got v good reviews and is £65. Bluetooth enabled allows sharing between devices. More of a fixed solution I think and I looked at securing this somewhere in he vehicle and connecting to it : total £365
3) iPad 2 £300? with the dongle Scott has. Also good reviews and is £65. Plugs directly in so works on the device it's attached to. More portable of the 2 options. (devices that hang out tend to get in the way IMO - I have a card reader but I don't use it for long periods) : total £365
4) Magic app that shares co-ordinates of the phone to an iPad 2 running an app doesn't seem to exist (yet).

So it looks like 3 simple options, price and extra hassle are the drawbacks to the iPad 2. iPad 3 owners are just lucky.
If you're running it in your truck it'll have constant power so that's one thing to consider. Scotts option uses less power so would last longer. All depends on how many hours you'd be away from power..

Time to get one of the dongle options Chris
(man we can turn anything in to a detailed project! Any recommendations on a high lift jack or winch ha ha!) Happy weekend.. It's home time here

 

[Graham]

Hi there Chris, I've been looking at the iPad mini myself as a present for my farther in-law, it's a nice looking little thing

If the iPad mini range is anything like the iPad full fat version then it will be only the 3/4G Cellular version that has the real GPS chip set built in enabling true real time navigation without having to be logged into the internet or a Cell Phone Tower. You can still use the WiFi only pads for real time navigation, but you have to buy a stand alone GPS dongle and conect this to the iPad via Bluetooth. I think you can pick them up for as little as £50 now but when I bought my iPad they were £80 to £100 for anything descent.

Here's a link to the one that I was looking at before I decided to buy the Pad with the built in GPS http://proviationshop.co.uk/shop/ar...EsZ99W11rjt&shop_param=cid=848&aid=XGPS150-E&

I have had one of these BT77 for a number of years now.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Holox-Hol...9?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3a7c5554d5

£5,00

Gra.

 

[Chris]

Matt. Ipad mini. Check the specs. USB whatsdatden?
The above rechargeable GPS unit in Gra's pic look spot on for the ipad mini.

I have a GPS so not that bothered abut ipad and mapping, but it's kinda cool to have.

Chris

 

[Chris]

Well, switched off WiFi on my iphone, turned personal hotspot on, tethered ipad to it via Btooth with Wifi off on the pad too and every mapping and location application, Maps, find my iphone, Google Earth Memory Maps all pinpointed my location in seconds from just the 3G signal. What happens if I go outside and let it see the sky, I don't know.

But something is working that's for sure.

Chris

 

[TonyP]

Well would you believe it, it has come full circle. Despite me carefully and forcibly indoctrinating my kids that all things Apple is bad and evil, they went out this weekend with their crimbo and birthday monies and bought a iPad mini each, a matching black and white pair

Quite nice things really, good screens, very responsive... only thing that winds me up is that you need a itunes account to download apps... ok says I let me create them one each... oh no, you are too young... OK, I'll create one for myself... oh you want an account.. ok, well give me your credit card details WTF, so now my little cherubs can downloads all manor of crap, and yup I have to pay. Well they have been warned, but you know it's going to happen, there will be a charge for something stupid that they downloaded.

Just re-enforced my dislike for Apple!

/Rant over!

 

[Shayne]

For me the sun rises in the east and sets in the west so depending on what time it is i know where north and south are . I use a satnav once i get where i'm going to navigate all the one way routes through town !

 

[Chris]

Just don't give them the password. You have to enter that each time to download anything with a cost to it. Or don't let them download it. You do it to your compooter and then simply sync to update the ipad. I thought you knew about computers ha ha

C

 

[TonyP]

Yup no way they are getting the password. Similarly I stand zero chance of stopping them downloading, life is too short. I have however figured out that there is a restrictions section, so I have restricted age, content etc, plus and cost related downloads.... Will be interesting to see how long it takes them to figure out I did that

Oh and itunes on my PC, no way never, hell will freeze over... etc

 

[Shayne]

Sorry to tell you fella's but kids know far far FAR more about technology than we ever will . My stepdaughter was about 14 when she decided she'd had enough of me setting filters etc on her computer . After the obvious argument she proved her point by taking our computer and accessing our emails and even somehow putting £10 into helens bingo account ? She couldn't possibly have the passwords or even the log in name to none of it but she did it in front of us and it didn't take half an hour !

PS she is not a computer geek and rarely goes online apart from window shopping , she learnt to do what she did in the school playground !

 

[TonyP]

Yup agree with you Shane, I "think" though that I have probably another couple of years before it becoms a issue. End of the day, education is the key, where they need to understand the rules, but for now I need the control as they are a bit young to fully understand.