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Request from a Technophobe

mettisse

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May 27, 2010
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366
hello, since I first bought a Garmin Pilot in 1999 I've loved GPS, finally got my head round putting in the long/ Lat waypoints, then upgraded to the " Streetpilot" and enjoyed it for years, it did everything I needed, good in towns and still with the option of putting in waypoints, loved it, eventually it packed up and bought another off the ' bay for £30!! Then, that went west, so here I am needing a gps, saw a Chinese one mentioned here on the forum...bought two, Great! For a while, the two of them have made their bid for freedom, and won. So, I rather fancy a go at the I pad/ tablet route and I have a few questions to ask before I do the deadly. Two things, 1) it will be a dedicated navigation unit. And 2) the furthest east I will drive us Turkey and the furthest south I will go is Morroco.
Do the iPad/ tablets need wifi to work?
Which is better,pad or tablet?
How much memory do need ?
What mapping system do I need?
Are there company's that provide " all done" product?
Are vehicle mounts readily available or is it something I will have to fabricate or modify?
Is there anything else I need to know or consider?
Thank you in advance, apologies for dimwitedness, I'm better at spanners than electrickery, and not much good at that either.
Best regards to all, Bill Westley
 
Bill, I can't answer all of that, but I bought a RAM mount for my ipad and came off the passenger grab rail. Very solid works well. I'd like to know the answers to the rest of those questions too! If you have the right ipad then it has built in GPS - real GPS and doesn't need wifi to guide you. I have just tried a new app that works with apple maps and so far it seems very good. Look for Road Warrior on the app store. Basic version is free. Lot's of people use memory map. I genuinely get totally lost trying to use mapping software. I can use the gps and go somewhere but the whole route planning thing seems very frustrating.
 
Bill, I can't answer all of that, but I bought a RAM mount for my ipad and came off the passenger grab rail. Very solid works well. I'd like to know the answers to the rest of those questions too! If you have the right ipad then it has built in GPS - real GPS and doesn't need wifi to guide you. I have just tried a new app that works with apple maps and so far it seems very good. Look for Road Warrior on the app store. Basic version is free. Lot's of people use memory map. I genuinely get totally lost trying to use mapping software. I can use the gps and go somewhere but the whole route planning thing seems very frustrating.
Thanks, we have a start, I already have an I pad and ill try it out, but eventually I want a dedicated navigation unit to " live" in the truck, so I'll keep asking as I get to know more, Bill
 
I think it depends what you want / need. Most days I just need to get to the Premier in at the centre of some dreadful town that I've never been to before. Simple Sat Nag does that. Turn by turn. I think the difference is when you want to do more than A to B and you wish to plot actual routes using particular roads and waypoints. Especially if you want to set that route ahead of time and not just on the fly. In the Baltic last year we had a route set in but in the end just went A to B Start again A to B, start again ... We'd arrive at a way point, say a camp site, take one look and decide it wasn't for us. Cancelling the route just became a pain. It's not like we were in the Congo or something.
 
I use an iPad for GPS Bill, and it doesn't need a wi-fi connection, it works under its own steam, so to speak.

In fact, I've 2, an older iPad 3 I think it is (the last model using the 'orrible big charging/data plug) and a newer iPad Air (with the later slim charging/data plug), both operate GPS the same way, only the later "air" has quicker response/refresh abilities.

If you go for RAM mounts, as Chris suggested, they have a wide range, not cheap, but bloody good stuff.

The older iPad is bigger, same screen size as the newer "air" but the overall unit is the same width but not as high. I don't know about the very latest range, there's a "Pro" version out now and it's different again.

You say you have one already so just be sure, when ordering from RAM (if you do that is) that the mount you buy is correct for the iPad you want to use.

I have a screen sucker mount, with a 6" (ish) extension, with a ball mount on the end for the iPad unit clip-tray thingy.

There's some photos of my set-up if you prefer it to the Jesus bar (sorry, the passenger grab bar) mount that Chris described, on my "RAM" thread. Post #7 shows it mounted in the truck with the older iPad mounted. Actually, I've stuck some rubber self adhesive pads on it enabling me to use the bigger mount for the slimmer and slightly shorter "air", and it works well for both models, by pure chance.

I'm no help either with suitable apps for the iPad, I use CoPilot for a satnag which always gets me there, the maps are included in the price and I think it's about €50 Euro, but it's only good for known roads, meaning useless on forest tracks and freestyle.

For that I use google maps, but of course then, you do need access to the interweb, either by wi-fi or a SIM card in the device, which of course has to be local to where you're using it.

Sorry, I can't be more helpful.

I'm interested in what you find for GPS apps, so please keep this thread updated with the way you go, it will be very useful to know. :icon-biggrin::thumbup:
 
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I use a toughpad with memory map for lanes and my phone for normal sat nav.

The pad doesn't need wifi and the memory map works very well. sometimes going some where I know where I want to go and the direction and just follow the memory map as you would a paper one.

Also have the ram mount of the dash bar. the toughpad is a fair bit heavier then normal tablets so does need to be tightened a bit more thenow it did before
 
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We've used a Garmin GPSMAP600 and iPads and iPhones for a few years with topo maps. We currently use "GAIA GPS" on Apple i devices. Before this we used "GPSKIT HD" on Apple too. The best for us is GAIA. The pro version is a mere 40$ and all maps are included. They are pretty good. Not as good as IGN topo but IGN for France and Spain is included free in the Pro version anyway. It does everything a Garmin does and much more. Like GPSKIT HD you can choose your map style, download the tiles for off network use. Gaia does allow you to overlay one map on another and adjust its transparency so you can really customise the view. Most other apps are free and maps cost a fortune if you are travelling a long way.

If you only do France and Spain, consider GAIA as IGN is as good as it gets. Garmin and others sell IGN which cost a small fortune.
 
When I got my iPad mini 3 years ago, only the iPads with SIM card and mobile connection came with GPS.
The wifi only ones did not
 
Hello again and thank you very much for the input, the I pad I have does not have the SIM card but there is a Garmin gizmo that I'm looking at and getting more info on which I think is the thing I need, it's a Bluetooth connecting item that gives the GPS to the I pad, and with the right App it does the business.
The item is called a GLO by Garmin, it looks like it's the " converter " I'm looking for. The next step is to buy the thing and get going. The info above is excellent and thank you all for taking the time to respond, it's much appreciated, I feel like I'm getting o be "in the know" thanks to everyone, Biil Westley


P
 
I must be considered as a GPS 'newbie' and found myself in the same place as you last year before the GBU tour but learning fast..........ish.

I had my Toughbook loaded with mapping software, Memory Map or Viewranger I cannot recall which as use was limited by me forgetting the car charger but suffice to say the screen size was good but, I also found the Toughbook is a bit 'clunky' and I wanted a more elegant solution, so I went the tablet route.

It was to be just for mapping off road, and would spend most of its life in the glove box, so a top of the line tablet would not be needed. Research of my own and with advice from forum members I came up with what seems to me the perfect combination.

Samsung Galaxy Tablet SM T561 (Android)

This has built in GPS, micro sd card slot and a SIM card slot, and of course the usual Wi-Fi. Note that VR now have an add on that uses a IIRC gyroscope? You point the phone or tablet at a mountain range, and it gives you the name of said range along with height and location details.

I tried a couple of different brands of mapping software and found myself having to make a choice between Memory Map or Viewranger. Memory Map had a great offer of a map set for Off Roaders in Spain, living in Spain I thought what a result!

I paid for the download but kept getting errors when starting the download, I tried over and over thinking it was me not being familiar with the software, keep in mind I am an ex IT Lecturer, I gave in and contacted customer support, the reply was not favourable "sorry sir that map set is no longer available". I countered with "but you accepted my payment and it us still being advertised?". 'Er yes.........".

I insisted on a refund which they could not do from the UK. But I 'purchased' from the UK site, ah yes was the reply, but your payment goes to our USA office WTF?

It was not the easiest route to negotiate with the UK office having to confirm to the USA office and then, and then.....you get the picture.

Needless to say I was not impressed, when I last checked and AFAIK they STILL advertise Spanish Off Road maps! Bring on 'bad taste in mouth' syndrome, got my refund and not looked back.

So Viewranger it was, getting your head around the terminology takes a little getting used to but allow for my ageing grey matter. And something like changing the co ordinate 'type' is not as simple as it appears. But I persevered and recently sent maps with completed trails to @Mblinko and @froggy Steve and there appears to be no problems.

Perhaps the single best thing I like about Viewranger is the map tile purchase system. You download a country for example Spain, this is free and quite navigable, if you want a real close up you can purchase 'tiles' that only cover the area/route you want to explore, the prices are very sensible. This is great, no big pay out for a close up of the entire country, if you get a tablet that has a SIM you can download via your data plan as well as the usual WiFi. I chose a SIM that has a fixed monthly payment of 5 euro's to keep the card, or pay 14 plus vat for 30 min talk time and 2gb of data. Spanish prices are not as competitive as UK so I have no doubt you could better that,

Something else, choose a SIM with a different network to the one you have with at present, note I said network and not company. Some companies share the same network infrastructure, having access to two different networks broadens your chance of getting a signal if you need to download maps or more importantly make an emergency phone call if your normal mobile has no signal or is broken etc. The antenna in tablets is larger and I often see a better signal on that compared to my mobile phone, and of course VR software allows it's software to be downloaded to your mobile as well as your tablet, IIRC it can be used on four different devices simultaneously, so any maps purchased on one device appears on all four!

As an aside I also have a Glonass GPS (Russian satellites) but not seen much advantage over the normal American GPS most of us use.

Regards

Dave
 
Hello again, up to now I've considered the Garmin GLO system, but the one I think ticks the boxes is called Bad Elf, it's dongle that plugs into the iPad , download a couple of Apps and away you go, point is, can't see it for sale in the UK, not yet amyway on my searches. I've had good reports about Memory maps and VR, so still open for those.
I saw the Bad Elf on a you tube video, guy from Oz does a great presentation of the wherewithalls and I liked the simplicity of of it. He als mentions an Oz company called HEMA which make the Gps unit and maps to suit, sounds a better service eh?
Regards to all, Bill Westley
 
Found them on the net about £280 , that is for the blue tooth unit, here we go, more research and then get the purse out, ( purse? Chaps have wallets)
 
Dunnit!! I've purchased a dongle which converts my iPad to a Gps. Plug and play, ( gotta download the apps) £162 delivered from a company called Mendelssohn on the web, they mainly do stuff for aircraft, can't tell you how helpful the sales guy was, a Scot called Laurence answered all my questions and steered me away from the more expensive unit, asked me what my purpose was, and it turned out he had been a desert traveller himself !! Arrival in a couple of days
 
I know nothing with regards to this but on the ipad thing the mrs wanted one for x-mas a few years ago and as you do i went out and got her the newest and best i could , about £750 worth of ipad air . A month later she told me her daughters ipad was better because it had slots for sim cards and usb connection whereas the air has nothing . I could have bought one like the daughters for £150 at the time :icon-rolleyes:

750 quid for a bigger phone screen that must stay at home :cry:
 
I know nothing with regards to this but on the ipad thing the mrs wanted one for x-mas a few years ago and as you do i went out and got her the newest and best i could , about £750 worth of ipad air . A month later she told me her daughters ipad was better because it had slots for sim cards and usb connection whereas the air has nothing . I could have bought one like the daughters for £150 at the time :icon-rolleyes:

750 quid for a bigger phone screen that must stay at home :cry:

It don't make me happy that I'm not the only one, but I can say I know how you feel, I feel like it's all smoke and mirrors, me and the missus have to wait for the grandchildren to visit to set the central heating!!!
 
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