Do Not Use iPad for Night Navigation

[hoppy]

On my old motor boat I had a "real" Garmin GPS. On one occasion I was navigating a narrow channel and to my amusement my GPS had me about 100 meters away on the land

I knew where to go so it was no problem. So whether you have an ipad or marine GPS it can go wrong.

[GPSNavX]

Most GPS receivers and iPhone/iPad nav software will display a "horizontal position error" giving an indication of the position accuracy. I typically see 16' on the iPad 3G.

[Dockhead]

I don't much like the IPad or any other Apple product, and don't much like INavX, but I never had any of the problems mentioned by the OP. The GPS performance is truly excellent. Dimming the screen is no problem.

I certainly admit to using electronic navigation to help with pilotage in conditions of poor visibility, but I would hardly rely on it to find a 20 foot wide channel in real time.

Besides that, darkness is not necessarily poor visibility. Even starlight will give you enough visibility to see channel markers, if your eyes are properly adapted.

[rrranch]

We have a spotlight that is ok but its almost as old as i am. New ones are so much bettet. I'm a good navigator and been doing it a while on ships but never into a channel this tight. It was an experience. I forget the name of the chart plotter on our ipad. Inav something... I dont have it in front of me now. It's the latest iPad too. I could find the night mode on it but not the position refresh rate. It is very accurate but only updated our position every 30 seconds. That was my only problem. Why I was having to stopwatch the turns past a good dead reckoning fix. Just like in my navy days. I'll be better prepared next time.

[S/V Alchemy]

This could be merged into the Autopilot Integration thread, as it illustrates rather aptly some of my points regarding convenience versus seamanship.

[barnakiel]

I do not get the story: iPad or iPhone have NO GPS?

I thought they did.

b.

[Noname]

Just ask the Admiral for one of these thingeys for Christmas!

[zeehag]

oooooooh looks like a fun tool--

dear santa......

[Dockhead]

We actually have night vision glasses on board, a Russian set picked up in Moscow some years ago. They are amazingly effective and make for great fun in dark anchorages. Unfortunately they are blinded by our boat's nav lights, so have not yet proved of any use in actual navigation. I don't know if other night vision glasses have the same problem.

[GPSNavX]

iPhone 4, 4S, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G have a built in GPS receiver. The WiFi only iPad models do not, but one can add an external GPS receiver to them such as the BadElf.

[tartansail]

Originally Posted by GPSNavX

iPhone 4, 4S, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G have a built in GPS receiver. The WiFi only iPad models do not, but one can add an external GPS receiver to them such as the BadElf.

iPhone 3GS also has GPS.

[GPSNavX]

While the iPhone 3GS does have a GPS receiver (as does the original iPhone 3G) it DOES require assistance from a WiFi or Cell connection to get an initial fix where the iPhone 4 and iPad and later devices do not require a cell or WiFi connection to get the initial fix. The newer devices will use a cell or WiFi connection, but it is not mandatory like the older iPhone 3 and 3GS.

[darfirst]

Myth Busters did a spot on eye patches and....they really do work haha go figure right! Cover one eye I repeat just one of your eyes and use your electronic nav devices, when you need to look into the dark just close your uncovered eye and flip up the eye patch and you have your much needed night vision still intact. They used this technique when they would rush a ship. Running down into the dark depths of the ship they would flip up the eye patch and have better vision in the dark.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

We actually have night vision glasses on board, a Russian set picked up in Moscow some years ago. They are amazingly effective and make for great fun in dark anchorages. Unfortunately they are blinded by our boat's nav lights, so have not yet proved of any use in actual navigation. I don't know if other night vision glasses have the same problem.

I have an old military flashlight with swappable red and purple filters. The red one will light up "cat's eyes" reflectors at some distance and yet is great for charts and doesn't bugger up your night vision. I think the purple one is for which you don't want to alert the enemy...it cuts 90% of the flashlight's output.

[Noname]

No Zee, it doesn't do THAT!