How to turn on GPS in i pad with cellular

[Pendragon35]

I have a non-cell iPad Mini and use a Garmin GLO connected via Bluetooth for GPS. Works like a champ for the most part. I use iSailor for charts, also Polar Navy. I do route planning on openCPN on a Macbook Pro and transfer the routes to iSailor via .gpx files over email.

Biggst problem with the iPad is that in the sun it overheats and shuts down. Also, I turn off Notifications when using it for a chart plotter so that I don't have those little pop ups; I mostly sail coastal on the Chesapeake and have occasionally wandered into range of an open wifi nextwork and suddenly had a flurry of email etc notifications break up what I'm doing. Other than all that, the system works fine.

I sometimes use an iPhone 5 with iSailor and the same GPS set up also.

HOWEVER--I also keep a paper chart with a plot going old style just in case. More information is good and never trust electronics.

[barnakiel]

Some mobile gps chips are better others are worse.

E.g. our Acer tablet chipset is poor meanwhile our Samsung smartphone chipset is (stellar) and better than our Garmin 72 chipset (and the phone is roughly 50% the price of the Garmin unit).

So ...

What I did here, I put our Garmin and AIS data onto the boat wifi. So our tablet can use either:

- its own gps chip, OR
- the wifi signal gps (and ais), OR
- smartphone gps over BT.

Needless to say our wifi enabled VHF/AIS can now utilise our tablet or smartphone gps, over wifi.

At no extra cost, everyting (say nearly) onboard can talk to anything else.

Zillions of ways to improve your tablet gps performance. Find what works for you and that's that.

Cheers,
b.

[admiralslater]

I bought an IPad this year that was sim capable but I don't use a sim . I use active captain and bought the Garmin Blue charts for 60 bucks to go with it .Very happy with it as a back up.Have had no issue with the gps and don't even get the no sim message .have the life proof nuud cover .good package for less than 1000 canadian.typing on it right now

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

With respect to my Sony Xperia phone it picks up satellites from both the GPS and GLONASS systems and frequently "sees" a dozen or more according to the GPS App I have on the phone. With Airplane mode on, sat by the window of a commercial jet, I can get a fix accurate into the single digit metres. ...

Keiron

I stand corrected... Actually my 2 in 1 internal GPS picked up the towers when WiFi was turned on. When WiFi was off it did pick up the satellites and my position was very accurate. Honestly can't remember why I thought I needed reliable GPS with my WiFi on...

[barnakiel]

I have noticed chipsets that can see both gps and glonass can also pick up beidou.

Not sure beidou is visible in the US (I think it should be, in N and W).

So, we are in the EU, we can see 3 different constellations, none of them galileo though !!! What a shame.

b.

[Cool Hand Luke]

I also use my iPad and even my iPhone as a backup GPS. Just make sure your LOCATION SERVICES are turned on under SETTINGS.

I use Navionics Caribbean and North America. With an up-to-date charts, the apps work great! The only time they were UTTERLY and COMPLETELY USELESS was when I chartered in Belize last July.

The only downsides are obviously battery life and overheating. But, as a backup - I turn it on whenever I need it and turn off the screen when I don't. I also put a water-proof case on it and it works amazingly well. It fell in the water a few times and nothing happened!