Best I pod model for Navionics

[Chawes]

Hello I am looking to purchase an IPad as a back up GPS. I need to be able to run Navionics without wifi or Cell range.
There so many models old and new. I am trying to purchase an IPad that does the job but does not break the bank as it will be a back up.
Any suggestions experience or help will be very much appreciated.

[a64pilot]

Any Ipad will work and use a Bluetooth GPS, there are some that plug directly into the Ipad, (Bad Elf) but they are fragile and use the Ipad battery to power the GPS so that reduces Ipad battery life.
The Ipads with a cell phone built in have an internal GPS at a greater cost of course, the Bluetooth GPS is more accurate, but irrelevant for boating, the Ipad internal is fine.
I use the Dual brand Bluetooth GPS.
If you have a Navico product with a Gofree, the Ipad will connect to it and get position data from it and run Navionics fine.

If you have an Iphone it will work just as well and does not need a GPS as it has one built in and will work with no cell reception.

You have to have an Apple specific bluetooth GPS puck, almost all will not work with an Apple product, the Dual has a switch for everybody else, and Apple

[mottseng]

I have the older Ipad 2 and use the Bad Elf GPS which plugs into the charge slot. Its fast, accurate and don't find it fragile at all.

[Suijin]

I've used a few of them and I think the best value right no is the first generation iPad2, with cell capability, which gives you the GPS chip. To be clear, you don't need to have actual cell service activated on the iPad for the GPS chip to work.

The older iPads are reaching a point where they cannot be updated with the current iOS. I have an original first generation iPad kicking around somewhere and there are apps that won't run on it because the OS can't be updated, which is a shame because it's built like a brick house and is still perfectly useable. That's going to happen going forward with successive generations on a rolling basis. A used first gen iPad2 will give you the best balance of cost, usability and service life.

[SV.Maverick]

My back up is the IPad 2 with a built in GPS. Works great and they are very cheap at this point. You can also get a life proof case for that model on EBay for less than 20 bucks and you would be set.

[mottseng]

Originally Posted by SV.Maverick

My back up is the IPad 2 with a built in GPS. Works great and they are very cheap at this point. You can also get a life proof case for that model on EBay for less than 20 bucks and you would be set.

Where did you find the Lifeproof case for less than $20? Searched E-Bay and they are all over $50

[Sailingpegasus]

I am using the Samsung Tab E. It has a buildin GPS en a very bright screen.

[LeeV]

Big shout out for the iPad 2 with Dual bluetooth gps. We used it for our 4 week honeymoon up to New England and back, and it was very reliable. We do have a chartplotter but began to use the iPad more as it was so simple.

If you can find a new one (with or without GPS) for a cheaper price than I paid new (a certainty), and IF you can find an inexpensive waterproof case ($20??!!), you'd not regret it.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Suijin

I've used a few of them and I think the best value right no is the first generation iPad2, with cell capability, which gives you the GPS chip. To be clear, you don't need to have actual cell service activated on the iPad for the GPS chip to work.

Just a technical nerd note: All the ipads have the gps chip...but the gps shares the cell antenna. The non-cell ipads have no cell antenna, hence the gps is disabled. On the bright side, the non-cell ipads are cheaper, lighter, thinner, and have better battery life. So a non-cell ipad combined with a bad elf might be the cheapest thing.

Of course the next question should be about mounting and powering the ipad.

I recently used an ipad for navigation (with navionics) on a delivery for the first time. I found it to be excellent. However, we had no mount, which was a nuisance, and the charger, which apparently worked fine on land, would not charge the ipad on the boat. So we ended up only turning on the ipad for a minute to check position, then shut it off to save the battery. What a hassle. One crew member loaded navionics onto their iphone, and that worked well, just smaller.

In the end, I was very glad I brought paper charts with me.

[LeeV]

--------------------snip-------------------------------------

I recently used an ipad for navigation (with navionics) on a delivery for the first time. I found it to be excellent. However, we had no mount, which was a nuisance, and the charger, which apparently worked fine on land, would not charge the ipad on the boat. So we ended up only turning on the ipad for a minute to check position, then shut it off to save the battery. What a hassle. One crew member loaded navionics onto their iphone, and that worked well, just smaller.

In the end, I was very glad I brought paper charts with me.[/QUOTE]
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Just an additional nerd note: we took along a 12 charging cable (aka car phone charger cable) and a cheap 12v to ac plug in charger. Both worked well, and we just left it plugged in.

Forgot to mention, we also had our paper chartbooks! :-)

[Suijin]

I misspoke in my post above. I did not mean the iPad2, in my post above, I meant the iPad AIR.

While more expensive, it's substantially lighter, thinner, and faster and won't get shut out of updates as soon as the iPad2.

You can pick up an iPad air first gen for around $200 on eBay and the life proof case for $20.

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by Suijin

I misspoke in my post above. I did not mean the iPad2, in my post above, I meant the iPad AIR.

While more expensive, it's substantially lighter, thinner, and faster and won't get shut out of updates as soon as the iPad2.

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Yikes; my excuse was typing too fast! We have an iPad Air 2 with Dual GPS!

[roverhi]

With the iPads through 3 you had to get the cell phone compatible units to have a built in GPS. The basic models need a GPS dongle for navigation. Those models were about $100 more than the basic IIRC. Don't know if that's the case with later iPads.

[RafaCavi]

You can add a BAD-ELF GPS to an Ipad without GPS. (Bluetooth)

[Chawes]

Thanks for all the info. I downloaded Navionics onto iPhone 6. Looks great works great. It is for backup. I have a hard time getting my mind around navigating by cell phone. But there is more computing power in a smartphone

now than my laptop!