Anyone using an external GPS antenna and a tablet?

[Fireman]

If so have you had good luck. What brand antenna? Bluetooth or wired? How do you charge the tablet with the antenna plugged in. I am currently using Back Country Navigator Pro and an Galaxy Tab and want to be able to get a better signal while out in remote areas like Big Bend or up in Colorado. Thanks in advance.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

I used a bluetooth hockey puck GPS that links to my iPad. Charges fom a cigarette lighter as needed. My iPad doesnt have an internal GPS, stupidly i didnt order it that way. Get one with an internal GPS and you dont need to worry about this. But the device and the bluetooth link work perfectly.

https://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electro...=8-1&keywords=bluetooth+gps+receiver+for+ipad

Back when i used a laptop for nav i used one of the simple USB "hocky puck" external GPS antennas (search for BU 353 - theyre everywhere) that sit on the dash. Also worked perfectly, much much faster than any Garmin or other GPS unit Ive used. Ive tried, I think, about six different all in one traditional GPS units and was pretty disgusted with all of them. Slow, clunky, terrible screens.

Now it all sits there gathering dust and i just use my phone. For everything. Everywhere. In the cruiser, on the bicycle, everywhere. If Im going to run my battery down bikepacking or hiking i carry a small recharger that will keep me going for days, about the size of a pack of cards. Im getting wheels for my bikes built with dynamo hubs to charge things...mainly for iPhone navigation, which just works perfectly and beautifully. Leaves everything else in the dust.

I used a RAM mount in various forms for holding the iPad and charged it from an inverter. I never worried about "clean power" or any of the stuff some people obsess over, i just plugged it in and it worked. Never had success mounting a laptop, never spent the money on a Jotto Desk or similar, and quickly had gone away from laptop nav anyway.

 

[Fireman]

The problem I have is losing signal on my phone and tablet. The Bluetooth option will let me charge the phone or tablet at the same time as using the gps as opposed to them being linked via cable occupying my charging port.

Ordered a Gaming unit and it should be here in the next few days.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

The Bluetooth works great with very fast reception of satellites and a good user interface that shows you everything you could want to know about your signal as well as battery life. The battery lasts a long time but I never ran it down so I don't know how long. It is lightweight and probably not at all water proof.

 

[george_tlc]

I can't imagine a modern smart phone or tablet not being able to get at least a dozen satellites consistently other than underground... or (see below).

I run an acer A100 in my patrol in oz and NEVER lose satellite lock. Ditto if I use my smart phone. All in vehicle (metal roof, roof rack etc etc). I stopped using bluetooth gps pucks and external antennas a long long time ago.

The only issue I can imagine is possibly with a modern vehicle (i.e. modern pos...) that has metalised tinting etc that could block/attenuate the GPS RF signal... Since my 'youngest' vehicle is a '98 'car' I've not personally had any GPS reception issues.

cheers,
george.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

I keep an old Casio G'zone waterproof smart phone in the truck - it has no cell service associated with it but I turn it on and it's a better GPS and mapping gizmo than any vehicle based unit I've used. This is in case my regular cell phone for some reason crumped and I was left stranded.

 

[Fireman]

Mine usually just loses service when I'm navigating in a big city where if I miss a turn I'm screwed. Sometimes in deep forested areas I lose GPS as well. This unit that I bought is awesome except that it won't work with Google maps.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

I find that Google maps is pretty useless without internet access anyway. There are several other mapping apps/packages that work no matter what. Gaia GPS and Trail Forks are two of the two easiest for car use.

 

[SALTY METHODS]

I'm using a DUAL GPS unit paired with a iPad2, using Motion-X GPS HD app. There are some quirks but overall works pretty damn well. The only big drawback that I'm finding is that it takes literally days to download high definition maps in the Motion-X app.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

I think people need to rethink the level of detail they really need in their maps. I want the GPS and mapping kit to tell me where I am in a useful way, and to in some way record the trip for future reference. I don't care about rich, lush colors or tight contour lines, or such things. I think people wind up chasing their tails on this. I tried to get in to the Nat Geographic TOPO maps and the maps and the software nearly set my computer on fire, it got so hot. And I never really needed all that detail - it was just a toy. Now I just use Gaia GPS or other phone based stuff an I can still go anywhere I want and know exactly where I am.