Ask Your iPad Nav questions in this thread

[Elbert]

any debate on ATT vs. Verizon connectivity? Many places we go you might as well turn off the cell phone. I'm not really concerned about 3G phone connectivity off-road as my expectation is that it would be zero for the most part. I use a verizon based cell phone and we have good coverage around where I live. Just wondering if there were any considerations as far as going with ATT or Verizon for the IPAD2?

 

[retrofive]

Verizon IMO, at&t sucks around here. (based on location)

 

[RobRed]

any debate on ATT vs. Verizon connectivity? Many places we go you might as well turn off the cell phone. I'm not really concerned about 3G phone connectivity off-road as my expectation is that it would be zero for the most part. I use a verizon based cell phone and we have good coverage around where I live. Just wondering if there were any considerations as far as going with ATT or Verizon for the IPAD2?

Consider your phone experience. Today offloading in the Santa cruz mountains I had great AT&T coverage and my wing mans Verizon was in an out. Same ole debates.

Sent from my iPad 2 using IH8MUD

 

[RobRed]

Rob, Et al... I have added some information here below in Red.

We are talking about iPads here so some of your comments dont apply. I've added my follow-up comments in Bold to add clarity.

If you have a 3G iPad you DON'T need any additional gps hardware.True, however, a lot of people are still adding a bluetooth GPS puck to the 3G ipads. With the addition of a bluetooth GPS either unit (3G or wifi only models) can be used for off road navigation with out worrying if you will have cell coverage. IMO this negated the need for a 3G model ipad. Adding a bluetooth GPS puck is redundant on a 3G iPad unless you have an install where the Ipad cannot get a GPS signal. Having all of the hardware in one package seems like a cleaner and less cluttered way to go having to only power the iPad for the GPS signal and functionality. 3G/GPS model iPads are $130 premium over Wifi only units, and BT pucks are anywhere from $50 to $130. Adding a bluetooth GPS puck to any iPad you are simply providing a GPS signals to the unit, it adds no additional functionality to a 3G/GPS iPad. Of course either unit can be used for offroad navigation.



There are 3 types of apps you can use on the iPad.

Apps that are 3G dependent like Google Maps. No coverage no mapping. Not true. If you have a gps puck like mentioned above, you can use the ipad to locate yourself in google earth. In order to use the high res images found in google earth you can download the area you will be traveling ahead of time and store them in the cache for use when no coverage is available. Pretty cool actually. People have been doing this for years with laptops... Actually true, you are talking about a different app which falls into category 2, "Apps that can cache maps for offline/no coverage like Motion X GPS HD. You download area maps via 3G or wifi prior to loss of coverage or during per planning of the trip.". My example was Google Maps, Built-in to iOS and it does not cache maps offline.

For example: GooPs Technologies | GPS Tracking and Navigation for Google Earth This is a plug-in for GE to be used with a laptop not an iPad

Apps that can cache maps for offline/no coverage like Motion X GPS HD. You download area maps via 3G or wifi prior to loss of coverage or during per planning f the trip.

Apps that carry all the mapping in memory like ScenicMaps. All maps Are ready to go.

The last two types are suitable for off road / remote area navigation. See above if you want to use google earth.This is a plug-in for GE to be used with a laptop not an iPad


Sent from my iPad 2 using IH8MUD

 

[warpdriv]

ATT speed test of 4g in Austin, Tx was 6M down. But yea, it depends where you are. Up in Boston, I have not had problems either.

 

[Mxndrnks]

Great.... Another shottz....

We are talking about iPads here so some of your comments dont apply. I've added my follow-up comments in Bold to add clarity.

If you have a 3G iPad you DON'T need any additional gps hardware.True, however, a lot of people are still adding a bluetooth GPS puck to the 3G ipads. With the addition of a bluetooth GPS either unit (3G or wifi only models) can be used for off road navigation with out worrying if you will have cell coverage. IMO this negated the need for a 3G model ipad. Adding a bluetooth GPS puck is redundant on a 3G iPad unless you have an install where the Ipad cannot get a GPS signal. Having all of the hardware in one package seems like a cleaner and less cluttered way to go having to only power the iPad for the GPS signal and functionality. 3G/GPS model iPads are $130 premium over Wifi only units, and BT pucks are anywhere from $50 to $130. Adding a bluetooth GPS puck to any iPad you are simply providing a GPS signals to the unit, it adds no additional functionality to a 3G/GPS iPad. Of course either unit can be used for offroad navigation.



There are 3 types of apps you can use on the iPad.

Apps that are 3G dependent like Google Maps. No coverage no mapping. Not true. If you have a gps puck like mentioned above, you can use the ipad to locate yourself in google earth. In order to use the high res images found in google earth you can download the area you will be traveling ahead of time and store them in the cache for use when no coverage is available. Pretty cool actually. People have been doing this for years with laptops... Actually true, you are talking about a different app which falls into category 2, "Apps that can cache maps for offline/no coverage like Motion X GPS HD. You download area maps via 3G or wifi prior to loss of coverage or during per planning of the trip.". My example was Google Maps, Built-in to iOS and it does not cache maps offline.

For example: GooPs Technologies | GPS Tracking and Navigation for Google Earth This is a plug-in for GE to be used with a laptop not an iPad

Apps that can cache maps for offline/no coverage like Motion X GPS HD. You download area maps via 3G or wifi prior to loss of coverage or during per planning f the trip.

Apps that carry all the mapping in memory like ScenicMaps. All maps Are ready to go.

The last two types are suitable for off road / remote area navigation. See above if you want to use google earth.This is a plug-in for GE to be used with a laptop not an iPad


Sent from my iPad 2 using IH8MUD

 

[RobRed]

Great.... Another shottz....

What does that even mean? Your highlighted comments were murky at best.

Sent from my iPad 2 using IH8MUD

 

[slickrock]

I gave Motion x HD a try and was not impressed. I traveled far enough that the level of magnification on the map to download the whole area before hand was useless. It would work for just trail driving, but I'm wanting more.

Anyone use one of these three that would like to comment on?

Leaning towards TopoMaps for iPad

iTopoMaps

Offline Topo Maps

Sent from my iPad communicator

 

[RobRed]

I'm confused; Are you looking for street nav? That's Motion X Drive, or are you saying the magnification was insufficient, or are you saying downloading before hand was useless?

Level 16 zoom is 800' per inch by the way.

 

[slickrock]

I'm confused; Are you looking for street nav? That's Motion X Drive, or are you saying the magnification was insufficient, or are you saying downloading before hand was useless?

Level 16 zoom is 800' per inch by the way.

I'm looking for us forestry / topo. If I was on a normal wheeling trip, I could have downloaded a much higher resolution map since most trails are 5 or 6 miles long. I was traveling 78 miles out of cell coverage so I had to download a map that was low resolution to cover the entire area.

Sent from my iPad communicator

 

[RobRed]

Why did you go low resolution? This may help. Motion X Map Download - YouTube I download large sections that cover pretty big areas.

If you want pure USGS Topo maps, check out PDF Maps. Not much for NAV but you get geo-spatial mapping.

 

[slickrock]

Because the high resolution did not give me a map big enought to cover the 80 miles. The low did.

 

[RobRed]

Because the high resolution did not give me a map big enought to cover the 80 miles. The low did.

You didn't set the zoom level correctly. As you manually set the area for download (pinch and zoom) the resolution sliders move. You need to reset them after you set the area. Take a look at my video.

 

[slickrock]

Thanks, I'll watch it. FANTASTIC!!! Great video!

 

[Elbert]

general question about the ipad2.... can it interface with a USB protable hard drive.... ?

 

[RobRed]

general question about the ipad2.... can it interface with a USB protable hard drive.... ?

The general answer is no but.... Technically you could via the camera connection kit (USB) but it would have to low power.

Why would you want to connect an external drive?

Sent from my iPad 2 using IH8MUD

 

[Elbert]

Apple iPad - New iPad and iPad 2 with Free Shipping - Apple Store (U.S.)

The "new" ipad is on the way...

 

[RobRed]

Apple iPad - New iPad and iPad 2 with Free Shipping - Apple Store (U.S.)

The "new" ipad is on the way...

Good for you! Your link is dead by the way.

I'm contemplating a third iPad.

Sent from my iPad 2 using IH8MUD

 

[Elbert]

Good for you! Your link is dead by the way.

I'm contemplating a third iPad.

Sent from my iPad 2 using IH8MUD

well maybe you can't link to the sales page or they have already modified the pages.... I'm sure people can figure out how to get to the apple web site.

 

[alia176]

well maybe you can't link to the sales page or they have already modified the pages.... I'm sure people can figure out how to get to the apple web site.