How to turn on GPS in i pad with cellular

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by pcmm

What device depends on that? The Ipad GPS works with or without the sim card being installed. However without the sim car you get thse pop up telling you there is no simcard installed each time you wake it up. that part is a bit annoying! but you DO NOT need the sim card for the GPS to work.

What's more annoying is that you need the Cellular enable version of the ipad just to get the GPS functionality! most android devices have some sort of GPS functionality without the need for a cellular option!

Have you turned off cellular data?? I would think this would stop the warning!

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Have you turned off cellular data?? I would think this would stop the warning!

With the "Cellular data" turned off you'll still get the message if there is no SIM installed. It's a minor annoyance but I happen to have an old SIM that fit. pop it in and the message goes away.

[Pizzazz]

Consider using an Android tablet for sailing. Even if you get the GPS signal to work, there are other benefits of moving away from the closed Apple system:
- Android tablets/phones are cheaper and thus disposable. For example you can get a large, quality screen Android phone for less than $100 (AT&T prepaid). Buy three!
- Much easier to load with movies/music to play on the boat, even project wirelessly to a larger screen TV
- Much easier to do serial over Bluetooth for interfacing with on board electronics
- Marine apps are similar

Lastly, if you want to do SSB/ham/real navigation/weather routing then you should consider Windows tablets as well. Again, better value.

Good luck.

[RichandHelen]

Originally Posted by bruce v

I have a 7.5 watt solar charger and a 10' cord to charge my iPad for day use. The iPad itself has a 10 hour battery life if I need to use it at night and I can also plug it into a cigarette lighter with the appropriate set up and run off my battery bank (the approximate 4.5 watts/hour draw is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things). I normally do not sail too much at night so the solar charger is great for my uses (it only cost $40 too). Oh, by the way, the charger can also work on my phone if I want to go Bluetooth and use the phone as a mobile hotspot but that does require a data plan. Finally, I never use my iPad GPS as my primary. It is, however, a great backup.

I love it. Great idea! Where did you buy it? Do you have model numbers or pics (or both? ).

[NoahTreat]

What app are you using for iPad GPS navigation without a data plan?

[Kiwi.]

The first generation iPad came in two versions: wifi only and wifi plus 3G. The wifi only version did not have the GPS chip in it. Many thousands of hours have been wasted by people trying to turn the GPS on in first generation wifi only iPads; its impossible because it's not there!

[s/v Jedi]

I use the iSailor app from Transas. Instrument data incl. AIS, heading, GPS, depth, STW, and wind speed and angle comes in over wifi from a Vesper 8000 AIS unit. I don't think there's something better but believe there are other ways to send the instrument data over wifi.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by NoahTreat

What app are you using for iPad GPS navigation without a data plan?

None of them require a data plan for GPS navigation to work. The GPS receiver just receives, doesn't transmit. you need to preload your charts but that can be done on wifi.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Kiwi.

The first generation iPad came in two versions: wifi only and wifi plus 3G. The wifi only version did not have the GPS chip in it. Many thousands of hours have been wasted by people trying to turn the GPS on in first generation wifi only iPads; its impossible because it's not there!

This doesn't apply only to first gen Ipads, The requirement to have a cellular capable model still holds true to the current gen Ipad Air 2. you still don't need a data plan, but you need the Cellular chipset to get the GPS an.tenna

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by pcmm

This doesn't apply only to first gen Ipads, The requirement to have a cellular capable model still holds true to the current gen Ipad Air 2. you still don't need a data plan, but you need the Cellular chipset to get the GPS an.tenna

Indeed, but you can do with a wifi-only model when you use wifi to stream all instrument data, incl. GPS, to the iPad, which all the apps can.

[Pendragon35]

I use an Ipad Mini 2 without cell capability, GPS supplied via bluetooth from a Garmin GLO. I usually use it with iSailor. The system works fine in general. However, I have found that having the iPad in the sun is a real problem. It easily overheats (northern Chesapeake/summer).

I haven't used a case. I do put it in a plastic bag. And most importantly... I keep a plot going on paper charts as well. The two compliment each other.

[leftbrainstuff]

Turn location services on. We have a 3g and wifi ipad with no sim installed. Wifi only versions dont have gps afaik.

It will work but its a poor option. Power hungry, overheats in a case, frets if it cant connect to the net and unreadable in sunlight.

[jkindredpdx]

Not speaking emphatically, but I found GPS chip in MS-Win8 and Win10 computers/tablets with OpenCPN to rely on Cell Tower signals. In theory you can override it and seek satellite only signal... in practice I never found consistent reliable readout. But when I connected my cheap USB GPS dongle to my Win8 and Win10 Tablets it worked like a champ.

IMO the GPS chips in phones and tablets are designed to work for google maps etc. with cell tower assistance and are not intended to be used for real navigation. I'm going to work on connecting an android device next, we'll see what happens. BTW, the OpenCPN group/threads have ample information and GPS and various devices.

[kas_1611]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

Not speaking emphatically, but I found GPS chip in MS-Win8 and Win10 computers/tablets with OpenCPN to rely on Cell Tower signals. In theory you can override it and seek satellite only signal... in practice I never found consistent reliable readout. But when I connected my cheap USB GPS dongle to my Win8 and Win10 Tablets it worked like a champ.

IMO the GPS chips in phones and tablets are designed to work for google maps etc. with cell tower assistance and are not intended to be used for real navigation. I'm going to work on connecting an android device next, we'll see what happens. BTW, the OpenCPN group/threads have ample information and GPS and various devices.

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. So no cell tower assistance and still perfectly good for navigation purposes.

Even my Bluetooth GPS gizmo can't get any better accuracy when hooked up to my Mac which is where I run OpenCPN so from my experience my Sony phone is perfectly adequate for navigation purposes if my chartplotter failed.

Keiron

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

Not speaking emphatically, but I found GPS chip in MS-Win8 and Win10 computers/tablets with OpenCPN to rely on Cell Tower signals.

You may not have a "GPS chip" at all.

FWIW, our Win10 tablet/PC (2-in-1) offers "location service" but it is not all GPS-based. And ours has no cellular capability... so its "location service" only relies on IP locations.

Not at all appropriate for marine navigation.

Adding an external GPS receiver (e.g., GlobalSat or whatever) is easy, though... and would be similar to folks attaching BadElf GPS sensors to the iPad models that don't have a built in cellular/GPS chipset.

-Chris