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How to Use Gps on Ipad Without Internet

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How to Use Gps on Ipad Without Internet

  1. DMD3.

    DMD3. Pre-takeoff checklist

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    There are several downloadable apps for the iphone and ipad, such as Waze Navigation, Roadtrippers, and I believe Google maps has an app as well. These apps are said to alert you when there is heavy traffic, an accident, or road closures, etc. They're downloadable and usable for the iphone. However, is it possible to use it while driving on an ipad as well? Are there receivers that would allow the ipad to function as a road GPS? I believe the Stratus only works for Foreflight (they should get into turn-by-turn navigation). I wonder if a Bad Elf would work...

    Ps. I don't have, nor do I want an iphone. I have a flip-phone that I bought back in 2012, and it still works fine to this day. I haven't had to spend a dime updating it or purchasing a new one like so many smartphone users I know. :p

  2. AggieMike88

    AggieMike88 Touchdown! Greaser!

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    The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
    Yes.... there are several GPS receivers. Most connect to the iPad via Bluetooth.

    This list from Amazon would be a start.

    https://www.amazon.com/s?url=search...efix=bluetooth+gps,aps,176&crid=3EIMX906IGLC8

  3. Yes, the Dual works fine for car or plane. I've been using one in the plane for years, long after I decided to get an iPad with cellular support. The cellular support is handy and worth it for this FF user.

    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  4. My el cheapo Samsung Galaxy Tab A, wifi only, makes a good road GPS all by itself, as long as I have a wifi connection to download the route. Turn on Location and the blue dot will follow the line, you just can't recalculate very well.

    Or you can pay triple for an ipad, then buy a plugin GPS module, because apple doesn't put GPS chips in their wifi-only ipads . . . . .

  5. Gps will work with a external gps.
    The aviation apps download the maps. Some of the auto gps stuff requires a internet signal to load the maps. So some may not work.
    I know the maps that come on the iphone do not work if you loose service.
  6. Waze will definitely need a data connection, and none of them will be able to download current traffic information without it.

    That can be overcome too, but it may be more trouble to some than it's worth.

  7. Sell that WiFi only and get a good ipad.
  8. Cap'n Jack

    Cap'n Jack Final Approach PoA Supporter

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    Why?

    I made the choice for WiFi only and have more memory for the same money. I use a Bad Elf for a GPS and it works well. I use the Bad Elf for other purposes too. The Maps stored locally, but easily updated, are best. I've lost cellular service at times and so lost the maps if they weren't already on the phone.

  9. Because some of the auto maps he wants to use do not store in the unit and need internet to load! With no service the GPS will work with a external unit but you will have no map.... This was already stated in this thread.
    I have service on my ipad and I can send emails, check the weather, look at porn.... Anything I want to do.
  10. JonH

    JonH Pre-takeoff checklist

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    Built in GPS sucks anyway, at least that is what I tell myself everytime I boot my Stratux or plug in my Bad Elf GPS.
  11. Really?
    I have been flying with the ipad for over 4 years now. I have the the cellular version with built in gps. I DO NOT use a external GPS. I have never lost GPS signal. I used a Mini 1 first and now have a Pro 10.5.
    So why does built in GPS suck? Did someone tell you that? Or have you got lost because your GPS went out?
    My opinion is all that external stuff is dumb. More stuff to charge and to fail.
  12. JonH

    JonH Pre-takeoff checklist

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    Good question. That's what I tell myself. One lighting port. iPad GPS sucks because it's a stupid expense. Any GPS coupled to LTE data is stupid, IMO. GPS works at cruise, LTE works where? Idk, a few thousand feet. I don't like that I have to buy into LTE when I can build my own GPS. It's like putting a subscription price on my knowledge of the RF spectrum.

    Where this ties into aviation safety is beyond me. I'm glad Apple is a major contenter in the airspace, but that doesn't extend to calling it a solution.

    IMO a freaking GPS should not have to include a subscription. I'd rather work off lat and lon, as I have since HS.

  13. So you do know that you don't need the LTE or data subscription for the GPS to work right? The GPS is independent and the aviation GPS maps load into the ipad. My first ipad did not have any cell service. My pro does have a data plan because I use it for other things when I am not flying.
    I would rather pay for a Ipad than pay for the way overpriced Garmin units.
  14. Wifi-only ipads do not have GPS chips, an external plugin GPS is required.

    Cellular ipads have GPS in them, and they work just fine with or without a data connection or data plan. No subscription required, you just have to pay the much higher price for a cellular ipad.

    ON THE OTHER HAND: my Samsung wifi only tablet has a great GPS included. It's in all of them, cellular or not, and pricing generally starts around $199 . . . . So I gave up on apple's high prices. Roadmaps work just as good as my aviation products, just no ForeFlight (another pricey subscription that you don't need).

  15. How do people manage to raise a simple WiFi only vs mobile data enabled personal choice to the level of a religious or US-style political dispute? Complete with the usual irrelevant "Nyah Nyah, I hate iOS" tossed in.

    I've been using WiFi only since the beginning but certainly don't think any less of those who decided to go with the other model. And I have both an iPad and an Android tablet.

  16. Cap'n Jack

    Cap'n Jack Final Approach PoA Supporter

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    Also stated in the thread was that the auto maps that need the internet disappear when you get out of cell service. It's happened to me in Oregon, Yellowstone, and a few other places. Garmin has a product where the maps are downloaded and work with or without the internet.

    If you stay in an urban area, cell service is quite consistent. If I do need the internet away from a wifi, I just use my phone as a hot spot.

  17. Cap'n Jack

    Cap'n Jack Final Approach PoA Supporter

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    Good question. It depends on needs and what works for a person. I actually prefer a stand-alone Garmin GPS for driving, which also provides traffic and road closure information, but that wasn't the question posted. Each has a preference for their own own reasons and needs.
  18. I have noticed that in the iphone Google maps app, the maps will be cached, so if you don't lose your cell service for an extended time you may not lose your maps.
  19. JonH

    JonH Pre-takeoff checklist

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    Yes. The thing is, the LTE is useless to me, I wish they would just include the GPS with the non-LTE version. Having said that I haven't used my Bad Elf since Stratux so I guess it doesn't matter (for me anyway).
  20. genna

    genna Pattern Altitude

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    The problem is not the GPS(external GPS works just fine), but the lack of internet. Waze is useless without internet. Google maps can be used in offline mode, but you will also lose traffic information. Without the internet, you may as well get a cheap portable GPS unit.

    Really, the only way to use WiFi Ipad for these apps is to tether it to something that is connected to internet.

  21. DMD3.

    DMD3. Pre-takeoff checklist

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    Will I still have turn-by-turn navigation without internet (though with an external GPS)? I can live without traffic information, though I think it'd be nice to have.

    I have an Aera 500 that I bought back in 2013. Problem is, I don't know how to program a particular route I want. Sometimes when I'm on a bypass going through a town, it'll keep trying to have me get off and travel downtown due to it being a slightly shorter distance (but with lots of traffic and stoplights).

  22. genna

    genna Pattern Altitude

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    I've never tried to use Waze off line, i'm not sure you can. You can certainly use Google off line and it will give you turn-by-turn navigation. You just have to save maps to it. My one time experience with this arrangement was less than stellar.

    Every navigation system that I have seen will catch up and recalculate if you chose to ignore it and go you own way. Google is not perfect either. I often ignore directions it gives me based on my own experience. You can also program way points into most navigation systems. It is probably easier with Waze and Google, i will give you that.

    FYI, if you are in urban area, you can get away without GPS a lot of times. Iphone/IPad will give you surprisingly accurate position based on WiFi signals in the area. But that's a hit or miss depending on location.

  23. JonH

    JonH Pre-takeoff checklist

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    Yes, for my use case, I only use my mini 4 for flying, and I have the hot spot on my phone to get www. Now that I have a Stratux I'm glad I didn't spend the extra money on the tablet.

    If anyone is looking for cheap data plans Freedompop is pretty cool. https://www.freedompop.com/ I got one for my car stereo and it's great for $20/mo.

  24. compilotrc

    compilotrc Filing Flight Plan

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    WiFi only iPad + External GPS works because iOS gets its position info from the external GPS.

    You will need a cellular connection to use any App that calculates optimized routes and downloads map data as part of the optimized route.

    Simplest solution: Buy a WiFi + Cellular iPad. You get the GPS chip and the ability to turn on data as necessary.

  25. Agreed for this pilot. I lived with a WiFi-only iPad for my first years using ForeFlight. The external GPS antenna stayed unmoved and untouched in my aircraft and never failed. The iPad's battery lasted longer than any flight, if charged, and the addition of a USB port eliminated that exposure.

    Despite having converted to an iPhone for backup purposes, I found too many occasions when I wanted to plan or file a flight with the iPad outside of WiFi coverage. Yes I had a hotspot I could connect too but found it a bit clunky when in the back of a Uber or sitting on the ramp to make the connection.

    I'm on my 2nd cellular equipped iPad and definitely benefit from having the full function version. Incidentally my wife tried to go full size iPad but preferred her mini so I inherited her iPad and got a chance to tryout the mini. I like the bigger screen size all the time but especially in flight. And now with Sentry, FF function has caught up with my experimental panel's function.

    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  26. compilotrc

    compilotrc Filing Flight Plan

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    I have an iPad Mini 4 and absolutely love it. Unfortunately, it appears that Apple may be discontinuing the Mini Model type as there haven't been any upgrades to it in over a year. We'll know for sure by Christmas if they don't offer a new Mini model by then.
  27. It's funny how our experiences color out viewpoint and makes an answer which is good for some not for others.

    When I bought my first iPad (1st Gen), the decision was based on it being mainly for flying. I went with WiFi only deciding that an external GPS was the way to go. As I thought about my second purchase, I realized I was using my iPad for much more. Basically, it supplanted my laptop when away from home unless it was a business trip, and was being used for both business and pleasure. In fact, the app I would miss the most if I switched to Android full time is not an aviation app. So I started considering a mobile data-enabled for my 2nd iPad. Stated monitoring how many times I though, "if I only had mobile data."

    They turned out to be few and decreasing steadily as WiFi becomes more and more prevalent. For the few times I've needed it, one tap on my phone is all it takes (it used to take two taps!) to generate a hotspot and connect to it.

  28. Rushie

    Rushie En-Route

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    Doesn't matter what solution you use as long as you use something. I keep getting requests for progressive taxis from my sister who refuses to upgrade to a smart phone. "I thought the Staples store was here but I don't see it. Can you look it up and tell me where to go?" I've gotten several calls like that from her, on her cell phone, which doesn't have GPS.

    My daughter is the opposite, completely dependent on her phone. When it broke she drove to where she remembered the AT&T store was to buy a new phone and the store wasn't there. She told me later, "There I was, in the parking lot, with no way to look up directions to another AT&T store. Gosh Mom what did you guys do back before smart phones?" SMH. Phone books and paper maps. The horror.

  29. genna

    genna Pattern Altitude

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    This is exactly what I do. My Mini's use is 90% aviation and 10% other use. Other use is basically vacation or some places where I have no other forms of internet or it is restricted and phone is just too small. All of that is pretty rare since I have real computer near me most of the time and quick stuff is fine with the phone. While i occasionally wish that it had LTE for simplicity, i would hate to pay for it(both initially and monthly) since all it takes is 1 button to enable tether. And I do tether it in much of the non-aviation use.
  30. genna

    genna Pattern Altitude

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    To be honest, I would probably hate using iPad for in-car navigation. Doesn't matter if it had internet or not. It's too big. Even the Mini. It is almost certainly illegal to mount it on the windshield. There is really no room for it anywhere else in most cars in the view and within reach where it wouldn't block bunch of stuff. You cannot permanently mount it because that's just an invitation for a broken window. A phone is much more discrete and you have to take it with you, so it's not an extra hassle.
  31. As someone said previously, experiences can color your experiences.

    I actually prefer using my non-mini iPad for directions even though it's not my primary navigator (iPhone is). The reason is that it makes it easy to view the screen when driving (yes, but you know what I mean). Turns out that it 'mounts' easily in the many compact rentals I've tried it in. Often just behind the shifter, sometimes even higher in front of the radio. Big screen just makes it easy. But I almost always use the phone first then relook on the iPad if I want to see the route in addition to hearing turning directions.

    When I go fishing, the iPad goes on the passenger seat because I always want to see the map as I drive around lakes and stuff (it doesn't mount well in my Rogue).

    I recently became an iPod user and love them. The cords are now gone as I use them on all devices, even my home desktop. They work exactly as desired, only wish they had more features but doubt that they could pull more features off without making them less friendly.

    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

  32. genna

    genna Pattern Altitude

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    True, experiences vary. Which is why I said "*I* would hate it". My iphone(4, 5, and now 8) is mounted near my right leg on the center console. Slide in, slide out. Right by my shifting hand(manual). I have factory nav in the car that I cannot remember when I used last and I primarily use Waze with voice guidance Off(alerts on). iPad(and even iPhone Plus) would not add anything to this and would just get in the way.
  33. genna

    genna Pattern Altitude

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    On the other hand, if one could indash permanenently mount iPad in place of factory infotainment system, it'd be pretty awesome
  34. I thing that's being a bit harsh unless there is more to the story here - your daughter successfully navigated to the old AT&T store without using her phone. That doesn't indicate she's "completely dependent" to me. When she got there and it was closed, how would any of us find out where the next closest one was? Go over to a non-existent pay phone and find a non-existent phone book? Not many options these days other than to come back home and look it up on the internet. So, the internet is the "phone book", and if she needed to print out directions, that's the "paper map". That's not dramatically different than before.

    I mean, I like to complain about "kids these days" as much as anyone else, but I'm just not seeing it here...

    Last edited: Aug 30, 2018
  35. Rushie

    Rushie En-Route

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    Agree I didn't mean it as a slam to her, just pointing out the whole generational situation. My answer to her was, back in the day there would be pay phones with phone books. But these days, I would have driven to the closest store or place of business and ask if they had a phone book, or if they knew where the AT&T store moved to, to which IIRC she said yes that's what she did.

    I was just pointing out that today's young adults don't even know how we used to do it, not that they are stupid because they don't use phone books and maps.

  36. I hate Apple (the S/O has about ten iDevices!) so I got the Tab A. Am auditioning several EFBs. The GPS is fine for driving.
  37. Um... The GPS in today's mobile devices is NOT dependent on a subscription, or an LTE signal - For the most part.

    Back when there were a lot more car-style GPS units out, it was possible for them to get lost if you turned them off and then moved them, and when you first bought them, you generally had to tell them where you were. That's because most all GPS units have/had the ability to only listen to maybe 4-12 "channels" at a time (you can think of them like frequencies, although there are fewer frequencies and GPS uses a form of CDMA to distinguish between satellites). But, the GPS constellation consists of at least 24 satellites (currently 31), and if the receiver doesn't know what time it is and approximately where it is (within a couple hundred miles), it won't know which channels to listen for. So it tries the first channels, and where it gets a signal, great - But if it doesn't pick up enough satellites in the first group it tries, it has to use its remaining free channels to try and pick up more satellites. Meanwhile, some of the ones it picked up in the first group may go over the horizon and be lost, and if the device can't pick up and hold onto 4-5 satellites fast enough to calculate a position, it will fail.

    The mobile devices use "Assisted GPS", wherein they can listen for the nearest cell tower, and get the tower's position and time, so that they can quickly utilize that information to know exactly which GPS satellites are "visible" and connect to those first. In doing so, it can calculate the first position MUCH faster than a standalone non-assisted GPS.

    Now, if you're flying, yes, you'll lose LTE signal. But it only matters for helping to determine an initial position fix, after which it knows where it is, where it's going, and what time it is and is able to continue locking onto new satellites as they come over the horizon. The cell signal is really only needed to get the initial position fix and time - And you don't need a subscription to get that information.

    They discontinued the iPad Mini (not officially, but pretty much) when the iPad Nano (er, iPhone 6 Plus) came out. ;)

    While they haven't officially announced the discontinuation of the Mini, the iPad Mini 4 came out in 2015. That's VERY long in the tooth for any device, and indicates that Apple probably abandoned that line long ago. But, I'm hoping that they'll "iPhone X-ify" it - The iPhone X combines the screen size of the larger iPhone "plus" models with the physical size of the mid-sized iPhones. And it does look like at least some of those improvements will be incorporated into the iPad line here in a couple of weeks (Sept. 12th is Apple's next announcement event).

    What is it???It's been done...
  40. JonH

    JonH Pre-takeoff checklist

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    @flyingcheesehead

    GPS doesn't require a subscription? What the heck, the guy that sold it to me charges me monthly fees!

Source: https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/can-a-wi-fi-only-ipad-be-used-as-a-road-gps.113350/

Posted by: canningloung1971.blogspot.com

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