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Old 03-18-2018, 10:09 AM   #1
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Question about GPS apps & offroad navigation

Ok, I decided to play around with Gaia and Motion-X. Now, I need to decide on how to get the GPS signal to my wifi-only I-Pad Mini. From what I can tell, the dongle is out as there is no way to connect it to the I-Pad. It looks like there are a number of GPS signal receivers that will send the GPS signal to my I-Pad via Bluetooth. Anyone have any experience with these devices?

Also, we go to Baja frequently and want to explore some of the many "backroads." Has anyone used any of these apps in Baja? How good is the map detail?

Thanks,
Glen

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Old 03-18-2018, 10:28 AM   #2
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Hey, I'm in the midst of researching this same thing, my iPad is WiFi only like yours and I was hoping to introduce GPS capability to it as well. No experience to share with you for those Bluetooth GPS receivers.

In the interest of simplicity (and not worrying about the proper operation of **two separate devices** , as well as possibly losing a Bluetooth connection), I finally concluded that it was worth simply buying a lightly-used LTE (and thus GPS-enabled) Ipad and going from there. Aiming to have this sorted out this week as some trips are upcoming soon.

+1 for Motion GPX! (At least my good friend / fellow SMB forum member capnkurt (highly trusted random-desert-location expedition guide and navigator) is a fan anyway.)
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Old 03-18-2018, 10:48 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by Glen View Post
Ok, I decided to play around with Gaia and Motion-X. Now, I need to decide on how to get the GPS signal to my wifi-only I-Pad Mini. From what I can tell, the dongle is out as there is no way to connect it to the I-Pad. It looks like there are a number of GPS signal receivers that will send the GPS signal to my I-Pad via Bluetooth. Anyone have any experience with these devices?

Also, we go to Baja frequently and want to explore some of the many "backroads." Has anyone used any of these apps in Baja? How good is the map detail?Thanks,Glen
I'm using Gaia and "You need a map" with my Ipad and a Dual Bluetooth GPS https://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electron...words=dual+gps

I think this is the GPS that was recomended by Gaia and it works just fine, although occasionally it has a little trouble getting sync'd. It has a USB power cord in additon to a built in battery, but the battery only lasted about a year, so now I can only use it plugged in.

As for Baja maps, I've looked in plenty of places and have only found basic ones. The really detailed ones seem to only be for specific GPS's like Garmin, not the Apps I'm running. "You need a map" has great detail, plenty of trails, dirt roads and useful features in the US, and for a little additional cost, Canada, but pretty much nothing for Baja. I talked to the developer and from what I can tell, most Apps use some sort of opensource map base's and design their apps to manipulate them. There does not seem to be any available for Baja though, so developers have to provide their own cartography and few can afford to do so. As you probably know, Gaia uses publically available topographic maps, but almost all of them only cover the US and Canada. In addition, I find them harder to navigate with since the roads and trails are marked in such a way that makes them harder to see or follow. If you come across a source for better Baja maps, please let us know................
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Old 03-28-2018, 06:33 PM   #4
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Ok, after doing a little research and reading thru the posts here, I decided on giving both GAIA & Motion-X a try. I purchased the GAIA Premium subscription and for now am using the free version of Motion-X. I purchased the DUAL XGPS160 Receiver in order get the signal to my I-Pad Mini via Bluetooth. I also downloaded the free DUAL GPS app. The I-Pad is held in place with a RAM Mount X-Grip and a RAM Mount suction cup base.
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Old 03-28-2018, 06:37 PM   #5
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The suction cup base would not hold to the smooth plastic bottom, so I purchased a suction cup mounting disk.
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Old 03-28-2018, 06:43 PM   #6
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With the disk, the suction cup base hold just fine......

The DUAL GPS Receiver had trouble linking to the I-Pad at first. It took about 5 or 6 tries, but once it finally linked I have had no trouble. It also had a little trouble locating satellites, even after setting out on the ground in the open. It took about 10 minutes of searching before it was able to locate several satellites, but like the Bluetooth connection, once it did, it has worked great every time since.

The DUAL GPS Receiver comes with a rubberized base that holds it in place and prevents it from sliding around.
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Old 03-28-2018, 06:45 PM   #7
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I'll be taking the van out this weekend to play around with the navigation system and see how everything works.
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Old 03-28-2018, 07:55 PM   #8
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With the disk, the suction cup base hold just fine......

The DUAL GPS Receiver had trouble linking to the I-Pad at first. It took about 5 or 6 tries, but once it finally linked I have had no trouble. It also had a little trouble locating satellites, even after setting out on the ground in the open. It took about 10 minutes of searching before it was able to locate several satellites, but like the Bluetooth connection, once it did, it has worked great every time since.

The DUAL GPS Receiver comes with a rubberized base that holds it in place and prevents it from sliding around.
When I read your first post about the suction cup, I thought "that would never work for me, too much motion" but it seems you solved that problem. The first time you power up any GPS, they have to listen for all satellites since they have no idea where they are. Once they have a position, they can listen for only the specific birds in that general area, and get a position much quicker. The rubber base works ok at first, but then it gets a bit dirty and looses grip. Even when new, Baja type roads will send it flying. I quit using the base and just stuck a little square of velcro on the bottom with a matching piece on the dash. As I mentioned earlier, the battery in mine didn't last long so now it's plugged in all the time. It might increase the battery life if you plugged it in, and only used the battery if you leave the vehicle on a hike or something. I'll be interested in your review of Motion-X..................
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Old 03-31-2018, 09:00 AM   #9
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Question about GPS apps & offroad navigation

I’ve been pleased with how seamlessly the Garmin Inreach pairs to my iPhone. Once connected, I just have the Earthmate app running on my iPhone to send messages and navigate trails. Haven’t used it in Mexico yet though!

Stoked to see how your setup works.
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Old 03-31-2018, 02:01 PM   #10
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I'm a fan of Gaia GPS which offers every function you need for offline travel. As the Gaia Topo Maps are vector maps, they are much lighter than most others, which allows to store a large area for offline use.
It's installed in my iPad which have an integreated GPS receiver and work fine.
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