Considering IPad for Van

[Scalf77]

Originally Posted by bighodad808

Just beginning my research on this but was wondering if anyone in the forum has used their IPad as the screen for their backup camera(s) and if you could steer me in the right direction as to where to acquire them.

Thanks,

Bill S.

I admittedly am not an IPad person, but I did find this link on MP3Car.com. http://www.mp3car.com/apple-ipad/143...cam-ideas.html I would do more looking over-there. They do not seem to have a good solution yet.

I'll take this moment to throw in a shameless reference to my own thread on carputers. http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/vie...t=758&start=15

Greg

[NRL]

Originally Posted by yvrr

If I put my 3G iPad on Airplane mode (no WiFi, no 3G), it can't find it's location in Maps. That matches my memory of one of Steve Jobs' goals when the requirement came out to include a GPS feature for cell phones for 911 purposes...don't include a GPS in any iPhone (or iPad) and come up with another solution which is software driven, not hardware driven. So, I e-mailed a friend of mine who is on the iPad team at Apple (he developed the feature which turns the iPad from Portrait to Landscape mode) and he responded:

"The claim is actually wrong. Location services either makes use of WiFi or 3G to determine location. If you have neither infrastructure available, it won't know where you are."

I ran into that problem trying to find my buddy camped out in the boonies.. Instead of hooking up my old tablet with a usb gps, I tried to rely on my android google maps and the ipad 2, didn't even work.. Had the break out the old garmin to find him.
Another episode of it not working was when I tried to find his camp spot in Ocotillo on Thansgiving weekend and the local cell tower was jammed, and it also didn't work.. Funny, how it started working when everyone went home on that Sunday..

I think you need one of those bluetooth GPS's that work with the IPADs:

Something like the: GNS 5870 MFI GPS BT Receiver
http://www.gns-gmbh.com/index.php?id=194&L=1

I saw a few others on Amazon, and I might try a cheaper unit and see if it works.

This other one called the Bad Elf has alot of good reviews but is a bit more and plugs right into the IPad, doesnt use bluetooth ..
http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Elf-Receiver- ... 736&sr=8-4

Another thing you have to remember is to either pre-cache the area you going too, or have it pre-downloaded (topos, and maps).

[ANZAC]

For GPS on ipad, you can just buy a good bluetooth GPS puck e.g.:
http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/product/16597

[accrete]

i will chime in as others above on the idea of utilizing a supplemental GPS Puck. My findings were verizon cell based GPS needs to at least do one of the following to work properly; 1) begin your day/trip with cell service and manually pre-drive your trip on the map to load maps through that day's destination and do not allow phone to turn off or reboot. 2) or remain in cell service because the mapping software is still loading data as it needs it if #1 is not done.

Next season i will be updating my gps adventure ( we still use our trusty Garmin 60Csx ) with DeLorme maps/puck hooked up to my conveniently small win7 netbook which doubles as an entertainment/communications center that i picked up on sale recently at Costco for $250 which was a deal i couldn't pass up.

Best wishes on your research and upcoming adventures...may you always have GPS signals
Thom

[ANZAC]

If you are worried about preloading maps, check this app out:

http://gpskit.garafa.com/GPS_Kit/Overview.html

My friend uses it on our SAR missions. It can preload maps for an area, does all kinds of stuff.
I haven't bought it yet, may pick it up.

I just bought a Kenwood DNX6980, going to try loading topos into it.

[bratworst]

The 3G model of the iPad includes an internal GPS. The GPS is completely separate from the 3G data service, so you don’t have to have a data plan for the GPS to work. Here is a recent reply from Apple support regarding location precision & accuracy: Depending on your device, Location Services uses a combination of cellular, Wi-Fi, and GPS to determine your location. If you're not within a clear line of sight to GPS satellites, your device can determine your location using Wi-Fi. If you're not in range of any Wi-Fi, your device can determine your location using cellular towers.

[Pntyrmvr]

Originally Posted by Viejo

Who needs GPS? I just hand Sherri the set of paper maps and then yell "Where the hell are we?", every few minutes.

Hi;

It sounds like Pntyrmvd has a sister in the map reading business out there.

The poor girls!

Regards and Merry Christmas to everyone,

Gavin

[ANZAC]

Here is the mount my friend is using:
http://www.amazon.com/RAM-Mounting-RAM- ... 387&sr=8-5

Only issue I can see is 18" is way too short for the van.

(edit)
30" version (I think, haven't ordered it --- i think there needs to be another adapter in there)

http://www.gpscity.com/ram-mount-vehicl ... -202u.html
+
http://www.gpscity.com/ram-mount-apple- ... -ap8u.html

Also, weight of an ipad on the end of a 30" pole...offroad..... hmmm....

[ANZAC]

So I ended up putting a much sturdier ram mount for my iPad in my Subaru for search and rescue.

Now I want to install the same thing in the SMB (and in fact use the entire upper portion from the Subaru, very quick to remove)

BUT

because I have a swiveling passenger seat, it looks like the custom Ram mount won't fit...
http://www.ram-mount.com/Portals/0/Skin ... mvb119.pdf

Any ideas? There is like a carpeted box under my passenger seat. Are there floor bolts anywhere? I couldn't see them.

Even if there were bolts, the seat would hit it when it swivels. I guess option B is somehow mount it to driver's seat.... but of course it is the wrong way around.

[AndrewST]

Anzac, you can mount the ram on the center console.
I mounted the tablet there with a short ram and it is stable.