IPad Waterproof Case

[apsaunders]

I'm looking to add my IPad to my helm as a navigational tool. I'm researching waterproof cases. The main function I'm looking for is the ability to charge the IPad while still in the case. I really like the "Lifedge" case, but from what I can find, it appears you must open the case to charge.

The kids are grown, out of college and on their own, so no...I don't want to use a ziplock bag. I can finally afford toys again.....unless the grandkids come to visit.

Sooooo.......what are you using?

[ris]

We have an Ipad air 2 with a lifeproof case and you just flip down the hard flap and you can charge it. You do not have to take the case apart. Just flip down the little protective cover. Maybe they build the new one different. We bought ours in 2016. We used the Garmin Blue Water Charts on the Ipad for our trip around the Loop. We loved the Active Captain that overlays right on the Blue Water Chart App. Made finding Marinas and anchorage places really easy.

[RGF]

+1 IPad Air 2 in Lifeproof Nuud case.

[Tony E]

I have a mini Ipad with a lifeproof case. The case works well on a ball mount. My only problem is that my mini Ipad does not have built in GPS so its useless. Make sure your Ipad has gps in it before you go to all the work and money to purchase all the other components and apps

[Tomfoolery]

Make sure your Ipad has gps in it before you go to all the work and money to purchase all the other components and apps

I think I read here that if it has LTE capability, is has a gps antenna, too. And that capability is something like $100US more than without. But I can't swear to the veracity of that, as I'm far from knowledgeable about iPads. But I'm interested in using an iPad for navigation, to replace my notebook computer with USB GPS antenna, so I've been trying to get at least a little more knowledgeable about it.

[apsaunders]

What started my search for the case was, we were down in the Florida Keys sailing and I had navigational charts open in one of my apps on my Ipad 4th Gen. The IPad was below on the table. While standing in the companion way I noticed the charts were moving on my ipad in relationship to my course. What really blew my mind was when we left the area of one chart, the next corresponding chart came on screen automatically.

From what I'm reading here, it appears everyone is using Lifeproof. I'll check and see if they make one for the IPad 4th Gen.

[RGF]

Check your local West Marine store too. They carry some Lifeproof models.

[BOAT]

Remember - if your sailing out of range of wifi hot spots or cell phone towers you can't download charts!

Using the iPad as a backup is great or even as a second monitor or in my case I use it as an MFD - in this picture the iPad is just showing whatever is on the chart-plotter in the cockpit:



BUT, if you get an iPad with enough memory to store all the charts you need it costs the same as a good chart-plotter! That's a lot of money for an item that's not really waterproof for the cockpit - it can get ruined.

A chart-plotter is still better because it's charts are vector corrected rasterasation so you can choose a destination 400 miles away and the chart-plotter will give you an initial heading that is good all the way to the plot - that 'picture map' in the iPad is not totally vector corrected so if you actually steer the initial heading you will miss your plot by several miles. (That's why the chart plotters are called "plotters" - they can accurately "plot").

Now, there are charts designed for marine navigation on the iPad that are properly scaled for the curvature of the earth but they are not "active" - they cover a limited distance like any paper chart so when you zoom in or out on them your adding error to the vectors. Like any paper chart - you must use the ENTIRE chart in it's original scale to be correct - (which is of course how any paper chart is used). Active Captain is a good example and also iNavx.

The better "active" charts (like the kind in a chartplotter), require an internal program to make the corrections "actively" as you scale them from small areas to large areas. One of the really good ones is the Garmin BlueCharts Mobile. Even with the Garmin BlueCharts you need to download the areas you need beforehand, and good "active" charts are not cheap. They cost about 30 bucks each, but their rasterisation and vectoring is really good and I think worth the money. Aeronautical charts cost even more and the programs to run them are 300 bucks, but - they are excellent and many pilots have them for navigation in an airplane.

Here is my ipad on Garmin BlueChart Mobile:




Scaling to me is SO important - sometimes I just can't understand what I am looking at as I approach a strange landing - especially a harbor I have not been - so I am constantly zooming in and out of my chart-plotter as I navigate traffic to make sure I am entering the right channel or on the correct side of the jetty. Places like Long Beach and Los Angeles have so many breakwater entrances and harbors hidden behind them it's hard to make a heading when your still 3 miles outside of the breakwater - with a good vectoring plotter I can zoom in on the point 5 miles away and sweep it with my lubber line to see exactly where it is ahead of me. As I get older and my eyes get worse this is a big help.

[kurz]

ok, but with Navionics you have all you need on smartphones, tablets... No?

[ris]

Not sure what kind of travel you are doing but Navionics does not have the active Captian overlay. I know that garmin blue water charts do in fact have the overlay from active captain. Sea IQ is an apple app that has all the NOAA charts with active captain overlay. But the NOAA charts are only for US waters. We used the Sea IQ going up the east coast from Florida to the Erie Canal. We then had to get the Garmin Blue Water Charts as we went into Canada. I think they were about $45, for all the charts from Alaska to Central America including the East Coast and inland water ways.