MacGregorSailors.com

I can verify that my Ipad3 works using GPS without cell coverage (none available) and without wi-fi (none available). There is no triangulation of cell towers that do not exist. I was sailing in Desolation Sound.

Can you tell me the model number? It should be listed under
settings
About

Thanks!

MarkSouth wrote:Can you tell me the model number? It should be listed under
settings
About

Thanks!

From the settings:
MD367C

Thanks guys. The whole point of this thread was to give guidance to those thinking about shelling out nearly a boat buck for an Ipad to be able to tell what they are getting

As you can tell from the responses, there was bad info on the web.......first time tht has happened of course.....

From the link that I posted:

Apple Support wrote:Notes:

iOS devices without a cellular connection only use Wi-Fi for Location Services (if a Wi-Fi network is visible).

GPS is available on iPhone and iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models.

iOS devices sold in China may use the term Wireless LAN (WLAN) instead of Wi-Fi. Not all China iPhone models support WLAN; see this article for more information.

Emphasis is mine. If you know that iPads don't have GPS, you might have a good lawsuit against Apple. I wouldn't take that bet and I am not an Apple fan.

~Rich

Rich thanks for that info. Can you please tell me the model of your ipad?

Hi Mark, model of my IPad is MD368X. I can absolutely guarantee you it has GPS built in. I have used it to navigate in the middle of the Mediterranean and there was definitely no cell phone coverage. Location on the charts was dead on correspondence with the Raymarine chart plotter only much higher resolution and much easier to use.

Sorry I did not clarify in my last posting. Once you have purchased the Navionics app for a particular region it is free to download the high res charts for an area within the purchased region e.g. I purchased the Australia and New Zealand high def version but have only downloaded the local waters around Perth. I also purchased Europe HD but so far only downloaded the areas around Italy, Sardinia and Sicily. You can still see the rest of Europe and the accuracy is as good as a dedicated chart plotter but if you want even better resolution HD you simply select the region on the chart and the app will download the higher res info from the Internet.

MarkSouth wrote:Rich thanks for that info. Can you please tell me the model of your ipad?

As I stated before, I'm not a fan of Apple and would not own one, although my wife has an iPhone 3Gs. My brother-in-law has an iPad-2 that has GPS and he uses it with the Fore Flight app in his airplane; works fine. I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Android tablet for my GPS uses, including boating, flying, driving and backcountry navigation. No cell function in it at all, just WiFi and Bluetooth.

MarkSouth wrote:I would love to have an iPad with the chip built in! I just have never found one!

The GPS is not a separate chip--perhaps that's what's causing confusion here. It's a component of the system-on-a-chip cellular data chipsets whose model numbers I included in my previous post. You can look up those chipset datasheets on qualcomm and motorola's engineering sites to verify the onboard GPS.

Because its part of the cellular data chipset, when you turn cellular data off, the GPS turns off as well. This occurs only because it's on the same chip, not because it requires a cellular data signal. You must have cellular data enabled in order to use GPS for this reason, and I think a lot of people presume that means that the location services are cellular based.

The built-in compass is also on the cellular data chipset, and for that reason does not appear in non-cellular products and has the same power saving aspects as the GPS.

This is also why Apple products that do not have cellular data also don't have GPS or Compass hardware.

The essential test is accuracy: iPhone GPS is far more accurate than WLS or UTMS/GSM assisted location services are.

I think the real idea behind this thread is more "should I go out and buy and ipad instead of a chartplotter or standalone gps?" I would have to say no. It's more the novelty of using a 600 plus dollar (non-waterproof) tech item. I know I could put all my charts on the laptop and get a gps stick and use that, but theres no way in hull I'm using it in the cockpit to navigate! And for those not wanting to fork out money for a chartplotter (around 600 bucks) buy a true gps (<150-600 bucks), at least most of them float! I think its good to know that if I ever get lost with nothing more than my phone/tablet I have gps to help me get out, but I'm not going to replace my plotter or gps with my iphone. IMHO

I have the Garmin 740 and its fantastic. Its easy to read in the sunlight and does everything I need it to. Even makes the coffee. Just kidding...

mastreb:

The compass works on the non cell phone ipad. I always thought they had a flux gate in there, no idea what it is, but it works...

The MD367C seems to be the Canadian model. The specs sheets that I have access to does not have that model listed. It does list a MD367LL but the sheet says it doesnt have the GPS.

I a wondering if the people with iPads with the GPS are located out of the USA maybe?

I have an iPhone and an iPad+3G and most if not all of the chart-plotting apps, and I've never used them for anything but trip planning. I rely on the Garmin for chart-plotting.

Today I was in San Diego South Bay in pea-soup thick fog. Literally could not see 50 feet. Drove the boat for 30 minutes through this (motoring) from the Marina I was leaving to the new marina, and motored right up to the dock with it. I could hear (and occasionally see) a Navy security vessel (think 20 feet long pilothouse RIB with 500hp slung off the back) paralleling me along Naval Station 32nd street--no doubt they had me on Radar and were wondering why all the course changes in the fog.

Just not going to have my phone or iPad out and on-deck in that kind of weather and having to be hyper-focused on it. For me they're for backup and trip-planning.

You gotta love GPS chart plotters!

Still wish I understood what iPads have GPS capability. Sounds like foreign ones do. I have found no data sheet for US iPads that says they have GPS. I have a call into Apple. This should be an interesting conversation!

mastreb wrote:

MarkSouth wrote:I would love to have an iPad with the chip built in! I just have never found one!

The GPS is not a separate chip--perhaps that's what's causing confusion here. It's a component of the system-on-a-chip cellular data chipsets whose model numbers I included in my previous post. You can look up those chipset datasheets on qualcomm and motorola's engineering sites to verify the onboard GPS.

Because its part of the cellular data chipset, when you turn cellular data off, the GPS turns off as well. This occurs only because it's on the same chip, not because it requires a cellular data signal. ...

Sorry, this is NOT correct. My GPS is working properly right now as I type this, and the cellular is turned off. I am using wifi right now.