dwalt
Pre-takeoff checklist
I'm going to pick up an iPad mini tomorrow and am looking for a GPS receiver to use with it. If anyone has one they're looking to part with for a reasonable fee, you've got a buyer here.
Want: iPad GPS
- Thread starter dwalt
- Start date
pigpenracing
En-Route
Buy the ipad mini with cellular and it has a built in GPS. You do not need to activate cellular for it to work. I have a bad elf pro for backup but the internal GPS seems to work pretty good in the newer units. You get a external it's good backup. If you get the wifi only you are relying on the external only and have no backup. I would sell my bad elf pro for $130 if interested. It is the Bluetooth model.
dwalt
Pre-takeoff checklist
Oh that's great to know that the internal GPS is reliable. I was basing my decision off of the poor performance of my iPhone 5 GPS, but perhaps it's better in the iPad mini?
pigpenracing
En-Route
I have not tried the mini. My ipad 1 lost GPS all the time. I went to the 2 and its real good. The guys at wing x told me the newer units are great. I will have a mini soon.
pigpenracing
En-Route
Also if you turn off wi-fi, Bluetooth and cellular the GPS has a better chance of working well. When the iPhone/ipad is trying to pick up wifi, Bluetooth, cellular and GPS all at the same time it tends to drop off. Everything is turned off on my ipad and it works wonderful. I first read this on sporty's ipad while flying faq's. Sporty's has done lots of testing.
N747JB
Final Approach
I bought the newest full size iPad about a month ago to replace my iPad @ that I was giving to an employee to use. I knew not to listen to the guy at the Apple store, but I did and bought a wifi only version, he said it would work fine for GPS.....................he was wrong! 
Anyway, long story made slightly shorter, I took it to my local Apple store and they swapped it out for the difference in price, no questions asked in about 10 minutes including the data swap.
My old 2 worked fine without an external GPS, so the new ones should as well. 
Anyway, long story made slightly shorter, I took it to my local Apple store and they swapped it out for the difference in price, no questions asked in about 10 minutes including the data swap.
My old 2 worked fine without an external GPS, so the new ones should as well.
pigpenracing
En-Route
The apple guys suck and do not know their products.
gismo
Touchdown! Greaser!
And if you decide you want a BT GPS for an iPad I have one I never use you can have for half ($50) of what I paid for it ($100). New ones sell for about $90 these days. It's a GNS 5870 MFI.
flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
Interesting. I wonder if Bluetooth is the major culprit, since I have the others on much of the time and never have a problem with the GPS on my iPad 1.
Dave Siciliano
Final Approach
KeyWestPhotog
Pre-takeoff checklist
Myself and 3 others took a trip from Key West to Marco Island. Here is the equipment setup we tested out on the .9 trip.
1. iPad 1 w/gps
2. iPad 2 w/gps
3. iPad 2 w/Garmin GLO
4. iPad 4 w/Dual
The iPad 1 setup had the least amount of accuracy when compaired to the other 3. The iPad 2 w/gps when compaired to the iPad 2 w/Garmin GLO was not as accurate.
The iPad 4 w/Dual and the iPad 2 w/Garmin GLO was very close to each other in accuracy. I would have to give the slight advantage to the iPad 4w/dual just due to what seemed to all of us as faster processing speed which was a known before we started the test.
Our conclusion. If you want to fly as accurately as possible with an Apple product grab either the DUAL or the Garmin GLO.
When it comes down to the iPad 2 or iPad 4, it depends on what you are looking for. Are you looking for performance, or battery consumption? Honestly, go with performance and grab the fastest thing on the block! Just my opinion.
1. iPad 1 w/gps
2. iPad 2 w/gps
3. iPad 2 w/Garmin GLO
4. iPad 4 w/Dual
The iPad 1 setup had the least amount of accuracy when compaired to the other 3. The iPad 2 w/gps when compaired to the iPad 2 w/Garmin GLO was not as accurate.
The iPad 4 w/Dual and the iPad 2 w/Garmin GLO was very close to each other in accuracy. I would have to give the slight advantage to the iPad 4w/dual just due to what seemed to all of us as faster processing speed which was a known before we started the test.
Our conclusion. If you want to fly as accurately as possible with an Apple product grab either the DUAL or the Garmin GLO.
When it comes down to the iPad 2 or iPad 4, it depends on what you are looking for. Are you looking for performance, or battery consumption? Honestly, go with performance and grab the fastest thing on the block! Just my opinion.
dwalt
Pre-takeoff checklist
Well I did my first flight w the mini the other day and the internal GPS seemed more than sufficient! I guess I'll just wait and eventually get an ads-b, but for now the external seems unnecessary.
flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
There's a reason for that - The first two aren't WAAS, the last two are.
I've almost never seen the accuracy on my iPad 1 worse than 10m when using the internal GPS. Considering the plane I fly travels that far in about 1/9th of a second, it's plenty good as-is.