# iPad & navionics



## devildog (Jun 12, 2017)

Hey y’all! 
Didn’t wanna dig through old threads, but what iPad do I need to get to utilize navionics on my Skiff? I’m getting conflicting answers when I ask different people. Some are saying any iPad others are saying one that has cellular capabilities. 
I wanna be able to use it on my Skiff no matter where I am, be it in the Backcountry or nearshore. 
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Semper Fi, Ron


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

Navionics doesn't store the maps on the device. You will need to manually download the images of the area before you head out. Download Navioncs, then put your device on airplane mode and see how it works. You do not need a 4g signal for the GPS to function. 

On-X also allows you to download maps for use without 4g.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

I believe you have to have wi-fi or cell connection so you can utilize the satellites or whatever they use. I sprung and got the card for my Lowrance and just update the subscription each year. If you have cell service and the option to make your phone a hotspot you could do that or just use your phone instead of the iPad.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Ipads will overheat easily in the sun and you will have hell seeing the screen without a sun shield for it.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Ipads will overheat easily in the sun and you will have hell seeing the screen without a sun shield for it.





Smackdaddy53 said:


> Ipads will overheat easily in the sun and you will have hell seeing the screen without a sun shield for it.


And than there's this too!!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

We aren’t the first to look into this. There are ways around it but a lot of trouble.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

I like the chip for my plotter. I can update it as much as I need to for the year and I like that I can even update just the area I want. Me personally if I was using the app I would just use it my phone and not an iPad but again that's just me.


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

I believe you have to purchase an IPad or other brand Tablet that had Cellular data capabilities. There are some thread over on the Hull Truth board about it as well. 

I will add that we just got back from a DIY Louisiana trip, and even though we purchased a satellite overlay chip (not Navionics) for our Simrad, we found the Navionics app’s imagery and data on my phone to be invaluable for our trip while scouting.


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## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

So heres the deal. 

Ipad with cell will give you gps on the water if you have signal. The cell ipad costs a little more but if your dedicating it to boat use a refurbished ipad air 2 cellular is about $150-200. Plus the cost of the cell line on your cellular account usually $10/month for a tablet.

What I would do if it were me and I was set on using a tablet. I would get a refurbished wifi model in your price range and buy one of garmins bluetooth gps to connect it.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/645104

I dont like either option. The first one is $ and the second one you will have to keep 2 devices charged up.


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

As @jmrodandgun said, you do not need cell service to utilize the app, but you do need a GPS enabled phone or tablet and the downloaded Navionics coverage area.


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## GaG8tor (Jul 8, 2019)

I use my iPhone8 and iPad Pro. Most smart phones and tablets GPS will work without a data connection. I use my phone mostly and I’m usually in places where there is no service. You do have to download the area you want to run if you don’t have a data connection. As mentioned previously though good luck seeing your screen in direct sunlight and they will overheat. It works just fine for what I do.


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

One of the benefits of cellular on a tablet would be the use of Google Earth too. But, other members have already eluded to the issues with using a tablet as your primary charting device.


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

send a message to @redchaser 

He uses an ipad


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## krash (Jan 9, 2007)

*iPad* with the cellular option *has* an embedded *GPS*. 
WiFi only iPads do not *have* an embedded *GPS*. ... 
To obtain *GPS* data, your *iPad* will first try to use the *GPS* chip, then WiFi, then cell tower triangulation.

Phones have an imbedded GPS and will locate without cell or wifi signal.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

I use an IPad with the GPS tracks app. I need actual satellite imagery for a lot of the back marsh stuff I do.

The iPad that is cellular enabled is gps capable so I don’t need cell signal to have it track my position, and with the pro version of the GPS Tracks apps I can download a wide variety of map imagery to my device so I don’t need a cell signal to pull the image up as I would with google earth. I can go into Google earth and mark points and tracks, save them to Dropbox then import into my app.

I recently bought an Apple Air 2 used but in great condition for $225 from a cell phone repair place and found a life proof case on eBay for $17. I use a sea sucker mount. My only complaint is that the screen sucks in bright light. If it’s bright I’ll switch to topo mapping because it’s a lighter background.


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## devildog (Jun 12, 2017)

Thank you all very much for the input. I sure do appreciate everyone’s advice. Definitely going the cell capable iPad route.
Semper Fi, Ron


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

devildog said:


> Thank you all very much for the input. I sure do appreciate everyone’s advice. Definitely going the cell capable iPad route.
> Semper Fi, Ron


Check out the sun visors they sell for them and I recommend a Lifeproof case!


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## devildog (Jun 12, 2017)

For sure! Thanks! Maybe someone on here has a cell capable iPad they wanna sell


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## new2theflats (Jul 31, 2019)

A couple of words of caution about the GPS in new iPad, iPad mini, and iPhone.

First, none of them are WAAS GPS (nor ever have been, nor are any other phone and tablet that I know of), which means accuracy fluctuates, and this means you may not be exactly where you think you are, not very important driving a car on a road, but running channels through the flats or flying an airplane in the mountains when you can't see very well it can be very important. There are external WAAS GPS units that you can purchase and use with some Apps, but not all, and of course you'd now have two devices to power.

Second, something happened to the quality of GPS in the new iPad mini and I believe in the iPhone 11 (which probably also means in new iPads). My guess is the Chinese supplied a cheaper version of GPS chips than in previous devices without Apple's knowledge. I say this because when the new iPad mini came out I saw wild fluctuations in GPS accuracy, at times so poor that the GPS chip quit sending data. I worked with Apple on this for about three months. They confirmed my findings and haven't been able to fix it with software updates (at least not yet) which is why I say I think its a hardware issue. At the time the problem was restricted to the new Mini, but my new iPhone 11 Pro exhibited the same behavior a couple of times running on the water using Aqua Map, and I happened to be trying to get into a very narrow channel through the flats that I hadn't been on before. Took about 45 minutes for me to locate it the old fashioned way. This was before I got my Simrad with FMT/LMT which does have a WAAS GPS but per FMT's instructions I had to go into Simrad's settings to activate.

FYI, I've never had any GPS problems with any of Apple's earlier devices.


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## GaG8tor (Jul 8, 2019)

I could be mistaken but I believe iPhones after the 8 also use Galileo and GLONASS. I can tell ya that mine will show which room I’m in at my house.


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

new2theflats said:


> A couple of words of caution about the GPS in new iPad, iPad mini, and iPhone.
> 
> First, none of them are WAAS GPS (nor ever have been, nor are any other phone and tablet that I know of), which means accuracy fluctuates, and this means you may not be exactly where you think you are, not very important driving a car on a road, but running channels through the flats or flying an airplane in the mountains when you can't see very well it can be very important. There are external WAAS GPS units that you can purchase and use with some Apps, but not all, and of course you'd now have two devices to power.
> 
> ...


I have seen significant variability on my gps location while taking pictures with geolocation on the new 11 pro max. Have they offered anything while trying to fix it, particularly if it is hardware?


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## new2theflats (Jul 31, 2019)

To me? No. In the case when I'm flying I've gone back to my iPad mini 4 (whose GPS is very accurate and consistent) and gave up on using my new iPad mini.

To GaG8tor's point he is correct about the technology, my iPhone 8, X, and 11 Pro all are GPS/GNSS. But my 11 sometimes looses its mind while navigating. For example, I was just in downtown Orlando (for the first time) last week and tried to use my 11 to get to East Cape. I'd be driving along on the route and then all of a sudden it'd want me to turn onto a street that wasn't even there, or an exit that wasn't even there. The map would spin all around and then all of a sudden center back up and I was back on track.

I finally surrendered, pulled to the side and took the time to enter the address in my truck's gps and never had another problem. And that's what I do now. If I'm in an area that is somewhat familiar, or doesn't have jillions of roads I'll let my 11 navigate. If I'm in a nightmare situation like Orlando I'll let the truck do it.

Lot's of posts about this issue on the Internet from other users.


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## GaG8tor (Jul 8, 2019)

I have a like new X and hated it from the beginning. Went back to my old 8 and if I keep up with the updates it does all I need to do.


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## BCPD199 (Jan 26, 2015)

This is new to me. Believe it or not, I've never had an iPad. I was thinking of getting one to use google maps to see sand and oyster bars to fish. If I understand everything I've read here and THT, I need an iPad with cellular capability (for GPS to function); but, I don't need to have it on a wireless network (Verizon, AT&T, etc), correct?


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## new2theflats (Jul 31, 2019)

Correct


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## BCPD199 (Jan 26, 2015)

new2theflats said:


> Correct


Thanks! And if I understood your earlier posts the older iPads have a better GPS in them. Would an iPad 10.5 Pro (2017) be better than the new iPad Air?


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## new2theflats (Jul 31, 2019)

That is my experience, yes.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

BCPD199 said:


> This is new to me. Believe it or not, I've never had an iPad. I was thinking of getting one to use google maps to see sand and oyster bars to fish. If I understand everything I've read here and THT, I need an iPad with cellular capability (for GPS to function); but, I don't need to have it on a wireless network (Verizon, AT&T, etc), correct?


I would add it to your cellular plan, while you don't strictly have to have a cellualr connection for apps like GPS tracks to work, the response time is a bit faster if you do, when of course you are in areas with service. On my plan, data access for the tablet is an additional $10 a month. Also, in the app I use there is a very wide variety of map images to use, not all of which are licensed to be downloadable, and even if they were, it would be far too time and memory consuming to download them all, but sometimes I may be in a situation where one of those other maps gives me a better look and what I need at the time. If I have cell signal, I can open them up, even if they haven't been downloaded to my device.


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## BigEasy (Dec 17, 2016)

Can that not be done by tethering to your phone?


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## new2theflats (Jul 31, 2019)

You can hot spot from one iDevice to the next to use it for Internet access, but not to share a GPS antenna. Would be cool if that worked.


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