Offshore Navigation

[ASLIII]

Greetings fellow boaters! A technical question about offshore navigation. I have used Aquamap as my goto navigation software for years. I run the live tracking on a dataport Ipad and my Iphone as a backup. We have a trip planned to the Bahamas and I am wondering if the GPS nav function will work offshore, or do I need an external antenna; or should I purchase a backup system for the trip?
Many thanks! ASLIII

 

[Flatswing]

The GPS on your iPad works off satellites, not cell towers off shore. Should be fine. If you have an AIS which transmits and has Wi-Fi capability you can connect the AIS targets as well as GPS data from the AIS to Aqua maps since class B transceivers must have there own dedicated (usually external, but occasionally internal) GPS antenna.

Aquamaps Explorer charts are brilliant for the Bahamas

 

[John R M]

The GPS on your iPad works off satellites, not cell towers off shore. Should be fine. If you have an AIS which transmits and has Wi-Fi capability you can connect the AIS targets as well as GPS data from the AIS to Aqua maps since class B transceivers must have there own dedicated (usually external, but occasionally internal) GPS antenna.

Aquamaps Explorer charts are brilliant for the Bahamas

Isn't that assuming his ipad supports data, which does contain a GPS chip, vs the non-data version that doesn't have a chip. I think that version works off of cell towers.

 

[sunchaser]

ASL
If you've got a laptop you could download your Aquamaps, get a hockey puck GPS and then have a backup or new primary system. If desired a Class B AIS could easily be integrated as well.

As the years have gone on we've accumulated too many laptops with a 16 year old Dell running Windows XP/Nobeltec serving as a backup to a backup. There are many options for giving you adequate and/or additional navigation systems.

What radar do you have? Is it a plotter as well?

 

[mvweebles]

Your iPhone/Tablet has a GPS receiver so will support mapping/charting apps. You will need to download the charts so you have them when outside cell phone coverage. Annoyingly, few PCs have GPS receivers so they do indeed need an external source. HERE is a $13 USB GPS for a PC that I have used for a few months and seems to work pretty well.

A decent wireless puck-style HERE that supports up to 5-devices including PCs, which is sort of handy. It can be placed in a visible place and therefore have better receiption than the GPS in a phone or tablet.

Good luck

Peter

 

[Larry M]

Isn't that assuming his ipad supports data, which does contain a GPS chip, vs the non-data version that doesn't have a chip. I think that version works off of cell towers.

Yup. We have 2 iPads, one has the cellular capability and is GPS enabled. The other is not cellular enabled and thus no internal GPS option. The cellular capable iPad was our go to device in the Bahamas.

 

[mvweebles]

Yup. We have 2 iPads, one has the cellular capability and is GPS enabled. The other is not cellular enabled and thus no internal GPS option. The cellular capable iPad was our go to device in the Bahamas.

I use a 4-5 year old Android tablet without LTE/Cellular capabilites, and it has GPS. I am surprised the Apple products only carry GPS for those with LTE/Cellular. Sorta cheesy in my opinion.

https://sailingkerguelen.com/en/bes...ll, but,to benefit from satellite positioning.

BTW - there are some very inexpensive Samsung tablets available at Costco that will gleefully run Navionics. THis Samsung A7 Lite with 32gb is $130 after $40 discount.

Peter

 

[Portage_Bay]

I use a 4-5 year old Android tablet without LTE/Cellular capabilites, and it has GPS. I am surprised the Apple products only carry GPS for those with LTE/Cellular. Sorta cheesy in my opinion.



https://sailingkerguelen.com/en/bes...ll, but,to benefit from satellite positioning.



BTW - there are some very inexpensive Samsung tablets available at Costco that will gleefully run Navionics. THis Samsung A7 Lite with 32gb is $130 after $40 discount.



Peter

I second the idea of Samsung tablets. I'm using a Tab A-7 10" screen, 64 Gig internal storage and 64 Gig SD card all for $180 at Costo last summer. Plenty of room for navigation apps and all the charts I'll ever need and then some. Built in GPS, easy input of nav data from other devices via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Without the hassels I read about iPad and iPhone users trying to connect to GPS or AIS etc.

I use OpenCPN and Navionics but there are at least 20 more marine nav apps in the Google play store.

I have come to trust the tablets with regard to accuracy. I do however think they are at risk of damage from dropping and seawater. Antother advantage of the Andorid tablets is they are inexpensive enough to have two or more for redundancy.

 

[Flatswing]

Isn't that assuming his ipad supports data, which does contain a GPS chip, vs the non-data version that doesn't have a chip. I think that version works off of cell towers.

John: My understanding is that:
1)Wi-Fi only iPads do not have the gps chip & will need an external source to navigate (they can’t connect to the cell towers)
2) iPads that can take a SIM card do have the gps chip (but they do not require a SIM card or cell connection to navigate)
3) Most Android tablets have the gps chip as standard - again navigation does not require cell service or a data plan