iPad map ap???

pmanton

pmanton

Final Approach
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N1431A
I'm a brand new iPad user. New to Apple as well. My new iPad 2 has a built in GPS that works well for Wing X. However the GPS does NOT work with the built in map application that comes with the iPad. The Map seems to require that you use cell phone triangulation and will not provide a position report using the GPS.

Is there a way to configure the beast to utilize the built in GPS, or must I buy another mapping ap to have a ground based GPS on my iPad?

Thanks

Paul
N1431A
N83803
2AZ1
 
Try downloading the Mapquest app. It is free and may do what you want.

David
 
Mapquest 4 mobile is for iphone only, there is nothing under Mapquest for ipads :(
The native mapping app ("Maps") is giving me problems too.
 
pmanton said:
I'm a brand new iPad user. New to Apple as well. My new iPad 2 has a built in GPS that works well for Wing X. However the GPS does NOT work with the built in map application that comes with the iPad. The Map seems to require that you use cell phone triangulation and will not provide a position report using the GPS.
Click to expand...
I tried disabling cellular data today but enabling location services, and lo and behold Maps displayed my location just fine. The icon was a little strange, showed a blue circle around the little ball that just sort of throbbed as if it was looking for something it couldn't find... but the position was accurate enough.

Or is there something else you need to do to make sure it doesn't triangulate using the cellular network?
 
When your blue dot (or other icon indicating your location in an app such as the little plane in Foreflight) is pulsing it means that it is using GPS data to determine your location. If it isn't pulsing your location is being determined in some other (likely less accurate) way such as using cellular location services or previously registered wifi spot locations.
 
The GPS doesn't require any cellular triangulation to work if you can see the sky.

You do know that there are no local maps stored in the iPhone/iPad maps application? All you'll get is graph paper if you don't have either WIFI or 3G service to download them on the fly.
 
I have mapquest too, it was bit pricey but it worth every single cent that I've paid for it.
Click to expand...

Please tell how you have mapquest on your ipad, when I type it into the search box of the app store, select ipad device, here is what I get:
 

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flyingron said:
You do know that there are no local maps stored in the iPhone/iPad maps application? All you'll get is graph paper if you don't have either WIFI or 3G service to download them on the fly.
Click to expand...

That would be a nice App if it is out there. One that cache's the road map like FF does the charts. That way, no cellular plan is needed to use the native map app on the go (presuming you are not in a wifi zone)

There have been times where my wife and I pull into McDonalds just to get on the Free Wifi and check email or load the map after getting a phone call from friends that need directions or something. Even gone thru the drive thru to get an iced tea when no spots were available close enough,.... :D
 
flyingron said:
You do know that there are no local maps stored in the iPhone/iPad maps application? All you'll get is graph paper if you don't have either WIFI or 3G service to download them on the fly.
Click to expand...

It must cache them then. I double checked to make sure that both Wi-Fi and Cellular Data were disabled. The only working receiver was the GPS. I've tried that before too and the local maps that I've used before were still there. Traffic info is not, of course (and that's my main reason for using Maps so it's kinda useless to me without 3G service) -- but the maps themselves do not disappear. At least not for me.
 
azure said:
It must cache them then. I double checked to make sure that both Wi-Fi and Cellular Data were disabled. The only working receiver was the GPS. I've tried that before too and the local maps that I've used before were still there. Traffic info is not, of course (and that's my main reason for using Maps so it's kinda useless to me without 3G service) -- but the maps themselves do not disappear. At least not for me.
Click to expand...

Turn of Wifi and Cellular data,.. then open the maps app. It will still show your last screen, but pan it off to the side or if the last screen isn't your current position, update your location and see if it loads the new section of map. Ours doesn't.
 
Yes the ipad caches them, I don't have a data plan and there is no wifi where I was using it and the native Maps will, reluctantly and not reliably so, display some maps. You have to have the map already loaded of course with either of these two signals first.

Tell again about Mapquest, until someone can point that out I maintain there is no such animal for the ipad, see my post with image above.
 
Rob Schaffer said:
Turn of Wifi and Cellular data,.. then open the maps app. It will still show your last screen, but pan it off to the side or if the last screen isn't your current position, update your location and see if it loads the new section of map. Ours doesn't.
Click to expand...
Of course it won't load any NEW sections of map -- that's a given -- but for me it seems to cache an area much larger than my last screen. I have most of the metro Detroit area cached at high resolution. By zooming out in my last screen I can also make it cache a larger area -- at the expense of resolution. I wonder if there is a setting somewhere for cache size (probably not).
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Yes the ipad caches them, I don't have a data plan and there is no wifi where I was using it and the native Maps will, reluctantly and not reliably so, display some maps. You have to have the map already loaded of course with either of these two signals first.

Tell again about Mapquest, until someone can point that out I maintain there is no such animal for the ipad, see my post with image above.
Click to expand...

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...tOF-oM5jSpjb_qBJg&sig2=r4bTevwZ_xBM0gI_6sLqmw
 
I looked it up today and found it. In your pic you have "iPad" selected. Try deselecting it so it shows both iPhone and iPad apps.

David
 
It's listed as an iPhone app because there is no high definition version for the iPad. It will still work with poor resolution which sort of sucks but hey it's free.

That being said I don't get the appeal other than the automatic turn by turn features. You still need network data to see the maps just like the native maps app.

If you want something that has all the base data resident on your device for offline use you'll need to pay. I have the TomTom app.
 
I tried downloading it. It does run on the iPad 2, however it is obviously designed for the iPhone and doesn't really look or act like most iPad apps. By default it displays in a "simulated iPhone" window (for lack of a better description) though there's a button to expand the view. The main problem I ran into, though, was that zooming the map view has serious rendering glitches, where at times different parts of the map are to different scales.

I don't think it's a good choice for the iPad. I've tried TeleNav too, but considering that it's not free, I don't think it's really worth it. That's IMHO, though if you like directions spoken aloud by a synthesized voice, you might feel differently. I only really care about map accuracy and traffic info, and for that, Maps works just fine.
 
I haven't tried it yet. I was told of a product called "Scenic Maps" that puts the map data on the iPad. Costs 10 bucks so I've been told.
Thanks to this thread I understand what's going on. Without the map date being stored locally the map ap native to the iPad is useless without cell phone connection. Bah

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
N83803
2AZ1
 
If you're looking for something to give you directions for driving, you can try the Tom Tom app. It's pricey at $50, but doesn't require cell phone triangulation to use, just the internal GPS.
 
flhrci said:
I looked it up today and found it. In your pic you have "iPad" selected. Try deselecting it so it shows both iPhone and iPad apps.
David
Click to expand...

Yes but we are talking about ipads (see first post and title of thread to understand my point)
I can find the app for iphone but we want it for ipad.
(The iphone is a smaller device, much different capabilities)
Thank you.
 
azure said:
I tried downloading it. It does run on the iPad 2, however it is obviously designed for the iPhone and doesn't really look or act like most iPad apps. By default it displays in a "simulated iPhone" window (for lack of a better description) though there's a button to expand the view. The main problem I ran into, though, was that zooming the map view has serious rendering glitches, where at times different parts of the map are to different scales.
Click to expand...

Yes, Spike found you can load it to the ipad through Safari via the link above and it does have the limitations you mention. :( I guess because its not designed for the ipad they do not offer it in the app store.
Thanks.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Yes, Spike found you can load it to the ipad through Safari via the link above and it does have the limitations you mention. :( I guess because its not designed for the ipad they do not offer it in the app store.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

:confused:

The only reason you couldn't find it in the app store is because you were filtering your results to exclude it from your search. You were searching for apps that are ONLY offered for the iPad, instead of for both.

It is specifically mentioned that it works on the iPad, it is offered for the iPad as well as the iphone and you can download it to your iPad through the app store on your device.

But like many, many apps, it has not been designed with a high definition version which means it looks lame on your iPad, though the functionality is unchanged.

For me this can sometimes be a clue that an app is soon to be orphaned, but that's only my experience.
 
Someone or an article got me to try out GPS Drive by MotionX on my iPhone a while back.

It actually looks and works pretty good on the iPad blown up to 2x size via the iPhone emulator.

It basically acts like a consumer style GPS for automotive use. The one downside is it won't pre-load map data until it knows where you want to go.

When you put in a route, it will offer to cache the route map data. Maybe there's some way to get it to cache more, but I mostly use it on iPhone so it always has data.

They want you to pay $9.95/year for voice routing, which isn't all that bad really, but you don't have to.

If you do, follow their instructions for creating an account on their website so when the App is updated, you can enter your username and password and get the in-App purchases back. (Similar to Foreflight.)

It will also utilize traffic data in the "shortest time" calculations.
 
Oh. Another nifty feature of GPS Drive. It knows how to play nicely with the iPod functionality. You get music controls on-screen and it mutes the audio down from the iPod playback when the driving voice speaks, either continuing the music/podcast throughout at a lower audio level ("ducking" for the audio geeks), or fully pausing the iPod if desired (in the audio settings page).
 
I played a little with the MapQuest app today, in the car (on the iPhone). It works pretty well, but pukes if it does not have a good data connection. Hence, I presume the iPad w/o a cellular connection would not work out.
 
pmanton said:
I was told of a product called "Scenic Maps" that puts the map data on the iPad. Costs 10 bucks so I've been told.
Click to expand...
There is also YouNeedAMap from the same people that do Scenic Maps. It is free. I liked the free version so much I purchased the Scenic Map for the Western US. The paid version gives you a lot more detailed elevation (road data is the same) and it allows you to view terrain at slant angle. But these products don't give you directions how to get from A to B.

But I agree that we need a reliable driving directions apps. for IPad that would have all the maps pre-cached for the trip so you could use it reliably with no cellular plan.
 
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Good to know such an app exists!
Thanks.

BTW, I wonder if TomTom's database include GA airports and what else is there?
 
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I use motion x gps for nav on the road. It's accurate, shows airports and does a host of other features. You can also download maps for the road if you don't have cell data.
 
jsadamson1 said:
I use motion x gps for nav on the road. It's accurate, shows airports and does a host of other features. You can also download maps for the road if you don't have cell data.
Click to expand...
I looked at some info but this app but it is advertised for hikers, boaters, etc., not much about cars and driving. So what kind of road maps can you realistically use with this app?. They do seem to have a "Drive" version but it is unclear how independent of cell towers it can be.
 
Motion X GPS Drive will download maps for your requested route prior to departure if you're on good bandwidth at the starting point. But it will need data if you go off-route and require more map data.
 
denverpilot said:
But it will need data if you go off-route and require more map data.
Click to expand...
The native iPad map apps does it too, so it really doesn't get me anything more unless I can precisely control what is stored locally.
 
olasek said:
The native iPad map apps does it too, so it really doesn't get me anything more unless I can precisely control what is stored locally.
Click to expand...

The full version of Gaia allows you to do that but again that is an app that is designed primarily for outdoor recreation. For cached driving maps I still think the turn by turn apps like tomtom (there are others) are better.
 
Not on point with the OP but I've been playing with the Trimble app for iPad and iPhone and really like it for map browsing and topos. The first release was extremely buggy and it got a bad rap but now it seems very stable. It allows for a user adjustable transparent layer to be superimposed on another. And it's free.
 
The native Maps program worked not too bad across a lot of Texas yesterday. Ipad 2 w3G (+gps) but no data plan.

An unusual discovery - it will only locate you on the map throughout a trip (with the pulsing blue ball) if you have at least a wifi connection to "get things started". Only then it will allow the gps (remember I have no data plan) to show your position as you go. Several times we started the program and were able to use the map as a paper map but it would not show our location. If we started in a restaurant/housewith wifi, opened the program it found us then the gps would take over when we drove away and worked perfectly for over 100miles. No adjustments to any settings such as allow location were changed throughout.

Also at times when I reopened the Maps after a while, it would open with a map, then go to the Grid of Death (no maps at all, just a grid). By zooming out slightly, the maps would suddenly reappear and work fine thereafter.
 
Found it!!! City Maps2 Go is an app that will cache downloadable maps to you iPhone or iPad. Works great!!!

.99 cents right now and over 7200 maps available worldwide! I am impressed.
 
Nice going, Rob. I will check it out!
Sort of unbelievable such a widely-needed app took so long to arrive.
 
After playing with it tonight, you can pick cities throughout the world that they already have mapped. Download them to your Ipad and you have the map for anytime use without the need for a data plan or wifi connection. Just keep location services on and the GPS blue dot will show up there.

For the united states, you can download cities, or even each county in a state! Wow!

Just road maps, doesn't look like Topo or Satellite, but that's not needed for most applications anyway.

No direction capability. It does show which way you are moving and a "cone of direction" so to speak on the screen when you are moving. You can press and Hold on a position to drop a pin, which you can then drag to a location if you want to pinpoint a spot you want to go, then just use the map to walk your blue dot to the pin.

I'm impressed. Lots available for international travelers if you are going on vacation and want a GPS map of a city you are visiting.
 
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