Using an Ipod Touch for a gps

[hz]

I am getting an Ipod Touch and have a question about using it as a GPS on the Columbia river. I currently have a netbook with NOAA maps on it but I'd like to use something smaller. I use a separate wired puck for it as a GPS receiver.

Can I download maps to the Ipod Touch and use the existing wired puck that I use on my netbook or do I have to get something like the the Dual XGPS series receiver in order to use it?

Harris

 

[garzilla]

Re: Using an Ipod Touch for a gps

I've never.....and probably never will need any type of "fancy navigation" for the water......I used a handheld garmin to get us back to the launch a couple of times.

BUT, I, personally wouldn't trust something that's made to play music, to aid me in navigation.

Yes, I'm extremely anti anything that is Apple, but even if there was an android app out there....I probably wouldn't bet my marbles on it.

I'd just make up a sweet docking station for your laptop, and roll with that....

Keep us posted about the Ipod getup though.....I am a bit curious....

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Using an Ipod Touch for a gps

Oops

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Using an Ipod Touch for a gps

I have the Navionics charts on my iPhone 9.99 I think.

I also have a chart plotter. The iPhone is good enough to navigate with. It will use pure gps when outside of cell site service. It's great as a backup. The
gps is accurate enough to put me within 30 feet 35 miles offshore. Is is difficult to read in sunlight and is hard to hold while driving.

With that said I never navigate with it. The larger display, integrated depth and sonar with charts is hard to beat with a handheld device.

 

[hostage]

Re: Using an Ipod Touch for a gps

The ipod touch can use wifi to assist in the location, I was surprised when my g/f's showed her location. The new ipod 4 don't have built in GPS like the iphones do. Though you can get a TomTom car kit for the ipod touch and use Navionics.

http://store.apple.com/us/question/answers/product/TY168LL/A?pqid=QAX9FCDUT74A2KJ4F47Y44FJA9A24PFPH

I use Navionics on my iphone 4 and LOVE it! It is an amazing price. My only complaint is don't ever buy the Great Lakes, just get US Lakes east, which includes the Great Lakes. Would have saved me $10, but I am more than happy to pay that instead of having a whole other device in my boat that might get stolen or damaged. It is also cheaper than buying a dedicated device.

It says not to use it for navigation, but more for reference. It works great for me as I am not piloting a large ship.

 

[mookieo2]

Re: Using an Ipod Touch for a gps

I've been using Navionics on my Droid this season and it has been great. Really accurate and can plot routes easily.

 

[Chattan]

Re: Using an Ipod Touch for a gps

I have been wondering how to get gps on my Ipod also. I use the Navionics maps and love them. I fish multiple lakes in my area and is nice having maps to all of them in my pocket all the time. I don't use it for navigation but instead for finding humps and other underwater structure. My father in law who has fished the lake for 30 plus years was impressed when I showed him a hump on the edge of the main channel and also a hole in the middle of the channel. He didn't know either was there and it was not on his paper maps. GPS would make it easier and save some time. Please let me know what you decided on using and how it works. I can't afford one of those nice(expensive) GPS depth finders yet.

 

[jhebert]

Re: Using an iPod Touch for position finding

Re: Using an iPod Touch for position finding

There is a $100 accessory GPS receiver designed to connect to the power connector on Apple iPod or iPad or iPhone devices:

http://bad-elf.com/products/gps/

I am not an expert on the iPod Touch, but I don't think it really has a GPS receiver built into it. Some of these devices can estimate their position from cellular signals or from some sort of database of wifi signals. They seem to work in locations where it would be impossible to actually receive signals from a GPS satellite.

These iPod Touch devices are small computers running the Apple iOS. One should not think of them as a "music player." They can execute and run thousands of useful applications other than an MP3 player.