{"id":67,"date":"2012-08-17T19:15:53","date_gmt":"2012-08-18T02:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tlcfaq.com\/main\/?p=67"},"modified":"2016-04-14T18:14:51","modified_gmt":"2016-04-15T01:14:51","slug":"ipad-overland-navigation-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tlcfaq.com\/main\/2012\/08\/ipad-overland-navigation-system\/","title":{"rendered":"iPad Overland Navigation System Primer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Article by:<\/strong> RobRed<\/p>\n

Applicable Models:\u00a0<\/strong>1998 – 2007 \/ 100 Series\u00a0Land Cruiser or Lx 470 \/ Any Overland Vehicle<\/p>\n

Updated:<\/strong>\u00a04\/14\/2016<\/p>\n

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Lets talk some basics first. There have been many discussions about what makes a great navigation system. Even bigger discussions about what makes a great off-road navigation system. Some functions are\u00a0certainly\u00a0the\u00a0same\u00a0between the two categories but on-road versus off-road priorities are\u00a0different. In an on road system mapping of course plays a big role just as it does in off-road but how those maps are used and what type are important differences. For on-road systems; cities, towns, highways, surface street names and more recently traffic data are the top priorities, off-road not so much. For off-road; terrain, topographic and aerial mapping are the key types with detail greater then 10 meters to be considered good. The off-road maps need to include trails and land features but also major points of interest like population centers.<\/p>\n

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Lowrance 5″ screen vs iPad MotionX GPS HD 7.75″ render (expandable to 9.7″)<\/p><\/div>\n

A quality on-road system needs to have a\u00a0tremendous\u00a0database of points of Interest (POI) and addresses to be effective. As a user you need to be able to enter a street adress in the system and get precise, door-to-door directions to the destination. You cant just enter an address into an off-road Nav system and expect to arrive at the big rock with the cactus next to the barn, because there is not uber-database with that kind of granular data that fits in your Nav. So we have Latitude and Longitude as our “street” addresses. But since an off-road system doesn’t have that rock with the cactus in it’s database we have to create our own database. Creating and managing waypoints (our own points of interest if you will) is a key feature and your off-road system is almost useless without them. Fortunately every off-road system I have reviewed has\u00a0this\u00a0ability. The next biggest feature is tracks, also known as bread crumbs or tracking. The ability of your off-road system to display not only where you are and where you’re\u00a0going, but where you have been. Using tracks gives you the ability to make a virtual trail map of precisely where you have travelled\u00a0enabling\u00a0you to return on the exact path you used to get where you are. Additionally many systems allow you to share waypoints and tracks with others so they can know where your secret fishing hole is or the precise path to get to the cabin. These functions are vital to off-road navigation.<\/p>\n

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Lowrance 5″ screen overlaid on iPad MotionX GPS HD 7.75″<\/p><\/div>\n

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iPad – King of the Navs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When talking about quality navigation all the usual players are discussed like Garmin, TomTom, Delorme and Lowrance. Each vendor offers features and functions that differentiate themselves only slightly as the core navigation is similar. The one absolute distinction for the iPad is it’s ability to have multiple Navigation software packages installed and running from different vendors. Historically these vendors update the apps several times a year getting more features and fixing bugs that users report. In fact you can run more than one navigation app\u00a0simultaneously\u00a0on an iPad giving you the best features from several vendors. Some purists argue that the dedicated GPS units are more rugged or have more sensitive receivers etc. Those are good points but for an in-vehicle off-road system they are wrong assumptions about an iPad. The iPad can be configured with a ruggedized case to make it every bit as tough as any GPS out there. The sensitivity of an iPads GPS chipset is stellar and can be further enhanced with an additional GPS receiver if your installation needs it. Something not many folks talk about when comparing GPS systems is\u00a0usability. The ace in iPad’s hand is two-fold; 10″ touch screen display and a vendor’s ability to create and update compelling user interfaces. No other system can match this flexibility.<\/p>\n

iPad Considerations<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I bought my first iPad in April of 2010 I knew right away that I wanted to use it for on-board navigation. The only\u00a0problem\u00a0with that idea was the first release of the iPad was WiFi only and didn’t contain GPS chipsets.\u00a0So a month later I aquired the just released iPad 3G which has the GPS. I was in heaven as long as I had 3 G coverage to download maps on the fly. At that time there were no dedicated Nav apps, just the built-in Google Maps. This was fine around town but no go for overlanding where 3G coverage was non existant.\u00a0The\u00a0GPS<\/a>\u00a0functionality of the iPad 3G is NOT dependent on 3G coverage. However the 3G model iPads are the only versions with a\u00a0GPS\u00a0chipset. The wifi only models use wifi triangulation and are not suitable for overland navigation. If you have a 3G iPad you DON’T need any additional\u00a0GPS hardware unless your install blocks the iPad from a view of the sky.<\/p>\n

Since it’s introduction the iPad has garnered a tremendous amount of software support including navigation and mapping applications. I use several so I know I’m covered for all situations but my main and favorite app is\u00a0Motion X GPS HD by FullPower<\/a>. This application is a professional grade mapping and navigation platform with a variety of options and a great overlanding companion.<\/p>\n

There are 3 types of apps you can use on the iPad for navigation.<\/p>\n

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  1. Apps that are 3G dependent like Google Maps. No network or wifi,coverage no mapping.<\/li>\n
  2. Apps that can cache maps for offline\/no coverage like Motion X\u00a0GPS\u00a0HD. You download area maps via 3G or wifi prior to loss of coverage or during pre planning of the trip.<\/li>\n
  3. Apps that carry all the mapping in memory like ScenicMaps. All maps are ready to go at installation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The last two types are suitable for off road \/ remote area navigation.<\/p>\n

    Another consideration for your iPad navigation system is mounting. There are many commercial mounting systems available from RAM, ProClip, Panavise and others. Finding the right one can be a challenge as they all have nuances that appeal to\u00a0different\u00a0folks. I stumbled onto my mounting setup by designed accident. I knew where I wanted the iPad and started playing around with various brackets that I had in the drawer. What I ended up with was a ProClip holder with a Motorola cell phone holder mated to each other.\u00a0The mount folds back so when I’m not using it – it’s out of the way or can easily be removed from the base.<\/p>\n

    Screen brightness and glare. It’s a problem. Many of the rugged iPad cases have a built-in screen protector that happen to be anti-glare, Otter Box Defender and Griffin Survivor come to mind. This is a great way to go if your mount will hold the ipad in it’s case.\u00a0In my setup I dont have the iPad in it’s case (though I own both of the cases mentioned) so I use a heavy duty anti-glare screen protector from Newtrent. These super thick protectors have a\u00a0great\u00a0adhesive\u00a0and go down without bubbles. Really no bubbles at all. I have screwed up too many protectors before stumbling on these. The screen distortion is minimal and the anti-glare is about perfect for the Cruiser.<\/p>\n

    Here is a short video of my setup (2011). The bracket has changed slightly but conceptually it’s the same. Look for the link at the bottom of the article to see the latest iteration.<\/p>\n