I've seen a few guys using the Iphone and Androids for navigation, but I was wondering if anyone has an Ipad set up as a chartplotter. I considered using my HTC Evo but i felt the screen would be too small, so I started looking at options for the Ipad So far, I have down loaded iSailor(http://www.isailor.us/isailor/index.htm) for my Ipad 2WiFI only. The app is free. You only pay for the NOAA maps you want, which was $5.99 for my needs. It took me a while, but I finally fiqured out how to pair the Ipad with the Android Evo to use the EVO as a Bluetooth GPS reciever. There are modules made by Dual Electronics and Garmin that pair with the IPad that do this but they are $100 or so. I also needed to jailbreak the Ipad to use an app called GPS Bluetooth Stacker ($5.00) available on Cydia (an alternate app source for Iphone and IPad) to allow pairing with the Android. Jailbreaking is not as scary as I thought it would be..lol. On the Evo I downloaded and App from meowsbox called GPS bluetooth (android market)($10) which sends your device GPS data over bluetooth. I wasn't too confident all this would work. I'm not a techy at all, but to my surprise for less than $25 my Ipad is functioning as a Large screen Chartplotter. I like the iSailor app because there is just one menu for settings, things like units of measure and map orientation, but the functions you use regularly like are right on top and everything functions with the Ipad motions like pinch and spread etc.. I'm still looking for the water proof case. As of now this Moxiware case http://www.moxiware.com/collections/ipad-cases/products/wp-ipad-waterproof-case seams like a good option and you can get a mounting from them as well as an accesory. If anyone has any input I would appreciate it.
Using i-devices for primary nav is a bad idea, in my opinion at least. I just did a small write up here: http://www.skinnyskiff.com/2012/09/06/navionics-app-for-iphone-gps-vs-smart-phones/ By the time you buy a $100 case and a $30 mount, you could have just bought a waterproof garmin on ebay.
Yes, they are visible in the sunlight but only in landscape orientation, even with polarized glasses.
Mattyvac, you are probably right. Although, the Cheap eBay Garmin would be a 4 in screen in black and white. I really need a bigger screen in color to avoid straining my eyes. Im not getting any younger . To get a screen the same size, I would probably need to spend well over 1k. As far as the speed of the GPS, it seems to work fine, at least with my HTC EVO, at about 80mph on the road. I cant say for other devices. It has tracked up to 14 satellites and reports accuracy at 0.0 meters. I'm also considering setting up my lights, pump, LEDs..etc to be controlled off of a wifi linked microprocessor with an dashboard app, google ardumote app, and I can also listen to my music. So yeah I'm deviating from the norm, but idk about you but I often hear "you fish where?!?!" Btw; that's a cool site you got there, a lot of good info. I'll be visiting often.
Look at a Google Nexus 7 tablet at $200. It has a built in GPS receiver and the Nav. app is like $35.
I agree it is a bad idea, I've tried to use my phone many times and the GPS receiver in my HTC Evo is spotty at best compared to my garmin Etrex. There is virtually no strain on my eyes with the garmin as it is visible in full sun and mine only has a 2.7" screen if I remember correctly. You don't need anything bigger then a 4" screen for any boat IMO, you can easily zoom in to as close as a 20ft radius with any handheld, and it will be accurate unlike the phone/pad. I've tried mine side by side before too and the phone at times was several hundred feet off, that can mean the difference between having a nice night or being stuck somewhere till the tide comes back in . An other thing you haven't considered is battery life. Using your phone to tether will kill the battery inside a few hours, especially if you are out of cell range, where a real GPS will last all day on a few batteries and if they die you just swap them out. I typically get 2 good trips out of my rechargables. Your cell phone should be locked away in a dry box for emergencies only
I have an Ipad 3. I bought the lifeproof case from best buy for $145. It's 100% water proof up to 6.5 feet. The product video on the lifeproof site is pretty crazy. I would never go swimming with my ipad but if you feel the need, you can. For GPS/nav go to the App Store and get the navionics app for 50$.
