Advocate I
Gaia inreach mini 2 and iPad mini 6 … JUNK
- Thread starter wishihada4runner
- Start date
What exactly do you mean by pair? You can hotspot/tether your iPad to iPhone for data, but that doesn't transfer location services in any usable manner.
Any app that needs GPS data uses Apples native locations services function. I have heard that the Mini 1 does transfer it (haven't used it myself), which is why its odd that the Mini 2 does not have the feature. Bad Elf, Garmin Glo are bluetooth pucks that transfer it (used by pilots in particular and boaters).
Advocate I
Right, the only "pairing" to be done is connecting the iPad to the iPhone's hotspot but that doesn't share GPS data with the iPad, it's internet/data only. The only way to get GPS on a WiFi-only iPad is with a GPS receiver directly connected to it.
Advocate I
I just use my iPhone as a hotspot and select that as the wi-fi source for my iPad. GPS then woks fine on the iPad. I can switch to Gaia or Apple Maps on my iPad and see my current location reflected on the map.
Advocate I
It's likely using A-GPS and not the actual GPS from the iPhone, everything I've read (including recent stuff) says the iPhone doesn't share precise location data with other devices. Have you used that setup out in BFE where there's no cell signal and had it still work? If so then maybe that's something new as I can't find any reference to it working (accurately) when there's no actual GPS signal/data and the hotspot function is using wifi so I'm not sure how it would even talk to the GPS on the iPhone. But, if it works it works.
Advocate I
I think it works because in the absence of a GPS chip the wi-fi iPad will use the location information from the wi-fi spot it connects with. In this case the iPhone which has updated GPS info.
Been awhile since I’ve been on here. happened to see this thread and wondering what’s happening.
I use an old ipad Mini (wifi only with NO GPS on it), an Inreach mini and the Earthmate app. I connect with no issues, and can se myself along with tracking. Have done it several times in the mountains where there is no cell service.
The pic’s are from a walk I just did in airplane mode, BT’d to the Inreach mini, through the Earthmate app.
I know you all are talking about the Mini 2, and a new Ipad. but the original works great With an older pad.
Not sure if this helps at all
.
I use an old ipad Mini (wifi only with NO GPS on it), an Inreach mini and the Earthmate app. I connect with no issues, and can se myself along with tracking. Have done it several times in the mountains where there is no cell service.
The pic’s are from a walk I just did in airplane mode, BT’d to the Inreach mini, through the Earthmate app.
I know you all are talking about the Mini 2, and a new Ipad. but the original works great With an older pad.
Not sure if this helps at all
.
Thanks for the confirmation on the Mini. Basically the Inreach Explorer (what I used to have) and the Mini (1) work.
The Mini 2 does not
It may be because they switched software connectivity to the Explore App from the Earthmate app and along the way they broke the GPS signal pass through.
The question is will they fix it otherwise it's a step backwards.
If they they don't before my iPad dies (not anytime soon), I may just get a new iPad with cel and therefore GPS connectivity
To your last point not the iPad (mine is one generation old and worked with the older unit).
Also 2 msgs back (you get GPS position via wifi and sometimes that works when doing a hotspot, but it is random and delayed and in no way useful exploring off the grid - in particular when you have no cel service)
The Mini 2 does not
It may be because they switched software connectivity to the Explore App from the Earthmate app and along the way they broke the GPS signal pass through.
The question is will they fix it otherwise it's a step backwards.
If they they don't before my iPad dies (not anytime soon), I may just get a new iPad with cel and therefore GPS connectivity
To your last point not the iPad (mine is one generation old and worked with the older unit).
Also 2 msgs back (you get GPS position via wifi and sometimes that works when doing a hotspot, but it is random and delayed and in no way useful exploring off the grid - in particular when you have no cel service)
I went option 2---iPad mini 6 (goodbye, Lightning connector). Gack, it was expensive. I already have a Garmin Montana 700i for inReach and in case the iPhone/iPad + Gaia fails.
You know that nice feeling you have when you get a new toy? That feeling was tamped down considerably by the price of the iPad mini six.
Advocate I
I'm not sure why folks are spending big $$$ on cellular iPads just to get GPS when they could get proper GPS in a much cheaper Samsung tablet. If people want to pay the Apple Tax because they really want an Apple product that's fine, but if someone isn't married to Apple then there are much cheaper options out there that work just as well. I bought my iPad Pro about 2.5 years ago to use as a chart plotter on a boat and went with the iPad because at the time I was using other Apple products so it would integrate well with what I had. Fast forward to today, the iPad is the only Apple product I have and use. If I were going to buy a tablet today for vehicle use I'd get a Samsung Galaxy tablet, probably the A8 which is under $200 currently, and use the hundreds of dollars saved for something else.
No judgement on what people buy and use, just saying the iPad isn't the only option when it comes to tablets with GPS for running Gaia, onX, etc.
Oh man - this needs to be stickied somewhere. Or at least some "how does GPS integrate with the technology we attempt to use" thread.
I too use an iPad, since I am a fruit fan - mostly due to photography hobby - and linking with iCloud (iPhone, Mac Mini, iPad). I also use the Garmin Inreach Explorer and Earthmate. I didn't know why OnX or Earthmate didn't work when out of cell range on the iPad and wasn't able to test when I had hoped for it (Vermillion Cliffs/GSE NM).
With OnX and Earthmate I was able to do quite a bit, but as was mentioned above, the battery life when the Inreach was BT paired with the iPad was poor, so I carried a battery pack to charge. It still was wonky every now and then, so changed the ipad location settings to Always as opposed to When Using, since one or both would disconnect when I wasn't actively using. That solved my issues. I didn't know A-GPS was a thing, and I get why Apple would not want to give off device apps the real-time location of the phone, but it would be nice to find in settings somewhere.
Thanks for the info on the Galaxy Tab A8, looked at the snapdragon 410 chipset and see GPS/GLONASS is built into it. Perhaps a purchase is up next. On the negative side, good grief it's like I'll need a pallet of technology just to get a good sized screen nav system!
Inventor I
- 3,886
- First Name
- Dave
- Last Name
- Zimmer
- Member #
-
30139
- Service Branch
- USN (ret)
Advocate I
I've had fewer problems/bugs with my Android device than I have with my Apple devices, but ok...
Inventor I
- 3,886
- First Name
- Dave
- Last Name
- Zimmer
- Member #
-
30139
- Service Branch
- USN (ret)
I'm a photographer so I use apple and mac products exclusively. Mine did not have GPS so I just added the $150 Dual unit. I agree I would not buy a ipad just for navigation.
Zim
When I looked at what Android tablets were available and for how much, the only ones who's cost was a significant savings over the admittedly overpriced cellular iPad Mini were low spec units with low end LCD displays and a feeble 16GB of memory.
Influencer I
This brings up the general issue of device connectivity. I have found that trying to connect my iPad or iPhone and do anything that requires reliability for off roading is simply futile. The connection will drop, the software will have a bug, or whatever. I find this to be the case with several different types of devices, like navigation and remote cameras. Why can’t these connections be more stable? I generally think a dedicated piece of hardware is really the way to go (e.g. gps built into iPad).
Advocate I
Maybe I’ve been lucky but I’ve had zero issues linking an iPad Air with garmin inreach for the past few years. My buddy has an older garmin with regular IPad and also no issue.
Yep, did it. With Christmas gift cards, I purchased the Tab S6 Lite with the gps on the snapdragon chip. It is so much smoother for nav. Don't worry, no chance of me switching to the android ecosystem, but for nav and setup, man this thing is slick and a longer battery life than pairing my ipad with my inReach.
Enthusiast III
I gave up, apparently I'm too stupid to get it to work. Neither Garmin nor Apple were any help and said it wasn't supported so.... I ended up with the Mini 6 cellular as well and it's nice having just one device. However, I really wanted the inReach for satellite communicator, killing two birds with one stone. I like to wander off and do random dumb things by myself, one day I'm going to die and wish I had a satellite communicator.
