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User profile for user: takeitfromhere
takeitfromhere Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Trouble using an iPad for GPS on 4 wheel trails

We purchased a new iPad 10.2 this year to use for GPS tracking and downloading trails while 4 wheeling. Unfortunately the iPad usually can not track us. At times it will find us but most of the time it will not. The iPad gets its cellular date from my iPhone. My iPhone will track us, but the hole point of getting the iPad was for the larger screen. I have tried apple support a couple of times but they were unable to help.


I was wondering if anyone else has had this issue with there iPad and if so what fixed it?



iPad, iPadOS 14

Posted on Dec 16, 2020 12:20 PM

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User profile for user: Michael Black
Michael Black
User level: Level 10
80,460 points

Posted on Dec 17, 2020 10:01 AM

Its inaccurate because of the data it has access to. Apple’s WiFi location database is approximate as they cannot go into every house and building and nail down exactly where every WiFi router is. And there won’t be BT microbeacons out on the trails.


Without an external GPS antennae and app there simply is no data available to a WiFi only iPad to get highly accurate location data. A WiFi only ipad, when it does have access to a data source, gets approximate location data only.


The Bad Elf antennae has been on the market for years now though, so it’s not some new, untested device. There should be lots of reviews for it online by now too.


https://bad-elf.com/

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User profile for user: Michael Black
Michael Black
User level: Level 10
80,460 points

Dec 17, 2020 10:01 AM in response to takeitfromhere

Its inaccurate because of the data it has access to. Apple’s WiFi location database is approximate as they cannot go into every house and building and nail down exactly where every WiFi router is. And there won’t be BT microbeacons out on the trails.


Without an external GPS antennae and app there simply is no data available to a WiFi only iPad to get highly accurate location data. A WiFi only ipad, when it does have access to a data source, gets approximate location data only.


The Bad Elf antennae has been on the market for years now though, so it’s not some new, untested device. There should be lots of reviews for it online by now too.


https://bad-elf.com/

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User profile for user: Michael Black
Michael Black
User level: Level 10
80,460 points

Dec 16, 2020 12:38 PM in response to takeitfromhere

Is this a wifi only iPad? Only the wifi+cellular iPads have an actual aGPS system. The wifi only iPads use wifi node location database lookup, or BT microbeacons for location information, making them less accurate and reliable for location tracking in real time.


To use a wireless only iPad for off grid location tracking, you’ll need an external GPS antennae like a Bad Elf which plugs into the lightening port.

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Trouble using an iPad for GPS on 4 wheel trails

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