Gaia GPS App

Mein Sprinter

Known member
Hi Adventuous guys/gals

We are of course mostly map readers/Forest/ National Parks/ dispersed campings, etc. Used to live on a sailboat for 8 years and are well versed in nautical chart explorations, later added Loran, Satellite Nav etc.

Now we're in a Sprinter and do lots of dispersed camping thus some interest in GAIA GPS Nav., instead of the $$$$$ Garmin Outlander GPS.

Has anyone used GAIA--- $29.99 for the premium GPS App. IF so do we have to connect the GAIA App to a current Garmin or equivalent GPS?, or does the App actually install a GPS on our iPad?

Thank you...

Cheers
 

TooMuchHair

Active member
The way I understood it when we bought our iPad Pro12.3" last december is that only the one with a cellular connection has GPS capability. But please confirm.
 

Mein Sprinter

Known member
The way I understood it when we bought our iPad Pro12.3" last december is that only the one with a cellular connection has GPS capability. But please confirm.
Thank you. Haven't been able to chit chat live with the GAIA people. Asking questions will lead you to a prewritten set explanation.
We're good map readers but often get a bit complacent and try to use new technologies which sometimes are more precise. Especially we like to find rivers where we can Van camp on side and fly fish!

Wish that GAIA GPS monitors this side and give input to those traveling within dispersed areas or others.

cheers..
 
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Tiny Travels

2017 170"ext, 4x4, 2500
I have the premium Gaia app. I does not include any hardware when you purchase the app, so whatever device you install Gaia on will determine what navigation satellite signals you can receive. Meaning that if your iPad only has NAVSTAR GPS, you'll only get those satellites.

For most devices, you can buy an external satellite receiver that will get signal from additional satellites. I don't know about apple products, since they always try to limit compatibility to their own proprietary accessories.

I have a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver for my android tablet that plugs into the micro USB port. I get ridiculously accurate reception with it, and haven't found anywhere that it loses signal yet. True GNSS gets you NAVSTAR GPS (USA sat nav), Gallileo (Europe sat nav), Glonass (Russia sat nav), and Beidou (Chinese sat nav).

I like Gaia okay, but I still haven't figured it out fully. My tablet struggles to load maps once I lose cell/internet signal. Even though I'll spend a huge amount of time and storage space downloading the maps of where I want to travel. My antenna will tell me exactly where I am, and I'll be showing tracks as I move positions, but the downloaded map overlays just don't show up.
I think it's just one of those things that will get better with time. Paired with paper maps, it's fine. But it certainly isn't stand-alone navigation.
 

Mein Sprinter

Known member
Tiny Travels..... excuse my profound ignorance! :mad: ....You mean I must download an app, "NAVSTAR GPS" onto my iPad? All maps of interest must be downloaded to the iPad first before departure. Example: we're in Arizona and plan on going fly fishing in Wyoming, Montana.... download these maps at home due to WiFi, etc. Then with the already ??? downloaded Navstar GPS open these Montana, Wyoming maps once getting there and then presto navigate within!!?

cheers...
 

Tiny Travels

2017 170"ext, 4x4, 2500
No, it isn't an app. NAVSTAR GPS is what the United States calls its navigation satellites. NAVSTAR GPS is what most people are really talking about when they simply say "GPS". It's a small number of mostly outdated satellites, owned by the US defense department.

Other countries have their own satellites, for various reasons. If you can get an antenna, or GPS receiver, for your iPad that will work with the signals from other countries' satellites, you'll be better off than you would with a GPS receiver that only works exclusively with NAVSTAR GPS. A GPS receiver that works with the most common navigational satellites from all countries is referred to as a GNSS (Global Navigational Satellite System) receiver/antenna.
The more satellites you can receive, the more accurate your location will be. Also the more likely you are to get a signal and the typically the faster that signal will be acquired.

For your example: Before you leave Arizona, you'll want to explore the areas in Wyoming, Montana, etc from within the Gaia app. Once you find the areas where you want to travel, you'll download the maps and overlays that you want of those spots from within the Gaia app. Assuming that you have a GPS receiver in your iPad, you will then be able to see your location on the pre-downloaded maps during your trip.
This all assumes that you won't have the internet on your tablet while you're traveling. If you have the internet while you're on your trip, then you don't have to download the maps.
 

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