I just used the Dual XGPS150 on a recent trip, and found that it worked very well indeed. The only issue I have encountered is potential incompatibility with specific applications that, by the express intent of the provider of the application, are not compatible with external GPS receivers. This is the sort of thing that many people would not anticipate, because it is counter to common sense, but it is real. I recommend that prior to purchasing any external GPS receiver, that you start by identifying the particular application that you expect to use, and that you confirm with the supplier of that application that the application is compatible with external GPS receivers. I'll discuss this further in a bit.I did not encounter any issues with the Bluetooth connection between the iPad2 WiFi and the Dual XGPS150a. The XGPS150a did not exhibit any problems with maintaining continuity of satellite reception or continuity of its knowing its precise location. It was highly accurate. I am particularly pleased with how quickly it figures out its location after having been powered off for a while. It does this within just a few seconds, which is a small fraction of the time that my high-end Garmin Nuvi needs to figure out where it is.
There is a competing device that hangs directly from the docking port, and I just think that this is a very dumb idea. Yeah, there is nothing about the docking port that prevents this sort of thing, but it is suitable only for cables and cradles. Nothing should be attached there in the way that that thing does. It is only a question of when, not whether, you snap it off, ruining the accessory at least and possibly even damaging the port on the iPad or iPhone, which I expect would be a costly repair.
For owners of WiFi-only devices, there are generally two issues that you have to sort through when it comes to applications. The first issue is the issue of off-line maps. As most people quickly figure out, Google Maps on the iPhone/Pod/Pad relies on continual Internet connectivity to download pieces of the map on the fly, as you travel or even as you scroll around the map without moving. The same behavior applies to most of the map apps that you can buy at the app store. This is obviously an issue for mobile use of WiFi-only devices, but it is even an issue for devices enabled with cellular-based data communications (3G, etc.), because in rural areas, loss of data connectivity is even more prevalent than loss of voice service. (And as has been reported elsewhere, it is all too common for 4G services to revert to 3G, in which case the data rate plummets from something remarkably fast to something more like a very slow DSL connection, which could adversely affect the ability for the map application to update the map as you are moving.) When you evaluate specific applications relative to this need, you need to pay close attention to the particulars of how you select the map segments that get stored in the device. And ignore all the misinformation that you find on web forums, telling you about some trick for forcing Google Maps and similar apps to cache maps in the device. Categorically, those tricks do not work.
The other issue is with forced incompatibility. Fundamentally, there is no apparent reason why an application that works with internal GPS receiver would not work with an external GPS receiver. In fact, it might not even be possible for the application to detect the difference. Nevertheless, the provider of the application can flag the application such that you cannot even download the application into the device if the device does not have an internal GPS receiver. In particular, I discovered that this is what MotionX, the supplier of several navigation applications, does. If your device does not have an internal GPS receiver, you cannot buy MotionX GPS applications directly from the device (via the app store application), and if you go the iTunes route, you can buy the app but then during the app synching phase, iTunes will give you a message saying that the app could not be downloaded into the device because the application is not compatible with that device. This is not some sort of oversight or snafu or whatever. It seems counterintuitive, but MotionX's concern is presumably that without this restriction, some people (cheaters) who use external GPS devices would purchase the app and then demand a refund, claiming that the app is not compatible with the device. It remains to be seen whether MotionX and Apple will figure out a better way to address this concern, but for the time being at least, you cannot download MotionX GPS applications into devices that lack internal GPS receivers.
This concern is potentially an issue for GPS applications in general, which is why I recommend that you start by selecting the application that you intend to use, and make certain that there is no compatibility issue of this sort, before you purchase any external GPS receiver. I had hoped to use MotionX GPS HD, mainly because it is so much less expensive than TomTom, which is a very expensive application at around $50. Before buying the TomTom application and then finding out that I had wasted my money, I attempted to get confirmation from TomTom that there were no issues similar to the situation with MotionX. I called their tech support number and then waited on hold for a long time and eventually spoke to someone in Mexico who absolutely assured me that TomTom would work only with either the internal GPS receiver or else their own docking cradle (for the iPod/iPhone not sure if they even have anything for the iPad). Then I sent an email asking for clarification, and I got a response that was confusing but that seemed to corroborate what I was told over the phone. I sent a reply to that email, and a day or two later I got another reply correcting the earlier reply, stating definitively that TomTom GPS app is compatible with all external GPS devices. That second reply even included a link for a page on their web site that indicated the same thing, although not as definitively as I would have liked. I have not decided whether to purchase TomTom, but I am confident at this point that should I choose to do so, I would not encounter an issue similar to the issue with MotionX, and in the unlikely event of such an issue, there should be no difficulty in getting a refund through the app store.
Garmin also makes a car navigation app, but presently it is an iPhone-only app. Presumably it would run on the iPAd, but either using only a small part of the screen or else blown up with lousy resolution.
I only really wanted a good map application anyway, as opposed to full-blown turn-by-turn navigation with route planning and so forth. I found two good applications: PocketEarth, and MapsWithMe. Of the two, I like PocketEarth better, because the graphical representation of the maps was easier to read and interpret, particularly with respect to freeway ramps, which sometimes are incredibly complex. PocketEarth even shows bypasses and roads that are presently under construction but not yet completed. They were indicated using dashed lines to distinguish them from existing roads, but even the ramps were indicated. This was impressive to say the least.
My final observation is for the benefit of anyone who has not purchased an iPad and who is debating whether to get the WiFi-only version or the version enabled with mobile data capability (3G, etc.). I recently had a discussion on this question with a friend who is considering buying an iPad. Notwithstanding the availability of external GPS receivers, and notwithstanding that you can get those little devices that translate 3G (or whatever) to WiFi, and notwithstanding that the offline maps issue is an issue even for devices that are enabled with mobile data communications, we agreed that for anyone wanting to use an iPad for navigation purposes, it is wise to spend the extra money on the iPad with the data capability (3G, etc.) and then purchase service for it on a monthly basis as needed, which is a nice thing that you can do with the iPad.
I have a wifi-only iPad version, and the Dual Electronics works great with it.
This device pairs easily and quickly with the iPad. It also has great battery life.
The Dual Electronics device works with my iPad's navigation software. In specific, a Navigon North America navigation application. (Its great having a huge screen to view your map the screen of the iPhone just can't compare and nor can dedicated GPS devices.)
I downloaded the free app "Dual GPS Status Tool" onto my iPad and it gives all sorts of detailed information about the GPS device (e.g., battery life) as well as about the satellites to which its connected.
To test the Dual Electronics device, I drove my 52 mile-roundtrip daily commute in the Washington, DC area. During these drives, the Dual Electronics device had no problems maintaining a connection to the satellites, to my iPad, and as a result the Navigon app on the iPad worked great.
Its great not to have to worry about holding the iPad a certain way in order to get GPS this external GPS always sits on your dash.
I use, in addition to this Dual Electronics device, the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 3G Mobile WiFi Hotspot Modem, Refurbished (Verizon Wireless) so that I can connect the iPad to the internet and get the latest traffic reports while using the Navigon app.
Note that in order to test whether this GPS device is truly working properly, I tested without the WiFi connected (because the iPad has a feature where it can determine approximate location if connected to WiFi, even without a GPS connection).
So, in sum, I can report that this external GPS works, as does its software and the software of 3rd parties such as Navigon, with a WiFi-only device such as the iPad.
P.S.: Not to get too technical here, but its adorable a little cute guy with its own form-fitting dashboard mount.
Buy Dual Electronics XGPS150A Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver for Portable Devices Now
Just received the XGPS150A about 21 hours after I ordered it. Can't beat Amazon Prime shipping!I was concerned, as others were that this unit would operate with my WiFi only iPad and MotionX-GPS HD. I emailed MotionX and received a positive answer in less than an hour. Using my new iPad (3) the following apps work fine, Maps, MotionX-GPS HD, Google Earth, ArcGis, iGIS and EasyTrails GPS. I did not try the Dual GPS with MotionX GPS Drive, because I have it on my iPhone 4s and don't use it much. Also, you can preload maps with GPS Drive, but you need WiFi if you need to recalculate your course.
I downloaded satellite maps of my area into MotionX-GPS on the iPad, and took a short walk and created a track and three waypoints with the Dual/iPad and my iPhone 4s. One of the waypoints was much closer with the Dual unit and the other two were different, but equally off by about 15 feet. The track was much closer with the Dual than with the iPhone. With the Dual, both coming and going pretty much overlapped and were mostly within the path I was walking on. With the iPhone, the coming and going did not overlap at all and were on both sides of the path, sometimes by quite a lot. To be fair to the iPhone, it was in my pants pocket and the Dual GPS was on my arm with the handy but somewhat difficult to use arm strap.
One of my planned uses for the Dual GPS and iPad combo is to map the locations of trees and plants in a GIS database. The ability to download satellite maps into the WiFi only iPad (don't need a WiFi or cell phone connection) and now have GPS is theoretically an improvement over using the iPhone because the iPad screen is much larger. One thing that I did not count on is that the iPad screen is almost impossible to see in sunlight. This diminishes the advantage of using the satellite maps in the background to make sure you have the exact location.
The Dual XGPS150 Status App is pretty cool and gives more information on the satellites than you would get from the iPhone.
I think this is a fantastic product and I am very glad to have it. I have not tried it with my laptop, but assume it will work well with it also.I had a bad elf external gps, which was being used with foreflight. An IPad app that I use daily in my flight training. To my disappointment, the bad elf had a very hard time locking on satellites and further more, while a great idea to run off iPad power it proved not a great design for being in a cockpit, ESP small light planes I fly.
A fellow student raved about the xgps150, and let me borrow it. I was shocked at how quick it locked on to satellites, and that it worked in my home as well. Solid as a rock. Battery life is good. My flights never go over 2 hours. The non-slip pad, is excellent and works well on an inflight dashboard. I have the xgps150A, which allows a 12-30V input for aircraft 28vdc systems. My advice for foreflight users, buy it buy buy it! It is on foreflights approved external gps list now. Its light and compact. Free shipping on amazon as usual.
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If you just got your shiny new iPad or are a bit under impressed with the TomTom car adapter this is for you. This unit is deceptively small and uses your Bluetooth connection to connect to your phone. The battery lasts for 10+ hours of continuous signal acquisition. It is able to see it's position in 3D space so with the arm strap you could use it for geocaching or to capture signal for your sports apps that track your position for speed and distance. I live in the sticks and quite frankly am less than impressed with aGPS signal acquisition.It is a really nifty app that lets you see how many satellites are overhead, and which ones it was able to use to construct your position and then gives a reliability rating for its trustworthiness. Even in a building I was able to get at least 4 satellites. It has a 20 channel signal and up to a 5 Hz refresh rate. Way better than a standalone GPS unit.
I love the fact that where my GPS apps used to grey out or bounce around the map or show my position several yard off, now it is razor accurate.
Its only downside, is that it takes a bit to lock into the satellites, but it is a small price to pay for this level of accuracy.
It is not waterproof, but since it is Bluetooth, putting it in a baggy for protection is simple and effective without stopping its usefulness.
It comes with a rubber sticky square so you can throw it on the dash of your car (even a curved part) and it will mold and hold to the dash give it great line of site to improve your acquisition rate. It also comes with a Velcro strap that can be doubled to fit on your arm or leg (or really big arm) for motorcycle, bike, or running. The strap fits through two small loops on the bottom of the unit so you don't have to worry about losing it in the woods. I love it.
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