Comments on: iPad on board

By: Kathy Parsons

Kathy Parsons — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:09:23 +0000

Hi Molly,
1) When I am in the US, I have been subscribing monthly to ATT service for $25 per month. Since we spent winter in the Bahamas, I bought a BTC sim card in the Bahamas and subscribed to their data service for $30 per month.
2. The GPS chip works without any kind of cell plan or coverage or wifi. However, you need to get some sort of navigation app that will have downloaded the navigational charts that you need ahead of time, so that your position can be displayed on the relevant chart.
3. I have several navigation apps – I have a Navionics app (I don’t see the exact app that I have offered in the app store now and certainly it was cheaper whan I bought it than the current Navionics offerings) that I use because it covers the Bahamas. However it doesn’t include the Explorer Charts so I use it more for planning than heavy duty navigation. Still trying to figure out what navigation app is best.

Best,
Kathy Parsons

By: Molly Dilworth

Molly Dilworth — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 16:35:47 +0000

Hi there. I have a few connectivity questions (I’m sold on the Ipad but still a little confused about the details):

1) Are either of you paying for a monthly service provider?
2) Do you need to pay Verizon or AT&T monthly for the GPS access chip to work?
3) Are you downloading NOAA charts as well as using a nav. app? (Any recommendations on apps?)

Thanks so much for your insight on this!

molly dilworth
s/v Betty Jean

By: Kathy Parsons

Kathy Parsons — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 13:43:28 +0000

I have had an iPad (3G model) for the last 2 years and love it. I don’t use it for primary navigation – our Garmin chartplotter at the helm is still my first choice. But I do use the iPad charts for planning and choosing routes. And since I do carry it ashore with me to check email, find my way around ashore, etc, it has successfully navigated us back after dark in the dinghy…..
It is important that boaters get the 3G model NOT the wifi only model. The 3G model is the only model that has the built-in true GPS chip which allows you to use it for navigation when in the middle of the ocean far from cell phone towers and wifi.
I have a host of weather apps and when in the range of cell signal or wifi I can track thunderstorms and fronts as we rush to get into port ahead of the latest cold front….
These days in the Bahamas you can get a chip for about $20 and have internet most places for a cost of about $30 per month. In the Exumas and Eleuthera, the service isn’t fast but still IT WORKS! I can use the web, check email, use my apps.
Also I now use my iPad together with my computer to maintain our inventory of ships stores and find this works much better than the old computer+paper system ever did. I can much more easily update the inventory on the iPad, and sync it with the computer. I can bring my iPad along easliy for provisioning trips and quickly look up my inventory when I see a good deal and wonder how man I have onboard or need to know the model number of a spare part.
Plus I maintain an extensive library, manuals, etc aboard on my iPad. PLUS, PLUS, computers use lots of power and really can easily become a major power drain on the boat. My iPad lets me compute without running down the batteries.
Plus, I love languages and in addition to my books (Spanish and French for Cruisers) always like to carry BIG dictionaries aboard – I can have the equivalent of my big dictionaries at hand without the weight by way of apps.
Etc, etc, etc.
These are just a few of the MANY ways I use my iPad. Guess I am a bit of a nerd, but I love my iPad aboard and while traveling!