Wait, does ipad 2 have gps?

[Dorje]

The radio needs to be turned on. If you put in airplane mode it also turns off the GPS antenna. You don't need the Data Plan active.

Radio On, yes
Data Plan, no

[Ads]

[GlenL]

The radio needs to be turned on. If you put in airplane mode it also turns off the GPS antenna. You don't need the Data Plan active.

Radio On, yes
Data Plan, no

Nice! Now this is a clear answer to me! Thanks!

[Dorje]

The radio needs to be turned on. If you put in airplane mode it also turns off the GPS antenna. You don't need the Data Plan active.

Radio On, yes
Data Plan, no

Nice! Now this is a clear answer to me! Thanks!

What you will not get is the assistance from the 3G network. From I've gone and read since my earlier post in this thread... it may use the Skyhook WiFi to assist.

In short it won't location you as well or likely as fast.

[Argyle]

All I want to do is connect my Bluetooth gps to the iPad but it doesn't recognize it. Yet an old school pocket pc has no problem.

Beyond frustrating

[Dorje]

All I want to do is connect my Bluetooth gps to the iPad but it doesn't recognize it. Yet an old school pocket pc has no problem.

Beyond frustrating

I am 100% with you. There are options to install the needed protocols for Jailbroken devices, but Apple has not put in any direct support. Let's get all the GPS users and iOS using Geographers together and mass email Apple and demand GPS support. An iPad would make a handy field GIS unit.

[Becky15349]

GPS (Global Positioning System) consists of 36 satellites in orbit around the earth. The orbits are arranged so that 10 or 12 of them are overhead at any given time no matter where you are on the planet.

These satellites transmit position signals down to the earth. GPS equipped iPads have a built-in receiver that is capable of picking up these satellite signals, decoding them and then using the information to compute your current position, altitude, and speed. This system allows a GPS iPad to find its location and display it anywhere on the earth.

Only 3G iPads are equipped with a receiver capable of picking up the GPS satellites in orbit around the earth.

As mentioned the above posts, the WIFI models listen for signals from known WIFI locations on the ground.. They use these local nearby signals to determine their position. WIFI iPads cannot determine their position in remote locations that are out of range of WIFI signals.

Ok, but I was driving around in remote areas of Australia, and the iPad knew where we were the entire time. No wifi nearby, and I don't have 3G service. How did this happen?

Sent from my iPad using iPF

[twerppoet]

You don't have 3G service, but do you have a 3G iPad? The GPS does not need a service plan to work. The 3G radio does not even need to be on, but it will get a faster lock on your location that way.

[madhatter61]

To many cell companies have tried to pawn non-GPS cell tower triangulation as A-GPS it's hard to belive hardware manufactures these days, especially those that don't actually make dedicated GPS units.

Still it would be nice for the WiFi models to attach to an external GPS unit. Maybe one of those higher quality Trimble antennas .

Or at least do it without needing to jailbreak it. D:

If you Check out iFixit ... the teardown analysis showed that the 3G units are equipped with appropriate radios, and the GPS scheme is associated with that circuitry. The Wi-Fi only units are not equipped with those radio circuits, so any JB efforts will be useless. With JB you can't add circuitry that doesn't exist.

[Argyle]

JB will give me access to my wireless Bluetooth gps with bt stacker gps unless something similar is available in the app store

[GlenL]

Ok, but I was driving around in remote areas of Australia, and the iPad knew where we were the entire time. No wifi nearby, and I don't have 3G service. How did this happen?

Since you have a 3G iPad, then as long as the radio is turned on, then your GPS circuitry is also turned on. You don't need to have a 3G data plan activated, you just need the 3G radio turned on on the iPad.