How to choose the best GPS for your iPad?

How to choose the best GPS for your iPad?

External Garmin iPad GPS were one of the first accessories to appear for the iPad. After the iPad was released in 2010, pilots quickly realized that the tablet was far more useful with an accurate position source – moving maps, terrain warnings and so much more come into play. Initially, there were very few options for pilots, but now the Garmin market has rapidly expanded and now there are more choices than ever. How do you pick the right one? Let’s survey the Huge garmin market.

Do you need a Garmin GPS?

The first question some pilots may ask is whether you even need an external iPad GPS. If you own a WiFi-only model iPad, it’s simple – you have no built-in GPS so you definitely need one of the Garmin Gps. However, LTE model iPads (ones with the cellular radio in it) have a built-in GPS receiver. Note that this GPS is completely separate from the cell service, so you don’t even have to have an active data plan for the Garmin GPS to work. You could buy an LTE model iPad, never activate your Verizon or AT&T service, and still have GPS data.

But while the on-board Garmin GPS does work with all popular aviation apps, it was really designed for ground use and it’s not always as reliable in the air. It has a tendency to drop offline occasionally, especially when switching between apps or when the iPad goes to sleep. It’s not necessarily a question of accuracy, but of reliability. You don’t want the GPS to be a little slow waking up right at the final approach fix in the clouds. For this reason, many iPad pilots – even those with an LTE iPad – opt for an external GPS. It’s pretty cheap insurance.

Plug in or wirelessIf you’ve decided to buy an Garmin iPad GPS, the first question to consider is a pretty simple one: do you want a small Garmin GPS that plugs into the bottom of your iPad or do you want a wireless GPS that can be mounted remotely?

Sr. Diital marketer At Garmin Tech. support,Usa.