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September 28, 2019 5:46 pm
We follow your excellent reports, and noted that the in-reach mini & Navionics APP have been subjects. For our planned wifi only iPAD MINI (no internal GPS) setup with navionics, it would be great to redirect $100 for a not-waterproof GLO2 bluetooth GPS to the IPX7 and other capabilities of the in-reach mini. Could you use your setup to investigate whether the navionics app can use the in-reach mini GPS info (or use your much louder voice to lobby Garmin to enjoin the in-reach capabilities to the navionics APP)?
September 29, 2019 7:39 am
Good news. I recalled that previous inReach models did provide location info to iPads that didn't have an internal GPS, but I tested more vigorously yesterday and the inReach Mini did very well. Navionics Boating, iNavX, and TimeZero iBoat can all get GPS data from the inReach when it's Bluetooth connected to my iPad Pro (9.7-inch) running iOS 12.3. In fact, they can all do it simultaneously.
The free inReach app EarthMate can also run simultaneously, and does include NOAA raster charts and lots of other cartography (but is not a real marine navigation program). At any rate, as I biked and boated out to Gizmo yesterday, Earthmate, Navionics, and iBoat all tracked the trip using the nearby Mini.
Incidentally, at first I thought the Mini didn't make much sense for boaters because size doesn't matter much on a boat and the larger inReach models include a lot more features. But I've changed my mind about that. The Mini interface is very simple, let's you do the easy chores that seem silly to open an app for -- like start/stop tracking, and the Earthmate app is better for more complex stuff anyway.
Incidentally, to best test the inReach/iPad integration, turn off WiFi. Even my home WiFi network can provide fairly accurate location if GPS is not seen, and the iPad will also use WiFi signals I can't log into as I move around town.
Steve Mitchell reacted
Topic starter
September 29, 2019 4:53 pm
when we called GARMIN customer service with this question, the representative did two things: he called his “delorme” folks and gave us a contact # for the navionics folks (who are less-integrated/more-autonomous than the in-reach team), and neither knew whether they worked with their now “garmin” sibling. They really referred us to PANBO to sort it out! Garmin’s response was timely honest and good spirited, which is why we see a good future in their stewardship of navionics, active captain, in-reach, etc. for the small boat folks who have to do ipads/iphones & “buy their adventure stuff @ REI” on a very tight budget. Apparently, garmin realizes that this new iOS mastery is in addition to & in support of their traditional marine business. Hope you get a thank you from garmin, you have one from us!
This post was modified 5 years ago by Anonymous
Steve Mitchell reacted
Topic starter
October 8, 2019 5:17 pm
Garmin Navionics folks sent an email that the ‘in-reach gps handoff to the app’ didn’t work, we responded directing them to Ben’s findings, got email today reporting that his findings are correct. Shows class that they dug further. WELL, and further, we’re impressed with this in-reach 68. Ben, maybe when you’re making the rounds at Annapolis - how about getting OCENS (Jeff has engineered probably the fastest sat- download-compression for his “spotcast weather”) to exercise further the in-reach iridium-modem and add a simple GRIB VIEWER. Game changer....
