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Anyone use a tablet for navigation?


JTowne

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I don't want to keep flipping screens or splitting my screen this year , and seems kind of overkill to but another expensive unit . I have the lakemaps card for my humminbird and I love it . However I'd like to have something else so I can have one whole display of sonar and other of map/contours .

 

Does anyone have any experience using any of the navigation apps on a tablet ? Was thinking a nice big tablet with a mount would do the trick . I wasn't sure how reliable or accurate this would be .   Also would the tablet have to be on a active carrier to do the real time tracking ?  Or Is this handled by some sort of internal gps device ? 

 

Thanks all for any insight 

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I don't want to keep flipping screens or splitting my screen this year , and seems kind of overkill to but another expensive unit . I have the lakemaps card for my humminbird and I love it . However I'd like to have something else so I can have one whole display of sonar and other of map/contours .
 
Does anyone have any experience using any of the navigation apps on a tablet ? Was thinking a nice big tablet with a mount would do the trick . I wasn't sure how reliable or accurate this would be .   Also would the tablet have to be on a active carrier to do the real time tracking ?  Or Is this handled by some sort of internal gps device ? 
 
Thanks all for any insight 
I use navionics on my phone works really well and is way cheaper...going to pick up a cheaper tablet to run it off this year. I know a couple others who do on here as well and work really good. Actually found out about it fishing with another member here.

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Not 100 percent sure about service...I believe it will but I will just hotspot my phone to it

 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Lake Ontario United mobile app

 

 

Your phone might not work as a hot spot for a tablet. Mine did not. I use an iPad and a bad elf for a gps. The map app I use is navatonics boating. It works great. The bad elf cost 150.00. Make sure it is blue tooth compatible. When you down load the map app make sure you down load the map for offline so you can pull it up when your not In WiFi. I use it in my boat so I don’t have to have a split screen and I use it in My rzr when we are going for a ride in some place new. If you have a tablet with a gps built in to it you don’t need a bad elf.

 

 

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Your phone might not work as a hot spot for a tablet. Mine did not. I use an iPad and a bad elf for a gps. The map app I use is navatonics boating. It works great. The bad elf cost 150.00. Make sure it is blue tooth compatible. When you down load the map app make sure you down load the map for offline so you can pull it up when your not In WiFi. I use it in my boat so I don’t have to have a split screen and I use it in My rzr when we are going for a ride in some place new. If you have a tablet with a gps built in to it you don’t need a bad elf.
 
 
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I hotspot my kids tablets every day along with my smart TVs and Chromecast. As long as tablet is Android based you can download Google maps and use that I'll do it tonight on kids tablet to double check but definitely can hotspot tablet no issue as long as your phone plan has hotspot

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I also had navionics on my phone but wasn't sure if it worked because of my cell service, so not clear if a tablet would do the trick , 

 

so in theory as long as I purchase a tablet with an internal gps and download the offline maps I should be all set ? 

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I also had navionics on my phone but wasn't sure if it worked because of my cell service, so not clear if a tablet would do the trick , 
 
so in theory as long as I purchase a tablet with an internal gps and download the offline maps I should be all set ? 
I'll try it with my kids tablet tonight double check but in therory yes

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I believe you can hot spot from a cell phone but you don't need data you need a gps fix. unless your phone can send a gps position to your tablet you will need a bad elf or a external gps for your tablet.

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Would be great to hear your findings before I pull the trigger 
So here it is....

Tablet 1 is Samsung tab e 7" with cell service
Worked perfect gps signal picked up location of me at home no external anything needed....pic 1

Tablet 2 is next book 7" Walmart special no cell service other than hotspot. Didn't work as tablet has no GPS receiver as fishnut described.

So my finding is that you will need to have a tablet that is thru a cell provider. Or get the external stuff fishnut described but I don't know much about it.

Could look into "better" quality tablet than my Walmart special that may have the internal GPS available which would allow you to download the app via hotspot then use offline as good is sattiite.

I would assume if you bought (example) the Samsung tab e without cell service it should still work as the receiver is inside the unit...again no experience but would have to imagine this would work just fine.

Johnson58 runs an iPad and if I remember right he did not have any external gear for GPS may be worth reaching out to him as well.

Good luckMVIMG_20180411_194635.jpg

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The 58Johnson tablet referred to by Stoneam2006 that I use is an iPad mini with ATT cellular service. The app I use is Navionics Boating App for iOS. I pay for the Navionics+ in app purchase. It is less than $20, a true bargain.

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The 58Johnson tablet referred to by Stoneam2006 that I use is an iPad mini with ATT cellular service. The app I use is Navionics Boating App for iOS. I pay for the Navionics+ in app purchase. It is less than $20, a true bargain.

Thanks Mark....had it backwards lol I've been running the app on phone since you showed it to me.

 

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Great info everyone thanks so much . Chowdaire that's exactly what I'm after . .. stoneam thanks for reporting your findings . 

 

I think i will start my search for a decent tablet with internal gps and give it a go . Surely it'll be cheaper then buying another unit just for more screens . 

 

LOL. I feel stupid complaining about switching screens or it's not big enough !! Technology spoils you !

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Another good option is buy a android double din head unit. Amazon sells them. Can rig up a backup camera. Install navionics and it will run your radio. So if you feel like upgrading your radio you can run navionics with downloaded maps for a couple hundred bucks. And stream music on your phone. And use the dashcam/backup cam to record video on an SD card while you fish.

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