Losing iPad GPS Signal at Altitude

[Clarkie]

Any of you guys losing GPS signal on either Wing X or Foreflight? I get a position intermittently. Annoying. Running iPad 2 with wifi and 3G.

[humptybump]

I've not had any problems.

If you have not "rebooted" your iPad in a while, its a good thing to do from time to time.

Hold the power button (top edge) for about 10 seconds until the "Slide to Power Off" message appears and then slide to power off. A spinning icon will appear for 15-30 seconds as the iPad completely shuts down. Now press the power button again for a couple seconds and the "Apple Icon" will appear, indicating the iPad is booting back up.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1430

[Don]

Tom,

No problems here in my RV. I noticed in the Cherokee that sometimes it wouldn't be able to lock on to the satellites and other times there was no problem.

What I have noticed is if I don't keep the iPad on, and with it's poor battery life I don't, it takes minutes to find the satellites. At one point I had a remote GPS antenna (Dual) that was tied by blue tooth to the iPad and then when I turned the iPad on it had instantaneous GPS location.

[scrollF4]

Clarkie,
How high are you when you lose the "GPS"? Remember, iPad "GPS" is actually a phone/tablet feature that triangulates its position between cell towers, each with a known fixed position on the ground. True Global Positioning System involves signals from satellites in geosynchronous orbit over the Earth, not terrestrial cell towers. The higher you are from the ground, the more likely you will lose cell coverage...and particularly so if the cellular signal is blanked out by the all-metal bathtub of a cockpit.

[flytoboat]

I've been to 13000 ft recently going from St Louis to Reno (read: large areas with no cell service) and never once lost signal. I have the AT&T 4G version of the iPad mini running Foreflight, wich I understood uses GPS signal not cell signals. I usually reboot and shut down all apps at least weekly.

[Brantel]

Originally Posted by scrollF4

Clarkie,
How high are you when you lose the "GPS"? Remember, iPad "GPS" is actually a phone/tablet feature that triangulates its position between cell towers, each with a known fixed position on the ground. True Global Positioning System involves signals from satellites in geosynchronous orbit over the Earth, not terrestrial cell towers. The higher you are from the ground, the more likely you will lose cell coverage...and particularly so if the cellular signal is blanked out by the all-metal bathtub of a cockpit.

iPads that have the 3G/4G chipset absolutely do have a GPS reciever that uses the sats. WIFI only models do not.

The ones that do have GPS's can also use triangulation of towers to aid the GPS in finding a lock faster and to replace the GPS if it can't get a lock on the sats.

[DonFromTX]

I respectfully wish to disagree. The chipset on an IPAd contains the GPS and the cell stuff, but the GPS is in fact a very FULL standalone satellite gps system, operating totally independent of the cell towers. The only advantage if you have cell service is that the IPAD can tell the gps where to start looking in a very general area. I don't even have a sim card or phone service but receive GPS at any altitude.
This said, therefore if you do not have a 3g or 4g cell capability (chipset), you also have no satellite GPS capability.

Originally Posted by scrollF4

Clarkie,
How high are you when you lose the "GPS"? Remember, iPad "GPS" is actually a phone/tablet feature that triangulates its position between cell towers, each with a known fixed position on the ground. True Global Positioning System involves signals from satellites in geosynchronous orbit over the Earth, not terrestrial cell towers. The higher you are from the ground, the more likely you will lose cell coverage...and particularly so if the cellular signal is blanked out by the all-metal bathtub of a cockpit.

[scrollF4]

Well OK then, I stand corrected. Looks like I need to catch up with technology.

[ChiefPilot]

Later models go beyond GPS - the iPad mini, for example, includes Glonass as well.

[Vlad]

It pukes often, sometimes shuts an app but recovers fast and never loses GPS signal. I still have a Gen1 tablet circa April 2010 (thanks campi) and a newer Mini. Entertaining enough.