Marine Navigation: 2024 iPad Pro vs iPad Air - Is the Extra Cost Worth It for Screen Brightness?

[@mandmmilling3716]

I run the opposite setup. My axiom MDF is my primary and my ipad is my secondary...for one large reason. The raymarine app will not allow an ipad to control the autopilot. Being able to plot your course in advance and then have the autopilot follow the course plotted on the MDF is a game changer for somebody like me who singlehands. I have 12" axioms on the flybridge and the lower helm on my 4550. I run an older ipad beside the MFDs as a backup with different maps. I have CMAPS on my MFDs, and navionics on my ipad to compare and contrast locations. There is almost always a difference between the 2. Thanks for a great breakdown on the new ipads. I was thinking about upgrading mine so this helped a lot.

[@johnnylightning1491]

I don't have any need for navionics being I live in an RV but thanks for the critiques because you never know. Keep the good stuff coming guys.

[@AdamTow]

Good video comparing the two new models. I went with the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro with the standard screen myself.

[@danceswithstone]

Thanks for that excellent review, exactly what I was looking for!

[@rogerirwin8878]

Well Done! Excellent technical comparison

[@AmmerSlammer]

Great video! Have you tried an anti-glare screen protector? Would that reduce the brightness? Thanks.

[@Technomadia]

I’ve never experimented with a screen protector.

[@TechnikMeister2]

Part of getting your coastal license here in Australia is to have the ability to navigate with no electronic aids. Thats means a compass, chronometer and naval charts. One of the main failures on vessels are electronic ones, so this is part of the compulsory course you must complete to get your license.

[@Technomadia]

Redundancy is hugely important indeed - that is why we have two iPads (with independent electrical systems) as well as an MFD. We also have paper charts for much of the ICW too - but they are not updated often enough to be really useful compared to the digital charts. Coastal and off shore cruising can be very different than the ICW, for sure.

[@TechnikMeister2]

@@Technomadia So no paper maps, then.

[@Technomadia]

As stated.. we have them onboard. But to be as accurate as the digital maps they would need to re-printed (and re-purchased) about weekly. The Intracoastal Waterway we are cruising is constantly changing with shoaling and dredging.

[@gurnblanstein9816]

Based on your video I bought the exact same iPad, The pro 13-in with cellular gps and 512 storage. It just came about a half hour ago. I don't have time to rewatch the video right now cuz I have to head out I won't be back for a couple hours, But I want to know what software you run I can't remember? Is it Garmin navionics? If not can you tell me what it is?

[@Technomadia]

We run multiple navigation apps on our iPad - Navionics, Aquamaps, Argo are the primary ones.

[@charliemanders1417]

Hello. We are a couple of Canadians getting ready to start our loop this fall. We just started following and extremely enjoying your channel a couple of days ago. We are also trying to decide on the IPad. Does the GPS work with say starlink instead of having a cellular plan.? You definitely have settled our debate. Thx and happy cruising

[@Technomadia]

The iPad GPS radio is on the same component as the cellular radio - so you need to buy a cellular model to get the GPS capability. But you do NOT need a cellular plan to get GPS. Starlink isn’t a factor in this either way and does not provide GPS data.

[@stuartrogel9117]

Great review, as always…thanks! Quick question: what mounts are you using to mount your iPads in the helm?

[@Technomadia]

This is the one we're using as shown in the video: amzn.to/4bx4V46

[@stuartrogel9117]

Thank you.

[@harleysoltes]

Does the Peplink GPS (we have the MaxBR1 Pro) feed the iPad GPS data? How do you set that up? We do have GPS feed also through a Yacht Devices YDWG connected as a client to the Peplink and the GPS signal does show up on Windows laptop via the Peplink.

[@Technomadia]

Yes - the Peplink shares GPS data on the local network. It is easy to configure most marine navigation apps to use it. There are more details in the blog post that goes with this video.

[@CCooke-nm2be]

Could you tell me what brackets you are using to mount the IPad

[@Technomadia]

I added details on the bracket in the linked article.

[@CCooke-nm2be]

@@Technomadia That’s great 😄👍

[@stepitup5409]

What size memory do you need to run the Navigation programs

[@Technomadia]

They do not need much storage to run - but downloading charts for the entire country can use up a lot. Fortunately you can just download the areas that you are currently cruising if storage runs tight. I would avoid a 32GB iPad - but 64GB on up should be no problem.

[@stepitup5409]

@@Technomadia Thank you for the response... safe sailing

[@CLTGeek]

Have you installed something like Speedify to bond the on-board 5G modem to your peplink powered house WiFi?

[@Technomadia]

We have tested Speedify .. but Peplink has their own integrated bonding service called SpeedFusion. Our Peplink router brings together about 7 different Internet sources at once. Check out our full internet setup at www.technomadia.com/internet

[@CLTGeek]

@@Technomadia - I mean so the iPad is always connected to both the on-board 5G and the Peplink powered WiFi. I've had trouble with iPads not failing over to WiFi automatically when the 5G is intermittent.

[@Technomadia]

I have played with Speedify on my iPhone for failover, and assume it would work just as well on the iPad. But with our redundant main router, I rarely rely on the iPad’s cellular while at home.

[@llitvak]

Do you have any more information about whether the IPad Pro M4 has the same bug as previous models where the GPS switches of intermittently when speed is relatively constant?

[@Technomadia]

Still the same bug. I rely on an external GPS.

[@jrbean67]

Are there any good protective cases for iPads now? Last time I looked, I could not find any good cases like the old Lifeproof cases that worked on the newer iPads. I ended up getting an Oukitel RT3, which is a "ruggedized" Android tablet. It is brighter than the cheap Samsung tablet I tried first, and was not that much more expensive. It runs Navionics fine, but I ran into the same issue as you did with polarized sunglasses -- the screen was only visible in a horizontal orientation. This was what I wanted, but the desktop manager and apps don't seem to consistently support this, so when Navionics pops up a window, it is vertical, and you have to turn the screen and remove sunglasses to read it. Definitely not optimal for hard-mounting on a boat's dash. Also, it has built in "5G" LTE support, but I only got it to work as 4G using a T-Mobile hotspot SIM, and could not convince AT&T to support it at all. Overall, it seems workable, but not a slam dunk for this use case. I used it in the sun for an afternoon and did not run into any overheating issues.

[@Technomadia]

We haven't started shopping for a case yet - so not sure what is currently on the market.

[@RascalBoat]

Does something prevent using split view on smaller iPad screens (2 navigation apps)?

[@Technomadia]

Some apps work on smaller screens - but some don’t. Aqua Map is pretty flexible - but Navionics really doesn’t like to share a smaller screen. On a 13”, there is much less worry.

[@FisherPost]

Did you consider a Samsung tablet? They all have GPS and I’ve run Navionics on an older Samsung for years - works great.

[@Technomadia]

We're an all Apple household and have been for years :). We have many paid for iOS apps that would not transfer, and prefer just one ecosystem aboard.

[@jjkula1]

I have a new iPad Pro and it can’t hold a charge when charging and using on boat. I think it maybe my power source. Anyone else having this issue?

[@Technomadia]

You need a USB-C DC outlet capable of high power output. I installed one of these on our boat dash - it powers both iPads nicely: amzn.to/4fErma2

[@DennisWintjes2]

Thanks Like !187

[@jgutten]

I wouldn't buy an Apple product just for navigation. The Samsung tablet has GPS built-in and works really well. I would just buy what product is best. Buying something just because it's Apple is not the best decision. If you need it for other things then I guess go ahead with it. If it's just for navigation, Samsung.

[@Technomadia]

We use it for many many other things beyond navigation - and we have been in the iPad ecosystem since the very day the first iPad came out. So we have plenty invested in purchased apps too that sync to our Macs and iPhones. Samsung makes some decent (and some not so decent) tablet hardware. But we have zero interest in the Android software world.

[@KeenanModica]

You’ve lost a lot of weight

[@Technomadia]

Thanks.. here's a recent video on our fitness journey: kzbin.info_HvXtHZO0PY