Tracking current location on iPad

[PaunchyPirate]

I tried a few forum searches for this, but must not be using good search words. My apologies if this has been asked before. I've watched a lot of videos over the last couple days as I research for my June cross country Amtrak trips. One thing I've seen a few times is people set up some means of pretty much constantly tracking their current location on a tablet device (iPad, in my case). My iPad is not enabled with cellular capability. But I think they all have built in GPS, don't they? Is there a good app people use? or is this just done with the native table maps app? My phone is Verizon and I don't currently have an unlimited data plan. My phone plan does support using my phone as as a wifi hotspot for my iPad when I have cellular coverage, but I'm not sure when I would run out of plan data. I'm a bit of a geek and think it would be cool to have the train's location showing on my iPad while I'm in my roomette watching the world go by. What's the best way to do this?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

This might help you

https://mapscaping.com/does-gps-work-without-data/

 

[joelkfla]

This might help you

https://mapscaping.com/does-gps-work-without-data/

As mentioned in that article, Google Maps can download maps, which you can then use offline with your device's GPS.

I'm strictly an Android, so I don't know exactly how it works on iPad. There's a lot of data involved and it takes a while to download the maps, so it's something you need to do a few days before the trip where you have unlimited Wi-Fi. You also need someplace to store the data; I don't know whether iPads allow extra storage such as microSD's, or have enough internal storage to hold all the data.

On Android, you download a map for a rectangular region which is limited in size by the amount of detail in the region. You have to figure out your route, and then download map data by drawing a series of rectangular regions covering the route. It's a bit like building a panorama from a series of photographs. It is time-consuming, and as I said, there's a lot of data to download.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Thanks for the replies above. I'll check out how tedious it is to download Google maps along the route. I also just remembered that I have a portable Garmin GPS with a nice 6.5" screen that I bring along when I have a rental car on my trips. Maybe I'll just bring that along. I'm pretty sure it shows railroad tracks along the road network, so hopefully it can show my position as I move along on the tracks.

 

[joelkfla]

Thanks for the replies above. I'll check out how tedious it is to download Google maps along the route. I also just remembered that I have a portable Garmin GPS with a nice 6.5" screen that I bring along when I have a rental car on my trips. Maybe I'll just bring that along. I'm pretty sure it shows railroad tracks along the road network, so hopefully it can show my position as I move along on the tracks.

I was going to suggest getting a Garmin automotive GPS. It gives you a full-time map, and you can probably use the suction cup mount right on the car window. Just make sure that it can be powered via USB, and that you have the necessary power strip, charger, and USB cable. If you don't have one, I suggest getting a power strip with a long cord, as outlets are limited in Amtrak accommodations, and not always in the most convenient location.

IIRC, Garmin maps do show railroad tracks; in fact, IMO they're easier to see on Garmin than on Google maps. The only thing is sometimes the GPS will try to put your location on a nearby road, but it's close enough to see where you are.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

My iPad is not enabled with cellular capability. But I think they all have built in GPS, don't they?

As mentioned in that article, Google Maps can download maps, which you can then use offline with your device's GPS.

If your iPad was not purchased with the cellular option then it will probably not have the circuitry required for GPS. It can try to triangulate your location based on terrestrial signals but this will be slow and choppy by comparison. There are external GPS devices that be added through Bluetooth at a cost of $100+ but I have not tried them.

 

[greatwestern]

I was going to suggest getting a Garmin automotive GPS. It gives you a full-time map, and you can probably use the suction cup mount right on the car window. Just make sure that it can be powered via USB, and that you have the necessary power strip, charger, and USB cable. If you don't have one, I suggest getting a power strip with a long cord, as outlets are limited in Amtrak accommodations, and not always in the most convenient location.

IIRC, Garmin maps do show railroad tracks; in fact, IMO they're easier to see on Garmin than on Google maps. The only thing is sometimes the GPS will try to put your location on a nearby road, but it's close enough to see where you are.

Exactly what I use when I am on Amtrak. (mine's a Magellan not Garmin)

I bought a (cheap) second hand unit here in the UK (Ebay) which had USA maps loaded on it and it is my go to source of "where are we now" when I am on the train.

I haven't been able to use it for the last couple of years for obvious reasons, but I have just dusted it off and checked that it powered up ok in readiness for my trip over there in June.

 

[TinCan782]

I was going to suggest getting a Garmin automotive GPS. It gives you a full-time map, and you can probably use the suction cup mount right on the car window. Just make sure that it can be powered via USB, and that you have the necessary power strip, charger, and USB cable. If you don't have one, I suggest getting a power strip with a long cord, as outlets are limited in Amtrak accommodations, and not always in the most convenient location.

IIRC, Garmin maps do show railroad tracks; in fact, IMO they're easier to see on Garmin than on Google maps. The only thing is sometimes the GPS will try to put your location on a nearby road, but it's close enough to see where you are.

I use a Garmin hand held GPS intended for hiking, etc. It can be set to NOT stay on roads. I download free Open Street Maps topo maps and pre-load them on to the GPS. I use the Amtrak stations on my route as waypoints and create a point-to-point route using the stations. I do not use the GPS to try and navigate myself but rather follow along as I travel. I let the GPS run 24/7 to record (tracklog) the entire trip for later use including geotagging my photos.

I agree, Google maps are terrible for showing rail lines...they are there but are difficult to see.

Here is my Garmin GPSMAP 64S on the Southwest Chief last July. Next point is NDL (Needles, CA) and we are 109 miles from there.

Here's my GPS on a Mississippi River Cruise last august...

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I use a Garmin hand held GPS intended for hiking, etc. It can be set to NOT stay on roads. I download free Open Street Maps topo maps and pre-load them on to the GPS. I use the Amtrak stations on my route as waypoints and create a point-to-point route using the stations. I do not use the GPS to try and navigate myself but rather follow along as I travel. I let the GPS run 24/7 to record (tracklog) the entire trip for later use including geotagging my photos.

I agree, Google maps are terrible for showing rail lines...they are there but are difficult to see.

Here is my Garmin GPSMAP 64S on the Southwest Chief last July. Next point is NDL (Needles, CA) and we are 109 miles from there.

Here's my GPS on a Mississippi River Cruise last august...

I just checked my Garmin and it has a mode where “Navigation - Calculations“ are “Off Road”, which indicates it uses a straight line for distances. I like your waypoint approach, but don’t think I will get to that detail. I’m mostly wanting to just see my location on a moving map. I don’t think I’ll bother trying to follow a route. So I think my Garmin will likely suffice.

 

[jebr]

I personally use an old Android phone with "OsmAnd" installed. All cell phones will have the required circuitry for GPS, and most will work without a SIM card/service. Just download the maps over wi-fi and go. I prefer this over a dedicated GPS unit as I keep a cheap SIM card activated in it as a backup (TracFone on eBay often has some good deals for yearly service, or HSN if you need a new phone to use with it) and it also gets regularly updated with more up-to-date maps. I've also noticed that OpenStreetMaps (the underlying data for OsmAnd) tends to do a really good job at mapping out rail lines and information on what rail company owns the lines. I believe there's a one-time payment option that unlocks monthly updates, or a subscription service for daily/hourly updates - I've always been fine with the one-time payment option. It appears to have an iOS version as well, but I've never tried it.

 

[dadonatrain]

I strongly suggest you consider an app called maps.me. It uses GPS exclusively. It needs zero wifi or cellular service. You do need to download its detailed map data files ahead of leaving home (or any wifi zone) for wherever you want to track yourself, but once you’ve done that you can track yourself all the way across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver on the Canadian one stop at a time, along exactly the tracks you’ll be on. Go ahead and ask me how I know this! I know this because that is precisely what I did when I did that trip in 2019.

I’ve used maps.me to find my way down twisty streets from the Deutsche Bahn station in Passau to the church I was headed for for an organ recital. I’ve used it to follow hiking trails from Wengen down to Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland. And on and on and on. It’s great.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I strongly suggest you consider an app called maps.me. It uses GPS exclusively. It needs zero wifi or cellular service. You do need to download its detailed map data files ahead of leaving home (or any wifi zone) for wherever you want to track yourself, but once you’ve done that you can track yourself all the way across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver on the Canadian one stop at a time, along exactly the tracks you’ll be on. Go ahead and ask me how I know this! I know this because that is precisely what I did when I did that trip in 2019.

I’ve used maps.me to find my way down twisty streets from the Deutsche Bahn station in Passau to the church I was headed for for an organ recital. I’ve used it to follow hiking trails from Wengen down to Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland. And on and on and on. It’s great.

thanks. I’ll check it out.

 

[joelkfla]

I use a Garmin hand held GPS intended for hiking, etc. It can be set to NOT stay on roads. I download free Open Street Maps topo maps and pre-load them on to the GPS. I use the Amtrak stations on my route as waypoints and create a point-to-point route using the stations. I do not use the GPS to try and navigate myself but rather follow along as I travel. I let the GPS run 24/7 to record (tracklog) the entire trip for later use including geotagging my photos.

I agree, Google maps are terrible for showing rail lines...they are there but are difficult to see.

Here is my Garmin GPSMAP 64S on the Southwest Chief last July. Next point is NDL (Needles, CA) and we are 109 miles from there.

Here's my GPS on a Mississippi River Cruise last august...

The only issues there are that the screen is relatively tiny, and those handheld units cost at least double the price of a basic automotive unit. But if you already own one and have good eyes, sounds like a great option.

 

[dadonatrain]

If your iPad was not purchased with the cellular option then it will probably not have the circuitry required for GPS. It can try to triangulate your location based on terrestrial signals but this will be slow and choppy by comparison. There are external GPS devices that be added through Bluetooth at a cost of $100+ but I have not tried them.

I’m not a techie at all but I have a normal regular iPad that does,have wifi and does not have cell service and I have used maps.me with however it and my iPad use GPS for nearly a decade now. I’ve never once not been able to see the little blue icon for me where I am, anywhere I’ve ever gone, with just the iPad and wifi and maps.me. I’m assuming some sort of GPS is what makes this all possible, since I know I’ve used maps.me seamlessly without cell or wifi, in the wilds of Ontario for example, but maybe it’s really some other technical magic I simply don’t understand.

Bottom line: maps.me shows me wherever I am.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I’m not a techie at all but I have a normal regular iPad that does,have wifi and does not have cell service and I have used maps.me with however it and my iPad use GPS for nearly a decade now. I’ve never once not been able to see the little blue icon for me where I am, anywhere I’ve ever gone, with just the iPad and wifi and maps.me. I’m assuming some sort of GPS is what makes this all possible, since I know I’ve used maps.me seamlessly without cell or wifi, in the wilds of Ontario for example, but maybe it’s really some other technical magic I simply don’t understand. Bottom line: maps.me shows me wherever I am.

In the Apple world GPS functionality is tied to cellular radio circuitry.¹ Even if the cellular service is disabled or cancelled the GPS functionality remains. iPads (and iPods) that were purchased as WiFi-only cannot use GPS because they're missing required circuitry unless you buy an external device. That being said WiFi-only iPads can still approximate your location so long as they can detect a mix of terrestrial signals with known coordinates.² This process does not require a data connection and is only interacting with WiFi signals in a passive sense. In a metro area WiFi triangulation can provide a reasonably speedy approximation but it's too slow and imprecise for tasks like turn-by-turn navigation in a vehicle.

1. This is probably due to GPS receivers being integrated with cellular chips but not WiFi chips.
2. The coordinates of nearly every standards-compliant radio signal have been mapped worldwide.

 

[dadonatrain]

Ok. Cool. Thx for explaining it for me. I had just assumed my iPad had some GPS capability for maps.me to work like it does. Either way, it works for me and that’s what matters for me!

 

[ScottR]

Likewise did not know this…as i type it from my iPAD….that is apparently cell and WI-FI enabled. it’s a company thing, so no bills come to me, or I guess I might have known!. Anyway ive used the maps tracking feature a lot on the train and it’s a lot of fun.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

To close the loop a little on this, I downloaded maps.me and also downloaded the entire USA map set to my iPad. My iPad is definitely NOT cellular capable.

I made sure that the iPad WiFi was enabled and started the maps.me app. Then I got in my car and started driving around my small, rural town.
My location did indeed show on the map. And it did indeed update my location as I moved. Somewhat...

It was not a smooth location update as I drove around town. The location would typically move along in a jerky manner. It also didn't always follow a street. It moved into areas with houses, fields, shopping centers, etc. as I moved.

It's pretty clear to me that it was picking up signals now and then and updating the location based on those signals. But the location is not always accurate.

I'm pretty sure that it is detecting WiFi signals now and then as I drove by houses, stores, etc. that had WiFi. Even though I was not "connecting" to those WiFi signals (I don't know their passwords), it can still use the WiFi signal itself to determine an APPROXIMATE location, which maps.me then renders on the map.

All-in-all, on my iPad, the experience I had in my car was less than acceptable to me so I will not be taking that app with me on my Amtrak trip. I will just go with my mobile GPS device.

@dadonatrain - I suspect you saw good results due to one of a couple possible reasons. 1) You may actually have a cellular-capable iPad for some reason and don't know it or 2) On the trains, there may be enough WiFi signals coming in that it was able to leverage those even without you attaching to them, much like when I drove around town. If there are multiple people using their phones as a Wi-Fi hotspot for example, that might be enough for your iPad to latch on to. I would think that the more WiFi's in the area, the better estimation of location would be. I don't know. I'm just glad you were able to use it successfully.

 

[Ryan]

This article explains how the whole Wi-Fi location thing works. Short but informative read.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

There are external GPS devices that be added through Bluetooth at a cost of $100+ but I have not tried them.

iPads (and iPods) that were purchased as WiFi-only cannot use GPS because they're missing required circuitry unless you buy an external device.

Here is the kind of external GPS device I was talking about in the comments above.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006M49G80/
If anyone wants to go this route I would recommend confirming it will work with your version of iOS beforehand.