Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)
  • Ipod Touch and Magellan Toughcase – Reasonable GPS device??
  • toys19
    Free Member

    I am in the lucky position to have been given a late model ipod touch (which as far as I can see is an iphone without a phone/3g/gps) . It does not have on board GPS but with the addition of the magellan toughcase (review here) it can be made into a gps device. Has anyone any experience, specifically, of using the Ipod Touch with this GPS case add on? Is it any good. I’m thinking of splashing the 142 quid for the case to make my free ipod touch useful as a gps tracker and navigation device..

    Is it worth it?

    I’ve looked around and for 150 quid you can get basic bryton or garmins, but no colour screen etc,, and the toughcase has the advantage of being v tough reasonably waterproof, and can use the ipods other features like wireless and apps etc.

    Love and kisses in advance..

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    id buy a garmin.

    Frankers
    Free Member

    How does the case make the iPod touch into a GPS device??

    Touch doesn’t have 3G

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    jam-bo
    Full Member

    How does the case make the iPod touch into a GPS device??

    Touch doesn’t have 3G

    are those two statements related?

    hobbitfeet
    Free Member

    The iPod touch doesn’t have 3G and therefor does not have gps.

    You could use a Bluetooth gps dongle though.

    Edit: I really should read the whole post. That would work quiet well I would imagine.

    toys19
    Free Member

    Yes as hobbitfeet says if you read the post you might notice that I said – the touch doesnt have 3g, or gps.

    The magellan toughcase however has a gps chip built in..

    Also does gps require 3g (as far as I know, like my old tomtom didnt have a sim card?)

    geoffj
    Full Member

    Also GPS does not require 3g.

    True, but on some apple devices the GPS and 3G chip come together- e.g. my first gen wifi only iPad doesn’t have GPS, but the 3g ones do.

    Either way, I think I’d rather have a Garmin.

    toys19
    Free Member

    so jambo and geoffj, why would you rather have a garmin?

    geoffj
    Full Member

    so jambo and geoffj, why would you rather have a garmin?

    The Garmin is designed from the start to work as a GPS (most of them are anyway), the Touch is a games/media player with the capability of running / working with a GPS – it’s going to be a compromise.

    Don’t get me wrong, I use the GPS on my iPhone 4 with Google Maps and ViewRanger, when I’m out and about, but for serious use, I’d prefer to use a dedicated unit.

    Tiger6791
    Full Member

    Stick some GPS software on it.

    Put it in a plastic zip lock bag

    Gaffer tape it to the handle bars

    Try it (taking a bit more care than usual)

    If you like it shell out on the proper case

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    I’ve got one of these bluetooth gps receiver things;

    http://globalpocket.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/holux-gpslim-236-bluetooth-gps-with.html

    which shoudl work witht he touch if it has bluetooth

    can just bung it in a camelbak pouch (suitablky wrapped in clingfilm etc) and then use whatever mapping software you want – the memory map free one’s ok.

    £20 posted?

    toys19
    Free Member

    wwaswas – you get the prize for the best post so far. Sold.
    is your email in profile, if not mine is. edit – emailed you thanks.

    geoffj- I had thought this too, I just wondered if anyone had used this unit and could relate real world experience of the touch/toughcase combo, rather than just speculate as effectively as me.. 😛

    tiger6791 – the issue is that the ipod touch doesnt have a gps chip so your helpful suggestion won’t work.

    Tiger6791
    Full Member

    tiger6791 – the issue is that the ipod touch doesnt have a gps chip so your helpful suggestion won’t work

    Arrgh I am a dumbass then

    oliverd1981
    Free Member

    I bought a magellan toughcase for my GF’s touch, but seeing as the chalet we were staying in in austra didn’t have wifi I never got it set up right. Normally I’m not allowed to use the touch, to find out if this combo is any good or not is going to cost me an iphone.

    Nice case though – the extra battery capacity is most welcome, would go nicelly onto a handlebar mount. Paid less than £100 for it too.

    handybendyhendo
    Free Member

    [/url]

    So, I have an iTouch and chose the above as a bluetooth gps device…..works great tucked into one of the small inside pockets on the camelbak……battery life is very good and often lasts 2-3 rides……

    Magellan was expensive and poor customer service when I asked a compatibility question….

    handybendyhendo
    Free Member

    oooh I balls-ed that link up doing the same that I was doing yesterday and it worked…..anyhoos…..google ‘gns5870’

    enjoy

    toys19
    Free Member

    Paid less than £100 for it too.

    Where?

    oliverd1981
    Free Member

    Zazdas

    whereabouts are you – you could have a borrow of mine while I wait for my GF’s touch to come available…

    toys19
    Free Member

    I’m in devon? Exeter..
    I saw that zazdas site, do they pay all the taxes n stuff, how quick?

    oliverd1981
    Free Member

    zazdas were more reliable and quicker than I thought – all taxes etc. sorted. Took 10 to 14 days maybe.

    toys19
    Free Member

    OK good to know. You are not anywhere near Exeter then? 🙁

    Frankers
    Free Member

    jam bo – Member
    How does the case make the iPod touch into a GPS device??
    Touch doesn’t have 3G
    are those two statements related?

    I thought but maybe I’m wrong that the iPhone relies on wifi and 3G for triangulation from cell towers for your position.

    Quote
    Apple explains that the iPhone 3G and all later models also use “wi-fi hotspots and cellular towers to get the most accurate location fast” when GPS is not the most convenient method of location detection. The iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S additionally have an integrated digital compass to also provide the direction one is facing, which is quite useful when combined with mapping software.

    oliverd1981
    Free Member

    not anywhere near Exeter then

    I dunno – I don’t have a GPS :S

    Seriouslly though – no – will see if I can have a go of the touch over the weekend and I’ll let you know my thoughts.

    toys19
    Free Member

    Nice one cheers

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    apologies re: the gps thing. should have checked first 😳

    toys19
    Free Member

    wwaswas no worries!

Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)

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