Ipad & InReach - a 30 day field test of navigation and communications

[4lowdean]

Great write up!

[agavelvr]

This doesn't happen on either of my iPads 3G - 1st or 2nd gen... Motion X setup allows various levels of multitasking - what was your setting? Also it looks like you were using a passive track in the screen shots.

Attachment 111545

I had it set to optimized and had the track recorder on, not sure why it loses track of its track when you switch apps. Perhaps it has something to do with running MotionX with other mapping programs simultaneously. It would be great if I can get this thing set up to record a track while it is in the background, as MotionX is an easier track and waypoint manager than my handheld GPS I'll play with it some more and report back.

[RobRed]

I run 3-4 mapping apps at a time without issue.

I'm wondering if iOS suspends the input from the external GPS receiver to the foreground only??? Any way you can tell if other apps are do the same thing when in the back ground?

I'll email my contact at motion X and ask about it from their perspective.

Edit: You were trying to record a track (with track recording on) at the time you backgrounded the app right? It would have appeared as a red line.

[RobRed]

Jeff it just occurred to me that the Multitasking settings in Motion X are probably only for an internal GPS receiver... I guess we will find out. I emailed FullPower for an opinion.

[agavelvr]

Edit: You were trying to record a track (with track recording on) at the time you backgrounded the app right? It would have appeared as a red line.

Yes. The photos of motionx I posted featured the "realtime track", but the problem occured while using track recording as well. I'll have to play with the various settings and see if I can figure out what is causing the problem. Fortunately, it's not too big of an issue, as we keep the nav software up the vast majority of the time.

I'm wondering if iOS suspends the input from the external GPS receiver to the foreground only??? Any way you can tell if other apps are do the same thing when in the back ground?

That might be the case, as the external GPS is not immediately available when I switch back to the Dual GPS management app. It takes a few seconds for the app and the GPS to reunite when switching between apps. I do not have any other mapping apps that record a track at this time, I'll have to load another one up to test...any recommendations to try out?

[RobRed]

Jeff - Can you answer me back on these - here or PM?

Just got this from my Motion X contact:

Hi Rob,

Good to hear from you again. Some of our team members tried to reproduce on a wifi only iPad with both the Dual X GPS and the Bad Elf GPS. All of our testing showed the app properly following our location with the app backgrounded, recording a track and the multitasking set to optimized. However, we would like to get to the bottom of what is happening. If you have some direct contact with the user we have a few questions.

1. Are they recording their realtime track on the map (indicated with a blue track line), or are you using the Track Recorder to log a track (indicated with a red track line)?
2. If they are using the track recorder, does the track stop recording the moment MotionX-GPS HD is backgrounded or does it take a while?
3. At any point does the location services arrow disappear from the iPad's status bar?
4. Which version of the iPad are you running iPad 1, 2 or the new iPad?
5. What iOS are you using?

It would be helpful if the user could acquire a GPS signal, start a track recording (Menu >> Record Track), background the app, travel a certain distance, launch MotionX-GPS HD and note how long (time/distance) you were able to record a track before it stopped.

I look forward to hearing from you and getting to the bottom of this issue.

[targa88]

Jeff,
Great write up.
Thx for the heads up on the benchmark maps. Will try them out.
I have been using GAIA topo for my offroading with my iPad 2.
Debating whether I will renew my SPOT II or try something different

[agavelvr]

Jeff - Can you answer me back on these - here or PM?

Just got this from my Motion X contact:

I just returned from running some errands and did some testing before reading your post
We must have had the multitasking set to "optimized" rather than "always on", because with "always on" set, I did not experience the problem. I even backgrounded motionx, launched a different mapping app, and turned the screen off...motionx was still able to record a track several miles down the road.

Chalk this one up to user error Thanks for jumping into the conversation.

[RobRed]

Good that it's working but even in "optimized" it should still continue to track if you are recording a track. I leave realtime updates on all the time to keep it alive if I'm not recording.

[Vegakat]

Great report Jeff, very helpful, thanks for taking the time to post it for us!