GarminGLO 2 GPS and GLONASS Receiver for Precise Position Information on Mobile Devices, Black

I bought the Garmin GLO2 for use with a six year old non-cellular iPad to provide navigation. I first thought Apple would allow the GPS signal from an iphone to be sent to a non-cellular iPad but of course they do not and there is no way of using the iphone GPS data that Apple is willing to disclose. After seeing a couple of other solutions I went for the Garmin because of their GPS history and experience.The instructions are not comprehensive. The unit pairs easily enough over Bluetooth. The blue LED goes from flashing to solid when it is paired.The flashing green LED took five minutes to find a satellite fix the first time I turned it on. When it had found the fix it turned to a solid green.On charging the amber light flashes until the battery is fully charged .If like me, you put the device on to charge and it's hunting for satellites then the green and amber lights flash alternatively. It's both charging and hunting for satellites. Makes sense. But the instructions say that green and amber flashing alternately means you either have a faulty battery or a system error. So there was five minutes of buyers remorse until the green light turned solid. Now there's a solid green and a flashing amber until fully charged.After pairing I brought up Motionx-GPS - surely the best navigation app on the market at the moment. I use it for navigating around on some of the nearby lakes. The app allows you to choose the method of location fixing: GPS, WIFI or manual. I turned off the WiFi and then I hit the GPS soft button and within a couple of seconds the signal strength for GPS appeared and fixed my position within 98 feet (the app said). I'm not sure where the accuracy number is coming from. However I have left the tracking function working on the app for 30 minutes and the app is showing movement of about 40 feet in a straight line even though the device is sitting on my desk.In terms of the specifications I would probably have given it 2 stars. Cold Start 60s - no - more like five minutes. Accuracy 3m - no - 30 minutes of use shows a track deviation of 40 feet and my app, however it is getting the accuracy data, says 98 feet.BTW turning on Wifi on the iPad improves the accuracy to 33 feet. I'll take the unit on road trip to see if that changes as soon as we are out of WiFi range and let you know the result.But for $99 i now have a working navigation system on a big screen and a new use for an old iPad. I'm happy enough it works with a non-garmin app.Edit on October 15th 2019 - I've used the GLO 2 for a few months now and it's performed well. For whatever reason the Motion-X app now shows the accuracy is 16 feet. I've written to Motion-X asking them how they calculate the accuracy but I've not received a reply. I agree with one of the other posts that it really needs an accurate battery level indicator. I would pay an extra $10 if the device had this. On another point I don't understand why Apple doesn't allow the export of the GPS location over Bluetooth - any clever people out there who could explain if this is achievable?

Used it on a sailboat with iPad and Navionics app. It remained connected and tracked flawlessly. A free GPS utility showed that accuracy was 5 m but my estimate is more like 3 m judging by the tracks I recorded with respect to known roads and trails. I also used it with Gaia GPS and AllTrails apps for hiking with my iPhone and it worked flawlessly again.Battery life is good too. It lasted more than 9.5 hours (that was the longest leg of our sailing trip). My only minor gripe is the charging speed. It takes 4+ hours. It wasn’t an issue for me this trip and I charged it overnight but on longer trips it could be an issue.I didn’t test this extensively but I believe it remains connected and tracking while charging so if you have access to a charging port or backup battery, you can use it longer.One final remark, when using with iPhone, the phone doesn’t discharge as fast because the internal GPS chip isn’t used (or not as much). When I used the iPhone without the Garmin GPS, it would run out of charge in half the time.

This device is an absolute game-changer, providing precise position information right on my mobile device. This technology ensures that I always have accurate location data, even in remote areas or dense urban environments. The setup was a breeze, and the device seamlessly connects to my smartphone, providing real-time updates and reliable navigation. Whether I'm hiking, driving, or exploring new cities, the Garmin GLO 2 has become an indispensable companion for my outdoor adventures. I highly recommend it to anyone in need of reliable and precise position information on their mobile devices.

I almost purchased another Ipad due to not knowing this item was a thing. After easily connecting it to Bluetooth my stress was gone! I have now a GPS enabled offline maps device for on road and offroad! as an offroader this give me the sense of safety knowing im being tracked correctly. This is much better than just using you phone! my phone GPS doe not update nearly as fast using this device! its amazing!!!! only thing I do not like is the cheap power button that it has. It sucks to operate it and it sucks how you have to hold down to turn it on and at times it lags to turn off. Thankfully it came with everything you need to charge it. I would highly recommend this device to anyone.

Use it for navigation with an old non-WiFi iPad. Because it is glonass + gps it works in places that your phone doesn’t - because phones are AGPS not GPS.

We've used this tiny GPS receiver in our Bonanza on several flights. It has worked very well and is accurate to within 4 meters, laterally. The battery is rated for 13 hours. It quickly pairs with our I-Pad Mini 6 and it's accuracy is great with Foreflight.We decided on this GPS unit so we could purchase the less expensive model I-Pad Mini6 without built in GPS. We researched the I-Pad with built-in GPS and many Pilots have had issues with getting a good GPS signal in the cabin. Not so with this Garmin unit. I place it on the dash for it to pick-up the satellites and once it pairs with the I-Pad, it is placed out of the sunlight and into a door handle recess. It continues to function just fine even though it is in a door pocket of our plane. Beware, this device WILL overheat in direct sunlight and shut-down. It cannot live on the dashboard of your plane. Highly recommended!