Yes, iHikeGPS works fully as a native iPad App as well as an iPhone App. Apple installs a GPS chip in the 3G version of the iPad only. Thus, all features of iHikeGPS will work with the iPad 3G. The Wi-Fi-only version does NOT have a GPS chip, but supports map download and viewing.

24K Quad Topo Maps are huge 34 to 65 megapixel images, which take seconds to process given the speed of the iPhone's processor. A spinning activity indicator will show in the upper right corner of the iPhone when the map cache is updating. This takes longer on the original iPhone 3G than it does on the speedier iPhone 3GS and iPad. Wait to give iHikeGPS further commands until the activity indicator is no longer visible.

A “Go To” Waypoint is a waypoint indicating your planned destination. It can be either the final destination of your hike or some important place along your way.

To set a “Go To” waypoint:

1. Create a Waypoint: See Pictorial Tutorials for easy-to-follow directions.
2. Choose this Waypoint from the list on the Waypoints page. Tap the Waypoint name, then tap the “Go To” button. It will appear in green on the list.
3. Tap the “My Location” button on the bottom of the screen.
4. When you have a “Go To” Waypoint set, a green line is shown on the map from your current location to that Waypoint. On the top of the screen, the following info is displayed: straight-line distance from where you are to the “Go To” Waypoint, the bearing in degrees from true north, and the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) at the Waypoint. The ETA will not appear until you have hiked a couple of minutes, as it uses your average speed as a determining factor.
5. The ETA is based on the assumption that the trail ahead is like the trail you have traveled thus far. If the trail characteristics change, this reading will eventually adjust automatically based on the current terrain.
6. To cancel the “Go To” Waypoint, go to the Waypoints page, tap on the “Go To” Waypoint, then tap the “Cancel Go To” button.

If you put the iPhone in your pocket or buried in your back pack while recording a track, your body or items in your pack may partially block GPS satellite signal reception. Sometimes that may not matter, but if you are already in an area with heavy tree cover, near the bottom of a narrow canyon, or in some other situation where GPS signal reception is more difficult, avoiding any further blocking of the GPS signal becomes important. A number of companies make arm-band holders for the iPhone which not only gets the iPhone out away from your body where it will have the best reception, but also gives you the hands-free ability to glance at the map on your iPhone screen whenever you want. Do a Google search for “iPhone armbands”.

To view a map for somewhere other than your current location, follow these steps:

1. Tap the "Map List" button.
2. Download the map to the iPhone using one of the methods shown on the Need a Map? Pictorial Tutorial web page.
3. Scroll to the map you just downloaded.
4. Tap the map name.
5. A check mark will appear next to the name indicating that is the map you will view.
6. Tap the "My Location" button.
7. You will be viewing your chosen map, starting in the center of the map. Pan and zoom to the area on the map that you want to see. Often the easiest way to do this is to tap 4 times to view the whole map, then zoom in on the desired area.
8. To resume viewing your current location, tap the "My Location" button with the map showing.

Under normal operating conditions, the GPS chip in the iPhone or iPad 3G receives signals from at least 4 GPS satellites to calculate the 4 parameters of latitude, longitude, elevation, and time. Sometimes, in a narrow canyon, thick vegetation, or an overhanging cliff, reception of 4 satellite signals may be impossible. When the GPS chip is receiving only 3 satellite signals, it assumes that the altitude stays constant, allowing it to still calculate the changing latitude, longitude, and time. During this period, the elevation profile graph will be flat. Once the GPS chip is receiving 4 or more satellite signals again, the altitude reading will re-register your current elevation. You can reduce the chances of not receiving enough satellite signals by keeping the iPhone or iPad 3G in full view of a clear sky, unblocked by anything shielding it, such as your body or metal or water-filled items.

To record tracks, you must leave the screen on because the GPS chip function of the iPhone is turned off when you put it to sleep. However you can turn off several other settings to reduce the iPhone's drain on its battery. Adjust the following settings in Apple's “Settings” App:

• Tap Wi-Fi, then Turn off Wi-Fi.
• Tap Fetch New Data, then turn off “Push”. Tap Fetch: Manually.
• Tap General, then tap Network, turn off “Enable 3G”.
• Tap General, then tap Bluetooth, turn Bluetooth off.
• Tap General, then tap Auto-Lock. Tap Never.
• Tap Brightness, then turn down the screen brightness to the lowest acceptable level.

Also:

• Switch to the Track screen when you are not actually looking at the map, and then use the iPhone's proximity sensor to dim the screen. If you put the iPhone in your pocket, or put the upper left corner of the face of the iPhone against some object, the proximity sensor will turn off the screen illumination, as it does when you hold the phone up to your ear during a phone call.
• Put the iPhone to sleep when you stop for lunch or to enjoy the views. Don't forget to wake the iPhone before resuming your hike.

If you follow all the steps above and start with a freshly charged battery, you may be able to record a Track for about 4-5 hours of actual hiking.

No. iPhone and the iPad 3G models: iHikeGPS uses the GPS chip that is built into these models. It cannot receive GPS data from any other source.

No. iPod Touch (2nd generation) or iPad WiFi-only models: external Bluetooth GPS will not work on these models. iHikeGPS maps can be downloaded and viewed, but the current-location and track-recording features will not work due to Apple's lack of a GPS chip designed into these models.

No. MacGPS Pro was created to take advantage of the computer's large screen, mouse, keyboard, menus, and huge data storage resources to augment an external GPS receiver.

iHikeGPS was freshly built from the ground up to work the way that people use their iPhones. However, our new creation of iHikeGPS does benefit from our years of experience in producing great GPS software.