GPS Cardinal app for iPhone and iPad

4.6 ( 6436 ratings )

Navigation Lifestyle
Developer: Parametrix Software

Free

Current version: 1.2, last update: 7 years ago
First release : 03 Sep 2008
App size: 5.75 Mb

GPS Cardinal is a GPS compass for the iPhone 3G which also provides a wealth of other navigation information.

The application presents a beautiful compass rose which rotates to show your direction of travel, which is reinforced by a heading readout at the top of the screen. Also provided is your current speed, distance and average speed since the application was started along with the accuracy of the information being provided by the in-built GPS.

The accuracy is important, in order to prevent erroneous information being presented, the application will only update when the accuracy is sufficient. Best reception can be achieved by having direct line of sight to the sky (e.g. outdoors without tall buildings or trees). The accuracy figure changes color, red to show it is too inaccurate to be used, amber to show the accuracy is sufficient to update the application but anomalies in the navigation information may occur and green to show good accuracy is being achieved.

Also available is your latitude and longitude, current altitude and the accuracy of that altitude. There are also four fields of navigation information which do not get reset when the application is quit. These show total overall distance, total average speed, maximum altitude achieved and maximum speed reached.

Features :-

* GPS compass (as it is GPS based it will only show a heading when you are moving)
* Works when driving or walking.
* Current speed, distance travelled since launch, average speed since launch, latitude and longitude displayed.
* Total distance, average speed, maximum speed and maximum altitude are retained and displayed until user reset.
* Settings allow different units for speed, distance and altitude.
* Metric units are selected in the settings area of your iPhone, not in the application. From the iPhone home screen press settings, scroll to the bottom and select Cardinal. From there you can select the units you want.
* See your position on a map.

Pros and cons of GPS Cardinal app for iPhone and iPad

GPS Cardinal app good for

Works exactly as described and shows your position and speed pretty accurately. Remember - it’s not a magnetic compass and you have to move for the application to start working.

This was exactly what I was looking for. Speed, heading, and altitude all work as well as can be expected on a GPS like the iPhones. Not perfect but good enough and very easy to use.

Some bad moments

Has a nice interface but simply does nothing. NOTHING ! Clearly it is not ready for distribution.

Slow, unresponsive on the rare occasion when it does something. Most of the time - nada. Oh well, Ive blown more than .99 on bubble gum.

Im in downtown LA, and the program refuses to work. While I appreciate the want for accuracy, Id rather an approximate location than none at all.

Does not work in Minneapolis either even though maps knows where I am

My goal was to replace my Garmin GPS on walks during which I like to chart distance, speed, etc. Im afraid GPS Cardinal is not yet up to the task. We began todays hike under an open sky. Cardinal quickly turned the accuracy indicator green and the compass reset. It worked well until I walked under minimal tree cover. The indicator turned red and updating ceased. The Garmin GPS has no issues with all but the most dense tree cover. When I emerged from the trees, Cardinal began to read out again. I slipped the iPhone into my outside shirt pocket where it should have had a clear view of the sky. However, the distance indicator never registered, even after more than a mile walk. Unless Cardinal will work with less satellite signal, as several other mapping Apps do, it is only useable when hiking if you have a full view of the sky and are willing to hold the iPhone in your hand during your entire walk.

good idea, good looking, could be well of use if it would work. Installed it twice but nothing works?!? If it would work id like to have the possibility to switch to kilometers and km/h instead of only miles and m/h ( european citizen ). One star for now, will try again after the hopefully soon to come update.

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