Bring along a Bad Elf, because taking the right line matters!
Photograph by Jesse S.
It doesn’t matter if you are trying to get to the top of a mountain or shave a tenth of a second off your lap time, taking the right line is critical. A Bad Elf GPS for racing and offroading helps you record accurate tracks of your runs and provides extremely accurate current position information. Your favorite racing and offroading apps collect this accurate position information from the Bad Elf GPS. Once you have this information you can plan your offroad assaults and find where you can shave those precious tenths from your lap times.
We collected a list of apps and accessories to enhance your racing and offroading adventures. If you come across and app or accessory that we should add to this list, please let us know about it using the feedback link.
There are two main types of accessories for using your iOS device when racing or off-roading. The first group help to secure your iOS device, so that extreme forces don’t send it flying. The second group provides power from your vehicle to your iOS device, so that you don’t drain your battery.
Mounting Accessories
Much like with dedicated single purpose navigation units, there are a variety of ways to mount your iOS device in your vehicle. There are options that use a suction cup on the windshield. There are options that use a suction cup on a weighted base that is placed on the dashboard. There are other options that are based on a stand placed into a cup holder. When selecting a mounting accessory for racing and off-roading, the most important factor is the stability of the mount. Racers and off-roaders can experience tremendous forces that aren’t present in normal driving. While there are many vehicle mounts options for your daily-driver, there are only a few that stand up well to the stress of racing and off-roading. RAM Mount makes some of the toughest most durable mounting solutions in the market.
We recommend that you visit RAM Mount’s site and use the Apple Wizard to pick a mounting base that fits your vehicle and a cradle that fits your iOS device.
Power Accessories
Your Bad Elf GPS includes a micro USB cable to provide power to your iOS device from an external power source, such as your vehicle. You will need to look at your vehicle to determine if you need one of these adapters in order to provide power. Some newer vehicles include USB power outlets and will work out of the box, while older vehicles will require purchase of a cigarette lighter power to USB adapter. Please note that the iPad requires more power than the iPhone or iPod touch to charge. If you own an iPad, make sure to select a USB adapter specifically designed for the iPad.
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Scosche reVIVE II Dual USB Car Charger for iPad |
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Kensington PowerBolt Duo Car Charger (K33497US) |
Newer cars may also have a standard power plug or even a USB power plug point. If your vehicle includes a USB plug for power, you do not need any adapters, you will be able to plug the micro USB cable directly into the vehicle. If your vehicle has a standard (wall) power plug for your country, then you only need a USB adapter compatible with your country’s plug design. The following adapters are for US style power plugs, so be sure to pick the equivalent adapter for your country.
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Apple USB Power Adapter (MB352LL/C) for iPod touch and iPhone |
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Apple 10W USB Power Adapter for iPad |
Racing and Offroading Reviews
- ExpeditionPortal Forum, “Bad Elf GPS for iPad” (11/23/2010)
General Bad Elf Reviews
- Amazon Reviews (various)
- Cio.com, Finding yourself with a Bad Elf (12/2/2011)
- Pocket GPS World, Bad Elf iOS GPS Dongle Review (9/7/2011)
- About.com, Easy GPS Upgrade for iPad, iPod (5/28/2011)
- Wired Gadget Lab, “Tiny Dock-Dongle Adds GPS to iPad, iPod Touch” (10/19/2010)
- Geeky Gadgets, “Bad Elf Adds GPS to iPad and iPod” (10/18/2010)
- Engadget Germany, “Bad Elf Dongle bringt GPS auf iPad und iPod touch” (10/18/2010)
