It's a heavyhanded solution, but if you jailbreak your phone, there are a bunch of utility apps that add shortcuts to options in the control panel. Apple won't allow those apps in the real app store though.
Iphone topo maps apps
- Thread starter preacherman
- Start date
It's a heavyhanded solution, but if you jailbreak your phone, there are a bunch of utility apps that add shortcuts to options in the control panel. Apple won't allow those apps in the real app store though.
You can buy a wifi GPS device to use with the touch - http://www.g-fi.com/gfi/index.php
I haven't tried it, but it looks cool.
Apple released an API so hardware developers could use the port on the iPhone and iPod touch in June. So I'd bet some wired external GPSes will be available in a few months. Probably will end up being better than the iPhone for signal quality and battery life.
off-roader
Expedition Leader
Interesting... I'm currently using a netbook for GPS duties off road but this is definitely an interesting alternative to consider.
I guess I'd like most of the features of an Iphone (gps, camera, etc.) without the expense of their phone plan (I'm on Verizon through work anyway).
NWoods, the application costs $2.99 and you would like a trial version? Even if the program turns out to be horrible, it is worth spending $2.99.
I bought it earlier today and after spending about 5 minutes with it, the program seems decent. I'll definitely put it to use later.
I bought it earlier today and after spending about 5 minutes with it, the program seems decent. I'll definitely put it to use later.
Scott Brady
Founder
Anna,
thanks for stopping by and posting the APP. I just downloaded it.
I do have a technical question for you though. It appears that the GPS in the iPhone only works correctly if the phone has been left on in a coverage area and then moves to an area without cell coverage. The GPS seems to work fine then.
For example, if I shut my phone off and start it in the middle of nowhere Utah, with no cell coverage, the GPS will never acquire sats.
That has just been my experience, no evidence or research otherwise to support it. Maybe you have some suggestions or ideas to help.
winkosmosis
Explorer
expeditionswest, I cancelled phone service for my iPhone, and discovered that it now takes longer to get a fix.. But it does work.
It uses cell tower triangulation to get a very imprecise location, then it uses that data to help it get a GPS satellite fix. Without that ability it happens to be slower than a regular GPS unit. Staying still helps.
It uses cell tower triangulation to get a very imprecise location, then it uses that data to help it get a GPS satellite fix. Without that ability it happens to be slower than a regular GPS unit. Staying still helps.
winkosmosis
Explorer
I bought the Topo Maps app and it's great. I just went outside and got a fix within about 20 seconds. Some apps do seem to work faster than others...
It's kind of surreal seeing your exact location on a USGS topo, and the iPhone interface makes it really usable.
I do wish you could select an area of quads to download though, instead of having to download each manually. Tiling them together would be nice too, but that would take more processing power.
So when is someone going to create GIS software for the iPhone?
It's kind of surreal seeing your exact location on a USGS topo, and the iPhone interface makes it really usable.
I do wish you could select an area of quads to download though, instead of having to download each manually. Tiling them together would be nice too, but that would take more processing power.
So when is someone going to create GIS software for the iPhone?
I've experienced that a couple of times, like the location unit is just frozen. Totally rebooting the phone will resolve it for me. I don't think it's an issue of no cell coverage, I think it's some bug in the iphone's location code.
It can take the iphone a long time get a gps lock if corelocation is totally off. The triangluation location from cell towers comes in first. Outside my house, I usually get a triangulation signal in about 15 seconds, a +/- 256 ft gps signal at about 40 seconds, and a +/-56 feet about a minute. This varies with location and conditions of course. And apps have different thresholds on what accuracy they require, which is some of the difference in location time that Winkomosis noted. But it's probably more based on the state of corelocation when the app starts than the particular app, since all apps use the same iphone library to get the location.
Gaia GPS will show your location on the map as soon as it gets any location, but won't allow recording a track until the signal is from the GPS and better.
winkosmosis
Explorer
When I checked the other day Gaia wasn't on the app store. When will it be up? I want to buy it and compare to Topo Maps
Scott Brady
Founder
Thanks for the feedback Anna.
chet
island Explorer
I am planning on purchasing an itouch so I have been looking at GPs and found this!
http://www.orangegadgets.com/ they carry a GPS that plugs into the port on the touch/iphone! You can charge your device through it as well. cool little gadget for $80
http://www.orangegadgets.com/ they carry a GPS that plugs into the port on the touch/iphone! You can charge your device through it as well. cool little gadget for $80
dustboy
Explorer
I have a 1G Touch that is collecting dust since we got our iPhones. If this gizmo has better sensitivity than the iPhone 3G, then it might turn my Touch into a dedicated GPS.
I'm a little wary of gadgets from lesser-known companies, sometimes the long-term support is not reliable. Also, for this gadget you have to jailbreak your device, which means no more software updates or genius bar support.
winkosmosis
Explorer
I used it today in Sam Houston NF. Worked great, after I got a fix with Motion X GPS.
The ability to tile multiple quads is really handy for navigation. I do wish it updated location constantly.
The ability to tile multiple quads is really handy for navigation. I do wish it updated location constantly.