GPS- navigation unit or iPad?

[Joe917]

OP to be aware of that known brands have very good quality and sensitive GPS chips which are quicker in locking to GPS satellites. While many unknown brands can have A-GPS (assisted GPS) chip which uses cell tower information to speed up this process. these devices may have weak GPS receivers that can have poor (or no) ability to lock GPS satellites by themselves and require A-GPS to actually work properly. These types will be useless in offroad situation where is no mobile reception.
The Samsung has a built in GPS. In 3 years from Labrador to Baja to Alaska it has never failed to work.

 

[gait]

probably getting off topic .... here's some sand samples from the desert, aligned relative to where they were found. The origin of the sand is in the south (at least its deposited there by an intermittent creek system), it moves north, oxidising (and becoming darker) along the way. There are two prevailing winds, roughly SE and SW which results in dunes aligned in parallel lines south to north.

The xgody gps that can have oziexplorer loaded have gps chips. For my laptop I have a 10 year old gps usb dongle.

 

[LoupGarou]

Can't beat a device that can show you where your at, point you with directions to where you want to go and if you have tracking turned on and displayed, where you've been, ALL at the same time.

 

[SkiFreak]

I have GPS devices, but I must admit to not being a big fan of them. Yes, they definitely have their benefits, but I am still happier looking at a "real" map.
Too many years out bush with a map and a compass when I was in the Army, I guess...

 

[maxi450x]

A Garmin GPSmap62s has worked well for me on my trips around the USA and down into Mexico.

I import iOverlander waypoints into Garmin's BaseCamp program, then plan my routes between them.

View attachment 432812

How did you get the ioverlander waypoint files out of the app?

Enviado desde mi S60 mediante Tapatalk

 

[LoupGarou]

How did you get the ioverlander waypoint files out of the app?

iOverlander Download By Country

I downloaded the *.GPX file and import it into Garmin BaseCamp.

 

[westyss]

This year I tried out Pocket Earth. Bought a mini iPad with GPS built in (they all dont have GPS, in Canada the ones that have the ability to use a sim card and have cellular ability are the ones with GPS) I downloaded the maps that I wanted with topography along with points of interest and a pretty good Wiki guide book data chunk that gives lots of interesting facts like population etc. It shows many stores, gas stations, schools , parking and so far seems accurate.

If you want turn by turn you need to be online and develop your trip, store it and when you want to use it load it up and it will give turn by turn direction but unlike a Garmin it will not RE-CALCULATE if you turn the wrong way, you will need to get back on track. It will show roads in towns in good detail along with one way streets.

It also is linked with iOverlander, so when I am not using cell or data while travelling which iOverlander needs for the maps to come up, I can peruse the spots on the iOverlander site and look where those spots are with the Pocket Earth link that is on the iOverlander "place details" page.

It looks like it is useable in Oz but I have not downloaded any Topo maps so cant say if they are any good, in Canada and the US the topo is good even showing some very little known and used tracks, in Mexico I guess topo is limited but it still provides limited data although I did buy Pocket Earth because it showed one of our secret spots along with the small dirt track to get there in accuracy that really surprised me so "SOLD"!

Edit: just downloaded Tasmania and PE seems not too bad there, I would imagine that having a country specific mapping program like Ozzie explorer may be better although I have never seen it.

 

[gait]

.... I would imagine that having a country specific mapping program like Ozzie explorer may be better although I have never seen it.

Oziexplorer is general software for displaying maps and location. Maps are provided independently. For instance, Reise Maps are available in digital form in Oziexplorer format. There's also conversion programmes from other formats, including from googlemap tiles. Russian military maps from former soviet union can be viewed. Hema is independent of Oziexplorer. I think UK Ordnance Survey use MapInfo, which is like Oziexplorer but maps are tied to it by licencing (money) control or some such.

 

[big44g]

I’m a geologist and love paper and electronic maps. I use both a lot. Not any one gps device can handle what I like to do. So I have a Garmin Nuvi, Oregon 600 and I use my iPad and iPhone with Gaia, Garmin’s Earthmate and Google Maps apps. I use Garmin Basecamp to keep all my trip research in one place. I also download maps from Gpsfiledepot, OpenStreetMap and POI’s from the POI factory. I would start out with something on a phone or tablet and see how it works for you.


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