"What handheld GPS devices do that smart phones cannot"

[haven]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/16/t...one-gps-devices-do-that-smartphones-cant.html

A decent article from NY Times. No emphasis on off-the-cellphone-grid navigation, however.

 

[oscar the grouch]

That was terrible and incredibly uninformed. As a sales pitch is usually. The screen on my phone is bigger than my old gamin nuvi. I have ran it for 8 plus hours on the charger and it never overheated. When a call comes in using maps I get a popup that I can answer and it doesn't hide the map for a second. It will work as a dash cam and stream music. There is zero reason to own a garmin or tomtom if you are tech savy

 

[Airmapper]

That was terrible and incredibly uninformed. As a sales pitch is usually. The screen on my phone is bigger than my old gamin nuvi. I have ran it for 8 plus hours on the charger and it never overheated. When a call comes in using maps I get a popup that I can answer and it doesn't hide the map for a second. It will work as a dash cam and stream music. There is zero reason to own a garmin or tomtom if you are tech savy

I agree that article was less than intelligent, but I strongly disagree with the suggestion there is no reason to own a dedicated unit if you are tech savvy.

A tech savvy person is quite aware of the instability and complexity that a all in one device brings to the game. For one do you like managing, and storing mapping data for large areas on your phone? This is loaded by default in most GPS units for the entire USA or Europe, whichever you get.

What if you loose connection, does it maintain functionality? If you break your phone, which is much more vurnerable being used outside the vehicle frequently, what are you going to navigate with?

I use an iPad mini on the dash, very handy, but not worth the time needed to pitch it out the window without lots of maps loaded or a data connection. However, in conjunction with a stand alone unit it becomes invalueable. The stand alone unit is stable, dependable, and with the mobile device available as a backup and secondary unit to scout information with, I'm never completely without a navaid, so the chance of falling back to paper maps is slim.

 

[oscar the grouch]

No connection needed with HERE Maps. The entire atlas for the US is 5 gigs. I don't consider that alot because I have 32 gigs of topos on hand. And another 20 of music. 5 years ago that was alot. Today.... we have 128gig micro SD cards for 30 bucks.

Redundancy? Two phones usually when traveling. Plus a tablet. Plus in dash which I never use because google maps on Android is better.

 

[4xdog]

Sounded like a successful advertorial placement for some agency. NYT has to be a nice billing to their client. Very "meh" article.

 

[Airmapper]

No connection needed with HERE Maps. The entire atlas for the US is 5 gigs.

Thanks for the suggestion, never heard of it. It's d-loading to my iPad now so I can test it. I only have an 16GB iPad, so 5GB is a bunch. However I'm not crazy about Apple, I just got it dirt cheap so I use it, an Android tablet and hence expandable memory may be in my future.

Route planning is a major factor, I meticulously plan my routes, and bend them to my desires, be that stops at interesting places, back roads, avoiding traffic in cities, and so forth. Basecamp plus the Garmin gives me a lot of control over a route. If I can find an app that integrates that to some degree, I can dig it.

I'm all for an all in one solution if it works and works well, and am genuinely looking for that solution. But I admit I'm an old school GPS user, and part of me feels that since they are dedicated to that one thing it makes them more reliable and stable. That GPS won't have a spasm because the weather app alerted to lightning nearby and I get a TXT and Email all at once. But hey, I'm totally open to trying new technology.

 

[oscar the grouch]

With any gps you can create a gpx route and upload the gpx to your device. I spend a ton of time jumping between caltopo.com and google earth drawing out the route I plan to take with way points and the like. I bet with base camp you still end up with a gpx file. Send me a route file and I'll see if it's viable.

Oh and with here maps you don't need the whole us. If space is a premium download the states you frequent

 

[dms1]

I've tried hard to use only my Samsung Note 2 and dump my Garmin Montana, but the fact you can easily make routes and waypoints on your home PC using Garmin Basecamp (and store them there) and upload it all to the Montana trumps all of the Android apps I have tried. The Android app I use the most is called Gaia GPS and it is getting there, but it will be a year or two before it has all the same capabilities as the Garmin Montana and Basecamp. If Garmin was smart they would just port the Montana software to Android and be done with it. I think 10 years from now Garmin will find themselves out of the consumer market once smartphone GPS software technology can pair with the desktop GPS app better.

 

[dlh62c]

I've tried hard to use only my Samsung Note 2 and dump my Garmin Montana, but the fact you can easily make routes and waypoints on your home PC using Garmin Basecamp (and store them there) and upload it all to the Montana trumps all of the Android apps I have tried.

I concur. I've also used Garmin Basecamp to build a vast database of others routes and waypoints. The only problem I have is its inability to be used as a moving map with a USB GPS puck.

 

[oscar the grouch]

I've tried hard to use only my Samsung Note 2 and dump my Garmin Montana, but the fact you can easily make routes and waypoints on your home PC using Garmin Basecamp (and store them there) and upload it all to the Montana trumps all of the Android apps I have tried. The Android app I use the most is called Gaia GPS and it is getting there, but it will be a year or two before it has all the same capabilities as the Garmin Montana and Basecamp. If Garmin was smart they would just port the Montana software to Android and be done with it. I think 10 years from now Garmin will find themselves out of the consumer market once smartphone GPS software technology can pair with the desktop GPS app better.

That time is now. See below.

I concur. I've also used Garmin Basecamp to build a vast database of others routes and waypoints. The only problem I have is its inability to be used as a moving map with a USB GPS puck.

I literally just used basecamp to draw a route and add waypoints. I then used the export my collection button to save the .GPX with all of that in it. I then opened it on my phone and was able to follow the route and see all my waypoints and everything associated with it.

A GPX is GPX regardless of what system you use to interpret it or create it.

A copy of mytrails pro for the android system is $2.38 and has tons of maps and interfaces with 3rd party software such as dropbox so that almost instantly (gpx is a small file) I can save what ever I created in one of the 12 gpx editors i have installed on my desktop and then open it in one of the 4 gps softwares installed on my phone. add to that I dont have to pay for aerial imagery or the latest topos from the USGS or any of the other of the dozen mapsets I have. And the only limitation is the size of the sd card you chose to buy. My cell has a 128gig and my tablet that is used for nav is at 64gig.

And back to cost. a 24k garmin map for handheld is 100 bucks. and they only cover regions. so for the whole US you would need to buy 6-8 diffrent ones. on top of the device which is 3-400 bucks 600 if you want a ****ty 5 megapixel too.
so you are easily looking at 1000 dollars just to do what anyone can do for tons less.


any android device with a gps sensor will work. An unlocked entry level device from blu if you want a cell or a lenovo tab like i reviewed in a different post is under 80 bucks. a micro sd card is cheap at 10-12 bucks for 16 gig.(plenty really unless you are a map whore like me but then a 64 gig card is 24 bucks)
mytrails pro is $2.38
Backcountry navigator is $12

starting to see where garmin delorme and tomtom are pricing themselves out of the market?

And if you are a true cheap *** you can get avenza pdf maps on your phone for free and use caltopo.com to create geospatial pdfs again for free. That gives you 21 maps with the ability to customize to your needs completely free. and the only buy in is the phone you are already using because avenza runs on ios android and windows phone. Dont be cheap tho. get my trails you will not be disappointed.

 

[oscar the grouch]

for example here is a map i created using a gpx from GeorgiaOverland.com this is one section of the Georgia traverse.

http://caltopo.com/bp/180L

it can be downloaded as a geospatial pdf or the map is also available in the mytrails app all the way down to 7.5 minute quadrangle (high detail)
But it is in the US forest service topo map which is quite excellent and up to date. And not available from garmin.

 

[Airmapper]

Here maps looked like it had potential, but it's not made for iPad use, so it's junk on the iPad, doesn't use the whole screen, does not detect orientation of the iPad yet switches from portrait to landscape mode, so I can't use it. If they make it for the iPad it might be cool.

I still like my 6" screen Nuvi better, and I don't have to screw with it once it's mounted, it can stay there until I'm done moving for the day, and if I'm in a secure location where I will be near the vehicle, no need to remove it then.

But should the apps catch up and give all mobile devices the same capabilities as a dedicated unit, I'll at least try it.

 

[oscar the grouch]

your problem is you are locked inside the apple jail. everything ios is so restricted that even the 6 is 2 years behind in both software and hardware.

 

[rayra]

simply my Garmin eTrex legend C will receive and display GPS data for ~36hrs on a pair of easily replaceable AA batteries. My iPhone 4s won't do GPS nav for more than ~4hrs without seriously depleting its battery.


Ultimately I got solar wallet thingy which charges a pair of Sony eneloop AAs, has a built-in USB port, so I can use it to recharge either device. That's in a bugout bag. My vehicles have other adaptable power sources for small electronics.

 

[robgendreau]

I suppose if I were to have ONE GPS device it would be a cellular capable smartphone, probably Android (and I have an iPhone 6), but close.

But I don't have to only own one, and I like the water resistance and vector mapping in my Garmin Oregon. The interface isn't as good as say GaiaGPS on my iPhone, but in some ways it's better, like with gloves. Better battery life too. The maps are often the thing; lotsa smartphone apps are cheap because they use freebie vector maps. That's one of the reasons you pay more for a Garmin, Delorme, Tom Tom, etc. And vectors rock over raster for car-type nav, especially beyond cell range.

Just different tools.

And while true Garmins don't do geospatial PDFs, you can georeference a JPEG and use it in Garmin devices. Since the maps at Caltopo start out as raster, it doesn't make tons of difference in terms of readability.