who is using a real gps vs a tablet

[deserteagle56]

Thanks guys/gals,

I may start hunting eBay for a good used Montana I think.

When you get it, make sure to download the topo maps for the states you want from gpsfiledepot.com (if the unit doesn't already have them).

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

So of all you running tablets how many of yiu have downloaded very large areas at high detail levels 15 or more.? And by large i mean like the size of oregon? How did yiu do it ?

 

[chand-o]

I have just started using my iPad mini with an external GPS receiver. It runs Memory Map with 1:50k mapping for green laning here in the UK. I also use a standalone Garmin (cant remember the model) with stock maps but on the SD have the Garmin opensource maps for European countries.

Plus Google is usually at hand to check traffic and satellite view when needed.

 

[chand-o]

So of all you running tablets how many of yiu have downloaded very large areas at high detail levels 15 or more.? And by large i mean like the size of oregon? How did yiu do it ?

Can you put an SD card in your tablet? We have an old laptop we use to backup video/photos while we travel and store extra files. If needed we transfer extra maps o nthe move rather than carry several SD cards.

You could always try a WIFI harddrive or similar set up to store extra maps.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

I dropped a SD card in my tablet, and downloaded all of Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and Idaho, using BCN. with an Asus Zen Pad 8, also connected through Verizon. Just find one w/ removable memory, the " cloud" is useless......especially since it cant be accessed w/o cell service.

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

so yeti here is a question or some. I did the same thing on topousa. What zome level did you use? And how big were the files, in terms of number of tiles?

I read that on gaia you can only use down loads of 100,000 tiles or smaller. I had downloaded 250,000 or so tiles, when i would try to zoom in i couldnt get any better detail than zoom level 11 although I had downloaded at zoom level 15. Iam not sure if it is a program limit or a hadware or both?

 

[Joe917]

We run a Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet with Maps.me . We also have Delorme maps with our in reach but only use occasionally. We ran a Garmin with the tablet for a couple of years before we tossed the Garmin as overpriced junk. Poor routing and a tiny 7' screen. Save your cash go with a 10' tablet, Ram mount and Maps.me. The only downside with maps.me (open street map) is you will not get contour lines.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

so yeti here is a question or some. I did the same thing on topousa. What zome level did you use? And how big were the files, in terms of number of tiles?

I read that on gaia you can only use down loads of 100,000 tiles or smaller. I had downloaded 250,000 or so tiles, when i would try to zoom in i couldnt get any better detail than zoom level 11 although I had downloaded at zoom level 15. Iam not sure if it is a program limit or a hadware or both?

let me check and get back to you. Its been a few years since I added entire states, I used the newest forest service/BLM maps that were available. It was kind of a weird process if i remember right. I also had to go into the program and tell it to only store on the memory card. Ill see if i can find the exact process, i may of even found a youtube video/thread with a google search. BCN, sent out an email some time back with the instructions.

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

Thanks looking forward to it

 

[andy29847]

I have had my Garmin Montana for 6 years. I had to replace the battery last year. Besides the battery, it has given me trouble free service on my dirt bike and in my jeep. In that same time I have had 3 phones and 2 tablets. My 2nd tablet is a Samsung Tab A. I like Samsung because they have a memory card slot (good to 264gb). I used Loctus (free) with the pad on my last trip to compare with the GPS. It wasn't worth the effort. Oh yeah, topo maps sux. A good road map is what you need.

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

What wasn’t worth the effort? Using the tablet? Which topo sucks?

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

I have had good luck with BCN, I'm not a Gaia fan. Here are the instructions for how to do it on back country navigator, and its at an entire state level. The down load may take a while. But I don't have to choose a zoom level, or tile this route, I was able to zoom in far enough it as a too close to be useful with out issue.

https://crittermap.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/215563663-Using-Topo-Maps-From-OpenAndroMaps-org

 

[Truck_Norris]

So what's the consensus in 2019? I'm looking for something to set up in the truck and I don't particularly feel like squinting at a screen that's smaller than my phone, but I also am not keen on the hassle of a pile of software on a tablet. However, it seems that the majority of people on here tend to use a tablet and software. Trouble is, a lot of the really easy to use stuff I keep hearing about has less than ideal coverage in Canada, or at least in my neck of it. I don't like jumping across 6 different map styles in the span of 4km because of lack of coverage.
I've yet to find something that works as smoothly for building tracks as google maps, however some of the areas I'm exploring have roads/trails that aren't registered on google maps as such, which makes planning a direct route a little more difficult.
I haven't really found a GPS unit that sounds well rounded enough for me to drop $500 on, and I'm not really into spending that kind of money on something I won't be happy with.

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

So what's the consensus in 2019? I'm looking for something to set up in the truck and I don't particularly feel like squinting at a screen that's smaller than my phone, but I also am not keen on the hassle of a pile of software on a tablet. However, it seems that the majority of people on here tend to use a tablet and software. Trouble is, a lot of the really easy to use stuff I keep hearing about has less than ideal coverage in Canada, or at least in my neck of it. I don't like jumping across 6 different map styles in the span of 4km because of lack of coverage.
I've yet to find something that works as smoothly for building tracks as google maps, however some of the areas I'm exploring have roads/trails that aren't registered on google maps as such, which makes planning a direct route a little more difficult.
I haven't really found a GPS unit that sounds well rounded enough for me to drop $500 on, and I'm not really into spending that kind of money on something I won't be happy with.

I have to agree. For what I want. Which is large areas like the entire western states ca or wa Id
Nev az I have not found a program that will allow larrge downloads at sufficient detail. Typical zoom level 15 for accurate topo. I bought a Magellan tr7. And while the topo and trails are there. The screen is not bright so it’s hard to see even in the Jeep. I noticed it was very nice in the Jeep when the Jeep was in the shade. So far what I have found is that the main programs. Have. File size limits. For downloading. Think 100,000 tiles So if you want Detail every where you are stuck with these small sizes that take forever to cover any significant area let alone the states. And by the way the area of the states. I am taking about excludes all metro areas. Maybe I am wrong. My attempts have been with a Lenovo tab with gps using a 128 gig sd storage card. Running BCN. Of topo USA.

 

[sophiemckinney]

I have Garmin eTrex 10 and I love it. It's compact and is very helpful because I can get lost even in my neighborhood.