Droids, GPS, towers, maps, how's this work, school me now!!!

[maldon007]

So I got a mytouch 4g, would like a decent hiking type gps... can I get?

Questions are- Does it work where there are no towers?

Does it need towers for loading maps?

Can you buy maps that stay in your phone?

Maps with trails???

How does this gps in a phone thing work?

Thanks!

[Caenus]

I have an iPhone and there are some apps that allow you to cache maps. The gps works without towers. I have the cabelas app that I used fishing. It is also set up for hunting, etc so you can set waypoints for camp, poi's and all that good stuff.

[maldon007]

That sounds like what I'm looking for... do you buy maps for regions? Whole US? Or what?

[Caenus]

It lets you frame up the area you are going to via Internet (before you go), then you basically save it.

[maldon007]

It lets you frame up the area you are going to via Internet (before you go), then you basically save it.

That is so sweet!

[TacAir]

I have an iPhone and there are some apps that allow you to cache maps. The gps works without towers. I have the cabelas app that I used fishing. It is also set up for hunting, etc so you can set waypoints for camp, poi's and all that good stuff.

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Based on what seems to be multiple, real world use of cell-phone based emaps - how accurate do you find them?

Have you compared those emaps to the relevant USGS maps by any chance?

Thanks.

[Caenus]

I have an iPhone and there are some apps that allow you to cache maps. The gps works without towers. I have the cabelas app that I used fishing. It is also set up for hunting, etc so you can set waypoints for camp, poi's and all that good stuff.

\

Based on what seems to be multiple, real world use of cell-phone based emaps - how accurate do you find them?

Have you compared those emaps to the relevant USGS maps by any chance?

Thanks.

They are reasonably accurate. Like I said, I mostly use it for day's at the lake. It puts me where the boat is based on my own visual confirmation using terrain orientation. I've used it a few times during short day hikes.


Basically, the area in the yellow box is the area cache'd. You can zoom in/out depending on the detail you want when out of tower range. You can also cache several different magnifications. For example if you are hiking into an area, cache a larger area, then when near your camping/hunting zone switch to a higher mag/more detailed cache map.

Paper maps are still much more reliable...same as any gps should either be a backup or have a paper map as backup. I have laminated maps of the major local lakes as well.

Nice thing for hunters/anglers is you can take a pic of your prize and it puts an icon there on the map with the pic. You have a time/date stamp and you can add what lure/rifle/call whatever, you were using at the time for future reference.

[maldon007]

I am liking this, very nice.

What are prices like? Any free versions? (such a cheapass )

[black71label]

Look up Backcountry Navigator for Android. Its $10. It allows you to specify specify the area that you want to download maps for as well as the map resolution. I've imported 300+ four wheeling trails and a couple hundred miles or hiking trails into mine. It works pretty well but I won't go out without an analog backup