GPS smartphone app review

[WT_in_MT]

Is this screenshot from backcountry navigator? I've had backcountry navigator pro for a couple of years and wasn't aware this was possible. Thanks

No, it's not a screenshot from that app.

 

[schmalts]

OK, i used the Backcountry navigator app for a week in Colorado. After the 3rd day I had no use for my Garmin Oregon one bit. This app was GREAT, far easier to read, and the topo and Sat data was far easier to read than the Garmin. I kept the phone in airplane mode unless I wanted to see if there was a signal and check in with the outside world and with a fair amount of use over 2 days on a charge was no problem with a lot of use on my Galaxy s4. I also used the Beta from WT_in_MT and it was also great for checking where I was according to private property. I had to use the Locus App for that and while I do not like the app as well or the mapping as much I found myself looking at it for the private lines.

If I had the new Galaxy Active that is supposed to be waterproof I would not take my garmin anyplace ever again..... period. In fact, I may get a very small GPS watch as a backup and be done with it. Garmin better get their chit together if they want to stay in business in the future is all I can say. With one small thin piece of equipment I had my phone, camera, GPS with maps, and a way to surf the web and text if needed to check in. I did take a small waterproof pouch I bought for $12 and it worked well with the touch screen without taking it out of the pouch.
I met up with a bow hunter and we hunted together the last 1 1/2 days and after seeing my phone in action and the maps he was so ticked his I-phone would not work with this app.

 

[jryoung]

Garmin better get their chit together if they want to stay in business in the future is all I can say. With one small thin piece of equipment I had my phone, camera, GPS with maps, and a way to surf the web and text if needed to check in.

Truth. I try and see the value in a Garmin in the next couple of years and I'm struggling. HuntingGPSmaps has made the move for iOS, Android will be soon to follow. Certainly, other players will come about too, but as much as I want a Garmin, I just can't envision them being relevant in a couple of years.

 

[schmalts]

Truth. I try and see the value in a Garmin in the next couple of years and I'm struggling. HuntingGPSmaps has made the move for iOS, Android will be soon to follow. Certainly, other players will come about too, but as much as I want a Garmin, I just can't envision them being relevant in a couple of years.

I own 3 Garmins. A Rino, an etrex, and the Oregon. The Etrex I gave to my Kid, the rino is going to get sold, and the Oregon may as well. I hate to say it but I do not see a use for a stand alone GPS in the near future with the way smart phones have progressed.

With the nice big display it was so much easier to correlate where I was on my paper maps and much nicer to pan around to see where I wanted to go. With the built in compass finding the direction back to trails was a snap and I pulled out my regular compass only a couple times to look down it to get a bearing on distant elk

 

[MontanaWild]

i downloaded HUNT by onX for free for a week and i really like it on my phone. It says 35 bucks I think to buy it. It tells you ownership of land and has many layers. A chip for your GPS is 100 bucks I believe. Has anybody else tried this one and how does it compare to the 100 dollars GPS chip?

We have been using this app since this spring as it was being developed. It's an awesome app and I honestly use it more then my Garmin with the chip. The ability to cache satellite imagery is extremely useful and marking waypoints and such is awesome. Both the app and the Garmin both serve some different purposes but I would definitely purchase the full app if you liked the trial. It does show you land ownership with names. The details of the ownership isn't available without service, just the name on the map.

 

[WapitiBob]

I'm Internet Scouting on my laptop every day of the year. I don't see where Garmin has much to worry about as long as these apps are hog tied to a phone. Put a PC front end on BCN so I can scout and move tracks/waypoints/notes back and forth I think it would be something to look at. If Garmin would open the birdseye folder rather than force us to hack it, the only advantage I see to the phone would be screen resolution.

 

[WT_in_MT]

With one small thin piece of equipment I had my phone, camera, GPS with maps, and a way to surf the web and text if needed to check in.

Those functions were particularly handy for me this morning. I was doing some last-minute rifle checking on a BLM parcel when an asshat claiming to be a representative of the neighboring landowner (and "lessee" as said asshat called them) told me the parcel was closed to target shooting, which it is not. When his buffalo job didn't work, he then tried to say because they had it leased I couldn't shoot because cattle were around. Wrong again, honey. With my phone I was able to take a pic of his license plate, a 360 video showing all the cattle that were invisible, save waypoints to mark where it all happened, and call a warden and text him a pic of the plate. And with my home-made public lands map on my phone I KNEW I was on BLM. Looking forward to filing a complaint with the BLM.

 

[mtmiller]

Good for you. That stuff pisses me off. I hope gave him an earful and demoralized the ass-hat.

 

[WT_in_MT]

Well, I tried learning him that they were permittees, not lessees, but I don't think I got through.

There should have been a companion bill to last session's trespass changes that would have created the same fines for anybody that start's a conversation with "Do you know where you are?" on any piece of public land.

 

[Sytes]

I own 3 Garmins. A Rino, an etrex, and the Oregon. The Etrex I gave to my Kid, the rino is going to get sold, and the Oregon may as well. I hate to say it but I do not see a use for a stand alone GPS in the near future with the way smart phones have progressed.

With the nice big display it was so much easier to correlate where I was on my paper maps and much nicer to pan around to see where I wanted to go. With the built in compass finding the direction back to trails was a snap and I pulled out my regular compass only a couple times to look down it to get a bearing on distant elk

I have the 530 rhino w/ the HuntingGPSmaps MT map deal - Enjoy it for the hand held comms, locator button, topo/map deal. Would like a larger screen though it does the job and holds battery life a good while.
That is my problem w/ smartphone use in the same capacity. IMO, they are still far from battery life able to match the functions and use of a Rhino (as example).

edit: Just saw your post on the battery life with a fair amount of use... Damn, my Garmin has just lost some of it's appreciation. Off to get the phone a bit more smarter than I...

My two pennies of thought.

 

[1_pointer]

Those functions were particularly handy for me this morning. I was doing some last-minute rifle checking on a BLM parcel when an asshat claiming to be a representative of the neighboring landowner (and "lessee" as said asshat called them) told me the parcel was closed to target shooting, which it is not. When his buffalo job didn't work, he then tried to say because they had it leased I couldn't shoot because cattle were around. Wrong again, honey. With my phone I was able to take a pic of his license plate, a 360 video showing all the cattle that were invisible, save waypoints to mark where it all happened, and call a warden and text him a pic of the plate. And with my home-made public lands map on my phone I KNEW I was on BLM. Looking forward to filing a complaint with the BLM.

Nothing torques me off more than folks that try to pull that. I've had that happen to me once and once I started bring up his violation of the Code of Federal Regulations and the penalties that can come from that, he decided to leave me alone.

Be sure to note in your complaint to the BLM CFR 4140.1(b)(7). It's from the Prohibitive acts section of the grazing regs. Part B, 7 states the following:

Interfering with lawful uses or users including obstructing free transit through or over public lands by force, threat, intimidation, signs, barrier or locked gates;

I'd be sure to find out what allotment that occured on...

 

[WT_in_MT]

Be sure to note in your complaint to the BLM CFR 4140.1(b)(7). It's from the Prohibitive acts section of the grazing regs.

Thanks pointer!

I'd be sure to find out what allotment that occured on...

Any tips on finding that at this time, given all links go to the DOI shutdown page? I do know who the permittee is.

 

[1_pointer]

The only reason I'd want to know the allotment would be to figure out whom the permittee is. Since you know that, you're good.