lovetotrapitall
New member
First of all...I use both. One advantage to the phone, especially where I'm hunting in Wyoming, is that the phone app will show walk in areas while the GPS w/ chip will not.
GPS vs Phone
- Thread starter Brachii
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Speeddmn
Active member
Me personally, I do not trust my phone if I do not have a signal, no matter what! Well maybe the calculator, and flashlight.... and a couple games when bored...
If you hunt and have service I would use the app, I have used it in the past. Sometimes it takes a 3 miles hike to the top to get a signal... that is when the actual ZGPS unit shines and I use it every day I'm in the woods.
If you hunt and have service I would use the app, I have used it in the past. Sometimes it takes a 3 miles hike to the top to get a signal... that is when the actual ZGPS unit shines and I use it every day I'm in the woods.
COEngineer
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- Jul 6, 2016
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Batteries! This is the deal breaker for me. My GPS unit uses 2 AA batteries and they usually last several months (I only turn it on sporadically to get my bearings and mark way points) and I can easily bring spares just in case. My phone dies after a couple hours of use.
Maybe your phone battery is better than mine, but I would never depend on it. If I ever had to hike back to the truck just to charge my phone, I would not be happy. It's a few rough miles where I hunt.
Maybe your phone battery is better than mine, but I would never depend on it. If I ever had to hike back to the truck just to charge my phone, I would not be happy. It's a few rough miles where I hunt.
Crawfish-MI
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A few comments here about not having cell service... most modern smart phones have built in GPS receivers, providing location data in airplane mode without using cell service. While phones will burn through a battery while navigating in regular mode due to all the communication with cell towers, when in airplane mode I have left the GPS tracking mode on all day (14+ hours) and have plenty of useful battery left. The key is to download the maps ahead of time and make sure you put it in airplane mode. My phone is in a Lifeproof submersible case and has a much clearer screen than GPS units I've seen.
Although USB battery packs are available, I can see the advantage of carrying a dedicated GPS with AA batteries on an extended backcountry trip.
Although USB battery packs are available, I can see the advantage of carrying a dedicated GPS with AA batteries on an extended backcountry trip.
I rarely have cell service when I hunt. The app still works fine 95% of the time. I've had it not work twice. Once it just stopped working for reasons unknown. Fortunately, I was on a private ranch (HMA) with well marked boundaries. The other, I forgot to put my phone on airplane mode. I've found that if I'm out of cell range, the app only works in airplane mode.
IdahoBugler
Well-known member
I'll put my .02 in. I will never go back to a GPS again. For me the android phone with Backcountry Navigator Pro is the only way to go.
Pros:
The App is cheap
State Apps / landownership maps are cheap (usually $10 per state)
Easy to download way points from google earth
Easy to use without cell service (Simply download maps to your phone before you go)
The screens are way better on your tablet/phone
Once you buy the App and maps you can put them on all of your devices. One cost
Way easier to navigate through the menus on your phone
I would say most carry their phone anyway. So why not use it in place of the gps. One less thing to carry.
Cons:
Last I checked it will not work on iphone
That's all I can think of off the top of my head but it will take a lot to convince me to switch back.
Pros:
The App is cheap
State Apps / landownership maps are cheap (usually $10 per state)
Easy to download way points from google earth
Easy to use without cell service (Simply download maps to your phone before you go)
The screens are way better on your tablet/phone
Once you buy the App and maps you can put them on all of your devices. One cost
Way easier to navigate through the menus on your phone
I would say most carry their phone anyway. So why not use it in place of the gps. One less thing to carry.
Cons:
Last I checked it will not work on iphone
That's all I can think of off the top of my head but it will take a lot to convince me to switch back.
Brad Daniel
Member
I'll go against the fan boys here. No fringing way would I trust my life to Apple and this app. Had a point this year 2000 feet off of actual. Blame it on OnX or blame it on Apple? Garmin for the win.
Topgun 30-06
Active member
I'm with you on that decision! I'm 70 and have never had anything but an old flip phone since I'm just not into all these newfangled phones and stuff. I'll take my Garmin and chip and be a happy camper when I'm out in the wilds, as I've never had a single problem with even the inexpensive one I use.
joelhunter
Member
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- Sep 22, 2015
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- 96
After the onX update this year, I have had much better success with the phone app, and downloading maps didn't take long--couple of minutes each map. It was disappointing to lose saved waypoints due to the update, but it has been worth it.
406LIFE
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- Aug 18, 2016
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Contact OnX, they can probably recover them.
As for gps vs phone, you can see elsewhere on the forum replies to this: I believe in the app so much that my hunting buddies and I sold our gps and now exclusively use the phones.
WapitiBob
Well-known member
Put phone in airplane mode, start onx, tick offline button
If you need cell service to call/text, close onx, turn off airplane mode, use phone
When done put phone back in airplane mode, start onx, tick offline
My experience has been to follow that procedure and Onx will work 100% of the time. It seems to be a bit quirky when using the app with cell service, and then the phone loses the connection while the app is open. I use Onx on both an iPhone and android, and gaia on an android and all three work very well. Tracking and waypoints also work well and are within a few feet.
If you need cell service to call/text, close onx, turn off airplane mode, use phone
When done put phone back in airplane mode, start onx, tick offline
My experience has been to follow that procedure and Onx will work 100% of the time. It seems to be a bit quirky when using the app with cell service, and then the phone loses the connection while the app is open. I use Onx on both an iPhone and android, and gaia on an android and all three work very well. Tracking and waypoints also work well and are within a few feet.
406LIFE
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FWIW, on my Samsung S7, I just put it in airplane mode and it automatically loads all the offline stuff. I have used it since Sept 1, 30+ days in the field and no issues.
My group uses OnX and I carry a GPS but haven't used it. You have to download the maps, you have to put it on offline mode and you have to put it in airplane mode (and better battery life if you close all of your other apps and decrease your screen brightness). If you can follow those rules, OnX is way better than a clunky old GPS. The phone is just so much more user friendly. OnX did have some problems before the update, but it all works now. Oh, and it isn't any harder to bring a portable cell phone charger than it is to carry extra batteries. That is my .02!
wolfpup
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I tried mine along side the Garmin this year and maybe my problem was as noted above with the cell service / airplane mode / offline issues because I couldn't pull up the map. Also, I ended up hunting farther from than my pre-downloaded maps so it was useless. I will still keep the app for off season scouting more than anything and I will continue to carry my phone so I have a camera, but the garmin has never had a hiccup so it is the proven method for me. GPS is much easier on batteries and does not care how cold it is. Maybe it is just my phone, but the battery life gets sucked out of it if it is cold.
I used my phone last year in CO for an elk hunt and it worked great. I downloaded all the maps before hand put it in airplane mode in the field and worked like a charm only problem was i ended up dropped my phone and cracking the screen the one downside i had.
This year I only used my phone for the first time and found it to work very well. Last year I had problems, but the updates to the app have made a big difference. I made sure to download a detailed map that was more focused on the area I planned to hunt and then a medium detailed map that gave me a wider area just in case I decided to adventure beyond my original plan. I think I am going to sell my Garmin Rhino here soon to pay for other gear.
I should also mention that previously I was worried about battery life in the cold (My old Iphone5 died VERY quickly in the cold), but my new 7 worked great in the cold. I tried to keep it in my jacket or pants pocket so it kept it pretty warm, but many days I had more than enough battery. I also really like the imagines that I could get on my phone that is not available on my gps. Several times we found ourselves huddled around my phone looking for breaks in timber and blow down.
I should also mention that previously I was worried about battery life in the cold (My old Iphone5 died VERY quickly in the cold), but my new 7 worked great in the cold. I tried to keep it in my jacket or pants pocket so it kept it pretty warm, but many days I had more than enough battery. I also really like the imagines that I could get on my phone that is not available on my gps. Several times we found ourselves huddled around my phone looking for breaks in timber and blow down.
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High Resolution = 5 miles wide
Medium Resolution = 10 miles wide
Low Resolution = 150 miles wide
Thank you
