Smart Phone versus dedicated GPS

[Ben Lamb]

I guess the Root is lagging with cell coverage. Most of the places I go have no coverage. I can't drive to Darby without losing coverage at least once. I would also need to plan better at downloading maps.

It's the one thing really holding me back. I'm not a 10 miles deep in to the Bob kind of guy anymore, but even in the coulees & ridges I do hunt on, cell service is non-existent. I'd have to get better on planning the downloads, etc and ensure I have enough storage space on the phone & SD card to make it work, but it is seeming to be a good option.

 

[targetpanic]

Kinda where I think I'm headed. It's a phone, disguised as hunting gear. After the new dog & fancy shotgun, the missus is looking sidways at me, and greedily at a gently used Jag.

Maybe get her a brand spankin new Jag and while she's distracted, get the GPS LOL

 

[Shablabar]

I've always just used my phone with pre-downloaded maps and airplane mode switched on. Never had a problem. Battery usually lasts 3-5 days of intermittent use, add on a lightweight external battery and you can easily stretch to 10 days or more as needed. Paper maps and compass as a back up. I agree with those above that dedicated GPS is a technology on its way out.

 

[WapitiBob]

Onx is coming along but still a bit short of what you can do with a gps. I've been using onx for the last two weeks to test and am now using the gps because my iPhone 5 doesn't have enough memory for our second hunt location maps.

Observations and things to note:

Onx does NOT use sd cards for storage. Get enough built in memory to do the job; ie 256 gig or more.

Downloading 5 mile hi res maps is simple and just works.

Download on wifi unless you have unlimited data....

Get an anker battery pack or similar, leave the solar stuff at home.

Full time tracking will delete an old iPhone battery in one day. Use tracking, it's the shit when you get cell service and the app sync's with the web map.

Some of the fonts are grey on a black background, difficult to see if you're 60 years old.

Currently no ability to create tracks on the web map side for transfer to the phone.

Currently no ability to change colors of tracks for identification.

Once track is saved, you need to "edit" track to see the distance.

Sometimes the app refuses to show old track info requiring logging out and back in on the phone side.

After seeing Khunters post, figure out how the waypoints work on the phone side before you go. Placement can be a bit tricky; not like a gps where you just hit waypoint and it drops where you are.

 

[Khunter]

my iphone 5 was taking a dump so bought a used iphone 6 for reasonable. runs the latest apps great.

I alsway carry a GPS although even the Garmin 550t. it HARD to see with OnX chip so use my phone apps more and more most of time, but mark key ointa on my GPS always since it is pretty bulletproof.

favorite app is Earthmate for areas where land ownership is not an issue. dealing with downloading maps for Onx app makes me crazy. And can't upload waypoiunts track to it, WHICH IS INFURIATING. What are they thinking over there in the Onx design department?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Alright guys.

I'm sold on the phone. Between the upgrade credit, phone credit and my shrewd ability to reduce verizon salesmen to puddles of goo, I think I can get a 6 for a decent price.

Thanks for walking me through this, and for the great info on which apps to try.

 

[WapitiBob]

Biggest screen and max memory...

 

[jquigley]

Understood that the map files are large, but can't be much larger than the greatest hits of Dean Martin or the 140 other albums I have on my phone. Talk to me about battery life on the phone w/ the maps. I have a portable battery that would be good for 8-10 recharges. I figure that's plenty for 3-4 days at a time.

I'm all about redundancy/paranoia. Have my phone with two different options running and carry my Garmin with a chip as backup.

The size of the map files hasn't ever been my problem. I run into issues with being able to easily download the whole area I have in mind at the zoom level I want, more often than anything else. The new OnX update was a major improvement but still has some frustrating quirks.

I tend to rely on Backcountry Navigator Pro. Easier downloads, though there are less of the fancy layers than OnX. Also lets me import waypoints from Google Earth, Garmin, or any other system. I still can't do that with OnX.

That said, I've had both apps freak out on me before and reverted to the Garmin, so if I was making one choice, I'd probably still go that route. Though those chips are an expensive pain.

 

[Irrelevant]

Put your phone on airplane mode for extended battery life, same with turning down your screen brightness. And even if you don't download maps ahead of time, there's usually enough info on the basemaps to get you by.

 

[RobG]

Maybe the gps units have improved, but my iPhone with the OnXmap is an order of magnitude better than my old gps. The screen resolution and the - options (like Avensa and ski-tracks) are really nice. The issue with the iPhone is battery life - especially when it is cold - so bring a backup battery. They also can't get wet so I put it in a ziplock. I also carry a gps backup as maps are worthless in a whiteout unless you want to start a fire.

The latest OnXmaps allows you to download sections 150 miles on a side, and they have usable resolution. Since they cover so much area you can download them in advance and cover most of the state. You can download higher resolution maps in areas you are interested in.

 

[406LIFE]

Ben,
Here is where I am at on this discussion. I have been using the new app for the past few weeks now and have been wondering if it will replace my GPS. The simple asnwer is YES. Here's the thoughts:
1. Accuracy is not as pinpoint as my Oregon 600 vs my Samsung S7, but its with 10 feet. That's good enough for me.
2. Battery life on the phone while using the app has been great. I could probably get a few days out of it, all day use and I'm down to 70%.
3. They app features are easier to use and more rich than they Oregon. Now with the ability to turn layers off when in offline mode, I am very happy.
4. You do have to remember to download maps before you leave service, but i would think all of us are e scouting anyway, so thats not too big a deal.
5. My hunting buddies and I are at the point where we think we will sell our gps and chips we have. For $100/yr, I can get all the current chip info, which works out better in the long run if you hunt 3-5 states like us, and upgrade every 5 years or so your gps.
6. The best thing that sold me on this was to put my gps in my pack as back up and then exclusivley use the app. I never once needed the gps.
7. The sync of apps between app and webbased is great. now they just need to be able to share waypoints via nfc.
8. Get the biggest screen phone you can. so worth it.

 

[VikingsGuy]

8. Get the biggest screen phone you can. so worth it.

Has anyone tried a small tablet? Something like an iPad mini. The bigger screen would be nice. I assume the wifi-only ones would lack the gps functionality so they wouldn't work, but the ones with cellular support in theory should work. Am on to something or just on something?

 

[406LIFE]

Has anyone tried a small tablet? Something like an iPad mini. The bigger screen would be nice. I assume the wifi-only ones would lack the gps functionality so they wouldn't work, but the ones with cellular support in theory should work. Am on to something or just on something?

We use our tablets in the truck. But the idea was to have one piece of gear doing multiple jobs (gps, camera, etc.) I don't think I would pack one in with me.

 

[VikingsGuy]

We use our tablets in the truck. But the idea was to have one piece of gear doing multiple jobs (gps, camera, etc.) I don't think I would pack one in with me.

If you aren't using cellular dial service, because of no service in the area or airplane mode to save battery, then an ipad mini is just an iphone with a big screen. It has camera, gps, map apps, etc. Obviously if you are needing phone service also, it wouldn't help. I might go normal iphone as phone/camera + backup GPS and then ipad mini as big primary GPS where in the past I would have gone iphone as phone/camera and dedicated GPS as GPS or iphone as phone/camera/gps and dedicated gps as a backup. It means I still have two devices, but I am a big fan of backup tools so I would go with 2 items either way. I guess the trade off is a few extra ounces for ipad mini vs small/slow screen of dedicated gps.

 

[utahminer]

Alright guys.

I'm sold on the phone. Between the upgrade credit, phone credit and my shrewd ability to reduce verizon salesmen to puddles of goo, I think I can get a 6 for a decent price.

Thanks for walking me through this, and for the great info on which apps to try.

Ben
Are you talking about an Iphone 6 or a Galaxy? I personally have an Iphone, because that is all my work will distribute, and the new version of the app works great. The battery life on my android was WAY better than either Iphone I have owned. To the extent, I still have my old Andriod laying around will use it with OnX this fall while hunting. Smart phone batteries struggle in the cold, but iphone seem to be much worse than the android products.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Ben
Are you talking about an Iphone 6 or a Galaxy? I personally have an Iphone, because that is all my work will distribute, and the new version of the app works great. The battery life on my android was WAY better than either Iphone I have owned. To the extent, I still have my old Andriod laying around will use it with OnX this fall while hunting. Smart phone batteries struggle in the cold, but iphone seem to be much worse than the android products.

Was thinking the iphone 6. Mostly because I've had the iphone for the last 6 or 7 years and am familiar with the platform.

 

[utahminer]

Was thinking the iphone 6. Mostly because I've had the iphone for the last 6 or 7 years and am familiar with the platform.

To each their own, but seriously consider trying an Andriod device. I personally like the LGs because you can replace the battery and upgrade the memory easily. The battery life is better, the cameras are better, phone signal is audial better and you are not as "locked in" on what the platform will do. They operate in a very similar manner today. I switched in about 3 yrs ago to a droid and was really annoyed when my new company made me switch back to an apple.

 

[Ben Lamb]

To each their own, but seriously consider trying an Andriod device. I personally like the LGs because you can replace the battery and upgrade the memory easily. The battery life is better, the cameras are better, phone signal is audial better and you are not as "locked in" on what the platform will do. They operate in a very similar manner today. I switched in about 3 yrs ago to a droid and was really annoyed when my new company made me switch back to an apple.

I am not an apple fanboy, just more of a lazy tech learner. I'll take a look at the Android. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Jwill]

You might take a look at the Samsungs for their water resistance/proofness. My hesitation to just roll with the phone is being afraid to use it in bad weather.

 

[VikingsGuy]

You might take a look at the Samsungs for their water resistance/proofness. My hesitation to just roll with the phone is being afraid to use it in bad weather.

Not fan-boying, both are good platforms, but just to add info to the discussion, the most recent iphones are water resistant as well.