Map Solution?

Al Swope

Al Swope

Adventurist
Founding Member
So I've read a bunch of threads on several websites and I'm confused and I don't want to be directed elsewhere, so if you can help, awesome. I want to use a app like Gaia or Back country navigator. I currently have an iPhone 8 plus, and an iPad pro without cellular. The primary use will be in my atv, to map trails that have not been mapped by anyone else. I'll never use it for highway navigation and probably never leave central PA. I just want to be able record, save, and share routes.

Option 1: If I use the iPhone, and download maps ahead of time, will the GPS work when there is no cell coverage? Does it even have true GPS? I get mixed answers on this.

Option 2: Get an external blue tooth GPS to go with iPad. For this, I like the big screen but don't necessarily like extra gadget(s) to charge, connect, etc. If this is the best solution, then can anyone recommend a device?

Option 3: Buy a Galaxy Tablet with GPS

Thoughts on these...?
 
I am an android
user, but from what I understand is the ipads with the cellular do have a stand alone GPS that can be used without cell coverage, but the ones without cell do not have the stand alone gps.

Even with built-in GPS, the standalone Bluetooth gps receiver like the XGPS160 from Dual Electronics will have a stronger reception. (That being said, I have been using Samsung Tablets for (galaxy tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 3 10.1) and most recently the Galaxy tab A 10.1 with Gaia since June of 2013 (I checked my profile) and can count on 1 hand the number of times I have lost signal, and every time I have lost signal moving a few yards has always solved the issue.
 
Yes, if you download the map beforehand (at least with Gaia), it will show even if you do not have cell service. But I am not sure if you can piggyback the GPS from your iphone to show on your ipad. You might have to get an additional GPS receiver for that. If it's on a quad, I would just get a good case for the iphone and use it. You can still download the maps onto your iphone in case you lose cell reception. That said, you can get a cheap Samsung tabled with GPS at Costco for next to nothing, and they have expandable memory.
 
BlkWgn said:
... (That being said, I have been using Samsung Tablets for (galaxy tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 3 10.1) and most recently the Galaxy tab A 10.1 with Gaia since June of 2013 (I checked my profile) and can count on 1 hand the number of times I have lost signal, and every time I have lost signal moving a few yards has always solved the issue.
Click to expand...

That's good to know. I'm leaning toward the Galaxy Tablet. I like the idea of using my iPhone to keep things simple, but I think I'd like a the larger screen of a tablet better. It also seems like an external GPS linked to my existing iPad would be a good option but more expensive and complex than an android tablet.
 
I use Gaia. What I like about it is that you have one account that you can log into different devices (ie - desktop, phone, tablet). So if you make changes to one, it will push the data to the others (like waypoints & routes).

As far as "off-grid" map access, you can either select a geographic area or a route. So if you want to say download all the map data for your home state you can. If you're following something like a BDR you can download all the map data for the route plus a swath of territory along the route.

You an also select which off-line map data you want access to and to what level of detail. So say you want your base layer to me available to the highest level of zoom, but you only want your public land layer to say 50% zoom, you can do that. Lots of options. Especially if you plan on having multiple map layers for off-grid use.

I will say the internal GPS chips in my iPhones (5s, 6s, and now XR) have been more than adequate for what I've been doing. That said, there are some limitations with accuracy. If you plan on creating routes and want a higher level of accuracy you may want to look into an external antenna like a Dual150 (or later model). You can run multiple devices off one of those which is nice if you ever want to run your phone and tablet simultaneously.
 
I use Gaia as well, but can't say I'm thrilled with it. The map selection is great, but some of the functionality leaves a little to be desired.

You can download maps, but the routing functions don't work when you're offline. So you get the maps and it will show you your position and record tracks, but you do lose some functionality when you're not on-line. We were using it recently for on-road navigation in Botswana. I had downloaded the maps, but it refused to do any routing unless it was connected to the internet. We made do, but it was frustrating. We ended up using Gaia in the parks, and a Garmin loaded with Tracks for Africa for the roads.

It also will not, as far as I am able to figure out, allow you to enter a waypoint using coordinates in the web version. You can do it on your iphone or tablet, but the web version requires you to click on the correct spot on the map to save a waypoint. This is difficult if you don't know what the correct spot is, and you are trying to find those coordinates. I much prefer to do the planning on a bigger screen, but if I want to input coordinates, I have to use a portable device. Maybe I'm just a Luddite and can't figure it out. There has to be a better way.
 
So here’s what I did. Samsung tab A 8” from Best Buy for $129. And a Braecn case for $19 from Amazon. I decided on this route because the iPhone screen was just too small. I downloaded the Gaia app. Even as tech challenged as I can be, I had this tracking my drive in about 10 minutes. So far so good...
0307976F-5771-40F3-A996-20A123ABFBA5.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom