My old Garmin ETREX is showing its age. I bought it in 2006 for a trip to Iraq based on the advice of a Marine Capt who had just got back from his trip to the sandbox. It was the cheapest available at the time. But it did it's job well. I've noticed in Northern VA when GeoCaching it doesn't do well with tall trees overhead or even near by. I am trying to decide if I should get a new GPS, or is there an app for the iPhone work as well. I do travel for my job, and cannot rely on cell towers/wifi to help with the fix like Waze does. Mainly the GPS will be needed for GeoCaching. And if the Naval base I visit every year every reboots the adventurers club I can do some more amateur battlefield archeology. And MGRS support is a nice add on.
- Thread starter IrishWind
- Start date
Most higher end phones have pretty advanced GPS units built in that can lock onto quite a number of different satellites sometimes more than just GPS ones depending on the zone.
Things blocking the sky is always an issue for anything, and means you have to wait longer for a precise fix
Things blocking the sky is always an issue for anything, and means you have to wait longer for a precise fix
I'd recommend you try the Gaia GPS app, with a premium subscription, for a year before buying new. Pretty sure it'll cost you $40 for the year, it's been a while so I'm not 100% up on costs. I have a Garmin GPS, a Garmin Watch (primarily for workouts / training) , a Garmin Inreach (for emergencies), and Gaia always gets the nod in the field... The interface really is night and day better.
You don't need cell signal if you download maps in advance, and phone GPS is pretty darn good.
You could also email them, and say you had someone recommend the app to you, and see if they'd give you a month trial of premium. Never know.
You don't need cell signal if you download maps in advance, and phone GPS is pretty darn good.
You could also email them, and say you had someone recommend the app to you, and see if they'd give you a month trial of premium. Never know.
Both IPhones and Android phones can use the GPS in Airplane mode and without cell signal or WiFi. I do it regularly.
Certain apps will not work though, you need one designed for navigation, topo maps, etc - e.g. Gaia, OnX, BaseMap, I'm sure there are others. And, you need to download the actual maps beforehand.
Certain apps will not work though, you need one designed for navigation, topo maps, etc - e.g. Gaia, OnX, BaseMap, I'm sure there are others. And, you need to download the actual maps beforehand.
Ive been running a Garmin GPSMAP 64st for a year now mapping remote hikes in and out of the woods fly fishing. I have zero issues with signal or accuracy deep in the woods with virtually no view of the sky in the WV mountains and Maine Great North Woods...
He’s right and I was wrong. Just downloaded map data on Gaia and my gps worked without service.
I looked into a handheld GPS recently as well. Mine is an old Magellan Meridian from early 2000's. Amazing it still works at all. The screen inside the housing broke free at some point and it sits at an angle. It's slow an very low resolution. I see that most have better screens now but it seems the UI is still clunky. We have a newer Garmin at work (5-6 years old) and the UI is not intuitive, and it processes things pretty slowly. Is there anything better? I get it they aren't going to have the processing power of a smartphone but they don't even seem to be in the same ballpark. What am I missing?
-Dan
-Dan
Exactly why I dont use my cell. And no service in the areas I'm using my 64st so my phone doesn't even come with me....extra batteries and I carry a 25000mah USB battery pack to charge my GPS or walkie in an ER but haven't had to use it.
My thoughts exactly and why I don't use a cell phone for this. The 64 was pretty much the gold standard way back when and I was looking at them again recently, just wondering how much better they are vs. 5-10 years ago.
Yep, the trick is you need an app designed for it.
I use my phone extensively, but a couple warnings from experience: Definitely not as durable as a standalone GPS. Not as waterproof, etc. And, can't just swap a new set of lithium batteries like you can in some. I had battery issues one year on an Elk hunt because of the cold weather and it was a real pain in the ***. Ended up falling back to the Garmin Montana. Haven't dropped mine in the water yet, but a waterproof case isn't a bad idea if you're using it extensively in bad weather.
But, the interface is much better and you're using your phone for pretty much everything.
I have a Garmin Montana. I’ve had the Gaia app for over 5 years. I stopped using it when I got the Montana. I only replied to comment on the iPhone just to be proven wrong lol. It was a learning experience haha
My last garmin was a rhino 750. Nice feature is being able to download full color satellite image overlays for the area you will be using the gps in. Also has a 2-way radio that can push location to your buddies, was great for hunting. There’s probably better units out now, bought that one close to 10 years ago.
This post reminds me...I have a Garmin eTrex Vista-C from about 2005. I haven't used it in probably 10 years. I wonder if it would even work still? Do they need constant firmware updates or anything? Anyone know?
You're GTG. I've been using one as a standalone for years.
And to the OP, all of the smaller Garmin units will have the same problem with reception. The Garmin GPSMAP and InReach Explorer+ get much better reception, but also cost substantially more.
