I'm looking for a decent GPS to bring PrepHole with me. It's mostly for the purposes of capturing maps of my routes and specific geolocations in areas that don't have trails or any access to mobile/cellular signals for positioning. Anyone have experience with these things who can give me some advice? The most important thing is that I can capture coordinates along my treks and can easily return to them at a later date and connect the dots between coordinates.
Don't know shit about GPS models in general, but I got your OP pic for my birthday this year and it works great for that. Used it to track my paths and distances on a few hikes, and to guide me to some off-trail GPS coordinates I was interested in.
As long as it's easy to use and does what it implies I'm happy with that. I might pick it up! I have an adventure planned in March which involves some complicated photography and recording setups (and some other top secret stuff) and I'll need to be able to return to the same locations a few times, and then be able to share accurate coordinate so others can get there.
Thanks anon, what luck someone who has that exact unit sees my post right away
I've been doing research and i think there is 3 options;
Garmin 67i for 500 full features
Garmin etrex 32 for 300 slight simpler than the above, hard to work, still lets you use garmin base camo and make/capture routes and stuff
Used 66i, 65, or etrex for 1/2 price but sorta doesnt make sense just pay the 300 more for something modern
Wild card; bhcnav is the chinese version they seem to lack a lot but their f30 model is 170 and the f78 is 300 but they seem a little too chinky for this price
66s is based due to bigger screen, but single band only
65s is based due to being 66sr but more compact and AA batteries and cheaper than 66sr.
all you really need is a cheap 62s, you don't actually need the extra precision - does it matter if your location is marked with 10m accuracy, or 5m? outside of forest you will be getting 3-5 meters with a 62s anyways.
What does matter to me is plug standards and 67s use usb c which is a complaint i have with the others
OP, I have the previous model (64st). Ive had it for the last 8 years. Still works, takes AAs which sucks but it won't ever run out of power in a single day. it's awesome because unlike the foretrek it gives you not only your exact coordinates, but also a map. There are 100 other features which are mildly useful but being able to plot out a route and then get exact distance measurements and azimuths are awesome. I carry it everywhere I go and haven't had an issue with getting signal in the mountains.
I got one of these a few years ago, chose it over the ones that look like yourpic because i find it more aesthetic, also has a slightly larger and higher res screen i believe. Had to buy maps separately. Lets me download outdated satellite imagery for free straight to device, but i had to buy topo maps separately (got backroad roadmaps, which are great, has all the logging roads in my area, kinda expensive though)
Considering getting one of their montana models for my dad though, as he finds the screen to small still.
>takes AAs which sucks
Proprietary (or even worse, built-in) batteries can suck my frickin dick. AA's let you hotswap, with batteries that will always be cheap and plentiful. Having all your devices use different batteries is just bad logistics.
>blocks your path
Doesnt help you buy a new battery for your device when they discontinue them. Might still be able to find clones on the interwebs if you look hard enough, but AA's will always be everywhere.
I do want one of those though, and that looks nice, i like nitecore. Tired of carrying a frickin solar panel and seperate charger around (because solar panels generally cannot be trusted with expensive electronics, it can frickemup)
The company of scale for a phone battery is pretty good. You can still buy a battery kit for an iPhone 5 (a 11 year old phone) that includes all of the tools to replace it for $20 on Amazon. It’s not like a compressor for a refrigerator (mine went out a few years ago, and the replacement was maybe $100 cheaper than buying the fridge brand new).
Good point. 10ha is literally the only size out there. It’s not like anyone makes a bigger battery pack. Also 2 or 3 charges for a phone isn’t nearly enough.
*economy of scale. I’ll just go play in traffic.
>Also 2 or 3 charges for a phone isn’t nearly enough.
Don't have a phone, but can fairly easily kill an 18650 headlamp or flashlight in one night, i have some other devices that can kill batteries good aswell, its why i bring a solar panel, as i stay out for up to a week at a time.
Just struggling with the idea of buying a battery brick to charge my other batteries, when it would just make more sense to bring more batteries, with the charger serving as the bank, so i could drain one type to feed the other types, if the need arrose.
10000mah doesnt seem like a whole lot though, thats like 4 rechargable AA's, or 3 18650's. Thus i think my idealized battery bank would essentially just be a battery charger for said batteries, just one that happens to let me output to charge other stuff too, and ofc input to charge with a solar panel (hard to find chargers that get along with panels, most glitch out and quit when the sun gets blocked, and i havent had any luck finding such a charger that can output)
AA are the king of backcountry
Anyone telling you otherwise is trying to sell you garbage
>hurr de durr battery bank
>i phone 5
why look, the celltarded moron cant get enough of saying stupid shit
We get it--you never ever go anywhere where you don't have cell coverage and you love to lie.
>Uses a headlamp the entire night
no one does this--there is no reason to ever do this. The only people that need several hours of continuous headlamp use are spelunkers.
If you went in the back country with me and tried to keep your headlamp on all night I would punch you in the face and take away your headlamp.
>cell coverage
moron
>has never been on a night hike
homosexual
We get it--you lie about everything.
Literally everything.
So: we've established you never leave cellphone coverage and you don't know anything about hiking at night.
Keep lying kid.
Yes, you're moronic and cant read a map--we established that early in the thread.
Only an absolute moron (you) would ever use a usb charging device off trail--no one does this but boomers that use their side by sides to get to the back country.
>Using a tiny screen for navigation is fatastic
said no one competent in land nav ever.
Again, you don't know shit about navigation but here you are being a cancerous liar giving shit advice and saying all your talking points over and over.
Good luck navigating with a map and nut using your headlamp continuously at night.
>cell coverage
This is why this board needs mods that understand at least the basics of the discussions. You’re either purposefully trolling or too moronic to post here. Either way you shouldn’t be participating. Sad.
>we need mods that act as my personal enforcers and stop peope from disagreeing with me
Anon, there’s nothing to disagree about. You’re stating something that’s patently false but well known only to people who spend time outdoors. It’s not a matter of opinion.
I'm not the anon you've been seething at, but when I leave cell coverage my phone's GPS doesn't work well at all. If you say it works fine, then I'd call that a disagreement.
>If i keep lying it will become true
it doesn't and you're lying that it does
you don't go off trail
more lies by you
>every poster in a thread with 48 posters is the same poster if they disagree with me
When I buy a dedicated GPS I'll run it at the same time as my phone and see if they both go all squiffy when I leave cell service.
I have done this already with a few phones--the dedicated gps blows the phone out of the water. Granted, I buy cheap phones from motorola, samsung and LG but I can say I wouldn't trust any of their GPS systems out of cell coverage areas--they're good enough in network. I have two ancient garmins.
>cheap phones from motorola
Same. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that was a contributing factor. Of course, that does imply that not all GPS receivers are created equal, which will be triggering to some anons ITT
>doesn’t work at all without cell coverage
>doesn’t work well without cell coverage
Shame on you for not understanding the difference.
>Dude keeps calling me out for lying
>BAN HIM
it is unreal how much you lie and how angry you get at people that call you on it
>navigating with a map and nut
Whats the nut for, checking for anomalies?
> Only an absolute moron (you) would ever use a usb charging device off trail
why so angry? I carry paper maps as backup in the event gps doesn’t work. I enjoy riding my tw200 through the woods and then continuing on foot. I get out, sounds like you should give it a try, it is quite relaxing. Hope your day gets better.
You are arguing with multiple people at the same time, and confusing their comments to assume different people are the same people.
Ive never owned a cellphone (not the first person in this thread to say that, either) Am pro AA batteries (and 18650), and am able to kill an 18650 headlamp in one night, it's 1400lumens, if you run it at the brightest setting it can be dead in an hour, not that there is a need to run it that bright for that long, but when you combine occasionally flashing it that bright to scan for animals, witht he fact i like to set it up as an ambient camp light at night, it will need a new battery or charge for the next day.
why do you need it that bright?
99% of the time when I actually use my headlamp (which is rare, and I walk in the dark all the time) I use the red led on low setting and I can go a whole season without needing to change the battery.
>why do you need it that bright?
Ive got grizzly bears, cougars, moose and the likes in my area, give me the heebies, so when i hear suspect large animal movement nearby, i scan for it to see what it is.
I apologize for misunderstanding--thankyou for clarifying. There are cougars where I live, and a rare mountain lion, but I don't over-night where they hang out during mating season and there are no griz.
>you never ever go anywhere where you don't have cell coverage
honestly accurate for the most part. i do carry a 20k mAh battery that's been more than sufficient for several years (think moron camp mates who always need to charge their phone and then lose it regardless), and sadly not a ton of my native area of new england lacks even 3G. even if it's for a couple days, i can charge my cell phone a 5x over and e-reader maybe 8x over. for essential shit like headlamp, i do carry an AAA-powered one and spare batteries, but would consider using a USB-C rechargeable one if my budget justified replacing a perfectly good headlamp. i also tend to camp in areas i've explored extensively for years, some of which are highly specific, so it's not like i'm "getting lost" often. but to the OP's point, i can absolutely see the benefit of carrying a GPS unit in certain circumstances
The best solution is rechargeable AA batteries. Combine it with a mobile solar panel compatible with your battery charger, and your set.
I know, ive got enloops as my rechargeable AA's, aswell i use 18650's, which are rechargeable.
Problems are that solar panels are heavy, and that its hard to find chargers that get along with solar panels, ive tested 4 or 5, some glitch out and get right fricked forever (why you should never trust a solar panel with your fancy devices) and even amongst the chargers that do work; when the clouds pass over the charger goes into error mode, and you have to manually reset it to get it charging again.
And as stated my dream charger would also allow me to output, so i could drain my 18650's to charge my AA's(or vice versa) in an emergency, essentially letting me use my batteries as a power bank.
Yeah theyre pretty bad here, doesnt help that i only like to hike and camp near water (strems, rivers, lakes) which is where animals ofc like to visit. Winter is relativly safe i think, fall is mating season for moose and the likes, spring is when there are a shitload of bears(and i have to deal with them trying to get into my chicken coops)
You don't need cell signal for positioning. The GPS in your phone is as good as any dedicated GPS unit you can buy as a civilian.
You have no idea what kind of Pandora’s Box this comment will open.
this is true, but phones also have poor battery life and shitty software.
phone<rugged phone<rugged linux or windows PDA<dedicated GPS
>poor battery life
Greatly extended by airplane mode, and you can carry a backup battery.
>and shitty software
And some great software. Unlike a dedicated unit, you have choices.
What have you done
The GPS receiver in your PHONE works without ANY cell/mobile signal. Just to let you know.
this
you can bring a backup battery, the software on a fricking GARMIN is way worse than a modern smartphone, they've barely updated it in a decade
>The GPS receiver in your PHONE works without ANY cell/mobile signal. Just to let you know.
>You don't know anything about GPS or cell pones.
Wait I’m confused. Would I need a cell signal or not?
No, you don't need any cell signal for your phone to ascertain your location given that you have downloaded a map of the area ahead of time and, (optionally) a track/line of where you want to go on said map.
Garmin shills are very real. Ignore them! They want to make you pay 500 dollars for a shitty device that you don't need!
GPS in my phone is shit for accuracy when I'm off of roads or in places where I don't have signal. Why bother downloading maps and routes to a phone that works for shit when I can use a dedicated device?
Answer this first: do all cellphones have the same GPS antenna?
>He won't answer this
Why are you giving navigation advice? You don't know how to navigate AT ALL.
And why are you lying about Garmen prices? an e-trex is less than 100 USD. You won't find a cellphone in that price range that has a reliable GPS receiver--eg that thing you're about to lie about or dodge from the question you'll never ever answer (Do all cellphones use the same GPS antenna/reciever)
You tell the same lies in every thread.
>he won’t answer this
Because I don’t know. How do I find the specs on my iPhone 11 that list the GPS hardware? You have them, right?
>Tells someone not to pay 500 for a GPS
>Shills an iphone
lol
The I phone uses a U1 chip you brain dead moron.
>everyone is the same person
PrepHole doesn’t need id’s though, amirite?
Why be so agressive? Is it really warranted?
>U1 chip
No idea what that means.
Yeah, so why would I think one is better than the other?
I can look at my phone, confirm that I’m at a creek crossing or just passed a pipeline or am nearing a place where I want to camp… but PrepHole tells me it’s not accurate enough or doesn’t work or whatever. And that’s fine, but how about an actual explanation other than “it sucks, trust me bro?”
>I don't know what a U1 chip is
yes, you're an idiot who insists on talking about what they clearly know nothing about.
So far we've established:
-You don't know anything about manual land navigation
-You don't know anything about GPS recievers
-You're aggressively shilling cellphones even though it's obvious you lack any sort of relevant competency
You have brain damage
I have extensive experience with managing rangers. About 10 teams a weak deployed in different locations.
We got them regular blackview phones for reports and navigation with locus maps for nav.
There wasn't a single complaint. I only got the garmins to track there movements. It helps they can also use it as a gps with the companion app.
You really only struggle with signal when it pouring but then again you probably aren't going to be moving much in such conditions.
I was the fire support officer for light infantry in Afghanistan early on in that shit show before I got out and saved my sanity--I did everything on a paper map with a Garmin backup... including danger close fire missions.
I also have a degree in computer science and have specific training in GPS systems--I also did long haul communications and studied physics and helped with physics research after I left the military.
I also helped field (working directly with the contractors) the first blue force tracking systems in the army--I was hand selected to do this because I was literally the most knowledgeable by faer in all of Iraq at the time.
I was telling people several pay grades above me how to set everything up and make it work with their fancy cool guy ops centers.
Thats super cool anon. I have limited experience with blueforce trackers but always thought it was a neat system.
I used a DAGR a lot but always hated it. I wouldve much rather carried any of the garmins ive used. A couple of cool guys i know have those tactical garmin watches but they werent really a thing back then.
I actually wasn't a fan of the blue force tracking because it incentivized battalion commanders to micro manage their company commanders. I was already out when they moved to the "cellphone" system but I'm not a fan of that either because any RF footprint can be triangulated and targeted--it's fine for fighting third worlders but it's a death sentence against another world power like china.
Actually I didn't really have any problems in Afghanistan because it's so near the equator and there aren't really any trees. The major problem with GPS is as you go further north the lensing effect from the atmosphere bends the signal and gives you location offsets--the more atmosphere the signal goes through the less accurate the signal is.
I only used it as an enlisted man in predeployment training so no idea how it influenced command.
Honestly radios and GPS are so interesting. I wish i had learned more about them. I know its never too late to learn but im never going to be on the bleeding edge as a hobbyist.
You learn something new every day. Had no idea about the lensing effect.
Of course anon but yeah that's probably it. Even uhf is sufficient to send coordinates to a repeater then to a control room.
All that and you still don't understand the basic premise behind gps. Impressive.
The garmin tard truly is the bane of this board.
>samegayging
Look, the dumbest most moronic cell addicted moron still thinks he isn't obviously moronic.
I don't take navigation advice (especially your totally shit navigation advice) from someone like you that doesn't know land navigation.
Frickoff you shilling moron--you do this in every GPS thread.
ing
You don't know how to read paper maps--your opinion is invalid. Your 2 day course in boyscouts on map reading makes you even more moronic--not less.
Caltopo is trash and you're lying through your teeth about knowing anything about map reading.
>Caltopo is trash
I don’t think you know what CalTopo is, how it works, or what it’s used for. You make this sperg complaints without explaining your opinion: “I hate this thing” isn’t helping you.
>The guy that doesn't know how to read a map is still shilling cellphone garbage
Yes, you're the most moronic piece of shit ever to shit up a GPS thread on PrepHole
You don't know how to read a map and insist on giving the most trash navigation advice imaginable to people who repeatedly call you moronic.
I have a degree in computer science, extensive training in GPS, I worked in Aerospace on navigation and communication systems and later did physics consulting for wave propigation.
As a literal expert on every aspect of what you're talking about: You are the biggest moron I have ever seen post to a navigation thread.
We need a cage match between the cell shill and two cups anon
You just saw it real time
he lost bigly
--I'm sure he'll keep going though; celltards have brain damage.
And yet you still don’t know what CalTopo is.
>cellphone garbage
I know people hate Skurka but he has the best breakdown of using CalTopo (again, it’s a website) to print custom maps.
https://andrewskurka.com/printing-exporting-topographical-maps-from-digital-sources/
I might make this its own thread, since both the paper map Luddite’s and the celltards can both benefit from it. Sorry, Garmin users have to pay extra since Garmin doesn’t support the ubiquitous GeoPDF file format used by the USGS and USFS.
>Celltard spews more moronation
I love that you keep proving me right
YES make you're own fricking thread you absolute moron--this was started as a GPS thread that you keep shitting up with total garbage.
Brain damage confirmed.
Is the blueforce tracker radio based like trbonet? Use trbonet as a backup but can't rely on it because the radio get turned off to preserve batteries during long patrols.
I think the new ones operate in the microwave spectrum--not totally sure but it would make sense. I haven't touched them in a very long time so I only know what my contacts still on the inside tell me--and technical specifications isn't what we chat about Xd
Great experience am guessing the mountains in Afghanistan were probably an issue for gps.
Terrain here is plains and woodland. Also computer science degree. Also set up control rooms(op centers)
Have a gis background as well. Can't navigate on paper to save my life
>regards, Jim
>I don't know
Well at least we can all agree on that
Cellphones use cheap garbage GPS receivers in most cases. ALL cellphones triangulate location from the towers than augment your GPS location with that information.
When you disable the cell tower triangulation augmentation to GPS location on a cellphone there is a MASSIVE degradation in location accuracy and speed of location acquisition.
Garmin uses a much better antenna. Out of network GPS location for most cellphones on the market is absolute garbage and the cell-shill will lie about this basic fact.
This is a good option too. You can use locus maps and download good offline maps not sat though. If you want to have offline sat maps you can use qgis to export Google maps sat images to .mbtiles format and import to locus maps.
But note most gps cell gps are decent but when weather is bad you are gonna want something with a better antenna
phone software is unusable. the google playstore is an indian street stall of counterfeit trash. basic programs and utilities cannot be found uninfected by advertisements and spyware. ios is maybe marginally better. you use a phone for navigation? don't tell me let me guess, your navigation app starts deleting map tiles after you go over its arbitrary limit, and there are advertisements, and random fricking gestures so every time you try to rotate or move the map (or even give the screen a glancing love tap by mistake) a waypoint or track inexplicably appears for no particular reason? not for me. even taking an entire laptop with a GPS chip would be better. you're gonna tell me none of that happens and i'm gonna tell you you're wrong. you think phones apps are good, you think smart phones are neato? have a nice day.
>the software on a fricking GARMIN is way worse than a modern smartphone, they've barely updated it in a decade
GOOD. how are they gonna update it? are they gonna add advertisements? WHOOPS - cant do that because there's no internet connectivity. are they gonna add a bunch of stupid fricking features that only slow down and frustrate the user? nope because it has idk a 100mhz processor and probably less than 16mb of memory. that's how i know the software is perfect, reliable, and predictable. they cant frick it up, AND its probably IPX rated, AND the battery lasts for days, and it's a paid product. it's better.
>your navigation app starts deleting map tiles after you go over its arbitrary limit,
No
>and there are advertisements,
No
>and random fricking gestures so every time you try to rotate or move the map (or even give the screen a glancing love tap by mistake) a waypoint or track inexplicably appears for no particular reason?
No
Where did you get this crap? Lol
>
>the software on a fricking GARMIN is way worse than a modern smartphone, they've barely updated it in a decade
GOOD. how are they gonna update it? are they gonna add advertisements? WHOOPS - cant do that because there's no internet connectivity. are they gonna add a bunch of stupid fricking features that only slow down and frustrate the user? nope because it has idk a 100mhz processor and probably less than 16mb of memory. that's how i know the software is perfect, reliable, and predictable. they cant frick it up, AND its probably IPX rated, AND the battery lasts for days, and it's a paid product. it's better.
>>your navigation app starts deleting map tiles after you go over its arbitrary limit,
>No
>>and there are advertisements,
>No
>>and random fricking gestures so every time you try to rotate or move the map (or even give the screen a glancing love tap by mistake) a waypoint or track inexplicably appears for no particular reason?
>No
>Where did you get this crap? Lol
>Celltard shill still shits up GPS thread
I'm pretty sure it's a bot
Repeating the same lies over and over would exhaust any normal human yet here this thing is repeating the same lies over and over.
>GPS Thread
>The moron that doesn't know shit about GPS and shills cellphones posts
you just cant help yourself
At this point I think he works for the cellphone company. He knows--he posts it in every gps thread because he's that kind of moronic.
He also tells this lie every time--it's pointless to call him on it because he'll keep lying and lying.
it's called shilling
You don't know anything about GPS or cell pones.
Reminder: if you need anything more than a grid location from a GPS you don't know shit about navigation and shouldn't be off trail.
Here comes the SEEEEETHE
MOM I'M SEEEEEEEETHING
Yes but don't most of the dedicated GPS units allow for sending messages?
No, absolutely not, and the ones that do charge monthly subscription fees to do so. It's funny you are totally against paying a fee to access offline maps through a hiking app, but totally fine with paying even more money to send messages using satellite.
Also, the newest cell phones CAN send satellite messages outbound in emergencies.
The iPhone 15 can, but I think it’s only free for a year, after which it becomes a subscription. Maybe not; just what I remember hearing.
Nope, iPhone 14 and later can, and its free forever, because you can't just send messages in and out normally, its only for emergencies
I assume some android phones can do the same now, but I don't know for sure.
If you want to send messages in and out NOT in an emergency, with any device, you will be paying out the ass for it.
>free forever
I wouldn’t be so sure. At first it was just a year, then they extended it. Now Apple advertises it as “free for two years.” It was extended by one year on November 15th.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/11/apple-extends-emergency-sos-via-satellite-for-an-additional-free-year/
This is sorta like how they said they were gonna scan your icloud photos for pedo shit automatically but then relented. It obviously behooves them to keep emergency GPS use free, and charging people for having emergencies makes no sense.
Yeah maybe
>Apple assumes emergency PLBs are just a consumer gimmick
>some dipshit goes on a 15 mile day hike in Death Valley with a 1/2L of water
>gets into serious trouble
>takes out his trusty iPhone 15 ProMax deluxe edition in gun metal gray
>”sorry, GPS emergency data is by subscription only”
>”please connect to WiFi or turn on cellular data to subscribe”
>dies
Imagine the fricking lawsuit over letting someone die because they didn’t pay an $8.99 monthly fee.
All they have to do is put a disclaimer in the box that says "special features by subscription only, device user assumes all risks associated with not being our loyal little paypiggy"
different anon here but I don't think there's any reasonable expectation for a mobile phone to contact emergency services via satellite. that's just not a precedent that's ever been set for consumers. allowing phones to call 911 or 000 or whatever without being paid up is one thing as the phone is connected to the network at all times. satellite access, although a pretty good idea, might not really be something a consumer can say they expect
...except satellite connectivity is a feature and a selling point of the phone, so maybe it is expected.
Apple is awful.
They've single handedly ruined the PC market and the Cellphone market by catering to the lowest common denominator of intelligence.
>Non replicable batteries
>Locked out OS
>delicate as frick display
>Removal of all backwards compatibility
>Scan all of your files regularly without permission or even telling you that's what they're doing
>constantly scanning and mapping networks using a feature you cant' turn off
>The major reason why much of the microprocessor manufacturing was moved to china; and now india
>massive polluters
>dishonest advertising
>planned obsolescence
>Massively inflated prices
garbage from top to bottom--especially it's "loyal" user base
as frick display
I take my phone innawoods and it does fine (especially now that they are waterproof) as long as you slap a cheap chinese screen protector on the front
>Scan all of your files regularly without permission or even telling you that's what they're doing
they said they would but then relented, they don't do that, also google most certainly does do that and you can't really avoid google maps without sacrificing a lot in ease + functionality
>planned obsolescence
as opposed to? how would they fix this?
holy shit you just don't give up
You're truly amazingly stupid at every level
>shilling apple
lol
>asks how to fix planned obsolescence in a GPS thread
I've had my same garmin for 15 years and it still works like a champ --you won't ever be able to say this about your iphone
yeah but garmin is much harder to use
its way harder to download tracks on the fly, the software is terrible, I've used garmin, its ok but its like using a 15 year old device
just admit you work for garmin, ok?
>garmin is harder to use
no, it's super easy--you're just an idioit.
I turn it on and it gives me a grid.
You need a computer to navigate for you because you don't know how to navigate without a computer--that's on you moron.
yeah but its much harder to upload new routes to it wirelessly
its not just having a grid its being able to easily upload routes
yeah if you don't have a smartphone, garmin is fine, but frick, if you do, no need, unless u live in a frigid polar area
I also don't need the fricking Chineaze recording my every movement for their global big data schemes
I don't need the routes
I have a map and I'm not moronic
If you need anything more than a grid from a GPS you have no business going off trail.
>easily upload routes
You shouldn't be uploading routes.
Unknown routes shouldn't be uploaded because it'll attract normies to previously obscure places.
Well-known routes shouldn't be uploaded because it would be a waste of space when the route has already been posted numerous times.
Frick Steve Jobs, just take me back to 2005, 2006 and 2007 already.
I know you are a bell telephone company sympathizer
If you're in the Rocky mountains or the Cascades I wouldn't do it. GPS is a backup to land navigation skills--it isn't the primary navigation tool. I can do exactly what you described without using a GPS at all just using terrain association and triangulation. I live in a HEAVILY wooded area that has massive elevation gain so people claiming "but trees reeee" are simply bad at land navigation.
I have this Garmin etrex 22x.
It works fine, I think it does the things you want it to do, it is not very expensive, and it doesnt use a lot of batteries.
Get the Garmin inreach messenger pairs with your phone. Can send messages via satellite if you are in trouble. Record your tracks and all the gps features and it's cheap.
But you have to pay a sub for the sat features but it's not much I have a fleet of 22.
if you just need to log waypoints and tracks then you can just get a gps watch like the garmin instinct or a simple gps device like the new etrex se.
if you don't need mapping it's pointless to get a device with mapping as they burn through batteries.
I'm pretty impressed with how much cool shit they have these days. The fact you can log pretty precise coordinates and waypoints via satellite with just a fricking watch is the bees breasts.
I really do look forward to the mapping function though, not just innabush but on camping and road trips and such it seems useful.
Or you can get the solar version of this etrex with infinite battery life.
its funny how many of you are so mad that people can just use an app on their cell phone that they carry around anyways and don't have to know military-style land navigation
you can download road maps in google maps, and then topo maps and other layers in a dedicated hiking app and you will be good, way easier than a garmin
>but you don't know what kind of gps chip your phone has
I don't have to, I've used the past three cell phones I have to navigate, plenty in backcountry and sometimes off trail and it works fine
>easier than a garmin
Started off good, but now we know you're full of shit
NTA. I’ve never used a dedicated GPS but I’ve used a few phones as well. What makes a Garmin easier?
>Experts calling me moronic are mad
you're lack of self awareness is truly amazing
if you're only hiking trails it doesn't matter what you use. The reason to use a dedicated GPS instead of a cellphone--which has been mentioned repeatedly--is because dedicated GPS are more rugged and you absoluetly don't want a device with non replicable batteries in a life or death situation. The other main reason to use a dedicated GPS is because most cellphones have awful GPS receivers and are absolute dogshit out of network.
If you want to get serious about going off trail you need to learn to use a map, relying on cellphones off trail gets enough people killed every year that the NPS regularly issues warnings against it.
So… what makes a Garmin easier?
>we’ll if your only in trails it doesn’t matter.
Oh…ok. But why is one easier to use?
>a dedicated GPS is more rugged
Ok. I mean I haven’t broken a phone while hiking since I started binging one like 20 years ago but sure.
Does the ruggedness of a GPS make it easier to use?
>you can replace the batteries in your phone
Battery packs are so cheap they’re given away as promotional items with company logos printed on them.
Do AA batteries make a dedicated GPS easier to use?
>you need to learn to read a map
I learned that decades ago in the Scouts, before it was gay… but I don’t see how that makes a dedicated GPS easier to use.
>NPS issues warnings against it
I think they issue warnings about relying on cell service. Does the NPS mention that a GPS is easier to use?
I know 8 year old children that have a higher reading comprehension than you do.
>explain navigation to a complete moron
fun fact--I never said anything about ease of use for garmin.
So, in conclusion: you're projecting AND saying moronic shit.
One Anon said a cell phone is easier, you said that proves he’s full of shit. I asked what makes a Garmin easier. If the answer was something along the lines of “nothing”, then there was no need to go into an Asperger’s fit about unrelated stuff, right? You could have just explained that neither is easier than the other, why a Garmin is easier, or literally ANYTHING related to ease of use.
>projecting
I don’t think you know what that means.
calling me moronic are mad
>you're lack of self awareness is truly amazing
...yes, we've established you have a childish reading comprehension... but ok
I'll play your little game though:
To use a GPS on a cellphone:
Buy a phone for 100-ish USD
Install the latest OS software
Update it again
Learn how to use the OS on a cellphone
Learn how to install and mage software on a cellpone
Update the sofware you just installed
Swipe past all the adds or pay for the software
Have a bunch of chinese spyware
Have to get an extra battery pack--maybe two
Have to uninstall all the background apps to improve your battery life
vs.
GPS: turn it on, it gives you a grid
The battery dies--replace it with the pile of spares you have in your pack
...reminder--I never said anything about ease of use but a cellphone is a portable computer that has a learning curve before you even make it to having to learn all of the features and download the updates and learn how to use it offline..
anyways, yes, you're moronic
There aren't many good options for offline map navigation on phones unless you do a a bit work yourself.
You can take the easy route and get Google maps but that won't give you offline sat imagery which is useful for nav around terrain thar isn't significant enough to be a feature on a streatmap.
There actually aren't any options available at the moment at all(you have to extract the images from Google maps sat view yourself and good luck finding a reliable way to do that with good zoom). You actually also don't get that on garmins gps.
I am willing to be proven wrong on this but I looked into this a lot last month.
In terms of ease of use if you are a bit older using the garmins will be easier they remind me of symbian devices but for someone younger a phone will be easier.
You also don't really have to bother to much with updating software on a modern phone they do that themselves and even if it out of date it won't know unless it has an internet connection so not an issue.
Battery life isn't an issue if you are off grid and a powerbanks with solar panel is cheap and light.
Software like locus maps is free so is qgis to make your own maps(agree this will require effort and skill)
Not sure what am arguing at this point but just some things I wanted to point out
>A bunch of moronic jibberish from someone that doesn't know the first thing about land nav
yeah, didn't read--phones are shit for back country.
>moronation
yes, you've overwhelmingly demonstrated that you're really, really, really stupid.
So: in conclusion--cellphones are fine if you don't go off trail or know anything about land nav and if you want to go off trail anywhere that isn't flat and featureless: get a gps.
Nice chat kids. Now please stop talking about land navigation because you've made it extremally obvious you don't know shit about it.
>Buy a phone for 100-ish USD
Already owned by the overwhelming majority of people and has nothing to do with ease of use
>Install the latest OS software
Automatic
>Update it again
Wut?
>Learn how to use the OS on a cellphone
>Learn how to install and mage software on a cellpone
Really reaching, Anon. Literal children use smartphones.
>Update the sofware you just installed
Automatic, and if you just installed it it’s the latest version.
>Swipe past all the adds or pay for the software
Pay $24 for a lifetime subscription to Topo Nomad.
>Have a bunch of chinese spyware
Yeah maybe lol.
>Have to get an extra battery pack--maybe two
You’re the first to claim you need two. Might as well have said 3 or 4.
>Have to uninstall all the background apps to improve your battery life
You mean close them. You’ve never owned a smartphone so you can’t really say one is better than the other. Inb4 “you’ve never owned a Garmin!” I’ve never claimed to, nor have I said a phone is better. I’ve asked questions and as far as I can tell a phone is perfectly adequate. This autistic screeching really puts me off to a dedicated GPS; it just seems so homosexual now.
>being this mad about a dedicated device being the simpler option
>a dedicated device is simpler
>can’t explain why
I’m being trolled, right?
>Posts this right after the explanation of why a dedicated gps is simpler
wow, I knew you were dumb but this is on another level.
oi, lets try this m8
explain to me how to properly configure my cellphone for back coutry
Explain how to install the gps software and configure it
Explain to me how I use the cellphone operating system so if anything goes wrong I can fix it
explain to me all the map layers and how to configure them
I'll explain how to use a dedicated gps:
you turn it on and it works
No, either you are an idiot or you are the one who is trolling.
Any GPS thread draws the moronic zoomer phone-cucks like a magnet. They are so addicted and haplessly dependent on their phones that it is unimaginable to them that a piece of paper is vastly superior to people that actually know what they're doing.
I enjoy using paper maps; I got some from MyTopo and I plot out coordinates for spots I find in the woods. Tried showing them to my friends, but they looked at me like I was a caveman. It's a shame.
Paper is stupid to rely on how often are you updating that paper map features changes. Human encroachment is a thing
Use a five year old Map and now there's a mine in the way. Rains were really heavy last fews months area is now flooded.
There's a special device you can buy that allows you to update your paper. Not sure if I'm spelling it right, but if you look up "pen" I'm sure google can find it for you.
>that mountains is going to move BRO!
lol
>Human encroachment in national parks, national forests and wildlife reserves
huh?
wait, let me get this straight if I triangulate my position based on land features and there is a structure that isn't depicted on the map (or it lacks a structure that is depicted on the map) you think I'd get lost because of that?
wow, you are a brain dead zoomer.
I have an almost 15 year old GIS map of the logging roads in the DNR land that I can STILL use to navigate even though the roads have changed slightly and some are overgrown--because I know how to look at terrain features.
lol
I used to do this, until i got caught in a blizzard, and my screen became completely nonfunctional because of the snow and the battery died after 1 hour because of the cold.
Phone is fine for casual fair-weather hiking, not for anything else.
I really like avenza tons of free map you can download
The layers are nice, the elevation and distance keeping are cool too
OP here. This has been an interesting thread, when I went to sleep last night I thought it was just going to die but apparently there’s a lot to discuss about GOS and phones etc.
For me I bought the OP pic and will be picking it up this week whenever I can sneak out of work early.
1. It was the best option I could find that way actually available for local pickup (some of youse recommended good devices but none that I could get right away and start using this weekend)
2. I don’t have a smartphone. I have a dumbfone and an iPod touch which uses wifi and can run the Garmin app but doesn’t have any positioning capability much less satellite.
3. I quite like the idea of a small dedicated built for purpose device that has the option of replacing batteries. This thing will be useful for outings as well as road trips. I need to explore some ravines in my nearby national park and I don’t want a big expensive smahtphone when I make like 10 calls a year and my iPod runs the same iOS and apps already
Get this one
I love my gps
Thanks anon but I’ve already pult the trigger on the 65. I think I’ll be perfectly happy with it ṯbh
can anyone give a rundown or link about what are the differences between the gorillion models of the garmin gpsmap like 64 64s 65 66 67 etc and why the 64s seems to cost a shitton more than most others even if it's older
Don't have a link but I believe the letter indicates special features, with "s" being sensors, "i" being InReach, etc.
I mentioned CalTopo a while back and someone nearly had a fricking aneurysm because it contained the prefix “Cal.”
>Gets mocked for shilling a paid platform in GPS threads
pretty sure you were just being mocked for being moronic
I mean it would be nice to get good maps for free, but realistically no app is going to have a bunch of content for free and let you use it offline, except google maps, and that's cuz they track the shit out of you and sell that data, and they don't have topo maps or useful trail layers like Alltrails does
>hey look, the cellphone morons are back
ah yes, the morons that just can't admit they don't know jack shit about navigation but insist on giving navigation advice... truly remarkable levels of stupidity.
here you go moron: free maps
i'm not sure why you need them--you don't know how to read a map.
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#6/41.681/-101.744
herp
now how do you access them offline on your phone and trace your path on them
also, as I said, there are other maps that often have more detail than USGS topo, which doesn't have a lot of trails in certain areas
At this point I believe you're a chat GPT bot
No human being could be this moronic
seriously
You are the dumbest most moronic moron to ever shit up this bord--so much so I'm hard pressed to believe you aren't a bot.
Ironically this post sounds more like a chat it because it didn’t actually address anything the other guy mentioned. Weird.
This. It does look like a cool app, as far as apps go, but a thread about dedicated GPS devices isn't the place for it.
CalTopo was started by a SAR group in California so various other professionals could easily access various maps, mark them, share them, print them, and export them to GPS-compatible devices. The website existed for maybe a decade before they had an app.
>cool app
I never said anything about an app. The discussion was on paper maps and CalTopos uses.
>paid
There’s a free version (of the site). It’s very easy to use as a source for customized maps. Those are printed, physical paper, 11”x11”, 200dpi, full color, on 24lb paper, in any scale you’d like, for like $1.25 each.
The paid version of the site (again, no one mentioned an app) allows for larger prints, higher image resolution, and exporting as a Garmin Custom Map file. The free version only exports as a geospatial PDF.
My bad, it's just that when I looked at the site they specifically called it an app
>the app exists
Correct.
>therefor that must be what you’re talking about
Ok Anon, you got me. I’m shilling an app under the guise of paper maps because reasons. I only mentioned the physical size and type of paper to print them on and the cost at Kinos to throw off the scent.
Well I was just pointing out that their website led me to believe that it's an app rather than making accusations against you, but if you're going to be snarky I'll say that I don't need GPS to frick your mother because she's a landmark I can identify at distance
>I don’t need GPS
Anon, the discussion is the use of CalTopo for paper maps. Do you not use paper maps either?
NTA but see
I just wanted some nice banter about GPS and the uses thereof, but this is turning into Christmas at my parent's house growing up
If you have tons of money to blow and want a Garmin, go nuts, my point in posting here is to say if you have a normal, recent-ish smartphone you can download a number of apps that will all work fine to navigate you innawoods without any cell service
anon here would have use believe a cell phone CANNOT function as a passive GPS receiver without cell signal, which hasn't been the case since like 2009
>but what if you do backcountry expeditions for weeks in the blizzard
if you are that serious you probably have the money for a Garmin anyways, go nuts, but for most use case scenarios phone + app + backup battery is way easier to use
Yeah I don't have a smartphone at all and I don't want one. My iPod (when connected to wifi) has decent geolocation from the mobile towers when I'm innacity and walking (when driving it just can't triangulate in real time), but when I'm innabush I have nothing. As a photographer and field recordist I'm really wanting to document my coordinates and after I've been off the trail and away from any landmarks for 1-2 hours in the national park it's all but impossible to have any guess where the frick I've ended up when looking at google earth later. This GPS unit is a one-off cost and should serve me for many years. A (good) phone is more expensive and 99% of what it does I don't need or want.
Suits me just fine and also I enjoy gadgets
O'Pea here. I got my Garmin and I fricking love it! Pretty easy to use, does way more than I knew it did, rugged, etc. This is going to be so useful this summer while explore the ravines and save recording locations etc. Also has all the features and modes useful for driving, including instructions etc. Pairs to m'iPod so I can get everything up on Maps and save data, waypoints, etc if I need.
So cool.
I have the 64sx that I use on my tw200. I dowloaded OSM for that. I use mapout to import/export and make tracks on my iphone/ipad that I just transfer over to the garmin. works well for my needs. Uses AA, I bought rechargeable ones and shoved a piece of plastic in the battery com[artment to press on the switch so they will charge over USB. They sell a special pack that is just 2xAA in a sleeve that hits the switch but you can get better batteries cheaper and make it work. I also use an old iphone in airplane mode with mapout with the maps downloaded ahead of time, I find it much easier to zoom/pan with this.
>I find it much easier to zoom/pan with this.
this is what garmin shills can't appreciate
also on an app I can easily see elapsed distance vs distance remaining and how much hills I've done vs still have to do
this guy recommends a garmin inreach mini:
https://www.thepackablelife.com/hiking/gear/essential-backpacking-gear
he starts off his lil listicle with real socks so i'm inclined to use his ~~*affiliate links*~~. there has been times when cell service cuts out (manageable) and very prominent warnings placed over certain trails i've yet to traverse, that specifically say relying on a cell phone can kill you. i'm not in the market for a $400 GPS unit at this time but i can see its utility in many situations (i'm based in new england)
That’s not a navigation tool, it’s more like a PLB.
ya i guess the blogger says exactly that, he tweeted his GPS coords and texted family and shit. having little experience outside w/o any cell service whatsoever, i should prolly just shut up
Garmin makes watches that do all you're asking for.
Whelp it's too late, I got the handheld and I think it's pretty great. I like the menus and the detailed maps and stuff. I can keep it in my pack and have it paired to my iPod so I can watch the track in real time and drop waypoints and suchnot. It's pretty suite