GPS Why not a smart phone?

There are lots of options. I do use cell phone GPS in my DD. However when towing the 5'er I prefer my Garmin 760 LMT. Bigger screen, doubles as monitor for back up camera. My Garmin also won't ring or get a text message when I'm looking to make my next turn either.

we stopped using our separate GPS once we got the CoPilot app.

aguablanco wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
Well, that sextant, Jupiter's moons, and a compass will never run out of battery power and leave you relying on something that no longer functions. :)

We could also go back to wagon trains. I'll take my chances with technology.
RichH

I was being facetious, notice the smiley.

chiefneon wrote:

I've been using Co-Pilot gps app on my Samsung Tablet and smartphone for years. It has everything I need even a RV setting for height restrictions, and it has not failed us in our travels in the US, Canada, Alaska and Newfoundland.

Co-Pilot failed me miserably. In part, it was my fault - I'm cheap and only use free apps. The problem is that in free version of Co-Pilot the voice guidance automatically shuts down after a month. No warning on Google Play Store page, no warning on the Android screen, and it took me a while to figure out what happened - during the trip. No cell phone coverage in that area (I knew that there wouldn't be), so downloading/buying a paid version was not an option. Navigator without voice guidance on the highway or any road is USELESS unless it's a farm road where you can stop any time.

Luckily, I had another free app, NavFree, it saved my ars. It has some quirks but the voice works. My gripe with NavFree is that half the time it gets street number wrong, ex. navigates to #180 or #81 when you need #18 :)

Paper maps are inconvenient on the road - they don't talk. I still do a paper backup sometimes - write a list of turns and exits in big letters, ex. Go 20 miles -> Right to 22nd Str, Go 7 miles -> Left to Lake Ave, and so on. Similarly to Details list on Google Maps when you enter Directions from A to B. Keep it on hand and grab it to have a look when in doubt. This backup also saved my ars once, when Android battery run out of juice and 12V charger for Android suddenly died - all bad things happening at once. You can't rely on technology 100%.

Btw, almighty Google Maps have completely removed street numbers now. If you dial 123 Nowhere Avenue, it will display the location icon correctly, but you won't see marked blocks as before.

fj12ryder wrote:
Well, that sextant, Jupiter's moons, and a compass will never run out of battery power and leave you relying on something that no longer functions. :)

We could also go back to wagon trains. I'll take my chances with technology.
RichH

Well, that sextant, Jupiter's moons, and a compass will never run out of battery power and leave you relying on something that no longer functions. :)

SaltiDawg wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
My Galaxy 6 Android phone has a GPS built in, and uses "Maps" as the screen, when I turn them on, the phone tracks my position at all times. and the data usage goes thru the roof.
I normally use my I pad and Google maps with a remote antenna called "XGPS150A" blue tooth connected. it does not use data for the phone, works great, has a big screen, and will run continuously all day when connected to its charge port in my coach's dash 12vdc plug, and has no data updates, or renewal fees.

Much simpler solution, download waze or any other GPS app. Probably a better display and no data spikes. The phones GPS is going to be more accurate than cell tower triangulation - however may not be a big factor.

The set up I use does not use cell technology, thus no DATA package required, and it works every where. Plus I like the bigger iPad screen than my phone. Plus the iPAD has many more uses than a single GPS.

But there are those who still use a sextant, Jupiter's moons and a compass to navigate.

Research is an appropriate word. I have found that the only constant is change. One never knows how technology changes until one does the research. Even in science many researchers have a working hypothesis before starting and I had mine as well. It has been interesting to see the reasoning behind the choices. I did notice no one still uses a map, at least as a main navigational tool. I will use an atlas for planning sometimes but never for navigation. While the wife and I have been expedition whitewater rafter for ~20 years and tent campers for longer than that this is our first experience with a travel trailer. I am really wondering what took the wife and I so long to start. We really enjoy it. Going to Willcox, AZ this weekend to do some wine tasting and hiking and I will use my Droid phone.
RichH

Howdy!

As a full time RVer I've been using Co-Pilot gps app on my Samsung Tablet and smartphone for years. It has everything I need even a RV setting for height restrictions, and it has not failed us in our travels in the US, Canada, Alaska and Newfoundland. For the price you pay for a stand alone gps these days you can purchase a new tablet and have much more uses from it.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

For hunting purposes I use my phone and tablet as a GPS. As already stated you do not need cellular connections to use the GPS on your phone and I usually have mine turned off so the phone isn't wasting battery looking for a connection in remote areas. You do have to have the maps stored on your phone for the GPS to show you were you are.

The two programs I am familiar with are Back Country Navigator and Delorme's Earth Mate app. I am sure there are more travel orientated map data bases out there but for what I do I want forest, BLM and landowner maps as well as Arial photo's. Currently I have about 7 GB of map data on my 32 GB SD cards in both my phone and tablet which covers about 5 hunting areas. The thing is I have a general road and topo map downloaded for the whole US but if I want any detail maps I have to download these maps while I have WIFI or burn data to down load over cellular and if I missed a map or change plans I just might not have the maps I need.

I do find using the earth mate app when in the back country and the google map when on the highways keeps me covered and I haven't had any problems. Generally while on the main roads I know were I'm going and just hook up my old Tom Tom for general direction and mileage information.