WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 40

Thread: GPS questions

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-25-2011
    Location
    Charlotte, NC
    Age
    46
    Posts
    13

    Default GPS questions

    So Im thinking of getting a Garmin Oregon 600 series for use during multiday trips.
    Reasons for the purchase include:
    Backtracking in case I get lost or am uncertain of the direction or trail I should be using.
    I would also love to see the data of what I have done that day.
    The ability to use others tracks seems like a fun idea.

    Questions I have:
    if I get the base 600 do I have to purchase the topo maps from garmin? are there free maps that are just as good or the same? (like from GPSfiledepot)
    do topo maps actually have trails marked on them? Or is that hit or miss or not all?

  2. #2

    Default

    Is this for AT use? Do you own a smartphone?

  3. #3

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by SOLODARE View Post

    Questions I have:
    if I get the base 600 do I have to purchase the topo maps from garmin? are there free maps that are just as good or the same? (like from GPSfiledepot)
    do topo maps actually have trails marked on them? Or is that hit or miss or not all?
    I had to upload maps to my etrex. I don't think any models come with detailed maps unless bundled with the unit for a price.

    You can dowload Garmin Basecamp for free and view the maps you download from GPSfiledpot.

    How many monkey butlers will there be?

    One at first. But he'll train others.

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-25-2011
    Location
    Charlotte, NC
    Age
    46
    Posts
    13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by backpacker451 View Post
    Is this for AT use? Do you own a smartphone?
    Not strictly for AT use no, Do have a smart phone, Have tried a few apps but nothing I like. signal is spotty a best and Gps kills the battery pretty fast.

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-02-2011
    Location
    Nashville
    Posts
    509
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    GPS shouldn't kill your battery quickly. Learn about airplane mode and possibly carry extra batteries. One big advantage of using a phone is that you'll use it more frequently that a dedicated GPS device, hence you're more familiar with it. YMMV.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    05-05-2011
    Location
    state of confusion
    Posts
    9,866
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    Typically gps batteries dont last that long. They are high power draw. If you want to track yourself day after day , you will need a charger and solarcell, or a lot of batteries. Yes, it will kill a phone battery quickly.

    Best thing, is probably to bring a smsrtphone, turn it on only when needed. Which is almost never.

    It really wont take you long to figure that a gps is dead wt. Its good with a 3d fix for knowing how close you are to top of a climb though.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 09-02-2015 at 22:06.

  7. #7

    Default

    One of the big reasons I said smartphone was I have had 3 garmin GPS's die on me in less than a year. 1 Colorado and 2 Oregons. The Oregons lasted me less than 6 months max, but this was 2011 or so.

  8. #8
    Clueless Weekender
    Join Date
    04-10-2011
    Location
    Niskayuna, New York
    Age
    68
    Posts
    3,879
    Journal Entries
    10

    Default

    I like using GPS on the trail, because map making is one of the things I do out there. (For instance, most of the field work for http://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/4286650 was mine.) I use a smartphone, in airplane mode, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, and the screen brightness set as low as I can read it. I try hard to discipline myself to lighting up the screen at most every half hour unless I'm entering a waypoint. I can generally get a day's hiking on a charge, and I carry a way-too-heavy 14000 mAh ruggedized battery pack to recharge on trail. I can get 5-6 days out of the pack, and I don't do a longer food carry than that, anyway.

    As far as maps go, you can see a lot of popular choices in the drop-down menu at the upper right of http://kbk.is-a-geek.net/maps/201506...6npt0606b.html (GPS track from a day trip mapping a trail relocation). If you scroll it all the way down to 'Kevin's Map' at the bottom, you'll see the map that I make for myself. I like them better than any of the other options. Unlike the US Topos, the trail information isn't forty years out of date!
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    02-20-2015
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    149
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    If you are thinking about getting Oregon then are planning to use it in cold weather? The thing about some touchscreen gps units is that you may have to take your gloves off and it may be unpleasant when it's really cold. Otherwise, I see this model used by a lot of geocachers, so many people must like it.

    As to the maps, I love OpenStreetMap.org and I have posted a number of times before on how to put them on newer Garmin models. Here is one of my older posts: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...=1#post1974467

  10. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-31-2013
    Location
    Asheville, NC
    Age
    62
    Posts
    585
    Images
    2
    Remote for detachment, narrow for chosen company, winding for leisure, lonely for contemplation, the Trail beckons not merely north and south, but upward to the body, mind, and soul of man.


  11. #11

    Default

    It really depends what you are using a GPS for, but I tend to use the tool specifically designed for the work.

    Though smart phones can be handy and probably sufficient on a well marked, well used trail like the AT to find your position periodically and shut off the device, signal loss, power issues, and weather/water/shock problems can limit their usefulness, especially if you go off trail or find yourself in a warren of small trails or woods roads.

    I use the Garmin GPSmap 64s GPS, that can hold signal under heavy canopy, in ravines and deep/steep walled canyons. I have used this along with my older Garmin 60 and a new iPhone 5s and found the 64s has higher signal stability and is a bit more accurate overall. While I'm sure smart phone apps provide some similar functions as good GPS units, using basic features on the Motion-X app, the battery life of the phone was not that impressive (in airplane mode). I get far more horsepower out of two AA batteries in the Garmin than I can from the Smartphone. However, this is my use profile and your experience may vary depending how you use these devices.

    I've no argument using a cell phone for navigation especially for a day putting, I just find tools specifically designed for the work they do tend to be more competent and reliable.

  12. #12
    Clueless Weekender
    Join Date
    04-10-2011
    Location
    Niskayuna, New York
    Age
    68
    Posts
    3,879
    Journal Entries
    10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Another Kevin View Post
    I like using GPS on the trail, because map making is one of the things I do out there. (For instance, most of the field work for http://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/4286650 was mine.) I use a smartphone, in airplane mode, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, and the screen brightness set as low as I can read it. I try hard to discipline myself to lighting up the screen at most every half hour unless I'm entering a waypoint. I can generally get a day's hiking on a charge, and I carry a way-too-heavy 14000 mAh ruggedized battery pack to recharge on trail. I can get 5-6 days out of the pack, and I don't do a longer food carry than that, anyway.

    As far as maps go, you can see a lot of popular choices in the drop-down menu at the upper right of http://kbk.is-a-geek.net/maps/201506...6npt0606b.html (GPS track from a day trip mapping a trail relocation). If you scroll it all the way down to 'Kevin's Map' at the bottom, you'll see the map that I make for myself. I like them better than any of the other options. Unlike the US Topos, the trail information isn't forty years out of date!
    Oops. 'Kevin's Map' is down at the moment with a hardware failure. I'll have it back up over the weekend.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  13. #13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by iAmKrzys View Post
    If you are thinking about getting Oregon then are planning to use it in cold weather? The thing about some touchscreen gps units is that you may have to take your gloves off and it may be unpleasant when it's really cold. Otherwise, I see this model used by a lot of geocachers, so many people must like it.
    I believe the non-Android based GPS units use a resistive touchscreen which only responds to pressure on a single point. They work great with gloved fingers, pencil tip erasers, etc.

  14. #14

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Typically gps batteries dont last that long. They are high power draw. If you want to track yourself day after day , you will need a charger and solarcell, or a lot of batteries. Yes, it will kill a phone battery quickly.

    Best thing, is probably to bring a smsrtphone, turn it on only when needed. Which is almost never.

    It really wont take you long to figure that a gps is dead wt. Its good with a 3d fix for knowing how close you are to top of a climb though.
    It is not dead weight if you plan to go off trail exploring as many on this site do.

  15. #15
    Registered User Kaptainkriz's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-28-2015
    Location
    Leonardtown, Maryland
    Age
    55
    Posts
    650
    Journal Entries
    57
    Images
    19

    Default

    I use maps from gpsfiledepot and an etrex 20. Two AA get you ~25hrs if you dont lose the light. Also grabbed the shelter coords from here: http://tnlandforms.us/at/googleat.php
    it's nice (for me) to know how far it is to the next shelter and how far I've hiked. Topos are also nice to see the grade ahead.
    Plaid is fast! Ticks suck, literally... It’s ok, bologna hoses off…
    Follow my hiking adventures: https://www.youtube.com/user/KrizAkoni
    Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphagalhikes/

  16. #16

    Default

    Personally, the #1 reason I use a Garmin is because it has field-swappable batteries. Carrying extra AA's is far simpler and cheaper than dealing with boost packs for my cell phone.

    (Add on top of that the question of button vs. touch user interface, durability, accuracy...)

    I've used gpsfiledepot. I found the trails database to be incredibly handy- it's small and low accuracy, but no matter where I go I have at least a little information about the local trails near me. The maps, however, I found disappointing. I wound up buying a subscription to the BirdsEye USGS Topo, which is $30/year for all-you-can-eat USGS Quads.

    To my knowledge models that come with maps are specifically labeled as such. For example the 64st comes with... I think 100k maps, signified by the "t". Note that those are low detail. If you want high detail, e.g. 24k, you need to get them on a regional basis, because they are much larger file size than the 100k maps.

  17. #17
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-02-2016
    Location
    Portland OR
    Age
    59
    Posts
    18

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by SOLODARE View Post
    Not strictly for AT use no, Do have a smart phone, Have tried a few apps but nothing I like. signal is spotty a best and Gps kills the battery pretty fast.
    Phone battery life when using a backcountry GPS app has improved dramatically in the last couple of years. The signal is much improved now that the iPhone is using both US and Russian satellites. Battery life is much improved if you put your phone in airplane mode, and turn off the screen if you are using it for track recording and not for actual navigation. And of course, always carry a backup power supply. I have used and recommend Anker auxiliary batteries, you can buy them from Amazon and just about any size you want.

  18. #18

    Default

    Another vote for a dedicated robust GPS unit.
    Get good basemaps, they're worth it. Yes, they have trails, springs, all the roads. You can download the AT track, shelter locations, etc.
    Stick with garmin. We've used them all over the world with good results, since our 1997 trip to Nepal...

  19. #19
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-28-2015
    Location
    Bad Ischl, Austria
    Age
    66
    Posts
    1,588

    Default

    My smartphone is a 1yr old Sony and the battery life as well as the speed and precision of the GPS module is really amazing. More modern smartphones might perform even better.

    Did a nighthike recently with full 12hrs constant tracking, running two GPS/maps apps simultanousely (Backcountry Navigator and an Austrian hiking app), switched on the phone quite many times for route finding and progress control and the battery dropped from 100% to 75%. So for typical hiking you might calculate 4-5 days tracking with one battery set. For occassional use of the GPS I had 10 days battery life. Don't know of any GPS handheld that can endure that long without recharging.
    This Sony smartphone is waterproof and if you carry it in a case also somewhat rugged.

    Unless you do some really decent exploration job in really rough environments, I don't see any reason to get a dedicated GPS.
    In fact I think smartphones will cannibalize the hendheld GPS just the same as they did eat up market shares of the digicams.

  20. #20

    Default

    I have a garmin etrex 20 that I only take on very remote adventures (usually canoeing). I don't like anything about it (compared to a phone GPS), except for the fact that it's likely more reliable.
    I'm sure there's much better handhelds, but not interested in upgrading that piece of equipment since it's not frequently used

    Even on those trips I bring my smart phone as well and the gps handheld is just backup because my android GPS is 10x easier to use. I do not find battery issues on airplane mode + GPS.

    I also found from personal experience that no matter what you use for navigation, if you drop it out of your canoe and it sinks 300 ft down, you're out of luck!

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •