Thread: GPS phone

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Having gone threw 3k worth of phones in less than a week

You are not supposed to through them at passing cars. There are rocks for that.

Originally Posted by kiwi39

Toby's onto it. A gps is a gps. A phones a phone.

They're not there yet with putting a decent works in the hills GPS into a phone.

You can beat decent old school garmins.

Buy a gps if you want a gps.


Tim

I would argue that point! I've used a mates Garmin and in my view the app I use on my iPhone shits all over it.

It's faster, clearer and has many more options but you don't have to use these either if you're techtarded. I've also never not been able to get a signal, and from some things I've read people can get signals on their phones where they struggle with dedicated GPS'.

As for battery life I bought a portable juice pack that can charge the phone from 0 to 100% about 5 times, as well as be used to recharge my torch or head lamp or anything else USB. One of these plus a phone is still smaller than a GPS.

For durability buy a shock proof, water proof, dust proof case.

But we've been over all this in the other thread the original poster mentioned, so I will pipe down now haha.

Whats the name of the app ?


Tim

What was his GPS? Mates etrex is a pos lost signal so much it wasn't funny compared to my 60s

Originally Posted by kiwi39

Whats the name of the app ?


Tim

Viewranger - I must've convinced hunt08 in the other thread haha. About $40 for 1:50,000 of whole NZ. Amazing maps.

Check out the other thread for discussion about various apps and screenshots of them in use, etc - http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...95/index6.html

Originally Posted by Toby

What was his GPS? Mates etrex is a pos lost signal so much it wasn't funny compared to my 60s

A 62S I believe. There was nothing wrong with it, it never lost signal or anything. I thought it was amazing before I used Viewranger. They're just clunky and slow with poor interfaces by comparison to a $1200 phone, that's all. Again, just my opinion.

As much as I wanted my phone gps to work as well as my Garmin, it didn't. I tested them both extensively side by side on a hunt the other week using view ranger vs Garmin rhino and while the app was ok it certainly didn't retain signal as well under thick cover.

If you are comparing to an etrex or an earlier Garmin then the phone will shit all over it, no contest.

I'm sticking to the gps, by the time I bought a fancy case, spent money on buying whole of nz maps on phone, bought a power supply pack ect ect it all adds up.

Fair enough - what phone?

If I had an expensive GPS then I wouldn't bother either. But if you have an expensive phone and no GPS....well.

Samsung galaxy s3

Yeah mate I no what you mean, I do wish Garmin would pull finger an make the units a bit more responsive ect but they are certainly tough.

A couple of phone recommendations. The galaxy note 2 had best in class battery life and a replaceable battery for a around $500 which is good buying. I keep mine I drybox and I hadn't died yet.

The other recommendation is to look at the Xperia z line of phones. No removable battery but the big plus is they are fully waterproof. The z1 is the latest model with a big battery and 21mp camera. The z is the cheaper older model.

Don't buy a xperia z! I'm using one as a work phone atm and hate it. So slow and clumsy compared to a Samsung s3

Sent from my C1904 using Tapatalk

Must be pretty bad, because clumsy is how I think of Samsungs!!!

Haha.

Using Backcountry Navigator on a Samsung S4. Have run it on an S3 and another water proof one. When in the hills, put it in Flight Mode and the battery will last for days.

As for the GPS chip itself, these track better in the bush than the new Garmin Quad Helix chips. I work for the designer and make of the US GPS system and largest manufacturer of precise GNSS (all sat nav satellite systems) products, the chips in the Samsung for the past few years are right up there for autonomous positions. I test GPS systems for a living.

Be carefully when buying a phone, make sure it doesn't have an assisted GPS like most Apples. Once you are out of cell phone range, the GPS will not work. Needs to have native GPS.

Yeh I read these threads over Xmas and down loaded view ranger for my I phone and the whole Nz topo maps.... And the gps won't work in flight mode . Back to the garmin unit. I can pretty much throw to at the ground and it'll work, I phone will divorce me if I did that to it.

Originally Posted by ANTSMAN

Yeh I read these threads over Xmas and down loaded view ranger for my I phone and the whole Nz topo maps.... And the gps won't work in flight mode . Back to the garmin unit. I can pretty much throw to at the ground and it'll work, I phone will divorce me if I did that to it.

Yeah, turning an iPhone to flight mode also disables the GPS. All I do with mine is turn off wifi and 3G (bluetooth is always off). That will give you a couple days battery time at least. With my setup now i'm good for about 2 weeks, and doubt i'll ever need that long. Probably a week or so if we watch the odd movie under the stars!