Thread: GPS phone

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!

"Yeah, turning an iPhone to flight mode also disables the GPS. "

Apparently not with the samsungs .

Originally Posted by ANTSMAN

"Yeah, turning an iPhone to flight mode also disables the GPS. "

Apparently not with the samsungs .

Which is why I said, "iPhone." What's your point?

I use backcountry navigator on a Sony Xperia Active (couple of years old, waterproof shockproof model). GPS works in airplane mode (as it should, its only receiving a signal not sending. Not sure why some phones don't) and has generally been pretty good, but has struggled at times in bush when a 62s was having no problems getting a lock.

I wouldn't go buying a smartphone over a dedicated GPS for that use, but if you have a smartphone already then its worth trying it out to see if it does the job well enough to spend your GPS budget on something else.