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Smartphone as a GPS
ReMan - 16/10/12 at 11:04 PM

Anyone use one with OS mapping etc for walking/hiking
Any good? and what's battery life like?
I am at the point where my business phone is restrictive, so I need to get my own as twin line/sim phones are few and far between now, but I also have the money, if needed, to buy a dedicated GPS.
But, I'm looking at carrying the least number of devices.

Cheers

EDITED TO MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL!

[Edited on 17/10/12 by ReMan]

locogeoff - 16/10/12 at 11:55 PM

Hi

I haven't used GPS with OS maps but the GPS on my Vodaphone 845 skelps the battery like a goodun to the point where when I use it in the car I always have it plugged in to the fag lighter.


Regards

Geoff

[Edited on 16/10/12 by locogeoff]

owelly - 17/10/12 at 02:02 AM

I use mine for geocaching. It will munch the battery in 20 minutes when using GPS. It's a HTC Desire HD and good for using as a Satnav, especially if you need to use 'live' Streetview. But as said, you need to be within reaching distance of a charger...

Ninehigh - 17/10/12 at 05:38 AM

+1, mine has google maps and it gets you to where you want to go but I wouldn't trust the battery to last all day. Mine actually gets hot after half an hour!

britishtrident - 17/10/12 at 05:50 AM

Battery life isn't too bad using GPS with the the Orange San Francisco and in event spare batteries and off phone USB chargers are very cheap on ebay, I have 3 spare batteries for mine but rarely use them.
the main thing is to cache the maps before hand and only turn on cellular data , wifi and bluetooth whenn needed.

The Open Street Map project (OSM) provides free pre-cacheable maps with different versions available tailored to outdoor pursuits.

T66 - 17/10/12 at 06:07 AM

I still think the safest way is to nav with a map and use gps secondary to support your decisions, slippery slope relying entirely on it.



The purpose made outdoor GPS are very good and reliable, but at £350 a bit steep at the moment.

Slimy38 - 17/10/12 at 06:28 AM

quote:
Originally posted by owelly
I use mine for geocaching. It will munch the battery in 20 minutes when using GPS. It's a HTC Desire HD and good for using as a Satnav, especially if you need to use 'live' Streetview. But as said, you need to be within reaching distance of a charger...


I've tried using mine for Geocaching, I found it nowhere near accurate enough. And it took a lot of work to convince it that I didn't need to know where the nearest road was.

Mine (Galaxy S2) also needs an internet connection to retrieve maps, although apparently there is an 'offline' method that I've not managed to get working yet (I guess that's what Britishtrident is referring to?). And yes, battery life expectancy is about the same as a lemming who is peering over the ledge and thinking 'oooh, that's a nice blackberry down there...'.

While the purpose built GPS devices are expensive, there is a thriving Ebay market for perfectly adequate second hand ones. My Geocaching friend has picked up a couple for less than £100. Battery life on those is measured in days, and as they only do GPS they are very good at doing that one task.

britishtrident - 17/10/12 at 07:10 AM

There dozens of Android apps other than Google, after trying a few I settled on Coderminus Maps(+) the unregistered version is Map(-) it can use a selection of map sources.

I have the maps for most of the UK, the north of Italy and all of Malta cached at a variety of scales so I don't need to be on line. generally maps based on the OSM project are pretty accurate and GPS accuracy is good. The OSM Cycle shows terrain contours in usable level of detail. http://www.openstreetmap.org

OSM maps can be freely download printed and customised

nre - 17/10/12 at 07:13 AM

I use OruxMaps for android. With some jiggery-pokery using another software package (MOBAC / Mobile Atlas Creator), you can download 1:25000 and/or 1:50000 OS maps to store on the SD card so doesn't rely on network access (can also access maps over the network if needed).

I'm currently using a Motorola Defy (ideal for outdoorsy stuff as it is water resistant) and can happily track my route for a good few hours (ie GPS permanently tracking). If you don't need to actually track your route, and just use it for mapping, it will last much longer as GPS will only turn on when you turn the screen on. I don't have any exact numbers but I'd estimate that from a full charge I would get at least 6 hours of tracking. It lasts for longer than my previous phone (an Orange San Francisco), although I am now dabbling with an Android JellyBean ROM which seems to have dropped battery life rather a lot...!

I have found accuracy to be very good, with very rare dropouts in GPS, but most of the time it tracks well even in dense woodland.

Oruxmaps allows you to directly upload traced routes to MapMyTracks. You can see some traced routes using my phone on my page here: http://www.mapmytracks.com/NeilEverett

Anything pre Jan 2012 was recorded on the San Fran...

[Edited on 17/10/12 by nre]

TimEllershaw - 17/10/12 at 08:38 AM

As said above, running GPS on a big screen smartphone eats battery. Add the need to connect to the internet to get maps and it gets even worse. OK if you are in the car with a decent charger, but a problem if you are out, on foot, in the countryside. I have a couple of AA battery -> USB "emergency chargers" that keep things running for quite a while if I really need it.

I've tried a few apps but always seem to go back to Google Maps for general car sat-nav and basic stuff.
( Running on HTC Legend )

For GeoCaching we play with c:Geo

OS Maps (and others) are available in gvSIG Mini Maps. Works OK, with lots of features, but not as slick as Google maps.

Osmand is also quite nice. I've used it for following pre-defined routes and as a cycling sat-nav.

For logging bike rides I use Sport Tracker ( sportstracklive.com ) mainly because it logs heart rate and helps keep track of my training. Just as a logger (screen off and in my pocket) I can usually get about 2-3 hours riding before the battery dies, but if I use it with the screen on and mounted on my handlebars showing a live map, then it will be closer to 45 minutes.




Tim.

zilspeed - 17/10/12 at 08:46 AM

I use navfree on iPhone.

It works.
No data connection required as it's all in the phone.

Couldn't use it for a whole day and expect the battery to last though.

hughpinder - 17/10/12 at 09:13 AM

I use a nokia 8230, low res chunky type phone with viewranger software. All the uk natonal parks on 1:50000are about £40. I find the battery will last about 10hrs on continuous tracking and the maps are accurate. I only use it as a backup to a 1:25K paper map in the mountains though. (bluetooth off though). It has a 'view skyline' feature which is quite funky for identifying peaks in the distance.

Also, register for this:http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/walkers-urged-to-register-for-999-text-service/002852/
If you ever need to call emergency services in the mountains, you invariably have to walk to a high location. To make a voice call you keep stopping and trying. To text you can just walk uphill until you hear the sound of it going, which saves time.(Tip from a mountain guide friend of mine)

Regards
Hugh

ReMan - 17/10/12 at 09:50 AM

quote:
Originally posted by T66
I still think the safest way is to nav with a map and use gps secondary to support your decisions, slippery slope relying entirely on it.

The purpose made outdoor GPS are very good and reliable, but at £350 a bit steep at the moment.


I agree, very much as a back up/sense check to a real map but as a bit of interest too.
Concern is that reports have suggested "reduced" battery life with GPS", from the replys here that seems to be an understatement at best!

So I think that this options probably a non starter atound the phones I was looking at i-phone Galaxy type.

OK anyone reccommend a GPS that looks good with 25000 maps/?/?

Thanks for all your helps guys

zilspeed - 17/10/12 at 09:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ReMan


So I think that this options probably a non starter around the phones I was looking at i-phone Galaxy type.



Too true it does.

Those big hi res screens chew through the battery as does the GPS, data connection.

I love mine, but a day away from a power point using all the features is unlikely.

T66 - 18/10/12 at 06:33 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ReMan
quote:
Originally posted by T66
I still think the safest way is to nav with a map and use gps secondary to support your decisions, slippery slope relying entirely on it.

The purpose made outdoor GPS are very good and reliable, but at £350 a bit steep at the moment.


I agree, very much as a back up/sense check to a real map but as a bit of interest too.
Concern is that reports have suggested "reduced" battery life with GPS", from the replys here that seems to be an understatement at best!

So I think that this options probably a non starter atound the phones I was looking at i-phone Galaxy type.

OK anyone reccommend a GPS that looks good with 25000 maps/?/?

Thanks for all your helps guys




I find 50k are best for walking, as you can see far enough ahead (generally) to match the map to the ground, 25k is good if your looking to follow fencelines etc. When Ive taken a 25k map with me, I always spent more time looking at the map.


In the last 12 months I have gone and found several people lost in Northumberland relying on their gps, instead of map reading.




The pukka hand held walkers GPs are brilliant, good battery life and hard cased, guy at work has one but he still carries all the maps while on the hills.

britishtrident - 18/10/12 at 07:13 AM

To quote the famous Swallows and Amazons Duffers telegram:
"BETTER DROWNED THAN DUFFERS IF NOT DUFFERS WON'T DROWN."


The fact is some people can't read any kind of map and others who get lost on the hills are just idiots. Some years back a woman got lost on a Scottish mountain in mid winter, the local mountain rescue team searched for 3 days only to find her on a completely different mountain. A week later she gave an interview from her hospital bed where she insisted that she was on the right mountain and the local mountain rescue team were wrong.

ReMan - 18/10/12 at 08:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by T66
quote:
Originally posted by ReMan
quote:
Originally posted by T66
I still think the safest way is to nav with a map and use gps secondary to support your decisions, slippery slope relying entirely on it.

The purpose made outdoor GPS are very good and reliable, but at £350 a bit steep at the moment.


I agree, very much as a back up/sense check to a real map but as a bit of interest too.
Concern is that reports have suggested "reduced" battery life with GPS", from the replys here that seems to be an understatement at best!

So I think that this options probably a non starter atound the phones I was looking at i-phone Galaxy type.

OK anyone reccommend a GPS that looks good with 25000 maps/?/?

Thanks for all your helps guys




I find 50k are best for walking, as you can see far enough ahead (generally) to match the map to the ground, 25k is good if your looking to follow fencelines etc. When Ive taken a 25k map with me, I always spent more time looking at the map.


In the last 12 months I have gone and found several people lost in Northumberland relying on their gps, instead of map reading.




The pukka hand held walkers GPs are brilliant, good battery life and hard cased, guy at work has one but he still carries all the maps while on the hills.

Thanks for the advice.
Its very much as a back up and supplement to a real map.

Funnilly, last month in lower lakeland fells some of these have so many paths and false paths that we were struggling to keep to the right ones for our intended route though and fenceline accuracy would have saved me miles of walking to the next point wher I could confirm my position and I'd have gort to the pub quicker

OX - 19/10/12 at 02:09 PM

If you have the HTC or Samsung then you can buy 3 batteries and a charger for £10 .

I'd probably use 3 on a full days geocaching .

I also use geo beagle . With that you use the geocaching website and download a pocket query . I normally use the most central GC code and then down load 500 of the surrounding caches . You don't need to use the 3g then because all the pictures and hints and comments are stored on your phone .