[pct-l] smartphone as GPS

Mon Oct 25 15:49:55 CDT 2010

I have used both MotionX GPS and Topo. Halfmile and Bill Burge recommended the Topo app, and both know a lot more about this than I do. Topo does load Halfmile's waypoints. OTH I did enjoy using MotionX on the trail this year. 

Walk well,
Jim Keener ( J J )

On Oct 25, 2010, at 1:32 PM, Kevin Cook <hikelite at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'm taking an iPhone on my thru next year. I've been evaluating various
> offerings, and I think I'm going to use MotionX's product. Loading the
> waypoints/tracks require emailing them, but it's not a large amount of data,
> so you only have to do it once for the entire trail.
> 
> It allows you to download map data for use when there is no network like
> many other apps, but I like this one because I have more control over what
> data I download. I can control the zoom levels, ie what I see when zoomed
> way in or way out. It also has a unique, afaik, offering about how to select
> the region. It allows you to center a circle over an area and choose the
> radius like all the apps, but it also lets you download the data along a
> route. You can choose how far to either side of the "route" you want detail
> for. So far I've only done this by selecting a start and end, so I get a
> long rounded rectangle area of detail data. I'm still not 100% sure I can
> use an actual "route" or track to define the area to download. Even if I
> can't, being able to select segments will help minimize the storage space
> needed for each leg. As an example, I downloaded the area from Flagstaff to
> the Grand Canyon that covers a ride I did weekend before last. It covers an
> area ~70 miles long and 20 miles wide. I selected a starting zoom level
> about half way through the range, and an ending zoom to the most detail.
> Zoomed all the way out, this data shows ~50 miles or so total. Zoomed all
> the way in, the entire screen covers only ~600 yards. This seems like it
> will work well for me. All this offline data only requires 170MB. I estimate
> each section of the PCT should require less than 1GB. The though just
> occurred to me to test this. I'll respond again after I download a couple
> sections and let everyone know how much data it requires.
> 
> With tremendous respect and gratitude to halfmile, I didn't care for the map
> app he recommends. It looks like it only has USGS topo data. There is
> another app that uses the same, or similar, data. The PCT isn't even listed.
> I also don't see any support for tracks or routes. There was no trial, so I
> was reluctant to spend $8 on something I may not find useful. Out of
> fairness, and because of halfmile's endorsement, I went ahead and downloaded
> it today. I'll play with it and provide feedback when I update about data
> useage with MotionX.
> 
> On Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 11:10 AM, Halfmile <list at lon.net> wrote:
> 
>> John,
>> For the iphone I think the two best apps are Topomaps and Basic GPS.
>> 
>> http://topomapsapp.com/
>> http://www.basicgps.net/Basic_GPS/Main.html
>> 
>> Both work well in areas without cell service and are accurate to
>> better than 50 feet in my testing. You need to preload maps into
>> Topomaps (best to use wifi) and it can download waypoints directly
>> from my site at www.pctmap.net. Basic GPS only displays your location
>> in UTM coordinates, so you would use this app with maps that have UTM
>> grids printed on them. This is simple and works well and you can
>> easily plot your location on a map with 25 meter or better accuracy.
>> Basic GPS saves your phone battery too since you turn the phone on,
>> wait a minute or two for the GPS fix, plot location, then turn the
>> phone off. An iPhone will only run a few hours with the GPS on before
>> it drains the battery.
>> 
>> Last time I tried to use Motion X, I didn't find it very useful
>> because it didn't work well preloading maps for areas without cell
>> service and had limited waypoint storage capability. Maybe that's
>> changed.
>> 
>> -Halfmile
>> www.pctmap.net
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 10:37 AM, John Abela
>> <pacificcresttrail2011 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> @Jim K,
>>> 
>>> Did you just use the pdf formats, or did you use the gpx waypoints and
>> load
>>> them up into MotionX, or some other method?
>>> 
>>> Thanks,
>>> John
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 10:27 AM, Jim Keener ( J J ) <
>>> pct2010 at ridgetrailhiker.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Greetings,
>>>> 
>>>> If a device is marketed as having "GPS", it will have satellite location
>>>> capability. Smartphone GPS is typically not as accurate as dedicated GPS
>>>> devices.
>>>> 
>>>> Many, many hikers have completed  the PCT without any GPS capability. I
>>>> carried an iPhone 3Gs this year and, using Halfmile's waypoints, located
>>>> myself any time I wanted. There is some really good GPS software
>> available
>>>> for almost all smartphones.
>>>> 
>>>> Walk well,
>>>> Jim Keener ( J J )
>>>> 
>>>> On Oct 25, 2010, at 10:11 AM, "greg mushial" <gmushial at gmdr.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>>> Message: 2
>>>>>> Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:44:13 -0700
>>>>>> From: Austin Williams <austinwilliams123 at gmail.com>
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] smartphone as GPS
>>>>>> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>>>>>> Message-ID:
>>>>>> <AANLkTinOvNfuQPZHGGwxJk2BCWN9RR=DTjKCx7wJ9yr6 at mail.gmail.com>
>>>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Be careful.  Most of the time the 'GPS' in smart phones is based on
>>>>>> cell-tower triangulation, NOT gps-satellite triangulation.  That
>> means
>>>>>> when
>>>>>> there are now cell towers around, the "GPS" on the phone won't work.
>>>> Make
>>>>>> sure you buy one that uses *real* gps, not the kind that uses cell
>> tower
>>>>>> triangulation.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Just a heads up.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Austin Williams
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Is there any (published) indication of accuracy difference? Seems that
>>>> since
>>>>> generally towers don't jump around, they should be as good as
>>>> satellites...
>>>>> no?
>>>>> TheDuck
>>>>> 
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