[pct-l] smartphone as GPS

[AsABat]

Well my Droid X gives me three options for location. Wireless tower,  
assisted gps,and gps. Google maps using gps has me right on. Backcountry  
Navigator says I can use gps with took maps even when out of cell range  
(havent loaded it yet). Maybe the midrange phones use only agps but the new  
droids iphones and blackberry have real gps. (I also have a Blackberry  
Curve).

-----Original message-----
From: David Ellzey <david at xpletive.com>
To: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Mon, Oct 25, 2010 21:02:04 GMT+00:00
Subject: Re: [pct-l] smartphone as GPS

Sorry to come into this discussion so late, I haven't been reading the list  
everyday like I used to.

My company does interactive development and using smartphones as handheld  
tour guides is all the rage for visitors centers these days. As such we've  
had to deal with the shortcomings of these devices.

A few people have indicated that smartphones use cellular tower  
triangulation and not satellites. This is not entirely accurate, every  
smartphone I know of uses what's called Assisted GPS, or AGPS for short.  
Whereas a normal GPS chip takes the signals from satellites and calculates  
position, an AGPS chip only records the signals and sends that data to an  
online server for calculation. This means that you MUST have a good wireless  
connection for the AGPS to work. This is the disadvantage, especially when  
in the backcountry.

An advantage of AGPS is that it speeds up the satellite acquisition  
considerably by getting a accurate time and general starting location  
through tower triangulation. Of course, this is dependent on having a good  
signal as well.

If you are determined to use a smartphone and want it to work ANYWHERE in  
North America take a look at the Terrastar Genus.

BigToe


-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]  
On Behalf Of James F. Miller
Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2010 11:49 AM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] smartphone as GPS


I'm looking to get a Droid or Blackberry phone for use on the trail next  
year. Some of these have GPS's. 
 
I'm wondering if PCT waypoints could be loaded into one of these for use in  
navigating the trail..like in the high country with snow covered trail.
 
One of these phones could work as all that is needed for photos and  
journaling and hopefully navigation in tricky parts
 
Thanks 		 	   		  
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