best gps under 300$ ???

[RockChuck]

Www.huntinggpsmaps.com

That app allows you to dl and cache the maps so that you can use it without cell svc.
[/quote]

I had that app but didn't get to try it without cell service before my trial period ran out so I haven't purchased it yet, can you use to gps function on it without service?

[lamrith]

Www.huntinggpsmaps.com

That app allows you to dl and cache the maps so that you can use it without cell svc.

I had that app but didn't get to try it without cell service before my trial period ran out so I haven't purchased it yet, can you use to gps function on it without service?

I do not have the app, I think if GPS works without cell service is probably more of a function of the individual phone?  But they make the app so it works without signal if you cache, would find it odd to make effort program that and for gps to not work offline?

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

I goggle earthed my area then snapped screen shots w the iPhone 4 I the areas I wanted.  Then in the field I can zoom in on the pics.

[jackelope]

Www.huntinggpsmaps.com

That app allows you to dl and cache the maps so that you can use it without cell svc.

I had that app but didn't get to try it without cell service before my trial period ran out so I haven't purchased it yet, can you use to gps function on it without service?

I do not have the app, I think if GPS works without cell service is probably more of a function of the individual phone?  But they make the app so it works without signal if you cache, would find it odd to make effort program that and for gps to not work offline?

You have to cache maps before you leave your service area. If I know where I'm going, I will cache all the map tiles ahead of time. As long as you do that, they work without service. They are slow to load, they take up a lot of space on your phone and they suck the living crap out of your battery. They work "good enough" but they are absolutely, beyond any shadow of a doubt, not a GPS. If you hunt private land, the land ownership data is priceless. No way would I buy a gps without the ability to insert an sd card. 

[jackelope]

I goggle earthed my area then snapped screen shots w the iPhone 4 I the areas I wanted.  Then in the field I can zoom in on the pics.

With an app like onXmaps you can mostly do exactly the same thing and have the phone show you where you are on the screen.

[RockChuck]

This is what I do also works fine for me




quote author=DIYARCHERYJUNKIE link=topic=157272.msg2087592#msg2087592 date=1406582674]
I goggle earthed my area then snapped screen shots w the iPhone 4 I the areas I wanted.  Then in the field I can zoom in on the pics.
[/quote]

[Carl]

Tag

[robertsjd]

I found a garmin 62st In a pawn shop today for 180$ so I grabbed it . Thanks everyone for the input

[pope]

Perhaps a phone could suffice.

ls it waterproof?

Can it survive being dropped and abused?

Can the batteries be easily field replaced?

Will the maps work without an Internet connection?

Does it provide basic GPS functions like projecting waypoints, track management, waypoint management, interface with common programs that can upload and download .gpx files, etc.?

If so it sounds like a good alternative. Anything less and I want a dedicated GPS.

I'm new to GPS and do not have a dedicated unit. I purchased the Gaia GPS application for my android for $20. Here's how it works. BEFORE you go in the mountains, while you DO have an internet connection, you simply zoom in on the area you will later visit. For example, on our recent mountain bike tour on logging roads between Greenwater and Easton, I used the app just like I would Google Maps and viewed satellite images of a very wide area which included our 40 mile ride plus the peripheral area. I downloaded that satellite image (170 megabytes), then downloaded the USFS topo for the same area. That's one big topo map! Also available are other layers such as USGS topos and open street maps.

Then, I plotted my route on Google Earth, including critical way points and an actual path. I found a website which converted that data to the GPX format, then loaded it into the Gaia folder on my phone. On the route, without internet connection, my maps were there and integrated perfectly with the GPS on my phone. You can trace a path, get elevation profiles, whatever you want.

A friend of mine from Buckley spends more time in the hills than anybody I know. His first Rainier climb was Liberty Ridge and he uses a snow machine to ski places NOBODY goes. He has tried many types of GPS devices and leaves all of them at home, in favor of his android.

On our recent Cascade crossing bike tour, we navigated a spider web of logging roads and there was never any question about our location. In 9 hours, with my phone on "airplane mode", I snapped lots of photos and constantly consulted my GPS. At the end of the trip, my battery life was still at 85%.

No, you cannot drop your phone in a creek. Can you do that with a Garmin? I don't know the answer. Also, if you don't load the maps in advanced, Gaia GPS won't work w/o an internet connection.