GPS on a smart phone?

[jbeaumont21]

I have been interested in purchasing a Garmin Oregon GPS receiver, however I am wondering if I could just download one of the newer topo map apps onto my smart phone and use that instead.  Anyone know if that is possible?

[Tony 270]

As long as I have service I just use the free GPS app and will show me where I'm at, my elevation, and anything else.

[jbeaumont21]

Thanks for the feed back.  Free is always nice!  

I read some info at the link below and it sounds like some of the down falls of using a smart phone is that you use up battery life very fast and also there is no track back feature.  The more I read the garmin gps might be worth the extra dollars.  I am wanting the nice 3-D maps and also want to be able to see where my hunting partners are on the map.  Not sure I can get all that I want on the smart phone.
http://backwoodsgpstrails.com/wp3/trail-maps-on-cell-phone

[Tony 270]

My problem is that I use TMobile, which sucks once you get out in the sticks. But where it does work I can put in lots of waypoints, look at terrain, satellite photos, regular map... pretty much whatever you want - as long as I get service. Not nearly as good as a real GPS I'm certain, but good enough for free.

[cashmerekev]

What app you guys using for a I phone?

[Caretaker]

I was lost last year for three hours due to my garmin not having he newest maps.  Happened to have cell service on my Iphone, turned it on and told it to take me home and it did.  However, I will never, never replace my garmin with a phone.  Phones are dependent on cell service, gps is not.

[Tony 270]

I use the MotionX GPS Lite (limited, free version).

[cashmerekev]

Thanks!  I will give it a try....

[Alchase]

Iphone apps are only good if you have signal. With ATT I had signal on top of almost every hill throughout the Methow. But down in the valleys you do not.

I use the folowing apps:
Topo Maps
ArcGIS
Gaia GPS
Theodlilite
Hunters Checklist and GPS

[JackOfAllTrades]

I was lost last year for three hours due to my garmin not having he newest maps.

I always set a waypoint for where the truck/road/camp is before setting out.  I may not always know where I am, (on a map since my old 110 doesn't have maps), but I can follow that little arrow back to previous waypoints or where I actually started my day from.

-Steve

[BIGINNER]

there are some newer phones that use satelite signal to track you on google earth,  so you can be out of cell service but still use your gps.  it does eat alot of  battery life though

[Alchase]

there are some newer phones that use satelite signal to track you on google earth,  so you can be out of cell service but still use your gps.  it does eat alot of  battery life though

If there are I do not know of them, Google Earth is a web interface, you need internet service (cell data) to use it.
I still use my Magellan and do as JackOfAllTrades suggested and set a waypoint where my truck is. That way you always have a backtrack regardless if you have the current map or not. Though I have all the maps from Washington.

[Alchase]

I have been interested in purchasing a Garmin Oregon GPS receiver, however I am wondering if I could just download one of the newer topo map apps onto my smart phone and use that instead.  Anyone know if that is possible?

The Garmin Oregon is an excellent choice, smart phones are great, but they are not there "yet".

[BIGINNER]

there are some newer phones that use satelite signal to track you on google earth,  so you can be out of cell service but still use your gps.  it does eat alot of  battery life though

If there are I do not know of them, Google Earth is a web interface, you need internet service (cell data) to use it.
I still use my Magellan and do as JackOfAllTrades suggested and set a waypoint where my truck is. That way you always have a backtrack regardless if you have the current map or not. Though I have all the maps from Washington.

you're right. about google earth,  the phone uses satalite signal for the gps app.  my mistake,  9one of my cooworker got a phone a couple days ago,  i think it was the droid or something,  but the gps gets its signal from satelite when out of service range.

[sisu]

there are some newer phones that use satelite signal to track you on google earth,  so you can be out of cell service but still use your gps.  it does eat alot of  battery life though

If there are I do not know of them, Google Earth is a web interface, you need Internet service (cell data) to use it.
I still use my Magellan and do as JackOfAllTrades suggested and set a waypoint where my truck is. That way you always have a backtrack regardless if you have the current map or not. Though I have all the maps from Washington.

you're right. about google earth,  the phone uses satellite signal for the gps app.  my mistake,  9one of my coworker got a phone a couple days ago,  i think it was the droid or something,  but the gps gets its signal from satellite when out of service range.

Tony Soprano wouldn't like the GPS in his phone!

[jbeaumont21]

I have read that some of the new smart phones run the satellite GPS, but I was more curious if I would be able to download onto my phone the new 3-D maps that the Garmin Oregon uses.  If I can get the same maps as the garmin and my phone which uses satellite GPS then there is no reason to spend an extra $350 to buy a new Garmin when my phone can do the same thing.  So with that said, does anyone know if I can download the new Garmin 3-D color maps onto a new Droid smart phone?  I'm sure I could talk to Garmin or some Verizon sleazy saleman but I am feeling lazy and was hoping someone on here already knew the answer.
Thanks!

[SkookumHntr]

-My Oregon takes the micro sd card, the mapping is on that. Idk if theres enough built in memory for much with out it.

[hikeNhunt]

I recently had experience with this when I went out for elk last weekend. I have a Droid 2 from Verizon which is running Android 2.2 I believe. I tried out an app called MapDroyd. The app uses the GPS function of the phone without using any data connection (3G, Edge, or WiFi). The map for Washington is very basic, but it has all the forestry roads on it. It can only show where you are on the map (which it does pretty well) and allows you to zoom in or out. I really hope they add the ability to mark points on the map. This helped me get around on the roads and match road numbers to what I was looking at on my printed out GMU map. It's still very basic but can really save your butt if you get lost and don't know which way the road is.

[Alchase]

IF you spend a bunch of time googling, lol, you will get totally frustrated with what the rest of the world calls "GPS" having a Tom Tom voice tell you where to turn is not what I concider real GPS ability. Very few reviews of GPS capability that a Garmin/Magellan would offer. Most of the "location based services" as the smart phone reviews call them are Tom Tom like services that require a monthly service fee on top of your current plan. I would bet within the next year all the major phone sellers will offer a "real" GPS phone that will work without a data signal (at least the GPS part).
I won't hold my breath though, the technology is there my bet is they are trying to figure out how to charge us for it, lol