Michael B
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I'm starting to outfit my rig for overlanding and am looking for a good GPS unit. Recommendations and why would be greatly appreciated.
Overlanding beginner looking for GPS information (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Michael B
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As a beginner, I would stick with and use regular Google Maps on your phone for on-road maps, and one of (Gaia GPS, Avenza, US Topo apps) for off-road maps. If you need a bigger screen, get a bigger phone or an inexpensive Android tablet. After some use, you'll get to know what you really need on and off road. In my case, I find my phone works great and I don't need anything else.
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hj 60
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I use one screen for zoom out, just to know what direction I am driving, and one for actual directions, and even more if a passenger wants to find a place, we search for abandoned military stuff and I really like google maps satellite view and also waze online and sygic offline.
navigate to two spots and end up in the middle:
navigate to two spots and end up in the middle:
Had a member of our group guide us down the Kokopellis trail earlier this year with nothing but his cell phone, Hema explorer, and a windshield mount. Couldn't believe we never got lost once.
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I like to keep it simple so I run a Nexus7 and Gaiagps. Routes are easy to find online and a 7 or 8" screen is big enough to see while driving but small enough its not intrusive. I have used it quite a bit and really like it.
Yeah I'm kind of a novice with some of this stuff....as I've gotten older and need glasses to read, options with bigger screens are a must. I've wanted something along the lines of a 10inch screen (likely android) device, but I would like to have map data (offroad) on SD card media. Was wondering if any of the current tablets support sd cards. For pavement I just use the larger garmin GPS 2797. Or potentially a dedicated larger screen gps that support sd card media. At one point or maybe even now...I think garmin sold offroad topo map data by state on sd card media...but the point of frustration was ...what device could use this. I understand you can load data on to the device's hard drive... but I would like the utility of accessing the data in some manner without (having a cell connection, or having to load it on the device itself)...it that makes sense. (sd cards, external HD of some type). Obviously cell reception is limited. Or seems like with the current trend of memory shrinking in physical size...would be great if you could purchase a device with topo data fully loaded (but as I recall that's some serious data size).
For example would be nice to go off road, take my samsung android tablet, use one of the GPS apps, and had the map data sitting on a sd card (prepacked...not where I have to layout beforehand a trip or regional area I plan to be), yes I want it simple.
For example would be nice to go off road, take my samsung android tablet, use one of the GPS apps, and had the map data sitting on a sd card (prepacked...not where I have to layout beforehand a trip or regional area I plan to be), yes I want it simple.
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You'll find that with a 32GB tablet, you can store alot of maps w/o an SD card. I have quite a few maps on Avenza and GaiaGPS and those apps use 2 GB. I have downloaded national forest visitors maps, and topos for areas that are the size of the smaller states (connecticut). With minimal planning I find that it's pretty easy to just have the maps I need, including random diversions. For example, my phone held all map off-road maps (that I needed) for three states, NV, CO, and CA without any troubles. It also held my music collection.
AFAIK you can only download maps on the tablet (using WiFi), even if you have an SD card to expand your tablet. There is no way to access those maps on your desktop or laptop that I know of. At least for the apps I use.
Another thing to consider. Will you be traveling places that don’t have cell service? Up here in AK things are getting better but there are even still many miles of “highway” without cell coverage and when you get off the road system there is none. I got a Garmin InReach explorer+ last year, it has built in satalite messaging capability and online trip tracking. It links via Bluetooth to a smartphone or tablet so I can see the maps on a larger device.
It is pretty amazing. The kids and I can message my wife when we leave the road (in the cruiser, biking, hiking, hunting,...)then again let her know when we get back or check in via Satalite. She can even check our position from home if homer don’t check in.
It is pretty amazing. The kids and I can message my wife when we leave the road (in the cruiser, biking, hiking, hunting,...)then again let her know when we get back or check in via Satalite. She can even check our position from home if homer don’t check in.
Same here, got the InReach recently, and connected to iPad, great maps too. And never out of range
The standard us maps do, but the downloadable ones are very detailed topos.
The good thing, is once you download them into an ipad, you dont need to be connected. The ipad gps antenna keeps it located. But is one thing to do at home, big downloads.
REALLY late to this but...which mounting bracket do you use? How did you anchor it?
