GPS Selection

[LJdesertrat]

Looking to buy a GPS unit for the LJ. Has anyone used or tried the Delorme antenna for a laptop or iPad? I want to be able to download and use some of these routes.

Thanks

[Zoobi]

I was looking at that some years ago but ended up with using a Garmin due to space. I found the built in antenna worked fine. Now I use either a galaxy tab2 with back country navigator or my I phone with motion x, depending on what I'm driving.
Most of my info on hardware and software I get from http://expeditionportal.com/forum/ They have a real big knowledge base.
The question you have to ask yourself is "where am I going to mount it" In my TJ I run a 7" tablet and barely have the room for it but its easier to see detail, My I phone being smaller I use mostly for street. Some of the guys Ive met are running full size tablets or laptops with external antennas.
Do you have a laptop or I pad? or were you looking to buy something?


Scott

[LJdesertrat]

I am looking to buy something. I have an iPhone but was thinking about a small tablet or a Garmin. When you search the web you get reviews from A to Z. Which Garmin has best tracking, upload and download features I wonder.

As you say,space is a premium.

Roy

[Zoobi]

What I need in a gps is the ability to make routes and tracks in my computer then download into the gps.

The problem I had with Garmin was, the good off road ones had small screens, The larger ones worked better for street than off-road. Ive owned The garmin 3 plus, garmin 5 a coupe of small ones for my Quads( cant remember the number) and the latest was the nuvi. I got the nuvi because of the screen. I loved it but it was very limited with what I could do for custom mapping on the other hand it was great for the street.
I got my tablet to try something new. Its fair for street nav, is great for off-road custom maps but, you have to load the area your going to be in before you leave. I have about half of California loaded on a chip, so for where I go im set.

What you have to ask is, what do I actually need it for. Mostly on road with some off-road, large screen, blue tooth. Off road with no on road, compatibility with mapping software. I liked my nuvi and if it hadn't gotten stolen I would probably still be using it. It wasn't as good for off road as my tablet but it was simple and if I needed to find a street address I could. Now If im on street I use my I phone. What ever you get make sure to look at the specs. Not all tablets have good gps and not all stand alone gps have off road capability (topo map).


Scott

[DaK]

Used to run an Oregon, screen is small and hard to read a lot of times. We then changed to a Samsung 10.5 with Back country maps. It is awesome that you can see the maps as the screen is bigger but there is a latency issue when you zoom in and out. Might be the operator in this case. The main thing I don't like about this method is when you don't download enough of the area where you are headed and you "run out of road" on the maps. Also, you have to flip between maps when you do "run out of road" on your current map where you don't with a GPS. I have looked at the Montana several times and currently it is the price point that keeps me from buying it.

[dirtman13]

I'm still using my Garmin Nuvi 500 which I really like and has worked very well everywhere I've been. I also just bought a Samsung Tab and have been using Backcountrynavigator. Takes some getting used to but all the different map options are great.

[CVD]

I’m also a former Garmin Nuvi user. Now use a 7” Android tablet and BC Navigator off-road, use my Android phone and standard Google maps on-road. Nuvi is rarely used.

One recommendation – a hand held GPS is a good thing to carry if you do much hiking away from the vehicle. I have a Garmin 60CSX that’s always in my emergency fanny pack (I think the current model is a 62 CX).

[Y0ungGunZJ]

I'm running a Samsung galaxy tab2 10.1" with backcountry navigator. I picked that based on these things: sd card, internal gps (does not need location via wifi) and the 10.1" was only $60 bucks more then the 7" because I bought a refurbished model from bestbuy. I have run this setup for a year and a half now, and the only issue I had after a year was the mounts that went into the dash moved (they aren't bolted in, but wedged in)

[dirtman13]

That's what I have only the Tab 8.4

[36Fan]

Ipad mini and use the Motion X GPS app. Works great for me.

[redrockerfan]

I second 36fan!

[sarah]

Based on all of your recommendations (including FishPOET) I decided to toss the Garmin and get MotionX.

All I can say is WOW - it's easy as pie to import tracks from webpages, email, or the computer. I'll download some offline maps on our next trip and see how those work.

Thanks for all the tips!

[brokenujoint]

gesshh. I thought I was fancy pant's with my new Garmin gpsmap 62sc handheld. Now I want that big ol honker 10" display. Im getting into gold prospecting out in Mojave and twentynine palms, etc and want something that isnt dependent on my vehicle should something bad happen. If My vehicle breaks and I have to start walking I wanna know where I'm going.

[USMC 0369]

[COLOR="#800000"]Does anyone know if the battery/heat issues with the Samsung Galaxy line have been resolved? I can get a pretty good deal on a Galaxy Tab4, but only want to go ahead if the known issues have been fixed.[/COLOR]

[dirtman13]

[COLOR="#800000"]Does anyone know if the battery/heat issues with the Samsung Galaxy line have been resolved? I can get a pretty good deal on a Galaxy Tab4, but only want to go ahead if the known issues have been fixed.[/COLOR]

I have not had heat issues with my Tab 8.4 Pro