GPS and cell phone signals have no correlation. I see people confuse it all the time and it's a nasty rumor. I think it stems from the fact that some Apple devices were equipped with a GPS receiver only if the were also cell network capable. One had nothing to do with the other as far as function goes, it's just how they packaged the hardware.

GPS works off satellites, cell signal works of terrestrial antennas, BIG difference.

Your cell phone is a small handheld computer. It has no need for a data connection of any kind to do computer things or use it's own internal hardware. If it has an internal GPS receiver, and an appropriate app to interpret and display information from it, then you have no need for any other connections. Most phones and tablets now have a real GPS receiver in them. Needing a cell signal to use navigation is a software problem if you encounter it.

The reason loosing cell signal is an issue is you lose the ability to download maps or look up information as needed from the internet on the fly.

GAIA is a good app, never used it myself but heard many positive things about it. What you will want to learn how to do is save maps offline for use when out and about. Aside from that though it should still function as a navigational tool, show your position and record your track, even if you don't have maps.

For vehicle use, I have an iPad mini for navigation, it's a much larger screen to work with and it's easier to manipulate than a typical GPS interface. My preferred app on it is MotionX HD. Honestly though at some point I'll probably go to a larger screen Android tablet, because Apple is very limiting.

That said in situations where navigation is more critical, I do have reliable dedicated GPS units on standby, and most times good old paper maps as well.

I have a Delorme...

i got it some years ago shortly after i bought my FJ back in 08...
we used it on the trail and it was great for geocaching...now Delorme is part of Garmin and their GPSs have lots more bells and whistles...

What's the point if this ? Being able to have GPS signal when you have no cell phone service ?

And I agree 100% about that cell phone service and GPS are two different things. A true GPS in a cell phone will still locate you without cell phone service

Ray, I shot you a PM. I think that with the pro version you'll find it's quite a powerful app.

I love it, personally. Have used it for a few years now.

Here's a shot of Rhyolite (the only ghost town I know of in that area) with USGS Topo as the base, and MapBox Street HD lightly overlaid.



Here are my tracks... I need to get out of the PNW =D

I highly recommend you check out MotionX GPS.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moti...299949744?mt=8

I use it when off road and adventure camping... Good waypoint and track management. Easy import/export of GPS data...

I have a good trail book a friend recommended and they have waypoints packages that import with ease.

We also use in my friends UTV on an iPad mini... flying down desert trails and it tracks pretty quick too. Lots of options in menu and if you read up on it you can import satellite images into it. It makes for a really REALLY nice experience when you can actually see terrain detail like that.

Yes, you can download and cache them for off-line use... many of the places I go I just download a 50+ mile radius from where I know I am going to be...

After buying it it was well worth the price... it kept me away from a lowrance gps units.

Here are a couple screen shots... you can really zoom in for some good sat detail too if you have the space on your device.




Here is a sample of the Motion X terrain maps.

Yes Sir, the gps in a phone will locate your position, but the gps kills the battery on my cell phone, the Dual battery lasts almost all day and works better at finding and keeping more satellites and triangulating a location because the gps in my phone sucks. In certain places even with internet, my position will jump around because the phone wont stay triangulated. I also dont have to worry about mounting my phone. The Dual sits on the dash without any mounting hardware. I have a tablet that the Dual pairs with on bluetooth so I also have bigger screen than my phone to navigate with. But, its also unnecessary if your phone gps works for you..

Attached are screen shots of Gaia GPS and HemaExplorer both showing the USGS layer.

Gaia


HemaExplorer



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And this is good to use with a cell phone that already has gps built in?

There's a local guy selling Garmin 62st for $150. What you thibk

You could pair them up, but if your phone gps works well enough it's 100 bucks you don't need to spend.
I also didn't mention, my eyes are old, so navigating on my tablet I pair with the external gps is much easier. Then I just turn the phone off, which is what I'm trying to do when I'm on the trails anyway ha ha.
On the side note: I had a similar basic garmin 10 years ago when I used to own my Aquasport. It was pretty damn accurate to the fishing coordinates I was using in the Atlantic at the time. That thing got bounced all over the boat, it was pretty rugged. If your into hiking that might be the ticket.

We use a bunch of Garmin Rino's while hunting and they're pretty sweet.

Sounds like a waste of $150 to me. You've got a GPS in your pocket right now with a bigger screen, higher resolution, and way more options.

When I used Gaia (on a shitty iPhone 4) to do the WABDR it was the most convenient thing I have ever used.

It was so accurate that I would get to a spot with 3 left turns within 25 feet of each other and by zooming in (on the downloaded map- no service) I could tell I wanted to take the one in the center, with the 1' boulder on the left side of the road, 10 feet in.

My biggest concern is when I lose service. And there are lot of issues with this in NJ believe it or not. Even though ATT. So maybe that blue tooth gps would be my solution

Loose service? the GPS is not tied to cell service. Download the maps over wifi and then your goodtogo.

I think you're missing the fact that you don't need cell service for your GPS to work.

I downloaded (about 6GB if I remember correctly) a satellite view of my route (and about 5 miles on either side of it) from the southern border of WA, all the way to Canada.

Thanks for the screen shots! I can now see that the Gaia maps do offer the level of detail I need. So when I get the chance I plan to buy an iPhone and the Gaia app w/maps.