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which TRUE GPS for remote areas without phone signal which TRUE GPS for remote areas without phone signal
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Navigation - Maps, Compass, GPS How to find your way - traditional map, compass and road signs, or GPS and more
Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon




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  #1  
Old 27 Dec 2014
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Smile which TRUE GPS for remote areas without phone signal
I am after a true GPS, one that works directly from Satellites ie NOT relying on mobile phone coverage, and I get the impression most adverts blurr the difference and sales kids just want to make a sale.
I would like coverage off road on tracks in the Sahara and the remote Romanian mountains as well as normal road stuff.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a GPS to go anywhere?
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  #2  
Old 27 Dec 2014
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Garmin Montana would not be a bad choice

Garmin | Montana
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  #3  
Old 27 Dec 2014
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You can buy a Garmin Nuvi 40 for less the $100.
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  #4  
Old 27 Dec 2014
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoff with XT and Easel View Post
I am after a true GPS, one that works directly from Satellites ie NOT relying on mobile phone coverage...
Just about any stand-alone GPS device works by using satellite signals only.

Mobile phones (smartphones, etc.) are the devices that use augmentation from the cell phone network to assist in rapidly determining a position. The GPS device within these smartphones will determine position without assistance from the cell network, but it will take a bit longer to do so.

I think you have a misunderstanding about the scope of cellular network augmentation of GPS... that technology is almost exclusively (like, 99.9%) used by smartphones. I don't know of a single stand-alone GPS navigator that uses cell network augmentation to assist in determining position.

Michael
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  #5  
Old 28 Dec 2014
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Mobile phones may use the phone network to speed up positioning and increase accuracy but it's the gps signal that does the heavy lifting. The iPad I'm typing this on doesn't even have a SIM card and works very well as a sat-nav. There's loads of low cost nav apps that use osm mapping or will just give you lat-lon /speed / heading if that's what you're after.
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Old 29 Dec 2014
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Thanks, you're right I do have little experience with gps having only borrowed gps units twice, and having problems both times. All the above comments are helpful, and I will probably look to buy a Garmin of some description soon, ideally one that will be helpful off-road as well as on-road.
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  #7  
Old 29 Dec 2014
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Originally Posted by Geoff with XT and Easel View Post
Thanks, you're right I do have little experience with gps having only borrowed gps units twice, and having problems both times. All the above comments are helpful, and I will probably look to buy a Garmin of some description soon, ideally one that will be helpful off-road as well as on-road.
Do your research first.
In here, and read elsewhere (the HUBB is Garmin-centric), at least until you are comfortable with what people are talking about!
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Last edited by Walkabout; 19 Jan 2015 at 10:30.
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  #8  
Old 29 Dec 2014
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Originally Posted by Jaws100 View Post
Garmin Montana would not be a bad choice

Garmin | Montana
+1
Just the base model and load it with free maps - OSM.

J
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  #9  
Old 29 Dec 2014
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Use your iPad, iPhone...

That devices are exactly enough, lead us well through, laos, our transafrica, will lead me soon through the panamericana.



4x4tripping: Offroad Navigation mit MotionX HD (iPad)

4x4tripping: Road Navigation with the MotionX HD (iPad)

Surfy
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  #10  
Old 29 Dec 2014
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which TRUE GPS for remote areas without phone signal
I bought a garnin eTrex 20 for 200 USD and loaded on free maps. Worth every cent - wouldn't fancy of taking iPad or iPhone into altiplano, amazon etc they're too delicate and are too attractive to thieves. The eTrex I have found to be very reliable and is well built for its purpose and the fact it looks like a mobile from the 1990's is a positive! Screen is a big small but overall I've found it perfect for my needs. Would get the Montana if I was flush of course. iPad or Samsung etc would make a great addition for my navigation but wouldn't be without proper dedicated outdoor GPS unit.
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  #11  
Old 13 Jan 2015
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If you have an android smart phone look at navigator. It uses free downloadable offline maps and is very good.
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  #12  
Old 19 Jan 2015
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Three Offline GPS apps I used extensively on my iPhone are:

  • GPSKit
  • MotionX
  • Galileo

The first two have more options to work with, and signal acquisition and performance is very good, however they are both picture based maps - since you have to download the maps of where you are going to be prior to your trip, the phone works 100% independently of a cell network - it simply uses the GPS of the phone.

The last one Galileo is I find the best if you are traveling long distances as you can download your maps as Vector Maps for a country and it takes very little mb of space on your phone and allows you to zoom down to 10m, plus it allows unlimited tracks and waypoints and works very well.

Good Luck, let us know what you decide to use..

Cheers
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