- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Android or iOS?
Best GPS for backcountry/4x4 use?
- Thread starter Greg
- Start date
Android or iOS?
- Location
- Vehicular limbo
DAA
Well-Known Member
- Location
- West Bountiful, UT
Just saw today that Garmin is bringing back the 276C. New version, of course, now it's the 276Cx. Not the same one that was discontinued 10 years ago that everyone still loves and wishes was still available.
$800 for the new version. Which, is way out of my budget at the moment. It's what I'd like to have though. Same basic form factor as the old one, still has dedicated buttons instead of the hateful touch screen. Just a bigger and better screen, new chipset too of course. But basically, the same thing as my old one.
A year and a half or so of using a tablet has only made me miss that old school GPS even more. Wish I could afford the new one!
- DAA
$800 for the new version. Which, is way out of my budget at the moment. It's what I'd like to have though. Same basic form factor as the old one, still has dedicated buttons instead of the hateful touch screen. Just a bigger and better screen, new chipset too of course. But basically, the same thing as my old one.
A year and a half or so of using a tablet has only made me miss that old school GPS even more. Wish I could afford the new one!
- DAA
No it still goes to sleep, but on my ipad I just set the screen to always stay on
iOS iphone 6s/ipad mini
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Hmmm, that is odd. I've had no problems with the layers or downloaded maps but I am having an issue getting it to sync with my HEMA Cloud.
Works fine when I'm online, but this is what I get offline. Doesn't matter if I turn layers on or off. I've restarted, redownloaded, turned all layers off but one. If its not this then a good section of the map will be fuzzy
Then back online and it's fine
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- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Hmmm, very odd. Wish I had an answer for you. I wonder if it's not downloading all map layers correctly?
I'm going to bring this back to the top since I'm in the market and this post is a little old. Any updates as to a good offroad GPS? I would like one that would work for all my needs. Jeep/motorcycle/UTV, etc. Keep in mind that I'm old and blind so the larger the better 
sawtooth4x4
Totally Awesome
- Location
- Land of East Laytonshire
Mine does the same thing off-line. very annoying. While it works good most of the time, its the other times when I need to see where I'm going that it really sucks.I got this for the off-line ability.
Should I try a different mapset? I'm using it on my iPad.
Should I try a different mapset? I'm using it on my iPad.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I'm going to bring this back to the top since I'm in the market and this post is a little old. Any updates as to a good offroad GPS? I would like one that would work for all my needs. Jeep/motorcycle/UTV, etc. Keep in mind that I'm old and blind so the larger the better
I've been pretty impressed with the Garmin Nuvi line, but they aren't power-sport specific. The one I have seems to show many of the dirt roads I travel on. Over time, I came to dislike the Garmin Zumo motorcycle GPS I had... it saved tracks/routes in a strange way, making them hard to share.
While I have no first hand experience with this, its something i've considered. Perhaps when i'm able to actually go into the backcountry again
http://www.magellangps.com/Outdoor-Navigation/Magellan-TRX-Off-road-GPS-Navigation
http://www.magellangps.com/Outdoor-Navigation/Magellan-TRX-Off-road-GPS-Navigation
- Location
- Vehicular limbo
Those are getting brutalized in the Amazon reviews. That and the price pretty much make sure I won't have one any time soon.
Looks like a nice product though expensive. I'm using Gaia GPS topo app on my tablet and I find it very handy.
DAA
Well-Known Member
- Location
- West Bountiful, UT
I'm still using BCN on an android tablet and it's still getting the job done but I'm still a long way from in love with it. Getting really used to it, so it doesn't flat out bother me like it did at first, but getting used to it sure isn't the same thing as really liking it. Liked all of the several other tablet apps I tried even less though.
I really feel like the state of GPS device usability for backroad exploration has actually devolved over the past decade. Devices have only gotten less useable and less useful. I've read a magazine review and looked at that Magellan, case in point, it looks absolutely horrid.
Not from a luddite perspective at all, either, furthest thing from it. I just genuinely feel that the devices available ten years ago were easier to use and did a better job. I guess I should point out, Garmin does make some stupid expensive chart plotters that I bet I would like, but the price point is too high for my consideration.
- DAA
I really feel like the state of GPS device usability for backroad exploration has actually devolved over the past decade. Devices have only gotten less useable and less useful. I've read a magazine review and looked at that Magellan, case in point, it looks absolutely horrid.
Not from a luddite perspective at all, either, furthest thing from it. I just genuinely feel that the devices available ten years ago were easier to use and did a better job. I guess I should point out, Garmin does make some stupid expensive chart plotters that I bet I would like, but the price point is too high for my consideration.
- DAA
- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
There is definitely a gap in the market that needs filling for us offroad enthusiasts. I've used garmin for several years now for work, and some for offroading. The garmin nuvi line is about 84% fulfilling my wants.
I wasn't expecting much from the Magellan offroad device. I've never cared for Magellan though.
I tried Giaia on my android tablet a few years ago and hated it. It was so buggy it was unusable. I've recently tried it again on my mini ipad a it runs FAR better. I haven't used it a lot, but I think it will prove useful on my next big trip in July.
I really think garmin could easily produce a line of products for us that would satisfy most of us, they are just ignoring us.
I wasn't expecting much from the Magellan offroad device. I've never cared for Magellan though.
I tried Giaia on my android tablet a few years ago and hated it. It was so buggy it was unusable. I've recently tried it again on my mini ipad a it runs FAR better. I haven't used it a lot, but I think it will prove useful on my next big trip in July.
I really think garmin could easily produce a line of products for us that would satisfy most of us, they are just ignoring us.
- Location
- Vehicular limbo
This is where I'm at. I'm switching between BCN and Gaia and I'm still leaning BCN.
I feel like the problem with dedicated GPS units is they all concentrate on navigation on the fly and finding restaurants and other bells and whistles that I don't care about (see the social media crap on that TRX, forex). I'll find my own way, just give me a unit with good topo maps, that I can load my own tracks and POIs to easily, with a screen that's big enough and bright enough that I can see it while I'm bouncing down a dirt road with the noon sun shining on my dash, at a good price point. So far, BCNP on a 7" tablet is the closest I've found. But I agree with DAA that tactile buttons instead of a finicky touch screen would be nice.
edit - so there's BT ten key setups that are nice and small (and cheap). I wonder how hard it would be for BCN or Gaia or somebody to write keyboard support into their app.
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Tonkaman
Well-Known Member
- Location
- West Jordan
I’m almost 600 miles into dirt roads right now. I didn’t plan a route before leaving and have just been navigating with a few layers of saved maps in Gaia. So far it has been very dependable! The nice thing with the layers is that I can put satellite images over maps so it’s easy to see any discrepancies.
The only problem I’ve had so far is forgetting my iPad is WiFi only which means no built in GPS chip. My next trip I will have an external GPS and will go much smoother.
The only problem I’ve had so far is forgetting my iPad is WiFi only which means no built in GPS chip. My next trip I will have an external GPS and will go much smoother.
- Location
- Vehicular limbo
I don't speak iPad, but Android has apps that'll let you bluetooth your tablet to your phone and piggypack the GPS signal, is that an option? If not, I've got a Globalsat BT-821 I'm not using that I'd sell you for cheap.
Tonkaman
Well-Known Member
- Location
- West Jordan
I tried hotspottjng to my iPhone but it didn’t piggyback the gps.
I’ll end up with a similar device to that one you have, but yours isn’t compatible with IOS
I use a Garmin Glo with my iPad when using Hema or Earthmate. Bonus I discovered it works with my Garmin Pilot app as well