will smart phones soon be the king of offroad navagation?

[troyboy162]

i saw this today and it has lots of potential
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=170835

the smart phones can already be intagrated with SPOT messangers. will they continue to evolve into offline/offroad navagation? it looks like there is a certiain amount of work invloved to make this work right. the way i see android progression and the ease for a programmer to make a paycheck at the apps store...id guess it wont be long.

[Crinale]

smart phones do everything else, why not?

[troyboy162]

ive been able to read up on this and it looks to be extremely capable. one cool thing is that because its so new there are programs to cache unlimited amounts of satilite images/topos/road maps from sources that would not normally allow its use in this fashion. backcountry navagator also has the ability to impost .gpx files. both of these features are buggy at the moment, but things are still in the first stages. i would buy a 32 gb sd card and fill that sucker with google earth images in a heart beat if i had one of these phones.

[oly884]

Mobile phones are definitely heading that way. Hiking GPS, vehicle GPS/POI search/etc. Heck, even the tablet PC's (iPad, etc) are heading that way.

That being said, I would still prefer my laptop mounted in my truck, along with a compass and paper maps. The software is just as, if not more powerful, full size screen (which is not only easier to read, but far safer when traveling at speed), ability to hold all my music, videos, as well as offering me a place to upload any gopro vids or photos. And paper maps are a must. As much as I love technology, it's essential to have and understand how to use paper maps and a compass as they tend not to run out of batteries ;)

For a more compact package, smart phones minimize the amount of gear (clutter) you have in your cab, and as stated, double as a GPS you can use for hiking. You could pick up a portable backpacking solar charger, and if sized right, you could keep your phone charged for extended backpacking trips.

I'll definitely be picking up the software to put on my laptop and compare to both Delorme Street Atlas and Delorme Topo USA 8.0.

[paddlenbike]

While it is technically possible, I think the lack of dedicated gps feature buttons (zoom, search for POI, etc.) on the phones will always make them more difficult to use in a moving vehicle. Even if my 3 week old HTC Incredible had an unlimited supply of maps loaded into memory, I still wouldn't use it over my dedicated GPS.

[mastacox]

While it is technically possible, I think the lack of dedicated gps feature buttons (zoom, search for POI, etc.) on the phones will always make them more difficult to use in a moving vehicle. Even if my 3 week old HTC Incredible had an unlimited supply of maps loaded into memory, I still wouldn't use it over my dedicated GPS.


Almost all vehicle GPS units are touch-screen units these days, and even my Garmin Oregon is 100% touchscreen. Touch-screen GPS units have shown themselves to be easy to use and intuitive- there's no reason you couldn't run the same software on any touch-screen hardware capable device (such as a smartphone).

[troyboy162]

the on screen buttons just make for a smaller widget with the maximum usable screen. almost all gadgets are headed this way thanks to the iphone/ipod touch blazing the path

Offline Topo Maps for Android (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jVDCKtmkGk#ws)

[troyboy162]

the desktop version i just downloaded is not as polished but downloading topos and black and white sat images is a breeze. also importing .gpx works like a charm...lots of potential here!

[troyboy162]

just feild tested the desktop version. its a complete slam dunk! very few features but its robust and does not hick-up. im really looking forward to the fancy android version

[Crinale]

sweet! so u shouldnt drive off the trail again? :P

[corax]

I didn't read the entire thread on TTORA, but I'm gonna assume we're not using an external antenna on the phone. The limiting factor, as I understand it, is that smart phones don't actually have a GPS receiver built into them - they obtain a position by "reading" the local cell towers. What happens when you have no signal? This isn't really an issue anywhere near civilization (unless there's a system-wide issue like downed phone lines), but there are is still a lot of rural area without cell coverage. I'll stick to good old-fashioned satellite based GPS ;)

[troyboy162]

thats true with our normal cell phones but ever since the iphone, any self respecting smart phone has included a true gps receiver. some of them can use A-GPS where a cell signal orients them for a quicker satilite fix. that needs to be turned off if you are going to turn on the phone outside coverage or ive read it will take a long time to get a fix. apparently that includes the droidx and droid2

Im pretty confident this app is a traditional gps killer for offroading. all the functions of a handheld gps are accounted for. what ive read though is airplane mode needs to be used to get any kind of good battery life. i would think hikers without a place to charge a phone will not be interested in this

but, and heres the butt lol...as with the SPOT communicator thingy..your cell phone just moved up the food chain, so it better not break on the trail! hand held GPS are bomb proof and smart phones arent

[Obi..]

Although I like where the tech's leading I still feel it is ultimately a band-aid to Darwinian Logic. There's some beta stuff out now I saw while down at Apple in Cupertino, you all should check out what's now available under open access and try the stuff out. :D
*Not that I am implying anyone here doesn't know how to read lines on a map, a compass, or the stars. ;)

[troyboy162]

list up the apple stuff. steves got an iphone. i just stumbled on this one for android, but i bet apple apps are right there too.

maps wont go away but sat images are the best for running new trails or free exploring. i only had topos with me yesterday and it sucked for judging optional turn outs. as the only truck taking them i didnt really want to break from the group for too long.

[Obi..]

First choice is always http://www.google.com/mobile/earth/]Google (http://" so we can modify and update maps while in the field and also could then cross it into the shop's computer and website for ride maps.

Then my top of the pile list was..

Spyglass (http://"http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spyglass-ar-tracker-compass/id332639548?mt=8") with the sick Head's-Up Function and available video/pic function.

Topo (http://"http://topomapsapp.com/")

Compass (http://"http://download.cnet.com/Compass-for-iPhone/3000-18553_4-10853184.html")

http://www.trip-journal.com/"]Trip (http://"[url) Journal

Sextant (http://"http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sextant/id299521087?mt=8") was second on the list until they released Spyglass.

[troyboy162]

http://www.viewranger.com/vrproductinfo.php looks good too.

spyglass is really cool!

do you know off hand which of those will have offline images available? google maps apparently can now but its not user managed and is meant to be a automated caching of commonly visited areas. apps markets really have boosted navigation development.

a bit unrelated but look at this millitary oriented application using google earth. amazing possibiltys when this grows up. they have a branch of it for smart phones that just does the walking routes but needs data signal
Ground Guidance for Google Earth Demonstration (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBVv_nr3UYk#)

and this is really unrelated but demonstrates the momentum smart phone progress has. simply amazing forward thinking.
Google I/O 2010 - Keynote Day 2 Android Demo - Full Length (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY3U2GXhz44&feature=relmfu#ws)

[troyboy162]

test 2 of back country navagator was a huge hit. the guys i was with used deloriam topo on a tablet. BCN can easily do the sat images and switch between them and topo on the fly. total success on the second feilding. we saw some interesting mines on a steep hill side and wondered if we should leave our current mine to go to them. sat images showed no easy way to the mountain top by truck. the android version is much better, but i hope it is as bomb proof and stable as the PC version

[troyboy162]

ok more on the subject. touch screen are not easy to see in daylight. this company has been perfecting there solution for awhile now and it looks great!
http://youtu.be/wfigFKBbs08

and on BCN...google earth and several map sources have caught up with the 3rd party maping caching program that was able to provide 25ish map sources to BNC. read more here for avalibe sources. old versions should still be able to use all sources
http://mobac.sourceforge.net/

[paddlenbike]

The biggest problem I have with in-car nav is dash-position. The newer cars that have OEM Nav with it high in the dash are quite useable. Unfortunately, most every vehicle out there including the 3rd gen have the DIN slot too low to really be easy (and safe) to use. If ours were arranged like that I would probably want a Garmin GNS series that is intended for use in aircraft.

I think Ford has nailed in-car audio/climate/NAV better than anyone. Information is shared between an 8" touchscreen high in the dash and two 4.3" screens in the instrument cluster. With Ford MyTouch you can display the information you want on the dash--you always have to have a speedo, but if you don't want a tach and want NAV instructions to display in the instrument cluster area instead, you can. Which makes me think if I were ever to go hog-wild on audio/NAV, I wouldn't put it down in the DIN slot, I would replace my gauges with a screen that allowed me to do basically what Ford has done. Then when I'm in the desert and my speed is unimportant, I can simply have just NAV in front of me. Dreaming, I know.

http://image.trucktrend.com/f/29941882/2011-ford-Explorer-dash.jpg

http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/reviews/car/10q4/2011_ford_explorer_limited_4wd-road_test/gallery/2011_ford_explorer_limited_4wd_instrument_cluster_ photo_2/3988882-1-eng-US/2011_ford_explorer_limited_4wd_10_cd_gallery.jpg