For sure, absolutely.

I mean, if I want to make a phone call, or check my email, or surf the web, I'll choose a smartphone to do those jobs. With a lot of fooling around, extra software, and compromises, I suppose I could accomplish those tasks on my GPS navigator, but honestly, it wasn't designed primarily for those purposes, and the result is a bit like a dog walking on its hind legs: What is remarkable is not how well the dog does it, but simply that the dog can do it.

The corollary, of course, is that if I want navigational guidance on a fast moving motorcycle, obviously, I'll choose to use a GPS navigator to do that job.

Sorry, muy tres , but what if the dog can walk on it's front legs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbsL...ature=youtu.be

?

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TBS.com

Oh my goodness... It is going to take me weeks to figure out a matching analogy for that.

Uh... maybe: If the dog can walk on its front legs, would that correspond to getting navigational guidance from a smartwatch?

Actually, most apps allow for GPX (or GPS Exchange Format) and other file type exchange. That's the beauty of using the Android and less so the Iphone platform. It's up to the developer of the app to work out, and design for the available hardware that's available within his or hers design scope. More developers are working on these kinds of apps, than at Garmin, Tomtom or whoever you choose.

The same point applies here. Yes, it was primarily designed by the hardware manufacturer to be a multi use device. No longer starting with the phone, but now all the periphery. However, it's up to the software designer to make full use of the available hardware. I use Backcountry navigator a lot, so automatically will refer to it. This makes full use of the GPS and other hardware far beyond other apps I've used. Making it a full use GPS mapping tool with free topo apps, that out performs my garmin's or Toyota sat nav in usability (excluding turn by turn which isn't in the scope of a backcountry app). Give it a go if you like to see how strong and accurate the signal is.

It washes away the argument that a phone GPS can't be strong and accurate.

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Tacos Tyring Travels.com

Isn't a watch (smart or not) the key to the whole navigation thing anyway? And, if my ancient memories are also correct (and remembering I haven't navigated without some sort of electrical device this century (and before that a Sinclair calculator beat the ****y tables)), wasn't the competitor to John Harrison some animal tormenting loon who thought a dog cut open in London would cause one in the Caribbean to howl?




Andy

That is certainly the case although I do not recall anything about howling dogs.
My knowledge of the story of the measurement of Longitude is primarily based on the Dava Sobel book of that title, namely "Longitude".

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Dave

For the hardware there are differences such as the water resistant, ruggedized versions that have been referenced earlier and the thread was started in order to explore such developments.

For software, I have just re-read the whole thread to remind myself of the themes herein.
There is very little reference to iPhones and their technology in here, so sticking with Android (more or less), the softwares identified in here are:-
Locus
OSMAnd
Navfree
MapDroyd
Backcountry Navigator
Androzic (Oziexplorer?)
Sourceforge
Soviet Military Maps Free
Mapquest
Google Maps
Skobbler
Viewranger
Sygic
Navigon (now owned by Garmin)
Tom Tom on Android
Ovimaps (therein lies a story)
MapsWithMe
MotionX
Navit
iOverlander (this slipped in as an IPhone OS?)
Avenza
PathAway


A number of these tap straight into Open Street Map (OSM), increasingly so it seems to me; Mapquest for example.
Nor do all of these exist nowadays - 2+ years is a long time in the software business.

3 links mentioned earlier that deal with reviews of such software are:-

GPS - Some options - RibbleValleyTRF

New Free Samsung GT-N8000 Galaxy Note 800 / GT-N8010 Galaxy Note 10.1 Maps Apps Download

Android Sat Nav Apps

And another one I have come across more recently:-
Pocket GPS World - SatNavs | GPS | Speed Cameras

But it is not clear that any of these review sites are particularly up to date with whatever the current offerings are for GPS/navigation software on smartphones/tablets.
Much less do they point toward the winners and losers in this game, except in the most general of terms.

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Dave

Realising just how dated some information in here has become over the past couple of years I've been looking elsewhere for current developments.
e.g. the trucking community has this to play with:-
10 Best Apps for Truck Routes (android) | AppCrawlr

Whereas my search for specialist android software related to motorcycles brings up far less info but there is some on the market now and it can't be long before more developers join in:-
TRASSER - Motorcycle routes (android) | AppCrawlr
It's my impression that developers based in eastern Europe are quite active in writing stuff for the android OS.

That appcrawlr search can find apps related to iPhones also, but I don't have one of those so someone else can look.

A more recent review of the subject is here (just over a year ago so not too shabby):-
Going the distance: The 10 best mapping apps for Android | News | TechRadar

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Dave

I forgot to mention the turn-by-turn requirement that some folks have:-
The Best Turn-By-Turn Navigation App for Android

Not everyones cup of chai, but there seems to be plenty of healthy competition for that customer.

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Dave

Just coming to the end of my 2014 trip and had both the iPhone and the montana running osm side by side and every time th egarmin worked better, quicker to get a signal quicker to lock position.

The phone also over heated several time (easy fix) but was virtually unusable on piste and not visible in bright sunlight. Also had a chat with a lot of other overlander and not one used a smartphone as their navigation but as a back up.

Which app and case were you using?

I'm surprised about all these overheating issues. A friend of mine uses his in a generic otter box in Queensland Australia without any of those problems. Another used his in a life proof all over Australia. Should have gotten plenty hot.

I do know that some apps are not available on iPhone. Possibly due to hardware and license issues? My experience is off easy and accurate signals without interruptions. It does depends on the app though. There are some dogs out there.

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Tacos Tyring Travels.com

I'm not greatly surprised, but speed of "lock on" is not a major criteria in my book.
If I was flying in a fast jet at 1 KM per 4 sec I would be more concerned.

I would think the Apple store sales people would say something on the lines of "you need the latest iPhone 6 or even a 6+" (whatever exactly they are; I have no clue but it is not possible to miss the current advertising).

As per the last post, the particular app is likely to be a major factor, hence the list that I summarised above.

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Dave

Your right speed isn't an issue but not be able the screen in most conditions is and the phones has an anti glare screen protector already. No case either as its on a dash mount.

With the overheating at the time it was in direct sunlight through the screen whilst heading west. But the mounts places it directly in front of an air vent blowing air over it. Only happened a couple of times.

I'm using pocket earth pro and not really for navigation just comparing the two side by side so it was tracking position and displaying position etc. it's probably not the best app but 99p in a sale and works off line.

Where the phone and app does cme in handy is poi in towns as for some reason the osm poi don't work on the garmin

totally understood and I agree: I have the same issue with my garmin nuvi on the bike and I use a home made anti-glare "device" around the screen to reduce the direct sunlight (a margarine tub swathed in black tape - empty of marg of course).

It sounds like you are on 4, or more, wheels, in which case it is much easier to protect the screen from direct light.

I haven't come across that app before; I think I read that it is available on android also. Either way, it is another consideration alongside the 22 listed above.
appcrawlr has reviews of it along with their suggested alternatives:
12 Best Alternatives to Pocket Earth Lite (Offline Maps & Travel Guides) (iPhone) | AppCrawlr

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Dave

Regarding the speed of locking on a GPS, there is an explanation here about starting up a GPS:-

"Cold Starts & Warm Starts Explained
Often manufacturers and reviews will refer to Factory, Cold and Warm Start times. Understanding the above, these can be simply explained as follows:
Factory Start
All data is considered invalid.
Cold Start
Almanac data is current but Ephemeris is not or has expired.
Warm Start
Both Almanac and Ephemeris data is current.
To compute a PVT (position velocity time) solution the receiver will look for satellites based on where it 'thinks' it is roughly located and the almanac if current. If it finds one or more of the satellites it expects to see it will lock onto that satellite and begin downloading ephemeris data. Once data from three satellites has been received an accurate positional fix is calculated.

If you are moving whilst trying to obtain a fix this process may take much longer than it would if you were stationary. Your receiver must complete reception of ephemeris data without error, this data is transmitted in three packets. Should any one packet not be received completely without error then it must start over again. Clearly doing this whilst moving leads to much higher error rates and longer fix times. Considerably less than a second of interruption is enough to mean the receiver will have to wait for the next transmission.

If you are attempting a lock having re-located more than a couple of hundred miles since your last fix then the ephemeris data will in most cases no longer be valid. The receiver will be looking for satellites in the sky above that cannot be seen because of your re-location. In this case the receiver will initiate a factory start and begin downloading both almanac and ephemeris data. This will extend the initial time to lock considerably. This is why your GPS is so slow to calculate a fix when you switch it on in your hire-car at the airport!"

As abstracted from How does the Global Positioning System (GPS) work ?
For anyone who wants to know more about the context of the abstract shown above.

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Dave