Topic: Navigation info request

[Celt]

 As much as it pains me I'm considering leaving most of my 18th century technology and getting a off road navigation system. As much as this chaps my backside and my love of a map and compass it may not be a bad idea. What I'm requesting is information on your experiences with different systems. Some things I do not wish to do is:

1. Spend a ton of money (Under about $300).
2. Have a monthly subscription.
3. Have to constantly buy and load maps into the system.

 What is desirable:
1. Easy to use without having to have all manner of resetting settings that you already set, pushing buttons and the like.
2. Have it easily removable from the vehicle is a definite plus.
3. Sending text messages would be a plus but not absolutely necessary.
4. Big enough screen to be able to see everything without having to constantly zoom in and out.
5. Be able to download the trip and save it on my home computer.

  I might be chasing a unknown dragon here with all those requests but I know that a lot of you guys run many different systems so I would appreciate your input on what you use or have used. This would be mainly for off road use but some on road navigation would be helpful but not 100% necessary (I still love my maps). What I'm not interested in so much is a cell phone app. I hate cellphones and hate trying to fool with stupid apps and trying to keep the phone charged while running. When I turn off the pavement the phone gets shut off and tossed somewhere in the vehicle as they are a mobile leash. I'm not interested in telling the world where I am or what I'm doing. Drives me nuts sitting around a campfire and seeing people fooling with their cell phones. Any suggestions would be super appreciated.

[G.B.H.]

I'm with you on this. I use maps and my hiking GPS. The screen is so small though that I am constantly stopping to get a better look. I wish I could volunteer some helpful information but I'm in the same boat.

[CVXTERRA]

Let me start this off by saying I am probably not the most qualified to speak on this... so I am going to go ahead and speak on this.


I mainly use GPS for hiking and trip planning. I spent a fair bit of time looking into the best option for a handheld GPS/NAV unit that had everything I desired. After weighing all of my options I actually went with an app for my phone. The reasons were simple. I already owned it, it is a pretty high end piece of tech, it's GPS capabilities are pretty comparable with modern stand alone GPS, and if using for GPS alone the battery drain is really low.

While the phone screen is pretty small, one account lets you long in on any device. iPad, computer, laptop, phone. So if you're running a tablet mount in your X then you will have a decent size screen and decent location services.

 The app I use is Gaia GPS. They have a premium service for about $40/year, less if you buy a 5 year plan. I know I know, subscription plans suck, and they used to sell the app for $20 with lifetime, but I think the sub helps them continue to update and add new layers and sat images. This will come with all the nat geo maps, all their satellite overlays, topo maps, as well as a bunch of overlays for hunting, public/private lands, and they are really starting to get into the off road nav aspects of it. I have tracked and planned hundreds of miles of hiking thorough this app and have been pretty impressed with it. I will say that it is more geared for hiking, but the overlays should serve you well. 


To sum it all up, if you already own a capable device, using its existing GPS/NAV features with a powerful app like GAIA GPS might be a good bet.

hope this aimless rant helped a bit more than it hurt 

LINK to their site    https://www.gaiagps.com/premium/
ALSO,
This seems like there will be loads of helpful stuff in it, but I DID NOT read it!   https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/threads/ask-me-about-gaia-gps.6959/


-CVX

[steve c]

Buddy, let me start this off by saying I'm not calling you a dummy.

But, for dummies like you, something like this would be pretty sweet.
 These are idiot proof and seem to work very well for people. 

Specifically, this yougin' would recommend the following:

TRX7 (comes with charging cradle, ram mount etc)
or
TR7

The MSRP on Magellan's site is high.  These units can be found online for less and are sometimes on sale. 

[JFanaselle]

For ease of use, I'm definitely going to second Steve's recommendation. The interface on these units is about as easy as navigation gets. Unfortunately, it's a bit out of your price range, but you are asking for a little too much with those features at a $300 price point.

The only real way to stay within that price point would be to use an inexpensive tablet with an in-vehicle mounting system (I'm personally using a RAM setup), and use an off-road navigation application such as Backcountry Navigator. A decent tablet with the proper functionality would run about $100, the application is a one-time purchase of about $25, and you'd spend about another $50 on the mounting hardware. Trouble is, the application is not very intuitive at all, and although it's VERY capable for our needs, there's quite a learning curve associated with using it to accomplish everything you are after. Plus, you have to download maps ahead of time (they're usually free, but there are also some paid sources if you choose to use them) into the memory of the device, so that you can access them in the middle of no where with no internet signal. Per your original post, it sounds like this is something you're looking to avoid.

Edit: I didn't realize the TR5 and TR7 are both under $300. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Celt]

Buddy, let me start this off by saying I'm not calling you a dummy.

But, for dummies like you, something like this would be pretty sweet.
 These are idiot proof and seem to work very well for people. 

Specifically, this yougin' would recommend the following:

TRX7 (comes with charging cradle, ram mount etc)
or
TR7

The MSRP on Magellan's site is high.  These units can be found online for less and are sometimes on sale. 

  Steve (and Joe), I really appreciate the info and I'm definitely looking into those models you posted. They seem to have everything I posted that I was interested in. I'll be the first to admit me and technology do not get along. It's one sided to be sure and that's on my end. I guess I'll probably never change. I grew up when something like a telephone without a cord was not something yet seen and channels 6, 8 and 10 on the black and white tv were what we had as long as you could adjust the rabbit ears. I liked things just fine the way they were so this is a big step. I know many may snicker at that and it's certainly ok!

[RBduffer]

Yeah, what a Dumb Ass Celt...  Snicker, snicker
BTW, how do you spell TR7?

[Celt]

Yeah, what a Dumb Ass Celt...  Snicker, snicker
BTW, how do you spell TR7?

 "Tee Are Seven", put that in your pipe and smoke it smart arse!

                                           

[Celt]

What will be even better is when all this app, magic info from the sky goes down and these guys are looking at themselves melting like little snowflakes out in the middle of nowhere. Intersection and Re-Section, Declination angles etc are a forgotten art with these young ones. Compass? Yeah that little thing that spins and has numbers on it......Heh Heh Heh.


 In all honesty I really want to upgrade but will never stop using the map and compass and altimeter.

[Ghost65]

As much as it pains me I'm considering leaving most of my 18th century technology and getting a off road navigation system. As much as this chaps my backside and my love of a map and compass it may not be a bad idea. What I'm requesting is information on your experiences with different systems. Some things I do not wish to do is:

1. Spend a ton of money (Under about $300).
2. Have a monthly subscription.
3. Have to constantly buy and load maps into the system.

 What is desirable:
1. Easy to use without having to have all manner of resetting settings that you already set, pushing buttons and the like.
2. Have it easily removable from the vehicle is a definite plus.
3. Sending text messages would be a plus but not absolutely necessary.
4. Big enough screen to be able to see everything without having to constantly zoom in and out.
5. Be able to download the trip and save it on my home computer.

  I might be chasing a unknown dragon here with all those requests but I know that a lot of you guys run many different systems so I would appreciate your input on what you use or have used. This would be mainly for off road use but some on road navigation would be helpful but not 100% necessary (I still love my maps). What I'm not interested in so much is a cell phone app. I hate cellphones and hate trying to fool with stupid apps and trying to keep the phone charged while running. When I turn off the pavement the phone gets shut off and tossed somewhere in the vehicle as they are a mobile leash. I'm not interested in telling the world where I am or what I'm doing. Drives me nuts sitting around a campfire and seeing people fooling with their cell phones. Any suggestions would be super appreciated.

Great post Celt...as these are some of the very questions running through my head recently with respect to an in-cab tablet mounted GPS capable unit.

For some of the guys who use them (Joe, Steve, Jordan, anyone else with qualified experience???) could you please post up some pics of your mounts/locations? 

I've been conducting a little Schmoogle research on RAM mounts, so pretty familiar there, but after meeting with Frank B. and seeing his dash mounted cell phone holder and his success....curious about more info on the topic.

Also wanted to mention, seeing (and hearing) Joe's nav success while crossing some very remote/no cell territory, left my paper map mind reeling.

Consider this Erik, and I totally get the map/compass/sun dial apocalypse back up plan...buuuut, you never have to fold that g**damn thing back up to fit into your door pocket!

Note:  I currently have an older (2015) iPad Air 32GB that I am considering as the base unit for this application...thoughts?

[Celt]

Consider this Erik, and I totally get the map/compass/sun dial apocalypse back up plan...buuuut, you never have to fold that g**damn thing back up to fit into your door pocket!

 That and I'm getting a sizeable map collection in the Xterra. When you get a chance please post up what you find out works for you. I know Frank B was talking about the RAM mounts but I have not seen his setup. There are a lot of great ideas out there. Hopefully this will be a good idea for me to implement.

[Ghost65]

That and I'm getting a sizeable map collection in the Xterra. When you get a chance please post up what you find out works for you. I know Frank B was talking about the RAM mounts but I have not seen his setup. There are a lot of great ideas out there. Hopefully this will be a good idea for me to implement.

Cool...just did a little day off noodling on GAIA, as I've been playing with that application on my iPhone, and it seems pretty cool and user friendly.

Also, here's a link to a lot more info on GAIA than you might need, but eat what you take and leave the rest:

https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/threads/ask-me-about-gaia-gps.6959/

Then, I just found this cool little video! 

Great for guys like us (he has some gray in his beard, and s-p-e-a-k-s-s-l-o-w-l-y...) 

[Celt]

                                                                   ^^^^^.... .....^^^^^


             "Great for guys like us (he has some gray in his beard, and s-p-e-a-k-s-s-l-o-w-l-y...)  "

[JFanaselle]

For some of the guys who use them (Joe, Steve, Jordan, anyone else with qualified experience???) could you please post up some pics of your mounts/locations? 

Check out post #25 of this thread: http://www.thenewx.org/forum/13-interior/240490-tablet-mount-options-3.html

My setup is extremely simple. One RAM ball on the dash, a RAM short arm, the RAM "tab tite" holder, and another 1" ball on the back of the tab tite (part numbers are all in the post I linked to). I spent about $50, and it's incredibly solid, even on bumpy washboard roads. The bonus is that I also installed a second 1" ball in my commuter car and move the tablet back and forth between the two vehicles (the tablet has Verizon cell service, so I use it to show me traffic to and from work).

I'm not an apple guy, so I can't really comment on the use of the iPad air. I'm not even sure what size that is, but I'd recommend a 7" to 8" screen size instead of the larger 10" style tablets.

Edit: If you're looking for a good location to mount a RAM ball as a starting point to the whole project, check out Pro Clip (www.proclipusa.com). They specialize in manufacturing plastic parts to attach inside almost any vehicle and provide a mounting surface for phones, tablets, handheld radios, microphone clips, etc. They tout a "two part solution" which consists of a mount for your specific vehicle, and a holder for your specific component (phone, etc) that attaches to the mount. If you're going with a RAM setup, you'd only need the vehicle specific mount.

[Celt]

I really appreciate all this info you guys are putting out for this thread. I really liked that Gaia system Ghost made mention of in the video. I thought the different mapping screens and abilities to easily plot a route would come in handy. It would be fun to put together some form of a map book of all of the places I travel to and the different off road routes I've gone on. So correct me if I'm wrong please but if I was to get a tablet that is GPS enabled with lots of storage I could download a service like Gaia and with a mount of my choice be in business? Are there any pitfalls to a system like this? It seems pretty straightforward and simple to me and I like simple.