What GPS are you all using?

[chaos]

What GPS are you all using?

Im currently just using my iPhone but want a dedicated GPS. Im going to use it for riding and hiking.

Id like one that I can upload maps and has a HR monitor included. Im not very tech savvy so I dont really know what to look for, I just know it needs to work with a Mac.

Any suggestions?

[Troutbum]

IPhone user here. I have a Garmin Etrex I haven't touched in nearly two years. I'll give you a killer deal. Shoot me a pm if it might work for ya, although there's no HR option.

For my use the Garmin accuracy doesn't gain me anything that justifies the need for carrying phone & gps. What are you currently using on your iPhone?

[chaos]

I have a hand held Garmin that I have been using...think its a 210 something or other. The apps I use are Motion X,Map My Tracks and CyclePro(I think thats what its called. What do you use Troutbum?

[Troutbum]

What do you use Troutbum?

http://gpskit.garafa.com/GPS_Kit/Overview.html


I chose GPS Kit because it allows me to overlay trail networks onto maps. Having been new to my area, it was a great feature since I hadn't learned the trail systems yet. It does everything I need & I see no reason to change so far.

[chaos]

Thanks for the info...I'll look into it!

[thomllama]

GPS Kit and Motion X are both decent. I have to agree that carrying a dedicated GPS is kinda pointless these day unless you are doing like a 6 hr trip where the phone's batt wont last.

I personally like Everytrail's better than both of those as it has some more advanced features (you have to dig to find them thou) and find the website and user interface better,.. mostly personal thou.

another good one that is about the best for accuracy is Kinetic for Iphone,.. has some sweet features, love the module setup interface where you can move and add or delete info windows... kinda weird saving and exporting thou. Does show areas when you loose a GPS signal where all the others just kinda fake it and draw a straight line from where it's lost and where it regains.. Kinetic puts in breaks in the mapping, still averages info but hows you were and when it's doing it.. kinda nice.

Phone's really aren't as accurate as a true GPS, but are pretty close if you have a Iphone 4 or higher (or droid equal)
and for me the "map" is more important that "Stats" as I more use it to know where I am and where I'm going than how fast or how much I've climbed.... which the phones actually do better

[chaos]

More great info... I have an iPhone 5 so I suppose I'd be better served to use that and get a separate HR monitor.

Are you guys mounting your phones in the cockpit or do you just toss them in a bag?

In the past I had a nice rig put together using a clear otter box and a RAM mount. Ugly but bulletproof. If I can ill dig some pics up and post em up.

[thomllama]

I use my otter box( well otter box knock off that is only 5 bucks instead of 50) case and the belt holder attached to my shoulder strap on my pack. I took the stupid big plastic POS actual clip off and screwed a regular spring steel one off an old tape measure in its place. Much nicer and tighter to your body, even when in normal belt use. I do have a mini bungie I use to make sure it doesn't pop out. Gives better cell/GPS signal than in pocket or in the bag and MUCH safer in a crash than mounted to the bars. Only down side is you can't view it while riding. But I never do anyway, again I don't give a crap about stats and if I use the map I'm stopped anyway.

[chaos]

Heres a quick writeup i did for another website...

I have to carry my phone with me due to work and family. I used to carry it in my pack but everytime it rang I had to stop and see if it was a call I had to take. Also when using my phone as a GPS it was a pain to stop,look in my pack to find out where I was and then start over again.

I decided to try a Pelican i1015 case and a RAM Universal Bike Mount. Its a little bulky(really its not bad) but it works well. Its rainproof and takes a beating. I flogged it pretty well. It also did well in a recent OTB experience. The mount flexed enough and moved out of the way. The cool thing is because of the RAM mount and the clear Pelican case I can arrainge the phone to take video. Its no Go Pro but does pretty well. I dont have a weight but my guess is it will add a pound.

Sorry for the bad pics....and sorry I dont have any pics of the phone in the mount but thats what I use to take the pics.


Here it is mounted up. It looks huge but its only 5" wide. I cut those tabs off on the sides.


RAM mount ball...


A couple stainless fender washers holds it tight...

[thomllama]

that looks pretty rugged there Chaos,.. my only issue,.. if you crash, and get really hurt to get to the phone and use it might be impossible. where attached to the shoulder strap of a pack it's always with you, isn't going to get damage (the indent in muscles between your chest and shoulder isn't a place you land on ) and can be used easily even if injured... Just saying. It has happened to me and the bike was WAY to far away after for me to be able to call out on if the phone was attached to it not me.