Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Can the iPhone be used as a GPS/mapping device?

I haven't had the situation arise where I needed to, but I don't see why it couldn't. The app I use marks waypoints accurately in my experience, and has a track feature. I'll see what it can do in that regard next time I head out.

Tanner

Thanks Tanner!

Although I just bought a new Oregon, it might be worth while to get a GPS app for my iPhone too.

First, gotta figure out the new GPS........

Casey

Get the "Topo Maps" app. It's $7.99, can be used off line, and all map downloads are free.

Doesn't seem like it can do that on airplane mode?
Wouldn't it need to communicate w/ sat or cell towers?

It does need to communicate with satellites for GPS, but since that is a "receive only" communication, it stays enabled in airplane mode.

I wondered about that--it's good to know.


Casey

Yes.

Most apps will allow that but as I said above, Google earth will let you set waypoints and works without cell service and it's free.

I stopped using my near new at the time Garmin Oregon four years ago when I got a smartphone. The way I use it, my battery lasts between 2 and 4 days, depending on how much reading I do. I have both a booster pack and a spare battery (you can swap them with my S4).

Where I use it, it connects faster than my Garmin's have and is at least as accurate. I find it easier to use across the board, it has a much better screen, awesome maps and land ownership for free or cheap, and I'm carrying it anyways. I'm running Backcountry Navigator, for Ios Gaia seems solid as well.

I'm not switching back, that's for sure!

Lol. I'd say it has more to do with the capability of the device, whether a Bentley or an Iphone, far exceeding a term that denotes a simplistic function.

If you are concerned about breaking your iPhone get a Otterbox for it.
I have been using them sense my iPhone 3.
I had my iPhone 5s fall out of a Cessna 172 at over 200 feet and land on the runway (long story)and it still worked.
This past summer while riding my Harley I had my 6s fly out of my pocket while going over 90 mph on I90. It bounced off the concrete center medium and went flipping down the highway. By the time I got to it it had been run over by a bunch of cars. It messed up the Otterbox but the phone still works, didn't even break the screen.
The Otterbox is waterproof too.

I've seen them take crazy falls without breaking, (although the 172 story takes the cake, and I'd love to hear that story!) but then pop on a 2-foot drop where they land just right. Last breakage was 2 feet onto gravel. No doubt the life-proof cases and otter boxes help, but if I have to put it in a rubber case to keep from breaking it, I'm not going to carry it. I just don't need a phone that badly. I'm aware that I'm the exception on that though.

The way I look at it, the "phone" feature is used less on my iPhone than about anything else. My Lifeproof case is minimally larger than the regular case and I can comfortably have it out in my Packraft.

Thanks, Chris.

So what is airplane mode?

It disables Wifi and cell service. You still have connection to satellites.

And it really saves your battery.

bigwhoop-
it's a battery saving function. Also, airlines require phones to be off in flight. This serves basically the same function without powering down. It leaves other phone functions like camera etc. available

If you don't have cell service available, it will keep searching for it and that takes power. Putting it on airplane will stop the searching and save the battery.

Airplane mode = the phone spends 100% of its energy observing and 0% trying to talk. Sort of the opposite of female mode.









Heh heh -- wife never reads 24HR