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Any GPS app that can save locations?
- Thread starter slapple
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Having been hiking in the mountains quite a bit lately, I'll tell you that it's going to be hard to do what you want.
The main reason is because you can't download the maps (at least in the mountains I've been in) because there's no signal. Also, I've found that you really want to start an application like iTrail while you still have signal, because once you see "No Service", acquiring a GPS signal is not very fun. Seems to work better if you're tracking yourself and then lose service.
This is something that I really hope that they work on for the iPhone. I'd like to have a way to pre-download the maps for at least a small area.
Another problem I've found is that when you have no service, the GPS is a bit flaky. Having taken pictures in that situation with AirMe, it seemed to think I was in the last location that I had last used the location features in (at my house). Saw the same thing with g-spot
The main reason is because you can't download the maps (at least in the mountains I've been in) because there's no signal. Also, I've found that you really want to start an application like iTrail while you still have signal, because once you see "No Service", acquiring a GPS signal is not very fun. Seems to work better if you're tracking yourself and then lose service.
This is something that I really hope that they work on for the iPhone. I'd like to have a way to pre-download the maps for at least a small area.
Another problem I've found is that when you have no service, the GPS is a bit flaky. Having taken pictures in that situation with AirMe, it seemed to think I was in the last location that I had last used the location features in (at my house). Saw the same thing with g-spot
Hmm, shouldn't "No Service" have no effect on the GPS? Even if you aren't in range of a cell tower, you should still be able to communicate with a satellite, right? In the mountains I don't need any maps, just hope it can show a dot with my starting point and a dot with my current position, and help guide me back.
When service is not available, and if GPS still works, I wonder if those GPS Tracker apps would work like a compass to your starting point.
I forget what the game is called, Geo Tracking or something. But maybe with an app like "Here I am" that works just to locate you and e-mail, it's free, and upon open it it auto starts positioning you, giving latitude and longitude and accuracy, becoming more accurate the longer you let it run. Then later, if gps is still working with no service, use a Geo Tracking app to point you in the right direction with hopefully info on distance.
I take it trying to test no service with Airplane mode, that the GPS is also disabled?
I forget what the game is called, Geo Tracking or something. But maybe with an app like "Here I am" that works just to locate you and e-mail, it's free, and upon open it it auto starts positioning you, giving latitude and longitude and accuracy, becoming more accurate the longer you let it run. Then later, if gps is still working with no service, use a Geo Tracking app to point you in the right direction with hopefully info on distance.
I take it trying to test no service with Airplane mode, that the GPS is also disabled?
If I had to guess, I'd say that most likely the iPhone's GPS is returning the last known coordinates with a resolution of "unknown", and most apps are just taking that at face value. It could be that some of the running apps would do a better job of checking what resolution is being returned by the GPS.
As it is now, I've found it not nearly as fun when hiking as I thought I would. Really, I just want to record my hike and then see it on a map later. I'll have to do some more experimenting with it.
As it is now, I've found it not nearly as fun when hiking as I thought I would. Really, I just want to record my hike and then see it on a map later. I'll have to do some more experimenting with it.
The dot for the starting point would stay in the same spot, and as I'm walking back, the other dot would move closer and closer to the starting point.
Yeah, that's what I was hoping. A few years ago I went hiking in the mountains, and my friend had some sort of GPS device. It didn't have any maps, but it recorded our starting position, and then later we used it to get back.
I just tried that. In airplane mode, I went into Maps and touched that little icon on the lower left that's supposed to locate your current position. It kept spinning and spinning. So I guess the Maps app relies on having a cell signal. Hopefully a third party app will be better.
Ummmm, airplane mode disables ALL signals including GPS, so its no wonder gps didn't work.
I was out on the ocean recently and had no cell signal but gps worked fine, so i'm pretty sure the gps signal is independent of the cell signal. they are two completely different things. without cell, it just may take longer to get a gps fix due to the "assisted" nature of the gps where cell signal is used to identify a general area and gps used to pin point exact location. without cell signal, gps will take longer because it has to identify general area and exact location. out in the ocean, when i got a gps fix, it was just the dot against a blue background without any "maps".
That would work if there is a clear path between you and the starting point, but what if there is an obstacle inbetween? Seems to me it'd be kind of hard to navigate around the obstacle with just two dots.
Go around the obstacle?
Hopefully I would remember that there was an obstacle there. But ideally, there would be an app that could save my starting point, and then draw out the path that I walked, so that I could know my exact path back to the starting point.
*That* could be an useful app -- wonder if there's enough demand for such an app that someone would develop one?
I understand the all in one device concept, but a dedicated Garmin type will be better for this. Most have a 'bread crumb' feature that would lead you back to where you were. Also, even though I get pretty good battery life with my 3G iPhone, I would not want to use up my cell battery during an emergency (like you know, getting hurt while hiking!).
I use a Garmin Forerunner for running and cycling...I even have a Nano that I still use. In fact, I thought I could get rid of the Nano and dedicated GPS when I got my iPhone. Now that I've had the iPhone for awhile, it still does not replace a dedicated unit for me.