Commuication, Information Technology and Automation > Tech/Electronics

Dedicated GPS devices vs smartphones for (moto) navigation

(1/3) > >>

turn_one:
There has been a long time debate on which is better for navigation, a dedicated GPS device such as Garmin, TomTom, Zumo and the like or the increasingly powerful smartphones prevalent everywhere these days.
Below I attempt to point out strengths and weaknesses of both for others to decide which they prefer.  Primarily this comes from a ‘off the beaten path’, 2 track/single track multi day dirt bike navigation perspective as that’s my background for drawing these conclusions and this website seemed a good platform for such a discussion.  This doesn’t necessarily apply to travel in/around populated areas with primary roads abound; not talking grocery errands but getting lost out in the sticks (on a moto).

My experience has been with Garmin, as they seem to offer the most advanced platforms for off road navigation and rugged units are available.

GPS pros

•   Ruggedness and reliability.  Most of the units can handle the abuses of off-road use in all types of weather. (See Garmin Montana or Monterra) https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/113522.  Typically the GPS accuracy is much better than those found in most cell phones.
•   Battery life.  Again, much better than the standard cell phones of today.  Most can be charged by a DC source wired from your bike or AA/AAA batteries.
•   Market proliferation.  For a long time GPS units were the only show in town for trip planning and navigation thus many people are accustomed to their operation and functions.
•   Advanced trip planning with the ability to set waypoints, routes and record tracks using Garmin specific applications.  Many phone apps don’t have such functionality, which is a great part of setting out on a journey reliant on a GPS unit to tell you where to turn.


GPS cons

•   Cost.  These units are exceedingly expensive often times much higher than a standard smartphone.
•   Singular functionality.  These units are good at just one thing, compared to all powerful smartphones of today.
•   Complexity of trip/route planning.  Although they do this well once you’re dialed in on how to do it, the confusing process seems very antiquated.  With Garmin the route planning must me done on a computer then transferred to your device.  This process involves multiple applications (Mapsource and Basecamp) and the software is proprietary meaning its clumsy use is not intuitive such as say Windows or Mac products.
•   Map availability.  Up to date maps must be purchased (often times at a 1 time for lifetime cost) from Garmin.  Alternatives are out there through private parties however if you scour the Internet. 


Smartphone pros

•   High functionality.  Smartphones can do it all it seems these days.  In addition to acting as a navigational tool, assuming you have coverage can pull you out of bind when needed.  You’ll likely be carrying a phone on your trip anyway so it’s not just an extra piece of gear added
•   Ease of use.  Most all of us know how to use a phone already it’s just getting accustomed to the software of choice (often incredibly intuitive) that requires time.  This stands in stark contrast with GPS devices from my experience.
•   Alternative software options.  As opposed to the proprietary nature of Garmin, the open source nature of applications available to the smartphone offers numerous choices (often free) for the end consumer.  These sources are constantly growing in numbers and improving along the way as the use of smartphones as GPS navigational aids becomes more prolific. 
•   Cost.  Yes smartphones aren’t cheap these days but if you simply require it for GPS navigational uses units can easily be found used.  You don’t need the latest/greatest smartphone to do the job and older models tend to retail fairly cheap even when new.  If buying used you won’t need a SIM as the GPS functionalities operate in offline or airplane mode as well.


Smartphone cons

•   Route/Trip planning/Turn-by-Turn directions.  The Garmin et al shine above smartphones in this category I feel.  Most all of the navigational software available for phones does not have the intelligence for turn by turn directions off road nor can it prepare a route once leaving these primary roads.  Often times the stock map software will simply deposit one at the terminus of a known road and instruct the user to ‘walk’. 
•   Battery life.  Although much less while in airplane mode, a modern smartphone cannot hold a candle to the battery life of a dedicated GPS unit.  Unit specific charging must be wired in from your bike for ones phone to last a multi day moto journey.
•   Delicate construction.  Most smartphones are made to stay in your pocket when not in use.  The rigors of a moto trip can tax a phone to point of failure.  More robust alternatives are out there but at a minimum a rigid case is needed firmly mounted to your bars to house them.



More relevant info and how I came to these conclusions.  I have used (and own) a Garmin Monterra.   If I were to do it again, I’d buy a Samsung Galaxy and use Backcountry Navigator  ($9.99).  I decided on the Garmin because of its ability to use maps that single track and/or trails that otherwise do not appear on map show up as tracks. Often these are user created then overlaid on a specific mapset then uploaded to your Garmin device.  It will then simply show up as lines on your map for you to reference or follow.  However, many other smartphone applications have been since created for ‘off-piste’ travel that will do this and then some.  Many moto travellers I’ve encountered on long trips have mothballed their GPS devices in favor of an Android (often a Galaxy 4 or newer) and use Backcountry navigator solely for their navigational aid.  I’m not familiar with this software other than what I’ve heard (all being good) so I can’t get into specifics.  (Currently 2 of my good friends are 3 months into a Central America to South America moto trip using just an Android and BC Navigator)

Avenza PDF Maps (http://www.avenza.com) is a free tool available on Apple an Android platforms which I started using extensively with great results.  Although is won’t give turn by turn directions it does have a constantly growing library of online maps available (not all free) that can be catered to your activities and used when not in cell coverage or in ‘airplane mode’.  Oftentimes these mapsets have to be found elsewhere on the Internet and will appear as any map that is ‘geo-referenced’.  Once geo-referenced, (you can do this yourself with other software) any map can be opened in PDF Maps and your location will appear as a dot (just as in Google Maps).  Maps specific to hiking, biking, skiing etc. are out there to better the users experience.  The US government chooses this application for release of any city, county, state or national park map it releases on their websites.  Also, any 1/25,000 USGS topo map is available for free in the Avenza library.  I’ll often download these of an area I know I’ll be travelling through when still in cell coverage then use them while offline as reference.
Other applications work similarly with the most prolific being Gaia (https://www.gaiagps.com).  I have not used this but hear good things.  I’m interested in the library of mapsets available in Gaia, sometimes it can be difficult to find these using Avenzas app. I went with Avenza because of cost (free vs. $19.99).  Both of these were mentioned in other threads within this forum.

Hopefully someone can find use from this over simplified laymans view of complex system(s) to make the right choice when in the market for navigational aids and not spend their $s unnecessarily.  Also, if someone wants to buy my rarely used, over-priced but very functional Garmin Monterra, let me know. :grin:

JR:
Great, maybe not to late to return mine. Works great,,,,,,,,,,,

turn_one:
No need to return...but if/when it craps out you'll know there are other options.

Flyin6:
^^^^^ He Lives!!!!!!!!!!!!

turn_one:
^^^CHIEF!!!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page