Phone vs GPS

[gumbl3]

I think I'll always be a GPS guy, I like the trail logging mine does and I just can't come to trust my phone like I do a dedicated GPS.

That being said, the phone has found a place. Between digiscoping, point and shoot camera, ballistic calculator, weather center and back up navigation it's worth it. I really wanted to get a point and shoot camera but just couldn't justify doing it, the phone is good enough for me.

 

[Tsnider]

i have the 60csx with the colorado onx maps, and now i have used the onx app. will be using my phone over the gps unit for sure. if i take my gps, ill be carrying both anyway so more weight. last year i found myself pulling out my phone and checking on satellite imagery over my garmin. most will carry their phone anyway. for me it now serves as my maps, photo and video, in sync with the inreach, ibooks(hunting brochures), playing music at camp, backup flashlight. being able to use the Onx stuff on your desktop and sync it with the phone so easily is huge to me. i know garmin can do that too, but going off of satellite imagery with topo overlay cant be beat.

 

[tzimm007]

Well it sounds like I'll just be going with the phone. I looked at the Gaia app yesterday and it looks like a pretty cool. On x has all 50 states for 100 bucks seems kind a like a no-brainer and at this point. I have an old iPhone 5s I think I will slap it in its Life proof case and it will just become a dedicated GPS unit. Thanks everyone for the input


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[Foldem]

I'm a phone guy too now, but I can't bring myself not to bring the gps yet. One thing to consider with the phones, if it's cold the battery on an I-phone will go from 30% to zero instantly and shut down. Then when it warms back up it will still have 30% battery. Had this happen to me on a November elk hunt last year when we were butchering a bull in the dark. It caused some grief with the wife when we went from "we got one, here's a pic" to no word until 2:00 the next afternoon when we got a charge and service.

 

[tzimm007]

For sure I've had that happen to me in the whitetail woods! Not a big deal when your only 500 yards from the house lol. Much bigger deal on the side of the mountain


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[COLOelkman]

I've switched to my phone exclusively. Took a couple years to not bring the GPS also but now I bring it in the truck as backup. I think each have pros and cons but for me I'm not planning to go back to a GPS.

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[Northernpiker]

I'm old school also, my gps is good for a couple weeks on one set of batteries. My phone has to be recharged almost every day, but I do like the aerial images on my phone. After a couple of days in the area I'm hunting I can get by without having to use gps very often but it sure is appreciated at night if I get momentarily confused.

 

[coachjdub]

Does ONx maps have state specific maps? Also can you get satellite arial images in onx apps?

 

[tzimm007]

Yes and yes


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[tzimm007]

State maps and lots of different layers available for over your base map, which there is several choices.


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[mike123]

I carried a gps in the field for 10+yrs and switched to the cell phone onyx maps last yr. Way better from a user standpoint. Easier to see the screen and navigate around on your phone vs gps. Downside is you will chew through your phone battery, so you need to pickup a ubs charging device. And of course I still carry my gps in my back for back up just in case my "smartphone" decides to konk out

 

[Piscatory_4]

I'll stick with GPS, don't like pulling out $500+ phone and futzing around with it while hunting in the rain with wet hands etc. Prefer the tougher waterproof, can take a drop gps. Leave phone in truck or camp or at least in pack and waterproof pouch

 

[bridgermgmt]

I know this is an older thread, but I had this problem last year. The new garmin explorer provides texting capability with gps and basic navigation options. I used that and a garmin 62st and found that the explorer did 90% of what I needed and had great battery life. I’d say somewhere in between the two is the phone. But so far I’ve not heard anyone bring up data integrity or security. You guys are uploading all your hard earned info to a cloud you don’t own and that could be used by onX or Gaia depending on how they operate, to charge customers for their own info. I personally like that I can download and keep my data as mine. I have an onX membership, Gaia, and chips. I feel the sweet spot is using Gaia pro ($30) with gps that he the onx chip. Now I’ll still have my phone for pics, and I have my gps for everything else.

 

[onX Hunt]

I know this is an older thread, but I had this problem last year. The new garmin explorer provides texting capability with gps and basic navigation options. I used that and a garmin 62st and found that the explorer did 90% of what I needed and had great battery life. I’d say somewhere in between the two is the phone. But so far I’ve not heard anyone bring up data integrity or security. You guys are uploading all your hard earned info to a cloud you don’t own and that could be used by onX or Gaia depending on how they operate, to charge customers for their own info. I personally like that I can download and keep my data as mine. I have an onX membership, Gaia, and chips. I feel the sweet spot is using Gaia pro ($30) with gps that he the onx chip. Now I’ll still have my phone for pics, and I have my gps for everything else.

I can assure you that onX will not sell any of your hard earned waypoint data. We're all hunters ourselves here so we know how important that information is.

 

[COOTER]

Hey guys,
I have an old Garmin 60csx that will take a micro SD card. My question is I am debating between a SD card for my Garmin or using my old iPhone 5s as a dedicated GPS by saving the maps for my areas. Is the GPS on the phone as accurate as the GPS? I like the idea of a bigger and better screen but I wonder about reliability and accuracy. Might also be a pain if you are wearing gloves. Can you save points and things on the phone like waypoints on a GPS? Just wondering if anyone has used their phone as a dedicated GPS. Thanks


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I use both. I do put more faith in my garmin. I have a birdseye subscription to download aerial images to my gps. The phone does provide a bigger screen and better imagery for the most part. The down side with the phone (iphone 6) for me is battery life is terrible. Going offline it still chews up power. I have not yet been able to get a full day with the phone, a set a batteries on my gps last for ever. I will still use both, but my primary go to is the garmin. I have not yet seen a difference inaccuracy, but I am still comparing them.