I am on foot and by passenger and cargo train. Which is better for determining where I am at in a rural area?
Ask the locals what town you're in.
CandOforprogress2I am on foot and by passenger and cargo train. Which is better for determining where I am at in a rural area?
This starts out as a four-part question; I'm sure others familiar with GPS technology will contribute more to the 'discussion'.
1) The basic resolution of position is dependent on the performance of the chip or core installed in the device. Typically more modern devices are capable of recognizing and resolving the signals from more satellites (with modern SIRFstar chips, 32 or more, which is more than are likely 'in sight' from a given position on the earth's surface) and the more satellites provide signals, the better the resolution within the limits of the receiving device and its antenna.
2) The actual precision observed for a given GPS can be compromised in several ways. One of which is that heating of the device -- a common issue with smartphones -- can throw off the timing device in the GPS chip, often relatively quickly over time, and this results in what looks like random drifting or position error which is very difficult to quantify or predict. Another is that some phone providers (crApple is one) get around some of the chip problems by approximating differential operation by incorporating data from other 'nearby' smartphones ... that probably won't help you much in a rural area, right when you'd benefit from differential signals the most.
3) The way in which the device communicates its position or derived motion information can be critically important to a person who needs to figure out where they are. I am of the opinion that no Garmin device I have ever seen has anywhere near as useful a UI (or IxD, for that matter) as any competent smartphone. (And the Garmin device will likely not have alternative display means, or an easy update path for its firmware or internal maps...)
4) I suspect power consumption and 'rechargeability' will be significant. Some Garmin devices will have longer battery life than a typical smartphone, but you'd have to determine that with whatever equipment is available to you. Most smartphones can be easily recharged in the field, and chargers for them are relatively easily obtained should yours be lost or broken -- that may not be true for your Garmin device. A GPS without electricity makes a poor navigation device.
I have not used anything other than a smartphone for a number of years, and have suffered periodically, occasionally severely, for making that choice. Note that taking a fix of one's present location is a very different issue from attempting to enter a known physical location or address for route guidance, which to me, on a Garmin, is about like trying to type with your elbows.
While I generally rely on my Garmin, I was in Texas a few weeks ago and needed to get to a place that the Garmin coud not find (a first). I found it on my iPhone (thanks Google Maps) and used it to get there.
When returning, I fired up the Garmin, figuring it would get me back. The auto icon was in a field of black and I had to drive about 10 minutes before it found a road it recognized. In this case, I'd give the edge to the phone, though it used a bit of juice getting there. I have a small USB backup battery (3-5 hours per the manual) which would be handy to have in either case.
Bob Keller
I used to use my laptop PC and DeLorme Street Atlas and a USB GPS receiver. Worked great most of the time, but unless I downloaded current maps often it could leave me in a bind getting around a bridge that ain't there anymore! I enjoyed the early version where it spoke directions and didn't know that "Dr." stands for "Drive" (not "Doctor") and "St." means "Street" (not "Saint"). Took me a long time before I understand what it was talking about when it told me to "Go north on Rushmore Doctor Knee and turn right at 47th Saint Knee" Who is Doctor Knee and what religion is he a Saint in? Turns out the "Knee" was the abreviation for NorthEast ("NE"). I also found it funny when I would deviate from the specified route and it would utter mild oaths at me... "AW FRUIT! Recalculating route."... then I figured out that what it was really saying was "Off Route".
Oh well...
I now use my SmartAleckPhone and am pleased with how it works, but then I am pretty good at "dead-reckoning" anyway. I now have only one thing to carry; the SmartAleckPhone; instead of two (phone and GPS device). I do carry an extra battery pack (recharges the phone through the USB/Charging port), but those 2 devices are smaller than the phone and GPS recevier (and extra battery packs for both).
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Cell phones all have GPS in them now. And there are some pretty good GPS apps. Even my weather apps show me about where I am.
Seeing where you are on a map, however, may require a connection to the cell phone network - which might be iffy out in the middle of nowhere while you're riding the rods.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Ask a policeman for directions.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
schlimm Ask a policeman for directions.
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