Anyone Use a Hunting - Droid X GPS App?

[EROCK1313]

I have a Droid X and was wondering if anyone has used with success or has any experience with, any of the GPS/Navigation Apps??

There are a few that mention hunting and working without a Cell Signal (that is what I need), but I dont want to pay for an App if it's crap and does not TRULY do GPS functions for us typical Hardcore Hunters.

I have a Stand Alone Garmin Etrex that works great, but I was lookin to give that to my dad and use my phone so that we both have a GPS unit for when we split up during the hunt. This will (fingers crossed with 9 points) be used for an Archery Book Cliffs - Roadless hunt and since I am not familiar with that Unit yet, will help me navigate to some decent looking areas and water for some starting points.

For reference, I am from Utah (SLC Area)

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!



?-ERock-> ?

 

[nmwapiti]

Check out the Cabelas recon hunter app. It's only $4.00 and it has a tin of features. I have it on my I phone and it works pretty good.

 

[WapitiBob]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-26-11 AT 12:20PM (MST)[p]The Droid X GPS is a true GPS chip with the addition of the AGPS functionality which uses cell towers to triangulate your location faster than the GPS chip alone. You only need the cell service if you want streaming topo and sat images.
BackCountry Navigator is a decent app for that. BC will allow you to store "tiles" on the sd card but selecting those areas is a pain in the butt.
The Cabelas App only stores 30 Meg worth of topo data and I don't see where they explain the selection process for those maps.

This Ipad app has good map selection and features:
http://topomapsapp.com/index.html

http://gps.motionx.com/ipad/overview/

another thing you can do is create/add your kml files to a new Google Maps online map. Save the map then email that map link to yourself. Your Droid or Ipad will then open that link in the local Google Maps app on the phone. You'll need cell coverage to see the topo or sat basemaps though.

I have yet to find a good way to add kml/kmz files to one of the better "topo" apps mentioned above and the mobile versions of Google Earth don't have import capability like the desktop version does.

 

[HuntinKyhl]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-26-11 AT 12:57PM (MST)[p]>I have yet to find a
>good way to add kml/kmz
>files to one of the
>better "topo" apps mentioned above
>and the mobile versions of
>Google Earth don't have import
>capability like the desktop version
>does.

I had an overlay in Google Earth of private property boundries that I wanted to put on my aerial image in Backcountry Navigator. I saved the Google Earth overlay/layer of the boundries as a kml file. Found a file converter online. Converted the kml file to a gpx file, loaded it on my SD card in my BC folder. It worked perfectly. I now have the Private Property boundries on my aerial image map in BC.

This also works with any waypoints or tracks I've got on Google Earth or BC. I can switch them back and forth using the file converter.

The developer of BC has been great with updating the app all the time. It wont be long before BC accepts kml/kmz files directly.

 

[HuntinKyhl]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-26-11 AT 12:57PM (MST)[p]I have a Droid Incredible and use Backcountry Navigator for everything outdoors. As mentioned you can save maps onto your SD card so you DO NOT need cell service. Saving the maps does take some time, but is not a pain. Simply highlight the area you want and tell it to download. I have over 6 gigs of maps on my phone. Both aerials and topo's. They have a lot of different maps to choose from. The aerials are USGS which in my area are a lot better than Google Earth. It will track your route just like a hand held gps and does all the waypoints and other stuff you'd expect. You can import or export gpx files so they can ulitimately be compatible with Google Earth. My favorite part is the aerial images. You can see right where you are on an aerial image, it's nice knowing what exactly is over the next ridge.
I believe it is still only $10. Best $10 I've ever spent.

Let me know if you have any questions about it.

 

[rugarm77]

I bought a Driod a few months ago but have not used this feature. Guess I better get after it!!

The only concern I would have is the battery life is short.

 

[bigcreekmetal]

Ya my cell battery life went from 3 days to two when I got my droid. Sure is a cool phone though.

 

[bbooth22]

i to have back country navigator on my droid. it works great. you can track your path, set waypoints, it is very useful and well worth the $10. as far as a basic GPS it can do what a much more expensive GPS can do. as far as battery it does eat up the battery. but i have found that if you engage your gps tracking on the app and then turn your phone to airplane mode it will prolong the battery life but still keep your gps tracking enabled. for long trips i do advise you bring a portable AA battery charger. hope this helped

 

[EROCK1313]

Awesome guys...Thanks or the feedback because that was the App I was thinking of using. Also saw the one on Cabela's - anyone with experience on that one?

Another couple of cool thins with the Droid X is; that it shows GPS coordinates when you take a picture. This could be cool for creating a good hunting map with Google with actual Points of View from that location cause we all know how things seem to change one we leave and try to back to that spot.

Plus...I also use my Droid X to view trailcam photos by using a Micro SD card with the adapter for Standard SD. This lets you view stuff in the field instead of buying a separate viewer or exchanging cards and waiting til ya get back to a computer.


?-ERock-> ?

 

[AZStickman]

Battery life on my droid isn't anywhere near as good as my Garmin e-trex. Probably wouldn't get through a good day of hunting with the Droid....... Terry