geocaching, orienteering, cycling and other outdoor activities.
Each of these is a specialist topic, so we’ll be concentrating on handheld and wearable GPS units designed for walking, running. You get GPS devices specifically for cars, motorbikes, bicycles, and on foot. The first thing to decide is what you need to use the device for. Garmin GPSMAP 66sr What do you need a GPS device for? Think about someone in your group carrying a spare, fully charged phone for emergencies. Your phone is also your emergency call device, so you do not want to be stranded with no GPS and no phone when the power dies, or it gets damaged. Most tablets or smartphones do not have easily replaceable batteries so bring an external power bank or some other means of recharging. GPS functions use quite a lot of additional power, especially if you are using route recording, which reduces battery life considerably.
If you are likely to be using it in rain it can be a frustrating experience. Each drop can register as a finger touch, creating all sorts of odd reactions. You may also want to consider adding a case or other protection from knocks or drops.Ĭapacitive touch screens used on phones do not like heavy rain, even in a waterproof case. The simplest solution is keeping them in a waterproof pouch, ensuring you can still see the screen and operate the controls. One drawback with smartphones or tablets is that only some are designed to be weatherproof and shock proof. You need to also pick an app with the right mapping available – see ‘What maps do I need’ below. Some mapping apps offer caching, where the map can be opened where you have a data connection and is then stored temporarily on the device, but these can be unreliable if you move off the edge of the cached area, or restart the app. One way to test the app is to turn off all data (or turn on airplane mode) and see if the map still works as expected.
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Make sure you download the maps that you need while you have a data or WiFi connection. Without ‘offline maps’ you may find you lose the map when in remote locations with no data signal - precisely when you most need it. Our own OS Maps app offers this to Premium users. This means the maps can be saved to the device, and work even with no phone signal (see ‘How does GPS work’). For outdoor use, you need to find one that has ‘offline mapping’. This is close enough for most uses, but for survey work more accurate commercial GPS hardware is available. For the best chance of getting an accurate location, ensure you can see as much of the sky as possible.Ĭonsumer grade GPS is accurate to about 15m in ideal conditions. However, the signal is weak, and can be blocked by tall buildings, cliffs or tree cover. By measuring the precise distance to at least five different satellites, the device can work out exactly where you are.Īs it’s receive only, and the satellites orbit the whole planet, you can get a GPS position almost anywhere, and you do not need a mobile phone signal. GPS works by receiving a signal from a satellite in orbit.
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