Suggestions for GPS device.

[ResearchMonkee]

Hello, new member here.

Slowly but surely, I am working on an overland rig. Have not quite done any exterior mods in terms of armor or suspension. I am starting small and working my way up.

I am looking for a device that will use Gaia GPS offline. I have been looking at tablets as they seem to be the best choice. Any recommendations on a fairly cheap, not big and not apple tablet or other device? Garmin won't allow you to download and use Gaia, right?

Almost bought a Galaxy Tab A from verizon, but I couldn't justify paying for another line just for it.

 

[Justinwrites]

I think you can get a fairly inexpensive gps puck that will Bluetooth to a phone or tablet. No cellular service required. Most use an inreach mini I think.

 

[ResearchMonkee]

I think you can get a fairly inexpensive gps puck that will Bluetooth to a phone or tablet. No cellular service required. Most use an inreach mini I think.

Should mention that I was hoping to keep my phone separate from the GPS on my trips.

I have read about the GPS pucks though, works with non-gps capable tablets in order to use GPS?

/e: Inreach Mini does not look like what I need. Need a tablet or GPS capable of utilizing Gaia.

 

[BlueMooseExplorer]

I just picked up a galaxy tab E and it works great with Gaia offline. Google maps as well. I think I picked it up for $129 at Walmart.

 

[ResearchMonkee]

I just picked up a galaxy tab E and it works great with Gaia offline. Google maps as well. I think I picked it up for $129 at Walmart.

Looks like a reasonable tablet, will keep this one in mind.

Thank you.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I use a Nexus7, it has embedded GPS and runs Gaia with a good sized screen, great battery life.

 

[whitneysc]

I use an iPad (Gen 4) with the Cellular activated (though not required). I've never needed a supplemental GPS puck as the onboard chip/antenna work fine. I also just signed up for the 5 year paid membership (with the OB discount) with Gaia so we can start downloading maps.
Both work great!

 

[Justinwrites]

Should mention that I was hoping to keep my phone separate from the GPS on my trips.

I have read about the GPS pucks though, works with non-gps capable tablets in order to use GPS?

/e: Inreach Mini does not look like what I need. Need a tablet or GPS capable of utilizing Gaia.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear here. The Inreach Mini will act as a GPS puck too. It can bluetooth over to a phone or tablet. It also has that nifty back country texting and SOS feature. But it's pricey.

 

[ResearchMonkee]

Thanks for all the suggestions thus far, folks.

Luckily I have plenty of time to decide before I make a decision and a buddy with his own tablet/Gaia in the meantime.

 

[Graeman]

Any tablet or phone with gps will work for you and you do not need to have it activated for cellular service. I use a tablet that I purchased 4 years ago and have not turned the cell service on and it works just fine.

 

[Rexplorer]

I use a15$ garmin nuvi i got used. Takes sd card maps no problem. I cant upload tracks to it, but my phone or etrex does that. It will get upgraded when i find a $20 one that i can upload custom tracks to.

 

[Nef]

Maybe a raspberry pi. Can add an inexpensive GPS receiver and use whatever screen size you want with touch. Low power usage and can run off a USB battery pack for out the vehicle usage such as entertainment while at a campsite.

 

[whitneysc]

Maybe a raspberry pi. Can add an inexpensive GPS receiver and use whatever screen size you want with touch. Low power usage and can run off a USB battery pack for out the vehicle usage such as entertainment while at a campsite.

Sounds like a great science project... not very self contained and Frankenstein-ish with add on wires, screens and battery packs.
Have you built one? What OS would you use that would run a GPS app like GAIA (or something else
I have a Raspberry Pi 3 b+ starter kit for $70 off Amazon that comes with everything you would need including a case slightly smaller than an Apple TV. Looking to run my home media server utilizing the TV as the screen via HDMI.
While writing this I'm bouncing back and forth and just found a 7" Touch screen for $75 and an RP3 7" screen case for $13... you might have something there! While not ruggedized (or weatherproof) it could be a fun project to play with - though I don't think I would rely on it as my main navigation system.

 

[Nef]

Sounds like a great science project... not very self contained and Frankenstein-ish with add on wires, screens and battery packs.
Have you built one? What OS would you use that would run a GPS app like GAIA (or something else
I have a Raspberry Pi 3 b+ starter kit for $70 off Amazon that comes with everything you would need including a case slightly smaller than an Apple TV. Looking to run my home media server utilizing the TV as the screen via HDMI.
While writing this I'm bouncing back and forth and just found a 7" Touch screen for $75 and an RP3 7" screen case for $13... you might have something there! While not ruggedized (or weatherproof) it could be a fun project to play with - though I don't think I would rely on it as my main navigation system.
View attachment 79043

I have made quite a few. Depending on specific use I will 3d print a case for it. Well I did, still looking for a printer that will hold up to use on the road. Makes me start to consider a trailer. Raspian for is is fine as you can then add whatever packages you need. Not frankensteinish if done correctly. I will be playing with the ham radio hat in the near future. The pi is very stable and I used one for a year as my arps box before I had my campsite robbed in Georgia back in late September. Remember devil dog, never rely on just one systen. 2 is 1, 1 is none.

 

[whitneysc]

I have made quite a few. Depending on specific use I will 3d print a case for it. Well I did, still looking for a printer that will hold up to use on the road. Makes me start to consider a trailer. Raspian for is is fine as you can then add whatever packages you need. Not frankensteinish if done correctly. I will be playing with the ham radio hat in the near future. The pi is very stable and I used one for a year as my arps box before I had my campsite robbed in Georgia back in late September. Remember devil dog, never rely on just one systen. 2 is 1, 1 is none.

Totally agree... I actually have 3 currently... OEM in vehicle Nav, and iPad4 with Gaia (and I'm evaluating Hema Explorer (US) and NatGeo maps) and a Garmin Nuvo 660 with road and topo (waterproof for motorcycles - I usually have my KLR hanging off the back). I'm intrigued by the RP3 capability and I'm familiar with the Raspian desk top. Now that I've found an integrated screen/case, I may have to build one, but that's whole other thread. I've started looking at NAVIT as the go-to Linux nav solution.

The limiting factor has always been cost. For either $99 for the discontinued single device Dual Electronics XGPS150 or $145 for the current Dual Electronics XGPS160 (up to 5 devices) external GPS receivers one can add GPS to almost anything including smart phones, tablets without the chip for a fraction of the cost of building one.

 

[Nef]

Quite a few GPS solutions for the pi from $11 and up. https://www.intorobotics.com/14-gps-modules-navigate-track-movements-raspberry-pi-project/
They have real-time clock modules... It's incredible what's out there for this platform and mostly open source including the hardware.

 

[The other Sean]

Any tablet or phone with gps will work for you and you do not need to have it activated for cellular service. I use a tablet that I purchased 4 years ago and have not turned the cell service on and it works just fine.

yep, I've got a best buy house brand tablet I use for Gaia only. No need to get a tablet that has cell service attached. Just download the map area you will be using when you have Wi-Fi and you are GTG.

I normally also download google maps off line of the area as well for a secondary check.

I've also used the Avenza app on my phone when I'm in areas that have a published Geo referenced PDF.

 

[Nef]

yep, I've got a best buy house brand tablet I use for Gaia only. No need to get a tablet that has cell service attached. Just download the map area you will be using when you have Wi-Fi and you are GTG.

I normally also download google maps off line of the area as well for a secondary check.

I've also used the Avenza app on my phone when I'm in areas that have a published Geo referenced PDF.

I believe that Google has a layer or someone is using the maps app so you can track aprs as well. My main machine was lost in the Sept. Theft so I'm kinda floundering.

 

[Wanderer]

I have a 10 inch Lenovo a2 i topo usa pro 11 bucks. I thought about gaia but the subscription i dont care for. What iwant to to snd have tried with only partial success is to download the enire weten us. So did that and it used about 3/4 of a 128 gig mini sd card. Here is the unsuccessful part. I loaded at a detail level 15 which shows good detail and clarity. Every worked fine at the house . On a test run however i could only zoom into about 11 i am not sure why? I think though i may have stumbled on the answer ironically on the gaia site. On gaia there is a limit of 100k tiles To cover the areas i wanted i was downloading 200 to 300,000 tiles which would cover say ventura ca north to maybe san luis obispo and east to maybe bakers field. So i had probably 12 or so downloads that big. Now everything should have worked just fine except and i am guessing now: i think that either the tablet it self or the program (like gaia does ) limits the file it can read to 100,000 tiles or similar (as gaia does) and therefore limits the zoom in the file to 100,000 tiles which only allows a zoom of say level 11 = roughly your average gas station map! I havent gohe back and tried a limiting a file size to 100k or smaller to see if that solves the problem.
The reason i want to cover whole areas is because plans change like 2 years ago camping in rusian gulch after 3 days we ended up in southern oregon no coverage at all the idea of a nav system that doesnt cover large areas doesnt work for me how else am i supposed to wander? Given that i am considering a Magellan the prices are down to 300. Compare to a tablet at 150, and a 128 gig sd card yor over 200 then the time
To download and mounting costs things are starting to be a push.. i have used dedicated off road lowrance gps hard wired in to 3 of my older vehicles and they were extremely accurate and reliable so trying to see what lowrsnce has out these days cs thec Magellan.
Anyone have any thoughts on all this? Thanks and happy trails!

 

[Jeffrey Hanke]

Why not just use a Harmon with Topo ,apps. I agree the Gaia on phone or tablet is nice, but I worry about device and accuracy non the trail with it. Any good sources of trail tracks for harming. I’m looking to some trail exploration on way to expo from southeast coast this spring.