Author Topic: GPS Options?  (Read 2766 times)

BrooklineBiker

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GPS Options?
« on: November 15, 2014, 07:30:49 PM »
Hi everyone,
I wish to cut my iPhone data usage and believe using a satellite based GPS would help a lot. I am seeking a GPS that would offer turn by turn directions, that would be able to measure my distance covered walking or bicycling, stop measuring distance covered when I stop moving, have comprehensive US road maps preloaded, and let me upload maps for hiking or travel outside the US. (I am on a mustachian budget so the latter is not a serious need :( ). If I can attach it to the handlebars of my bike that would be great. I am hoping to buy the unit for $200 or less, gently used, on EBay or a similar site. Can anyone recommend a model?
Thanks!
« Last Edit: November 15, 2014, 07:35:08 PM by BrooklineBiker »

chucklesmcgee

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Re: GPS Options?
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2014, 08:34:42 PM »
I can't imagine a buying a GPS is going to save you much money long term versus using your iPhone. How much data are you actually using a month with your GPS? How much are you going to save a month reducing that data?

Plus you're giving up a lot to get a GPS- you have another device to carry, charge and honestly, cheap ones won't come close to matching the features on your smartphone. Right now, if you see a place you like on Yelp or Google, it's two clicks to start navigating there, or even fewer if you're asking Google Voice to navigate somewhere. With a separate gps, you'd have to pull out the damn thing, turn it on, wait for it to boot, navigate an interface that's usually clunky and incomplete, probably plug in the street address manually on a keyboard that works as well as marshmallows and pray it works. Standalone GPS's also don't get regular map updates and frequently force you to pay for them.

Give up on buying another GPS.

Daley

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Re: GPS Options?
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2014, 08:40:31 PM »
You can pick up plenty of nice, stand-alone, offline GPS units down at your local pawn shop for well under $50, I've seen some as cheap as $25.

For the same money, you can also purchase Sygic's offline GPS maps for iOS, which uses no mobile data so long as you download the maps in advance.

BrooklineBiker

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Re: GPS Options?
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2014, 07:13:30 PM »
You can pick up plenty of nice, stand-alone, offline GPS units down at your local pawn shop for well under $50, I've seen some as cheap as $25.

For the same money, you can also purchase Sygic's offline GPS maps for iOS, which uses no mobile data so long as you download the maps in advance.
Hi IP,
Thanks for your recommendations. If I run Sygic maps without a data connection, will my iPhone be able to provide turn by turn directions or show my position if I get lost?
« Last Edit: November 16, 2014, 07:19:55 PM by BrooklineBiker »

gooki

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Re: GPS Options?
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2014, 01:18:33 AM »
Yes