GPS and smart phones

There's a couple smart phone threads going but rather than butting in with my specific q's I thought I'd start a new thread. I'm looking for some recommendations on what phones, apps, and carriers to use for GPS. I've never used a smart phone...I just have a Samsung Rugby now.

Ability to bring up lat. and long. is essential, preferably formatted in degrees and decimal minutes. Also interested in a really good topo base, although 7.5 minute USGS topo quad based maps are probably too much to hope for. I'd settle for shaded relief but topo contour lines would be preferable, with major features (streams, mountaintops etc) labeled.

I can get ATT and Verizon in my area. I'm wondering if the same software in equivalent phones would be used by both carriers. The lady at ATT showed me how to bring up lat/long, but the guy at Verizon couldn't do it. I suspect he just didn't know how.

I know there are some tech savvy geographers out there. I don't give a rip about texting, tweeting, games, or shopping. I would use it for internet though. Thanks in advance for the help.

i have a droid x i love it. it has a great window/ dash mount that locks the phone in so it can't get out. large screen (great for internet also) and plenty of apps for gps of all types vehicular and marine.

most of my favorite apps are GPS based. oh and you can shut the cell signal off and still use the gps. i know i have an app on here that gives me topo and all but i dont buy any apps so there is probably better ones out there.

and im on verizon im sure the verizon guy just did not know.

Also considering upgrading my stand alone Garmin to something that would have a really good topo base right out of the box. Right now I just have one of the palm sized Etrex's.

Google maps works ok. I prefer the MapQuest app. It works really well. It never sends me down some dirt road in the middle of the bushes.

Motion-X (www.motionX.com) has some interesting, and cheap apps. I use GPS Drive for the work car, and "GPS" for Off-Road which has does everything a cheap garmin will do, but you can also download maps of specific areas and put in an address, or LAT and LON.

-Ron

I haven't had a chance to use the GPS on my new phone yet (we finally figured out how to get it hooked up to the Wi-Fi at home ), but my kid Sister's iPhone 3 does have one that seems to work well. I'm waiting on a windshield mount to come out for mine before I do that was well as the speedo, G-Force, and Dyno apps for it.

That's what I have, a 3G. The "Stock" GPS app is Google Map. It is just a link to Google Maps website. Neat, but there are far more useful apps out there. Infact, Mapquest's app will actually talk to you (for FREE!). Again, data intensive, must have a good connection for it to work nice, etc, etc.

I'm going to have to look into some of those apps to see if they interest me. I usually only go looking for an app if I have a need. For example, I have a SPL meter app I use at work to see if an installation is going to pass inspection; pretty handy.

-Ron

Interesting... an spl app. How the hell does a phone measure sound pressure?

lowrange2 said:

Interesting... an spl app. How the hell does a phone measure sound pressure?

Click to expand...

I think they use the mic and guess.

DrMoab said:

I think they use the mic and guess.

Click to expand...

I'd guess the phone's microphone output is converted to a RMS DC signal, then the cpu calculates the equivilent decibel value and writes the data to the screen.

:wo:

lowrange2 said:

Interesting... an spl app. How the hell does a phone measure sound pressure?

Click to expand...

I've been amazed by some of the apps over the past week,especially the not so g rated ones