We wind up in a lot of areas without cell phone service. Exploring new roads and dirt trails with no cell service. Looking for a satellite gps to help find our way back. Trying to stay under $300
Satellite GPS recommendations
- Thread starter PalmettoStateBob
- Start date
Can't you download maps ahead of time on Google? Not sure about their offraod content though
We're currently running an 8 inch Garmin drivesmart above the mirror between the visors
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/720310
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/720310
Big cheap Samsung tablet with OnX is what I use. Way under $300.
You can download maps for offline use. Works really well and super easy.
You can download maps for offline use. Works really well and super easy.
Trails off road, OnX, or here in Colorado, COTREX all have options to download maps. All 3 are super easy to use, will track you even when you have no service, rates trails, ECT...
Free trial, they have deals every holiday. Think I paid $25 for the year
https://www.onxmaps.com/offroad/app
https://www.onxmaps.com/offroad/app
I carry a Garmin Inreach and Garmin dashboard navigator.
However, electronics fail and batteries die.
My backup is a paper map, compass, and a pencil.
Always carry a paper map. If necessary, draw your own at home or note landmarks and odometer readings in a notebook on your way into a remote area.
Look behind you from time to time. Things look different on the way out. An occasional camera shot in the direction of your return can be helpful.
However, electronics fail and batteries die.
My backup is a paper map, compass, and a pencil.
Always carry a paper map. If necessary, draw your own at home or note landmarks and odometer readings in a notebook on your way into a remote area.
Look behind you from time to time. Things look different on the way out. An occasional camera shot in the direction of your return can be helpful.
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If you have an iPhone 14 and up, they integrated a service similar to the inreach... when out of cell signal you can use satellite communication (texting). That, and On-x or Gaia for navigation... both allow you to download maps ahead of time, allow "breadcrumbing", and are Car-play compatible.
deserteagle56
TJ Enthusiast
All modern "smart" phones have GPS circuitry built in. All you need is an app like Gaia or OnX...and then learn how to use them.
But I prefer one of the Garmin units...plugs into 12 volts and will never run out of power. A good Garmin "outdoor" unit like a Montana or Tread will run $800 - $1500. You can get away cheaper by getting a Garmin automotive unit, new or lots of used ones out there. These have an SD or micro-SD slot which you can use to load either Garmin's own topographic maps, or other Garmin-compatible topo maps such as the free ones available from gpsfiledepot.com. The topo maps will have the minor dirt roads/two tracks on them that Google Maps and even Garmin's City Navigator maps lack. As far as "finding your way back"...every Garmin GPS unit by default will create a "track" - a cyan-colored line of where you went. All you have to do is follow that line back to where you started.
Here's a shot of one of my automotive type Garmin GPS units, running the Garmin 100k topo map, to show the information it can provide, and you can see the cyan line it has created as I drove along:
But I prefer one of the Garmin units...plugs into 12 volts and will never run out of power. A good Garmin "outdoor" unit like a Montana or Tread will run $800 - $1500. You can get away cheaper by getting a Garmin automotive unit, new or lots of used ones out there. These have an SD or micro-SD slot which you can use to load either Garmin's own topographic maps, or other Garmin-compatible topo maps such as the free ones available from gpsfiledepot.com. The topo maps will have the minor dirt roads/two tracks on them that Google Maps and even Garmin's City Navigator maps lack. As far as "finding your way back"...every Garmin GPS unit by default will create a "track" - a cyan-colored line of where you went. All you have to do is follow that line back to where you started.
Here's a shot of one of my automotive type Garmin GPS units, running the Garmin 100k topo map, to show the information it can provide, and you can see the cyan line it has created as I drove along:
this is my joying (andriod) head unit running Garmin Earthmate which is the same app that the iPhone uses to pair with the inreach. Offline maps are downloaded and the H/U has its own gps antenna.
It’s doesn’t support outbound communication but that’s what the inreach is for.
A lot of answers to my question. I have iPhone 13. Are some of you telling me my phone can pick up satellites to run maps?
Well I have a Samsung tablet. Was aware I could download an app and it be able to connect to satellites for navigation.
The 13 for navigation, yes… if you have a car stereo with car play built in, it will display the map on the dash stereo.
The 14 and 15 have satellite communication built in when you have no cell coverage. Similar to the inreach
Mostly no. Starting with the iPhone 14, Apple introduced a satellite SOS feature that mimics a Garmin in reach. You can do limited texting to emergency services. It does not support navigation or data downloads.
The heavily caveated, yes, is that if you use something like Google maps, you can download the data locally for the area that you are in and assuming you can still pick up a GPS signal you can get decent navigational directions without a data connection. It’s great on a road trip when you know, you’ll have a dead spot of cell coverage on the road.
I would depend on neither for a true off grid or off-road situation, use one of the garment type devices mentioned
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