best iPhone GPS app?

[LisaDHolmes]

I've been avoiding spending money for a GPS unit, so I've been experimenting with GPS apps for my iPhone 4. I bought Gaia, but I don't think it's accurate 100% of the time. I recently hiked the Siouxon Creek trail and it said I went 9.43 miles, when all of the hiking books say I went 7 miles. In addition, about half of the time, the data doesn't save, even though it was tracking when I checked on it at various times during a hike. On the other hand, yesterday I hiked a trail that had markers every mile and the app tracked it correctly, and saved the data. It could be that I just need to pore over the extensive documentation.
http://www.gaiagps.com/iphone_and_ipad/

Does anyone have experience with reliable apps that they like?

Here's an extensive article about using an iPhone as a GPS device:
http://adventurealan.com/iphone4gps.htm

[mjirving]

Lisa, I saw your question on my blog but hadn't got to answer it yet. I use GPS Kit which I think was $9.99 which is quite a bit for an app, but I like it and use it a lot. It can be a bit high on the mile count too but it's pretty good. My guess is that when it can't draw a perfect signal due to cover that it jumps around a bit leading to a perception of a zigzag path rather than true linear. My guess also is that it would be in the phone, not the app that would be that problem, but I'm just guessing. I'll read your articles too. I use my app for skiing too and it counts my runs which is fun. I haven't figured out a way to put waypoints as I hike to mark key places which is a bummer, but that's the only negative. It also burns tons of battery but I think any GPS will do that as the signal is on continuously. That's why I also use a solar charger on longer Multi day hikes. (Goal Zero now, but I want to get a Suntactics). I heard about GPS Kit from PCT thru-hiker, so that's a pretty good endorsement.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you learn.

-GoalTech

[kepPNW]

I haven't figured out a way to put waypoints as I hike to mark key places which is a bummer, but that's the only negative.

Take a picture. If the phone and camera clocks are sync'd (easy if they're the same unit, eh?), it's simple to inject the coordinates into the EXIF data later. You might even look to see if your app supports it. It's called "geotagging" the photo.

[retired jerry]

My 60CSx does the same thing, mis-reports mileage, sometimes close, sometimes 10% or 20% or more off

I think maybe that's how GPSes work - the error mjirving described and other errors

Does your iPhone take a track of where you went that you can analyze at home? I have found 60CSx tracks to be fairly accurate.

[raven]

Most trip reports on this site report GPS miles and GPS elevation gains. I think of the GPS as having an elastic ruler. Mileage in older hiking books and computed by engineers used calibrated bicycle wheels. Using a map and compass and approximating seems to beat GPS in practice -- some of the reports seem silly when compared with a map, particularly for elevation gain.

A recent discussion on track excursions in another thread is related. Gaiagps is the top rated iphone GPS program by most accounts.

[jdemott]

I use Gaia GPS and Motion-X GPS. Gaia is probably the best because of better choices of maps, so it would be the choice if I had to choose only one. Motion-X has a much better user interface in my opinion...much more intuitive. I am probably best described as a novice GPS user, so the easy to use interface on Motion-X is the reason I continue to use it also.

My guess is that the inaccuracies you experienced were due to hardware, not software. The iPhone has decent GPS capabilities but I think a dedicated, high-end unit (like a Garmin 60csx) with a more sophisticated GPS antenna would do better in difficult conditions like the heavy tree canopy along Siouxon Creek. The iPhone 4s and 5 do a little better than the iPhone 4 because they can receive additional satellites.

[Koda]

First and foremost before you can troubleshoot any GPS device you must make certain it is carried with a direct line of sight to the sky.

This may sound like the obvious but in practice while hiking is not so easy considering the lack of secure GPS/Phone device packs that mount to a shoulder strap or other place high up on the body. Carrying your phone/GPS in your pocket or hipbelt will not work.


Overall, Giaia is a great app and smartphones are great GPS devices IMO. I have seen an improvement in satellite reception and track recording using my smartphone vs. my dedicated Garmin and have since stopped using my Garmin and will not buy another. The mapsets included with Giaia and the other apps are a huge improvement as well that typically are added costs to dedicated GPS devices. I would say don't give up and learn the nuances of running the app....

[mjirving]

Koda...what do you specifically mean "will not work"? I keep my phone in my pocket while hiking and running and in my jacket pocket while skiing. It seems to be pretty consistent, particularly when I run. I agree it's not spot-on, but pretty close. So do you mean "exact" on the "will not work" or not at all? (Which I've found to not be the case.)

(Not meaning to be defensive, but to just understand how to use it the best)

-GoalTech

[Koda]

Koda...what do you specifically mean "will not work"?

no offense taken, you are correct my comment is not an absolute. YMMV, but for me I don't get accurate enough results for me with either the phoneGPS or my Garmin GPS mounted on a hip belt or lower. By "accurate enough"... yes it works but I get a lot of chatter, spikes and loss of signal (jumps) in the track. Sometimes better in open areas like when I am cycling around town or urban hikes to almost unusable results in wilderness hikes under heavy canopy or canyons...

Now, if I take my same device and mount it on my shoulder strap chest high or higher I get excellent results on all fronts. As far as putting in a pocket they all receive signals through nylon all my shoulder mounts are enclosed and zipped up when in use. A top lid would be ideal but then I don't have access...

regardless of my experience, it should be noted that the OP needs to make certain their GPS reception is not being inhibited in any way before troubleshooting any GPS device.

[mjirving]

Cool...thanks Koda. I'll have to play around with that. I have noticed that my "moving" time and "still" time are way out of whack.