Hand Held GPS Use

[HNTFSH]

I've never used/needed a GPS for hunting/fishing so have not really used one before. Closest I came was several years ago by marking hunting locations (the wildlife area) off my cell phone travel app and naming the spot like I would name a hotel or business. But I would do that by going there and adding the spot versus entering coordinates to get there.

So question to hand held GPS users:

1. Can you use Google Maps to identify coordinates to a spot and enter those into the unit and name them? My use case is cherry picking quarries from google earth and being able to drive to the area (guided by the unit), park somewhere close (as close as possible) and hike to the quarry. So from beginning to end (and back) directional guidance to a particular spot.

2. Do these hand held's allow you to expand the screen (like a cell phone) if you have a map of the area up so that you can get more precise and see some topo detail?

3. FYI - I cannot use a phone, there is no service in these areas.

4. If you were going to buy maps for it - what are lessons learned? Everything I'll be on is public. I see "hunting maps", blah, blah, but what map/vendor would you load if using this for fishing pits in strip mine country? You can't see them from the roads for the most part.

5. What's your experience with battery life and/or bad experiences with losing satellite connections?

Thanks for any insight. I've read a bunch of descriptions but most yak about the technology and not the use. Easier the better is best for me.

[HNTFSH]

Appreciate everyone jumping in that's a GPS power user and helping a brother out.

Anyway - I bought the Garmin 66i which while pricey, does everything I or any other landlubber hunter/fisherman needs. I'm still not sure whether I can manually input actual coordinates or use the (maybe better option) of marking a way-point off another map and inserting it into the GPS unit.

Guess if I get lost I'll just tap the SOS button. I've gotten turned around more than once in strip pit country (with no compass or cell service) and it's no fun. It all looks the same.

[Soggy Socks]

You should be able to, I'm not familiar with that model but you could with the older ones. I've used UTMS easier to enter than lat lon's. Have you tried On X hunt on your phone it works on mine even when I have no service. They have a trial 7 day period worth a shot

[HNTFSH]

You should be able to, I'm not familiar with that model but you could with the older ones. I've used UTMS easier to enter than lat lon's. Have you tried On X hunt on your phone it works on mine even when I have no service. They have a trial 7 day period worth a shot

Thanks Soggy, that's encouraging. So much to learn on these. What's a UTMS?

Don't want to use a phone and I'm not sure how GPS would work without cell service but even then, need something dedicated to the cause. A difference right off the bat is screen viewing in sunlight. And battery life.

[California Sprig]

You should be able to, I'm not familiar with that model but you could with the older ones. I've used UTMS easier to enter than lat lon's. Have you tried On X hunt on your phone it works on mine even when I have no service. They have a trial 7 day period worth a shot

Thanks Soggy, that's encouraging. So much to learn on these. What's a UTMS?

Don't want to use a phone and I'm not sure how GPS would work without cell service but even then, need something dedicated to the cause. A difference right off the bat is screen viewing in sunlight. And battery life.

To answer one question - GPS Uses satellites and cell phones use land based cell towers. You can get GPS signals almost everywhere on earth.

[HNTFSH]

You should be able to, I'm not familiar with that model but you could with the older ones. I've used UTMS easier to enter than lat lon's. Have you tried On X hunt on your phone it works on mine even when I have no service. They have a trial 7 day period worth a shot

Thanks Soggy, that's encouraging. So much to learn on these. What's a UTMS?

Don't want to use a phone and I'm not sure how GPS would work without cell service but even then, need something dedicated to the cause. A difference right off the bat is screen viewing in sunlight. And battery life.

To answer one question - GPS Uses satellites and cell phones use land based cell towers. You can get GPS signals almost everywhere on earth.

Correct...that's one of the main reasons I got a GPS unit. Phones might be fine for light stuff near towns and cities. I am slowly learning how to get the most of this until as it can interact with phones apps (to transfer coordinates) and websites to transfer coordinates and mark way points online that download to the hand held, etc.

[California Sprig]

Not to confuse the issue but cell phones the have gps function also get the gps data from satellites. Non gps data uses cellular data. Phones do a good job for highway directions and maps but not as good a job for off road boondocks outdoors. GPS devices have a lot of vital built in functions you may not find on your phone. For hunting, fishing, boating, hiking etc. I want a dedicated gps not a cell phone with gps functions.

[HNTFSH]

Not to confuse the issue but cell phones the have gps function also get the gps data from satellites. Non gps data uses cellular data. Phones do a good job for highway directions and maps but not as good a job for off road boondocks outdoors. GPS devices have a lot of vital built in functions you may not find on your phone. For hunting, fishing, boating, hiking etc. I want a dedicated gps not a cell phone with gps functions.

I bought this unit for one particular area really, a large place full of reclaimed strip pits I haven't fished in 30 years. I drove down in early March to scout the area and the 1st time I pulled over to check a map on my phone, no signal. And I wasn't even off the road. Because I'll throw a tube over my shoulder and walk-in, it only goes down hill from there on phone coverage.

There's a learning curve for sure but it will be nice to mark productive pits and get back to the truck without getting turned around. I suppose pushing 60 and by myself a Global SOS isn't a bad idea either.