Android with a excellent GPS ?

Discussion about software such as GSAK, OziExplorer etc, as well as all things hardware, GPSrs, laptops, PDAs, paperless caching, cables etc
Post Reply
covert
150 or more caches found
150 or more caches found
Posts: 476
Joined: 30 July 08 11:47 am
Location: VIC

Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by covert » 13 September 11 4:47 pm

Are there any new Androids with an excellent GPS chipset in it, eg garmin asus a50 level ?

User avatar
CraigRat
850 or more found!!!
850 or more found!!!
Posts: 7015
Joined: 23 August 04 3:17 pm
Twitter: CraigRat
Facebook: http://facebook.com/CraigRat
Location: Launceston, TAS
Contact:

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by CraigRat » 13 September 11 9:20 pm

covert wrote:Are there any new Androids with an excellent GPS chipset in it, eg garmin asus a50 level ?
I would be hesitant to recommend the Garmin units, they haven't updated them in ages and most still run Android 1.6, meaning most current caching apps won't run on them as a fair few require 2.1 and above nowadays!

Most of the newer phones have OK chipsets, but under trees they still don't match a dedicated GPSr but are good enough generally.

A good rule of thumb: Cheap Phone == Cheap GPSr chipset

covert
150 or more caches found
150 or more caches found
Posts: 476
Joined: 30 July 08 11:47 am
Location: VIC

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by covert » 13 September 11 9:25 pm

I find my garmin asus a50 too slow but it does have a android 2.1 update on it. The GPS in it is the same as the one in the garmin Oregon 550 and is amazing too use. If the SG2 had the same GPS I would drop my iPhone out of a moving car in no time.

User avatar
CraigRat
850 or more found!!!
850 or more found!!!
Posts: 7015
Joined: 23 August 04 3:17 pm
Twitter: CraigRat
Facebook: http://facebook.com/CraigRat
Location: Launceston, TAS
Contact:

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by CraigRat » 13 September 11 9:29 pm

Is the 2.1 update an official garmin one or have you dropped another ROM onto it?

covert
150 or more caches found
150 or more caches found
Posts: 476
Joined: 30 July 08 11:47 am
Location: VIC

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by covert » 13 September 11 9:41 pm

Official update

User avatar
Papa Bear_Left
800 or more hollow logs searched
800 or more hollow logs searched
Posts: 2573
Joined: 03 April 03 12:28 am
Location: Kalamunda, WA
Contact:

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by Papa Bear_Left » 14 September 11 1:24 am

CraigRat wrote:Is the 2.1 update an official garmin one or have you dropped another ROM onto it?
If anyone finds another ROM that supports it (or, indeed, the Moto Flipout!), do let us know...

I tried a Galaxy S (OK, not a new model) vs the A50 and it was no contest, same as vs my Nexus One. They're all OK, but the Garmin's quicker to lock and MUCH more sensitive.

covert
150 or more caches found
150 or more caches found
Posts: 476
Joined: 30 July 08 11:47 am
Location: VIC

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by covert » 14 September 11 4:11 am

The S2 is no better than the S1 GPS wise. I have been thinking of over clocking the A50 to see if that improves performance with gps apps.

The A50 is better than my Oregon 300 GPS wise.

ollave
100 or more tracks walked
100 or more tracks walked
Posts: 11
Joined: 08 May 04 6:05 pm
Location: Melbourne

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by ollave » 14 September 11 9:08 pm

covert wrote:Are there any new Androids with an excellent GPS chipset in it, eg garmin asus a50 level ?
Short answer: "I dunno."

Longer answer: providing the Android phone you pick has Bluetooth with the SPP protocol included (it should be there, unless the vendor removed it) you can use an external GPSr logger such as a Holux M-241 to get a high sensitivity GPSr that works with your phone.

I'm using such a combination with a cheap Huawei Sonic (AUD$188, current latest version of Android, hardly crashes at all, promise). Much more convenient than paper and my beloved-but-old Geko 201. (Using c:geo and still use a paper notebook for multis, plus for recording notes about which caches I've found and such -- perhaps I'll switch to on site logging, but I like real keyboards for text entry, really ...)

A posting with the details of the combination I'm using (you'll want to check that your phone's Bluetooth actually pairs and works with the logger you select ... yeah, it's a standard, but not everyone implements it correctly) is at groundspeak.com:

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index. ... pic=282037

ollave
100 or more tracks walked
100 or more tracks walked
Posts: 11
Joined: 08 May 04 6:05 pm
Location: Melbourne

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by ollave » 22 September 11 11:05 pm

ollave wrote: Longer answer: providing the Android phone you pick has Bluetooth with the SPP protocol included (it should be there, unless the vendor removed it) you can use an external GPSr logger such as a Holux M-241 to get a high sensitivity GPSr that works with your phone.

I'm using such a combination with a cheap Huawei Sonic (AUD$188, current latest version of Android, hardly crashes at all, promise). Much more convenient than paper and my beloved-but-old Geko 201. (Using c:geo and still use a paper notebook for multis, plus for recording notes about which caches I've found and such -- perhaps I'll switch to on site logging, but I like real keyboards for text entry, really ...)
Replying to my own posting may be bad form, but the afore mentioned Holux unit has died on its 9th day in the field. No abuse; definite warranty claim; I'm wondering now about its robustness. (I'm ... dubious ... about its battery connections, and as the failure mode was the unit intermittently powering down, changing to complete refusal to power up ... I like the concept; the Holux may be the wrong device.)

I'll follow up if I exchange it and the subsequent unit stands up to geocaching. In the mean time it's decide what cache next with the phone (which means its GPSr is on and eating power), and type the coordinates into the old but reliable Geko 201. :D

User avatar
Mr Router
1500 or more caches found
1500 or more caches found
Posts: 2782
Joined: 22 May 05 11:59 am
Location: Bathurst

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by Mr Router » 23 September 11 1:12 pm

recently got a eee pad "transformer" on droid 3 honeycomb, the gps is super sensitive , so far installed GDAK , excellent app ! and google earth andriod, fine app again ! but if some one can tell me how to get a kml file into GE droid i would be most grateful

User avatar
CraigRat
850 or more found!!!
850 or more found!!!
Posts: 7015
Joined: 23 August 04 3:17 pm
Twitter: CraigRat
Facebook: http://facebook.com/CraigRat
Location: Launceston, TAS
Contact:

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by CraigRat » 23 September 11 1:54 pm

Mr Router wrote:recently got a eee pad "transformer" on droid 3 honeycomb, the gps is super sensitive , so far installed GDAK , excellent app ! and google earth andriod, fine app again ! but if some one can tell me how to get a kml file into GE droid i would be most grateful
No KML import on GE for Android still, I remember complaing to the devs about it back in android 1.6!!!.They said they'd be doing it soon... that was 3+ years ago now!... it's such a shame too.... I love Google Earth on my A500 Tablet, but I'd really like to be able to load the GCA network link.

You can ask for them to add it here:
http://earth.google.com/support/bin/sta ... ns.cs&rd=1

User avatar
cantanga
650 or more caches found
650 or more caches found
Posts: 88
Joined: 05 September 09 5:38 pm
Location: Canberra

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by cantanga » 23 September 11 3:29 pm

Mr Router wrote:recently got a eee pad "transformer" on droid 3 honeycomb, the gps is super sensitive , so far installed GDAK , excellent app ! and google earth andriod, fine app again ! but if some one can tell me how to get a kml file into GE droid i would be most grateful
Really? I've tried GDAK and found it to be fairly rubbish. While the idea of the GSAK database is nice the compass was slow to respond and database was clunky to use, coupled with the lack of map support I didn't like it. Although an update might have made it better.
And although I don't know what specific features your after in GE, have you tried locus? Similar thing but works offline as well (good for the transformer) and will accept kml I believe.

User avatar
Mr Router
1500 or more caches found
1500 or more caches found
Posts: 2782
Joined: 22 May 05 11:59 am
Location: Bathurst

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by Mr Router » 23 September 11 3:49 pm

CraigRat wrote:
Mr Router wrote:recently got a eee pad "transformer" on droid 3 honeycomb, the gps is super sensitive , so far installed GDAK , excellent app ! and google earth andriod, fine app again ! but if some one can tell me how to get a kml file into GE droid i would be most grateful
No KML import on GE for Android still, I remember complaing to the devs about it back in android 1.6!!!.They said they'd be doing it soon... that was 3+ years ago now!... it's such a shame too.... I love Google Earth on my A500 Tablet, but I'd really like to be able to load the GCA network link.

You can ask for them to add it here:
http://earth.google.com/support/bin/sta ... ns.cs&rd=1
thanx for the link ! i have submitted the idea again

ollave
100 or more tracks walked
100 or more tracks walked
Posts: 11
Joined: 08 May 04 6:05 pm
Location: Melbourne

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by ollave » 28 September 11 12:00 am

ollave wrote: I'll follow up if I exchange it and the subsequent unit stands up to geocaching. In the mean time it's decide what cache next with the phone (which means its GPSr is on and eating power), and type the coordinates into the old but reliable Geko 201. :D
Well, went back to the shop (Johnny Appleseed in St. Kilda, Melbourne) today. Naturally (given this started as an intermittent fault) the guy I was talking to wanted to call it user error. His compatriot didn't seem so sure, but wasn't inclined to intervene.

The plan _was_ for them to test the unit for a couple of days (how? Sit it in the shop window?). What if the problem is in the battery power connector [my best guess] and only shows when you're hiking around and moving up and down a bit or driving over speed humps?

I indicated some dubiousness in the efficacy of in shop testing (never mind the assurance that "we test everything thoroughly"), and was asked what I wanted. So I asked for -- and got -- a refund. Interesting that there was no proposal of a replacement unit or credit toward an alternate item, but if they don't want my business, I'm OK with that.

I'll need a compelling reason to consider Holux or Johnny Appleseed GPS again. I imagine that I got a dud unit from Holux, but I can't tell if it was a design issue instead, and that and the poor customer service I was receiving both encouraged me to seek the refund.

[Disclaimer: I've spent a lot of time in customer service. I understand exactly how awful intermittent faults are to diagnose and resolve. But they have to be solved, no matter that they're harder than "the black smoke escaped" or a manufacturer's recall.]

Grump grump grump. At least I know my phone has the Bluetooth SPP functionality included, despite there being no mention of it in the manual. For the moment, I'm back to a combination of the phone (what caches are near, descriptions, and sometimes immediate logging) and my trusty old Geko 201 (with some caches preloaded if I know where I'm going) to actually find things. The phone's GPSr is OK for maps, and sometimes for geocaching, but it's the "sometimes" that it's 20m (or occasionally even more) off that makes finding caches with only the phone a tad difficult.

User avatar
akkatracker
600 or more caches found
600 or more caches found
Posts: 221
Joined: 23 December 10 3:35 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Android with a excellent GPS ?

Post by akkatracker » 04 October 11 11:46 am

Samsung Galaxy Tab vs a Htc Sensation vs a HTC Legend
Sensation wins though I like the tab. Haven't tried the Garmin Asus yet

Post Reply