GPS tracking city & outback?

[ArticTern]

Not sure where this goes but sorry if in wrong place..

like to ask about whether using a gps on your android phone will have a signal if you head to forest parks that are close to the city? And how about going to the outback will you get a GPS signal there? I thought that GPS signal is not related to cell phone towers and if you can get a lock on a satellite that you have GPS and wont get lost!

I don't like to get lost while riding and like it if anyone can tell me if you an get GPS signals on your android phone? This makes it easy to track where you are! Thanks!

[Duck!]

GPS signals are completely separate from phone signals, so as long as your phone is able to pick up satellites you'll have GPS coverage.

[cancan64]

We have GPS phones at work as mobile c overage is crap....thats getting near the outback

[ArticTern]

Thanks for that! I won't get lost now with my GPS.

[Farmer Elvis]

If your phone has a GPS you can be any where in the world and get service as long as you are outdoors. We do our farming in western nsw with 2cm GPS repeatable using a base station on the farm as a reference. The only time you won't get great service is if you are indoors or very thick forest etc, or if the owners of the satellites decide to suddenly lock access to them, this may happen in a world war! Lets not go there

[coops]

Thanks for that! I won't get lost now with my GPS.

Note that while you'll have a GPS lock, you may not be able to access maps for the area. Apps like google maps normally download maps on the fly based on where you are, and this is over your normal mobile internet data.

There is an option in google maps to download an area of map to your smartphone in advance (eg while you're in the city & still have a data connection)

[ArticTern]

You need offline maps or if you can direct link to internet from sat.

Here is a good one:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... mand&hl=en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or another more expensive one:
memory-map.com.au/

If lost I navigate via the stars and planets.

Its a good thing you mention about war. Have you ever known secruity measures? And if technology fails compass and map! Can't go wrong! :)Its always good migrating long distants that way when you need too it won't be so hard! You know the outdoors inside out, you even sleep in the air too being an ArticTern!

[Warin]

Maps: As well as the GPS you need the maps and apps..

OSM (vector map)
You should be able to get an app that uses 'Open Street maps' .. and have them stored on your phone (so no connection required)

Topo maps (raster)
http://androzic.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This is an app that can use 'raster' maps .. specifically topo maps. I believe you can get the 250k:1 topto maps for all of Australia for free off the web.

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"turning off the GPS" .. while true that the GPS system could be turned off ... 'they' usually turn ON a selective degradation feature - that degrades the accuracy to something like 100 meters and they do it for those areas of the world where it could be a problem. "Selective" in that military GPS units don't get the degradation. So it is unlike=ly to be a problem, if it becomes a problem they you'll have other things to worry about.

[Aushiker]

If your phone has a GPS you can be any where in the world and get service as long as you are outdoors.

Actually that is not quite correct ... there is at least one blind spot here in WA at Quaalup in the Fitzgerald River National Park ... neither my HTC One or Anne's Iphone 5S could pick up the statellites (we lost connection on the way in) and the folks at Quaalup reported that this is common problem.

Oh, it is a fairly open area as well. Canyons and deep forest cover can also have an impact.

Andrew