Are phone GPS chips accurate for speed

[bruceb58]

Never used the navionics app. Do you have to change the settings on the phone to keep the screen on all the time or do you just constantly touch it to keep it on.

 

[garbageguy]

I use the Admiral's old Garmin. I can leave it on a holder on the dash while I'm using the boat, plug it in (to the formerly-called-cigarette-lighter receptacle), and it stays on. If it gets wet and dies, no big deal. Anything within a couple mph is good enough for me. The kids get a kick out of it as it shows the boat's position as a little car out in the lake.

 

[roffey]

I have the navionics app. and have to tap it. I have had both the dash mounted GPS and the phone, my 2cents are if you need the GPS to navigate and use it all the time I would go for the dash mount. I did not as I use it periodically and did not want to drill hones in my boat.

 

[R055]

Never used the navionics app. Do you have to change the settings on the phone to keep the screen on all the time or do you just constantly touch it to keep it on.

Haven't tried it mounted yet but I can change the settings on my phone for the screen not to turn off by itself if it becomes a problem.

 

[R055]

I have the navionics app. and have to tap it. I have had both the dash mounted GPS and the phone, my 2cents are if you need the GPS to navigate and use it all the time I would go for the dash mount. I did not as I use it periodically and did not want to drill hones in my boat.

I'm going to try sunction mount first

 

[R055]

No Title

Here is the lake I'm planning on using it for

 

[roffey]

I'm on Bobs lake.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.6986224,-76.6769429,12z

I bet you learn that lake faster then you think. My problem was drilling holes in the transom. I had or have the GPS, depth finder and fish finder. I was going to try velcro or suction but my unit goes into a sales display mode with out the transponder connected so the phone app. works best for me.

I did get lost on the lake last year. I was out for 6 hours, almost ran out of gas and daylight. I thought I was going to spend the night on the lake and I just have a bow rider, LOL.

 

[krakatoa]

About the Navionics app, its worst to paid the subscription or the free version will work same or better than the paid one?

 

[southkogs]

In the navonics app, where the heck is the speed? I have been using it for a bit and never came across it.

See post #5 HERE. This was a (cheap) review I wrote on the app after using it in FL last year.

 

[southkogs]

Never used the navionics app. Do you have to change the settings on the phone to keep the screen on all the time or do you just constantly touch it to keep it on.

I let mine go to sleep locally. I know the water well enough, and I only need it for a couple things: depth charts on sections of the lake I'm not used to and in the dark when I'm way across the lake. When I was using it on the ICW, I did set the screen to stay on for one trip I made.

 

[southkogs]

About the Navionics app, its worst to paid the subscription or the free version will work same or better than the paid one?

I recommend you buy the subscription. You may not need to buy the update when they release them, but you'll want the initial version.

When I let my subscription run out, my lake data stayed but didn't update for the change in pool levels.

 

[krakatoa]

See post #5 HERE. This was a (cheap) review I wrote on the app after using it in FL last year.

Nice review, I will go ahead and give a try with the paid subscription, only cons with iphone and Fl is the glare on screen cause the sunshine.....

thanks for the info.

 

[tlombard]

I meant to try my phone out with regard to GPS speed last weekend (first weekend out with the new to me boat) and forgot. My speedometer was topping out around 35 but I have to believe the boat is capable of more than that. The lake was busy though and I never really got a chance to run it out... and my dad who was with me constantly complained about the boat 'not going as fast as it should.' I almost had to throw him off.

He is one of the type that has to go full speed at all times and top speed is important. I don't get it. Once we got on plane, I pulled it back and was happy as can be just cruising at a nice speed. He assumed that I was putting it to the floor at all times just because that is how he drives a boat... and why he won't be driving my boat. He can stick to the pontoon and do whatever he wants to that. Sure, I'll open it up once I can get out on the lake on a calm day but a holiday weekend a bunch of other boats on the lake isn't the right time.

 

[southkogs]

... only cons with iphone and Fl is the glare on screen cause the sunshine.....

Same problem here. You find workarounds ... Sometimes I even have my kid call turns out to me as opposed to me lookin'.

 

[alldodge]

Hey guys, I was looking to get a GPS speed unit to add to my dash till I found out how expensive they are. I have my phone with navionics, is the GPS speed displayed on it accurate? Did most people use their phones when they wrote "my max speed xxmph verified by gps"?

To the original question:

From what I have found I would say the phone is almost as accurate as a GPS, but ..... there is always a but, it depends on where you are. The phone app doesn't use satellite reception to determine position, they use tower location to the phone.

So if your running down the river through a city with many towers, I would guess pretty darn close. If your out in the country with only a few towers, not so much.

 

[redneck joe]

To the original question:

From what I have found I would say the phone is almost as accurate as a GPS, but ..... there is always a but, it depends on where you are. The phone app doesn't use satellite reception to determine position, they use tower location to the phone.

So if your running down the river through a city with many towers, I would guess pretty darn close. If your out in the country with only a few towers, not so much.

Not sure about this at least on my S6. My google maps, which i use all over the country, has a 'high accuracy' setting. It uses gps, wifi (if im in a city next to wifi spots) and cell towers aka mobile networks so three diff ways to check.

I use a free app called speedview for the boats mainly because of the simple interface and screen. Just checked the settings and it only uses gps.

Not sure what the op's app uses.

 

[bruceb58]

The phone app doesn't use satellite reception to determine position, they use tower location to the phone.

GPS apps do use the GPS receiver chip in the phone. Some apps use tower locations like Yelp and basic Google but apps like Google Maps mainly use the GPS receiver. It's why there is a dedicated GPS chip in your phone. Couple of my friends design the ones for the iPhone.

My tablet does not have cellular service and it only uses it's GPS receiver for the various GPS apps I use.

Main problem with apps that soley use the GPS receiver is that they are a huge battery hog and that is why they supplement the GPS with tower location.


http://navionics.force.com/kb/articl...GPS-Technology

 

[alldodge]

Couple of my friends design the ones for the iPhone.

Then there is no better affirmation then that.

 

[bruceb58]

Then there is no better affirmation then that.

Especially after this statement:

The phone app doesn't use satellite reception to determine position, they use tower location to the phone.

 

[roffey]

I always thought GPS is GPS.