Offline GPS/Plotter to use with old, deactivated iPhone?

[Waitara]

I have a few old iPhones - 4 and 4S. They are deactivated but still have SIM cards and show signal from towers. They get wifi from my house. I'd like to keep one on the boat for an emergency backup phone (deactivated phones can still call 911) and use as a GPS/Plotter. (and camera to take fish pictures!) But what app? I'd like it to just simply work. I'm not interested in hacking my phone or creating my own map files. Bonus points if it's free. I hope to get a new fishfinder/GPS soon, so this will be a backup, but until then it's the only GPS/Plotter I have. Storage is not an issue. They are 8GB and 16GB phones but I can erase everything else on them. I don't need incredible detail or lots of point data. Just to know how to get back to the ramp, where I am, and how fast I'm going would be great. Even a land-based app that showed waterways as giant blobs of blue would be fine if it was free. It would need to work with whatever outdated IOS functions on these old phones. I'll be in the Susquehanna River mostly and Upper Chesapeake occasionally. It's a 16' boat. I'm not going offshore.

 

[jbcurt00]

Most mapping software now needs a data or wifi connection to show anything of detail, ie plotter.

On my old android phone, it too has been deactivated, the resident map program, google maps, works to pinpoint where I am, and lists most street names and shows waterways while the wifi is turned off, even when moving the map beyond my pinpointed current location.

Iphones didnt come w a basic mapping/gps software?

 

[southkogs]

Iphones didnt come w a basic mapping/gps software?

They did - but Apple Maps is kinda' lousy (IMHO). Better to download Google Maps.

But JB is right - you're gonna' need some kind of data most of the time to keep the map template loaded. The iPhone has a GPS, but the maps aren't stored locally. With Google Maps you can now download an area so you have it locally, but if you go outside the downloaded area you'll need the data connection.

HERE's a write up on the Navionics App. I like it well enough to pay for it when I'm boating someplace I'm not familiar with.

:welcome:

 

[Baylinerchuck]

iPhones don't have the map loaded onto the phone permanently. They retrieve data off the web via cell or wifi. I don't know of any map apps that are static and don't require data to load. Since Apple doesn't allow open source apps, your options are slim. I also am under the impression GPS is assisted by tower triangulation.

Welcome to iBoats by the way. I'm guessing by your post you stay mainly below the conowingo dam? Port deposit?

 

[dingbat]

I also am under the impression GPS is assisted by tower triangulation.

Yep, iPhone 4 doesn't have gps.

 

[bruceb58]

Yep, iPhone 4 doesn't have gps.

That's news to my friend who worked on the design for the iPhone 4 GPS chip.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Take the old iPhone and donate it. Then get a GPS fishfinder.

 

[dingbat]

That's news to my friend who worked on the design for the iPhone 4 GPS chip.

A "GPS" signal is pretty useless w/o a viable user interface.

Anyhow, your comment got me looking for an answer as to why my iphone 4S has problems when cell service isn't available. Just assumed.....

Map data isn't stored locally. No cell service = no map download = no location shown on map. This alone renders the "GPS" function completely useless. I found this out first hand wondering around in the mountains outside Spokane last fall

Without access to A-GPS data, which requires a data connection, it has to search all satellites and download the orbit information from the satellites themselves, a process that can take up to 12 minutes to accomplish. I have a hard time waiting 10-15 seconds for my chart plotter to lock on at a new location

 

[bruceb58]

Anyhow, your comment got me looking for an answer as to why my iphone 4S has problems when cell service isn't available. Just assumed.....

Map data isn't stored locally. No cell service = no map download = no location shown on map. This alone renders the "GPS" function completely useless. I found this out first hand wondering around in the mountains outside Spokane last fall

I had my cell phone in Germany recently and I didn't purchase a sim card but I could download offline maps over wi-fi. I had maps the whole time I was there.

On my tablet that does not have any cell service at all, I can download offline maps for it as well.

Bottom line, you don't have to have A-GPS.

I use a Garmin GPS bike computer and a golf GPS. Both get GPS locations(4 satellite) within a minute if you are within a hundred miles of where you last were. Even when I go 500 miles, it is very fast.

Been awhile since I took my GPS class in engineering school but 12 minutes to get the info you need sounds like a faulty GPS receiver.

 

[Alumarine]

When using the Navionics app with Android and I'm quite sure with Apple stuff as well you have the ability to download maps/charts for use without cell or wifi service.

I do it all the time with Android and my friends do it with their ipads and iphones.
I'm not sure about older apple stuff though. I think sometimes apple stops supporting their stuff.

There might be other other map apps work the same way.

 

[wrvond]

Give Speed Tracker a try. Don't really know if it will work in your situation or not, but doesn't cost anything to try.

 

[JASinIL2006]

With Google Maps, you can dowload and use maps offline; if you're boating area goes beyond that covered by one mapset, just download more than one (if your phone has enough memory). See here for the details: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6291838?co=GENIE.Platform=iOS&hl=en

 

[Waitara]

Welcome to iBoats by the way. I'm guessing by your post you stay mainly below the conowingo dam? Port deposit?

I'm in York - so above the Conowingo. If I go to the bay it's for the crabs or stripers. Or just needing salt spray. One of my favorite quotes: "The cure for anything is salt water - tears, sweat, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

 

[Waitara]

Thank you for the responses. I'll try Google Maps First. Years ago I bought Navimatics and just found out I still "own" it and can download it again. I don't know if the maps work offline or not, but it has the Chesapeake. No local rivers or lakes though. Only stuff with real nautical charts.

 

[Fed]

The Navionics website only lists the 4S as compatible not the 4.
I don't think Google Maps show maritime stuff.

 

[bruceb58]

The Navionics website only lists the 4S as compatible not the 4.
I don't think Google Maps show maritime stuff.

Likely the processor difference.

An iphone 4 is so small that I would find it useless to navigate with.

 

[ezmobee]

I'm in York - so above the Conowingo. If I go to the bay it's for the crabs or stripers. Or just needing salt spray. One of my favorite quotes: "The cure for anything is salt water - tears, sweat, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

Welcome! I'm also in York. I boat mainly on Raystown now since we have a seasonal site there but I also boat at Long Level and Conowingo. My uncle has a cabin on Conowingo. Been out on the upper Chesapeake a couple times. Years ago I was on the Chesapeake on a buddy's boat and I had downloaded Navionics onto my Android tablet and it worked well.

 

[southkogs]

I was originally running the Navionics app on an iPhone 4. When I did the topic on it, I had used it on a 5S and have been there since. Not sure if the updates to the app have rendered the 4 obsolete for it (forgot about that, actually).

Both Navionics and Google Maps allow you to store maps locally on the device.