Author Topic: DroidX2 GPS Work for Hunting ? (Read 295 times)

NoCams · « **on:** July 09, 2011, 12:55:00 PM »

Okay techie gurus...... Just got a new Motorola Droid X2 for work and was thinking.....? Why carry a Garmin GPS unit AND the Droid to the tree this fall IF the Droid can serve double duty as my GPS and phone ? Are they accurate enough ? Do they have a accurate compass ? Can you enter in coordinates and have it take you right to them ?

robtattoo · « **Reply #1 on:** July 09, 2011, 01:00:00 PM »

Jim, go to the Droid App Store & Download the Cabela's Hunting App. It's got everyting you'll ever need, including a fantastic bloodtrailing feature that drops an automatic GPS Waypoint every 5 yards!
Next to my Garmin, the GPS coordinates of my Droid X read identical, so I would assum it's just as good (Plus I can plot myself out on the Topo maps :D )
I believe it uses the same OS as Google Earth, so yes, you should be able to enter a destination & have it take you there.
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Not that you'd ever get lost, hunting in your own back yard.....

gto_guy · « **Reply #2 on:** July 09, 2011, 02:01:00 PM »

rob I don`t see it unless its the backcountry navigator

trad_bowhunter1965 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 09, 2011, 02:29:00 PM »

I believe it called Cabela's Recon Hunt.

NoCams · « **Reply #4 on:** July 09, 2011, 04:28:00 PM »

Which is it Rob, the $3.99 Recon or free backcountry navigator ?

Is it just me or is Garmin and other GPS manf shaking in their boots ? Why would we need a GPS unit if it is as simple as this ?

robtattoo · « **Reply #5 on:** July 09, 2011, 04:31:00 PM »

Yeh, it's the Cabelas Recon Hunt. Definately worth 4 bucks.

Huntrdfk · « **Reply #6 on:** July 09, 2011, 06:56:00 PM »

I have the Backcountry Navigator on mine and love it. I can acticvate it and an arial map appears showing me exactly where I am......haven't thought about using it to get me to a certain spot using coordinates but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

David

FerretWYO · « **Reply #7 on:** July 09, 2011, 07:12:00 PM »

Cabelas recon is a good app there are a few others that work well also.

Points to consider. Smart phones all have poor battery life. I would not depend on it.

dirtguy · « **Reply #8 on:** July 09, 2011, 07:22:00 PM »

Yeah GPS companies, video cam companies like Flip, and makers of many other small electronics are all quaking. Think about it. A droid takes video, photos, works as a GPS, browses the web and just about anything else you could need.

LimBender · « **Reply #9 on:** July 09, 2011, 07:30:00 PM »

GPS companies are already hurtin due to cellphones.

BUT, you need cellphone reception for it to really work (with Google Earth), and the GPS is a lot more difficult to acquire than on a stand-alone model. Also, battery life gets drained quickly with extensive GPS use on my Droid. I was really hoping the Droid would get er done, but it's limited.

Bottom line, it makes sense that a standalone GPS model would work a lot better, and they do.

Thanks for the tip Rob!

hvyhitter · « **Reply #10 on:** July 09, 2011, 07:56:00 PM »

Wouldnt want to trust my life to it for anything longer than a day hunt (battery life)...........The compass on my old Boulder phone did get me and a girlfriend off a mountain one afternoon when we got socked in with some cloud cover.(but I think it triangulates with cell towers.)

NoCams · « **Reply #11 on:** July 09, 2011, 08:55:00 PM »

Great info gents, keep it coming. Main thing I would use it for would be for the 30 minute or so walk in and out if I was hunting a new area with no real landmarks. It would guide me to a previously hung stand or coordinates from Google Earth that I had picked from aerials. If I run the GPS function full time while on a scouting mission I wonder how long the battery lasts ? Most of my scouting trips are only a few hours at a time away from the truck. Could also carry an extra battery for back up.

metsastaja · « **Reply #12 on:** July 10, 2011, 08:40:00 AM »

Problem I have encountered is that the antenna of my Iphone combined with the gps chip-set is much weaker then my Garmin GPS60csx. In dense coverage my phone gets "lost" my gps does not.

On the other hand while sitting on stand with my Iphone in Florida under a palmetto I get good gps Google earth coverage, I can read "Witchery of Archery" or "Hunting with Bow and Arrow" on my kindle app, tweet, facebook, check in on TradGang, post photos, txt my hunting buddies,look up recipes for the game I'm hunting and much much more. I even cut off the finger tips of my camo gloves to make it easier.

Huntschool · « **Reply #13 on:** July 10, 2011, 10:21:00 AM »

Heck dude... Just let Mason get ya wher ya need to be and then let him get ya back out... Cheaper since your feeding him anyway

SHOOTO8S · « **Reply #14 on:** July 10, 2011, 02:59:00 PM »

I havent used my GPS since I upgraded to a iphone 4.

Cell signal isn't reguired with the Motion-x gps app....found me in Autralia, one time

Gary Logsdon · « **Reply #15 on:** July 10, 2011, 03:20:00 PM »

Guess I'll stick with my Garmin 60csx. Since I make a lot of my living sitting at a computer a lot of guys assume that I play with or own all of the latest gadgets. NOPE, you should see my ancient cell phone . . . love those BIG buttons:^)

NoCams · « **Reply #16 on:** July 11, 2011, 09:32:00 AM »

Update....... downloaded Google Earth yesterday since that is what works with the Cabelas Recon app. Google Earth will not work ! Read some others reviews and they are having trouble as well. Will head to Verizon and get Google Earth working first.

After reading all the replies and not having a chance to use Cabelas or other GPS apps I think the only advantage of a handheld stand alone GPS unit would be battery life. That is of course, if the apps and GPS system in the Droid X2 work as advertised. I will keep everyone posted once I try it myself. Thanks for all the help !!!

NoCams · « **Reply #17 on:** July 15, 2011, 01:07:00 PM »

7-15-11 Update......

Stopped by the verizon store and got me a geek or two to get google earth working..... They cannot make it work on a Droid X2 Motorola phone yet.... They said there is some traffic on the net regarding this problem and that it should be fixed in a few weeks. I think it is because the Droid X2 runs on android software version 2.2 ?

Lone Ranger · « **Reply #18 on:** July 15, 2011, 01:55:00 PM »

For what its worth: I have an I-phone 3gs and where I hunt has no 3g service so I really cant use google earth. the map software on my phone is however pretty good and it does track me well. I only use it as a reference, and NOT as primary guidance. The odds of me getting lost where I hunt is not very good compared to some of you guys out west. I am my own best navigation unit by scouting early and spending time in the woods.

L.R.

LV2HUNT · « **Reply #19 on:** July 15, 2011, 06:10:00 PM »

One important distinction between a phone and GPS is that your phone is relying on signal towers and your GPS uses satellites.

Unless you have excellent phone service where you hunt do not expect to have accurate positioning from a regular phone based system. Even in areas where I have had good phone service Google maps has not been able to triangulate my position.

If you are in an area where you really need accurate reliable positioning and navigation stick with GPS and or a map and compass. Even in areas with good phone service.


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