First Chase in May

[Devin Pitts]

Curious, what about loading Google Maps OFFLINE mode. I use it a lot for usual navigation in areas where there is no cell coverage and works fine with my Iphone on a magnetic mount on my dash since that has a GPS built in. Would that work and has anyone tried that offline mode? What software do you use with those cheap GPS used units? Some sort of software loaded on a laptop? Thanks,

I had my first experience chasing without reliable data on 12/1/18(no Verizon coverage west of Jacksonville, IL) and having downloaded offline maps to google maps on my tablet was a life saver. It worked out incredibly well and I highly recommend anyone utilizing their Android phones for navigation do the same prior to each chase.

 

[Jay Goldberg]

I had my first experience chasing without reliable data on 12/1/18(no Verizon coverage west of Jacksonville, IL) and having downloaded offline maps to google maps on my tablet was a life saver. It worked out incredibly well and I highly recommend anyone utilizing their Android phones for navigation do the same prior to each chase.

Great to hear. I have never chased yet but hope to find someone online that would want a good right hand seat navigator/radar, data person with a lot of pro camera gear. I am also a licensed ham radio operator but not sure that adds any value. One day!

 

[Brett Roberts]

@Brett Roberts Does your Garmin visually show the difference between paved/un-paved roads? @Jason Boggs said that his dezl 770 does, but seems the dezl units are more pricey as they're targeted for truck drivers. That feature would be the selling point for me. I haven't owned a dedicated GPS unit in over a decade and from what I can tell these units have come a very long way from the old TomTom I had way back in the day. Back then it would have you going the wrong way on one way roads and all sorts of surprises.

Mine doesn't explicitly show the difference, but typically the thinner gray lines are unpaved. I'm not sure I've ever used a data source that reliably discriminates pavement, though. Google, Bing, MAPS.ME, Garmin, you name it: they all have mistakes in remote sections of the Plains grid. I consider Google the gold standard, but even it routed me through a miles-long unpaved stretch in SE CO to get home a couple years ago!

 

[MichaelF]

@Brett Roberts Thanks for the info. I was looking at a few different map sources and it does seem that most do not, I think the best contender so far for a smart phone app is US Topo maps but it's a mixed bag at best. I'd say the worst thing would be roads that simply do not exist.

That being said I think the big thing I need to focus on is forecasting. I've been looking at tons of material, from Tim Vasquez's book, to Rich Thompson's workshops from OU. If there's one thing I've learned it is there is more to learn and then some more.