>>465602>phones can have crappy antennasMuch this. >Pic related is the QFH antenna in my 76. It's big. Good gain. Coupled with the SiRF chipset, I have yet to find myself in a situation where it can't get a lock.
My phone, on the other hand, has a tiny chip antenna for its GPS. Instead, it primarily relies on AGPS for a position, then improves accuracy with GPS. There's been a lot of times where I turn on location services and it just flashes "Waiting for location..." for ever.
They're also not as durable as a good trail GPS.
Upside to a phone is its huge screen, and constantly updated maps. Battery life suffers because of that.
>>465633>map and compass, no need for a GPSNah. Use both.
GPS lets you log your tracks and dump them into Google Earth.
Or draw shit and plop waypoints on Google Earth, then push that information into your receiver.
Compass is almost a requirement with GPS IMO. Without an internal compass, the GPS doesn't know what direction it's pointing when you're stopped or moving slowly. Set the direction to magnetic-north on the GPS, and a $10 keychain compass will point you in the right direction. Even with the electronic compass, I'd rather just use a keychain compass.
GPS is really good at telling you distances between two points. Maps don't need batteries to run. GPS tells you where you are a lot quicker than a map. A map doesn't hide all the side-streets and trails when you zoom out.
I carry all three when I ride. Map usually stays in my pack.
