GPS Apps

[jiml]

Re: Delorme Street Atlas
A few here have mentioned this program, which was indeed discontinued by Garmin when they bought the company. It was a merged version of Street Atlas USA and the AAA Travel Planner. The latter included Canada, which was retained in the combined product. I believe the last version was 2015; I have 2014, which is what I use on Amtrak or VIA when I have sleeper accommodation. The 2014 deluxe version came packaged with a small USB GPS unit complete with suction cup to stick on the window. It works very well - even on the Empire Builder in the middle of nowhere, and being computer-based doesn't require internet or an expensive data plan. My service attendant on the Builder trip (2016) was particularly impressed with its display and accuracy. She had a phone app at the time (and they've obviously come a long way since then), but said it only really worked near big cities.

I have definitely seen the program available on Ebay and other sources, and although not as versatile or flashy as more recent efforts, it does work very well for both GPS and travel planning. I haven't seen anything better if you're doing a long driving trip - enter your destination and the speed limits on the highways, how long you want to drive each day, your fuel economy, plus preferences such as toll roads and other "avoids". It will calculate and mark everything from fuel stops to suggested nightly endpoints for that day's driving. Although the hotel/gas station/restaurant information is dated, there are still usually services at the locations indicated - especially on Interstate highways. It also shows rail lines. Highly recommend if you can find a copy.

 

[Marmot]

I use a GPS app called Gaia on my iPhone. It is marketed more as a hiking/backpacking app, but it works great for my train travels. It records your track & current position, speed, altitude, average speed, average moving speed, max speed, moving time and stopped time, etc. Pretty much all stats can be displayed graphically too, which is especially interesting for altitude.

 

[railiner]

I used my iphone map while flying from LGA to PBI last week. While I was sitting at the LGA gate, I zoomed in and out, up and down the projected route to 'load' the map.
When airborne, in "Airplane Mode", I was able to lock on to the GPS signal, without even using the inflight wifi (had wifi turned off, too), and was able to follow our progress, the whole way...

No reason it couldn't work on a train trip, too...

 

[chakk]

Yes, I always bring the plug in charger, but had not heard about the power pack option. That sounds like a good idea for certain situations that I'm in sometimes (away from outlets). My cell phone battery drains fairly rapidly. I expect that I will need a new phone soon.

Or you could get a new cell phone battery instead of a whole new cell phone.

 

[ehbowen]

Maybe Barb can, but I can't. I asked about one and found that they stopped making the batteries when they stopped selling my cell phone a couple of years ago.

 

[chakk]

Maybe Barb can, but I can't. I asked about one and found that they stopped making the batteries when they stopped selling my cell phone a couple of years ago.

Third party manufacturers for batteries for your cell phone? Remember that Google is your friend.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Maybe Barb can, but I can't. I asked about one and found that they stopped making the batteries when they stopped selling my cell phone a couple of years ago.

Apple is still replacing OEM batteries as far back as iPhone 6 (2014) for $50. As mentioned above by Chakk, older phones and models from other companies can still have their batteries replaced through third party repair services. I always buy an external battery case when I purchase my phone which generally doubles the built-in battery life. When the battery case degrades beyond the point of practicality it's easily replaced by the owner.

*Remember to recycle your batteries.

 

[DCAKen]

An app I like is Flyover Country, which also shows points interest and geologic data along the route. You download the maps and points while connected and then can see that information when you're off the network.

 

[RSG]

An app I like is Flyover Country, which also shows points interest and geologic data along the route. You download the maps and points while connected and then can see that information when you're off the network.

I've installed FC on several devices but have had to uninstall it before ever really using it because it's very space-intensive. Plus, on Android devices it does not allow for installation on expanded storage, which means it has to reside on OEM internal storage.

But the reviews are great and it appears to do a lot, plus it's educationally-developed so there aren't a zillion ads cluttering or interfering with usage.

 

[PaulDobbs]

I use a free app called You Need a Map on my iPad and iPhone. The maps (the entire USA) are stored on the device, so no cell connection is needed. Railroads are marked on the map in a bright magenta, making them easy to see. It can be locked onto your present position, giving you a moving map. It can also display your lat/long/altitude and your speed, along with text giving the railroad or subdivision you are on, metropolitan area, county and state. One problem: while it displays your position correctly, if you are too close to a road, the text will say you are on the road, instead of the railroad. It can record and display your track, although I don’t use this feature, so I can’t really comment on it.

There is a paid version which has greater detail called Scenic Map USA. It is split into three sections: East, Central and West, to make the download smaller. It will automatically switch between sections while running, so you don’t have to worry about boundaries. While I have never used Scenic Map USA, I did purchase and use Scenic Map Canada for my coast to coast trip this summer, and the switching worked perfectly.