Real Time Position Tracking While on the Trail

[Stephen]

I was out and about the other weekend with four vehicles and we got a bit spread out on the trail. We all had HAM's, so communication was easy, but as I looked at my Gaia GPS app on my iPad, I thought, "Man, it'd be really nice to see where everyone is on the map in real time."

I know about APRS, but I've never used it and am not familiar with a way to overlay it onto something like Gaia. I've only ever seen it used in conjunction with Google or Bing maps. But if it's out there, that'd be cool. Is anyone familiar with another system where you can see where someone is in real time without having an internet connection? Something relatively cheap and preferably doesn't need a lot of equipment beyond a HAM or GPS device?

 

[Kevin B.]

I don't know of a way to tie it into Gaia, but I know there's an app that will integrate it with Backcountry Navigator. I don't APRS, so I haven't played with it, but I have the app.

 

[DAA]

I have the app and I APRS but I've never had a reason to want to try and use the app.

The once or twice I ever cared where anyone else was, the distance, heading and speed display on the radio was sufficient.

But what you want does exist.

- DAA

 

[Hickey]

The Garmin Rhino will display your position on a friend's map if he is also using a Garmin Rhino. These are FRS radios. I've used that exactly once, for @muleskinner to find me when I was stuck on the mountains in Grantsville. I need to sell that Rhino.

 

[Stephen]

I don't know of a way to tie it into Gaia, but I know there's an app that will integrate it with Backcountry Navigator. I don't APRS, so I haven't played with it, but I have the app.

Looks like APRS.fi will integrate with Backcountry Navigator. Interesting. I haven't played with that system, but maybe I'll give it a try.

 

[Stephen]

I have the app and I APRS but I've never had a reason to want to try and use the app.

The once or twice I ever cared where anyone else was, the distance, heading and speed display on the radio was sufficient.

But what you want does exist.

Yeah, being in communication is generally good enough. The situation I came across that I thought, "Man, this would be a cool feature" was when we split up to look for a good camp spot. And rather than either having to explain over the radio where the best spot was, or to meet up at a rally point and then go back out to it; we could have all just seen where X person was and made our way to them.

But since you generally travel solo like a boss, not necessary.

 

[4x4_Welder]

I wonder if you could use Google Trusted Contacts to do this? It does require a cell signal for comms, though.

 

[Paul R]

You can use a device that adapts a bluetooth communication between the tablet and HAM radio to use APRSdroid which then integrates to BCN. Gaia does not think there is enough demand to develop. Gaia APRSdroid Feature. I think it is pretty cool tech but haven't invested much into figuring it out and don't really know how much I would use it.

 

[Gravy]

Trail tech Voyager pro

 

[sawtooth4x4]

If you have cell service, and an apple device you can share your position with your friends if you want to. I've done it a few times when my buddy and I were driving around in the UK in separate vehicles and got lost. Worked pretty good within about 20 feet accuracy. Which is good enough for being able to spot them while in traffic.

 

[gijohn40]

while I had an mobile 2mt radio in my jeep I used a cheap baufang set to the aprs freq and used the aprs.fi app. this allowed me the 2mt for comms and the baufang just for aprs.

 

[Stephen]

while I had an mobile 2mt radio in my jeep I used a cheap baufang set to the aprs freq and used the aprs.fi app. this allowed me the 2mt for comms and the baufang just for aprs.

Thats pretty clever.

 

[Cody]

Inreach inbeds location data in messages, and will overlay that on a map for other users to see.

That's super interesting that aprs will overlay onto bcn. I still need to pick up a big boy HAM

 

[LJTim]

I use GPS Kit on iPhone. I love it because I can load many file types (GPX, KMZ and many more). That way I can even edit tracks on google earth if I want to make modifications to a previous map. It also has a function to record a new track. I use this all the time when helping establish a new trail, or a combination of multiple tracks, or for other reasons. What I love about GPS kit is, you can actually see your map on a satellite image, so it is easy to see your proximity to landmarks like rivers, cliffs, big rocks, etc. What I don't like are 2 things. 1- I am unaware of a way to add a mark/pin or landmark feature while recording a new map, or while following an existing map. That needs to be done on google earth (or similar map editing program), then re loaded into the app. 2- You can't view the track you are recording while following another one. You would have to exit the recording track screen to view the map, exit the map, to view the recorded track, and then back. It does however continue recording in the background until you tell it to stop, but it would be nice to see your track in real time next to the track you are following - which is kindof what it sounds like you might want to do.

 

[Stephen]

Inreach inbeds location data in messages, and will overlay that on a map for other users to see.

That's super interesting that aprs will overlay onto bcn. I still need to pick up a big boy HAM

I've looked at the InReach stuff, and it is cool. But, I'm wondering if there is a lower cost option. Looks like APRS + BCN might be the ticket.

I use GPS Kit on iPhone. I love it because I can load many file types (GPX, KMZ and many more). That way I can even edit tracks on google earth if I want to make modifications to a previous map. It also has a function to record a new track. I use this all the time when helping establish a new trail, or a combination of multiple tracks, or for other reasons. What I love about GPS kit is, you can actually see your map on a satellite image, so it is easy to see your proximity to landmarks like rivers, cliffs, big rocks, etc. What I don't like are 2 things. 1- I am unaware of a way to add a mark/pin or landmark feature while recording a new map, or while following an existing map. That needs to be done on google earth (or similar map editing program), then re loaded into the app. 2- You can't view the track you are recording while following another one. You would have to exit the recording track screen to view the map, exit the map, to view the recorded track, and then back. It does however continue recording in the background until you tell it to stop, but it would be nice to see your track in real time next to the track you are following - which is kindof what it sounds like you might want to do.

Never heard of GPS Kit, but it sounds like it does many of the same functions as Gaia and BCN. What I'm mainly looking for is real time position tracking of multiple people on one map.