Any opinions on purchasing a handheld gps or using an old iPhone with navionics to mark fishing spots in bwca? Positives of handheld gps would be battery powered, but would have to buy or download maps. Positives of using an old iPhone is that It is disposable, can hold good charge and battery power bank is useable, dont new a o download maps with navionics.

Questions: with old iPhone will navionics work, show waypoints, and have lake depth contours?

If you've solved the phone's limited battery life, fragility, and lack of waterproofness, you'll be okay. Sure, it will work on your "disposable" iPhone. Not sure on Navionics specifically, but I have an old iPhone 3 (or 4?) that still has several useful, functioning apps installed for 'one trick pony' purposes. May even be worth rigging up a decent holder to mount it on your canoe.

That said, the only things that try to tempt me annually to bring an iPhone into the wilderness are taking better panoramic photos and the Sky Guide and SkyView apps. Haven't yet.

IMO, a handheld unit is far superior to ANY phone, let alone an old model.

I'm sure you'll hear from others who use, and trust, their phones without issues, but I'd guess they've never put them head to head against a dedicated GPS receiver.

I would say that a dedicated GPS is the way to go. A few things are key with any unit you are comparing. Power and memory.

Power on my GPS is easy to change and goes for 18 hours on a set if batteries. Power on any of my phones drain faster than a cold beer at the first bar after my trip. If you take a cell phone you will need a solar charger or a battery of some type.

Memory on my Garmin is only limited to the chip I chose to buy and install. Maps are very easy to install free or the ones you buy. I just put a new chip in mine for different areas or activities.
Maps in an iPhone are an unknown to me so I can't comment.

Most phones are not waterproof. Most hand held GPS units are waterproof, one of my Garmin units actually floats.

My current Garmin has an easy to read screen in the sun too.
Then there is the functions of tracks, routes, waypoints, trackback, computer programs that show where you were with a plot.
I can think of many things a GPS can do that a cell phone could never do. By the way we have a GPS forum here at the bottom of the page you can join.

A dedicated gps is best for our group. Battery life alone and accuracy are enough but hand held units are typically some sort of weather resistant also. If a phone is all you have or can afford to bring it can work if you are lost and need to get your bearings. For tracking and plotting a course it's a gps unit all the way

I use my android phone with the free US TOPO app. Worked very well on the last trip to the Boulder Bay area. There is a tracking option that you can turn on to record your path. The topo map also does show the lake contours and depths. I use it in the airplane mode and also have a small solar charger to recharge the phone when needed.
I do keep it in a water proof pouch - just in case :).

I'll take the side of the iPhone 7 Plus for the following advantages:

1) it's waterproof
2) it's display is larger, and superior to any GPS I have seen
3) it's battery life, when properly configured, is acceptable and is easily supplemented with an external battery and/or solar
4) it pairs with my Vexilar sonarphone transducer, doubling as my fish finder
5) with the sonarphone, Navionics creates a depth map as I paddle
6) Motion-x gps is a very good GPS application
7) The iPhone 7 Plus is a pretty darn good camera, and geotags images
8) I sometimes like to listen to music before falling asleep
8) I can bring reading and videos like first aid, field guides, survival info, pleasure reading etc
9) I can journal and not have to transcribe later
10) I already own one, and don't have to buy a dedicated GPS.
11) ruggedizing/floating cases are available if you want them
12) if solo, I can play cribbage on rainy days.

quote Atb: "I'll take the side of the iPhone 7 Plus for the following advantages:


1) it's waterproof..."

Sure you can make it work, but be careful on that point. Prior to my upgrade last month to an iPhone 7, I did my research: Yes, it will survive some time underwater (unlike previous models)... even take pictures while submerged... but the speakers will suffer badly. And your warrantee is still toast. In other words, you won't lose your data or major functionality, but from that point on it will be very disappointing as a phone. Or for any other audio-related purpose. This comes from a guy whose 6s went for an unexpected swim in January. No, it hasn't woken up yet... :-(

I use a Garmin 62st, mounted to the canoe thwart with a RAM mount. Pouring rain, the occasional fish slime... it's all good. I'd hate to feel the need to provide additional protection against the elements for my device while using it for navigation or fish location.

Fair point schweady. In my case, I use a lifeproof waterproof enclosure which ruggedizes it as well. That and all the canoe specific apps I have are still less for me than investing in a gps. I know it's not for everyone, but it works for me.

Yup. iPhone. Navionics app. Lifeproof case. GoalZero recharging panel. RAM mount.
Could be a winner.

quote schweady: "Yup. iPhone. Navionics app. Lifeproof case. GoalZero recharging panel. RAM mount.
Could be a winner.
"

All that + Vexilar SonarPhone, done and done.

I've used my old iPhone 5s before with navionics for BWCAW and PaddleNav app for the Q. The iPhone was more accurate than my GPS. I don't use a GPS constantly so didn't have any battery issues. Make sure you turn off wi-fi and cellular settings otherwise the battery wears down quick since it will constantly be searching for network signal. I can't remember if the GPS works in airplane mode or not? If it does then that would help on battery life too.

I do like using a GPS dedicated unit, but if I didn't have one already, I'd just use my old iPhone instead of wasting money on a brand new GPS.

T