Navigation when the cell signal ends with the Dual SkyPro XGPS160 GPS Receiver

I find there is nothing more enjoyable than planning a trip using paper maps. You can get a feel for where you’re going and how long it will take. You can plan your own route or retrace the steps of a famous explorer on a known route. Maps are a great planning tool. Their only real downfall is they are limited to telling you what is there but not where you are. This is a critical missing piece when you’re in the back country and wondering, “Where am I?”

Portable GPS units have done a great job of providing this critical piece of information. They are light, portable, and weatherproof. However, their largest potential downfall is their size. Units are so small that vehicle use is often prohibitively difficult because the screen is a blur as we traverse the trail. Simply trying to read them becomes a chore.

Tablets and smart phones are an alternative as these items have a larger screen, making them much easier to read while navigating a trail. Of course, you must have cell reception or another method of telling the unit where you are located, otherwise the maps will drop off and the device can’t accurately display the critical item which is, “Where am I?” Enter the Dual SkyPro XGPS160 GPS Receiver. It’s a GPS receiver with Bluetooth technology that communicates your position to up to five Android and iPad tablets, laptop computers, or any device with Bluetooth capability at once.

I used the device with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.0 in a seven inch screen size and mounted it in our Jeep Wrangler on a Ram Mount which held the tablet securely and allowed full functionality, including the power cord for keeping it charged. The Dual receiver was on the dash and linked wirelessly to the tablet. I had previously downloaded Gaia GPS Maps and loaded the area we would be at onto the tablet. The cool thing about Gaia is you can grab an area as large as you can store and as long as you’re within that area, the Dual will show you where you are. It also provides TOPO, street and satellite imagery…whatever suits your situation.

The Dual GPS receiver works with the US GPS system as well as the Russian GLONASS system, allowing the unit to work wherever you are on the globe. It’s provided with a USB cord and a 12-volt adapter for your car; it works on 12-30 volt systems and will run up to 10 hours on its internal battery. The device is small enough to carry in your pack or on an armband and it works great in your trail rig, on your motorcycle, in a high flying aircraft, or while hiking in the backcountry. It’s a truly “go anywhere” device. Street price is around $150.

Resources:
Dual XGPS160 SkyPro GPS Receiver
www.GPS.dualav.com

Gaia GPS
www.gaiagps.com

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