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Multi-use GPS

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John Saxby:
Martin, I don't have much experience with Garmin, etc., but this is what I use as smartphone & mapping app:

    >  Motorola Moto G phone:  Mine is a first-gen item, bought new a year or so ago. Its uses the Android OS. It's reasonably compact, but the main reason I bought it is that it has a very good battery.  In regular use, mine lasts a couple of days between recharges. The more recent Moto G models have more bells and whistles.  [Appeal to authority here: Our son's uni colleague and business partner, an Italian engineer, pronounced the Moto G (2017 model) to be first-rate, and Paolo's opinion convinced son David of the wisdom of ditching his ageing Samsung and accepting the Moto G as a b'day gift from his parents.]

    >  OSMAnd app:  I got this because it offers offline access to maps, and I don't purchase data in my cheapo prepaid phone plan. (I use WiFi when I have access.)  I've found that OSMAnd works quite well for cycling routes--I use it when I'm in areas I don't know well.  OSMAnd gives you five free downloads for its maps.  You can get the "OSMAnd Plus" app for US$ 5 or 6, and that gives you unlimited access to the various maps.  Some of the maps are quite heavy, but you can of course delete or download as needed, to protect your phone's storage space.

Hope that's helpful -- good luck navigating the e-thicket.

Cheers,  John

martinf:
Thanks John for the smartphone recommendation and another Android app.

Today I had the opportunity to get a nearly new dedicated vehicle GPS for 30 Euros (TomTom Start 40), so I am sorted for driving. It won't do for hiking and cycling (max battery life 2 hours) but I may test it while cycling (on a fine day) to get an idea of what I really want from a hiking/cycling GPS unit. Unlike while driving, I'm pretty sure I don't want a hiking/cycling GPS to talk to me.

I do have a bit of experience with dedicated Garmin hand-held GPS units, IIRC the 62 series with the prominent antenna, but for mapping rather than routing. We used them at work, combined with plasticized aerial photo printouts, before we got the Panasonic Toughpads, mainly to pinpoint rare or invasive flora, sometimes to track boundaries between vegetation types. With good rechargeable AA batteries these Garmin units worked for about 14 hours, so with a spare set of batteries they were OK for 2 or 3 days away from a charger. They were also very tough and survived abuse by my marine biologist colleagues who used them in boats. 

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