gps for van

I would llke to have a gps that can read coordinates, i.e latitude longitude so I can find the off grid meeting places.  any suggestions welcomed.

Most common, turn-by-turn, automotive units that you stick to the windshield have a way to input the lat and long digits as a destination, following roads to get you there.

All trail type, handheld GPS units have this feature, but may or may not have turn-by-turn maps or a highway database.

I use Google Maps on my phone. Put in the coordinates and it places a pin on the spot. It will give you driving directions to get close using roads. If on a trail or non-road, the terrain view when you get close will help with visual navigation. It will show a blue dot (you) at your location relevant to the placed pin.

The Android app Maps.Me is an excellent off-line mapping app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapswithme.maps.pro

I have 2 older handheld GPS units. both are Garmin ones a 45 the other a 65. neither are no longer made. they both do the lon and lat. no maps. I use these extensively for prospecting. I also have a Garmin with maps for vehicle navigation. I would like a handheld with maps but the price, egads. my experience with the smart phone ones are that when you don't have service they are slow, eat your battery up, and are highly inaccurate. highdesertranger

HDR can you recommend an off road or trail app?

I use the USGS maps for back country navigation. Nat Geo sells them by state on CD's or they used to. I can choose the scale, zoom in and out, print maps, tie a GPS into them, save maps, put way points on the maps(this is great when I am running a sampling program), best of all they work off line so if I am in the middle of BFE without a cell signal, I have complete set of detailed maps. I also have several hundred of their paper maps. nothing beats a USGS map. all other maps are based on them. highdesertranger

i've been utilizing a 2nd (1st gen) Samsung galaxy tab 10 with several of the above mentioned android aps. Dig the big screen, no need for net connection (built in GPS) and can take it with us if we sit down in a shop and ponder our next move.

Thom

Google Maps also allows download of an area where you are unlikely to have service. I leave mine plugged into my USB power port in the dash of my van. It can also be setup to use wifi only which will help with the battery issue. As with any GPS device, make sure the road exists before blindly following directions!

I've been using a Garmin Nuvi 2595LMT (no longer made) for about two years and really like it. Since this was my first GPS I didn't want to spend a lot of money so I bought a refurbished unit for about $75.00. It may not have been completely fixed because it shuts off occasionally for no reason but other than that it works perfectly.

I use the coordinate function a lot to enter places that don't have a street address, for example a spot that may be good for boondocking that I found by searching on Google maps, and I also use it to save the coordinates of good places where we've stayed for future reference.

I downloaded a free POI from uscampgrounds.info that has 13,000 public campgrounds. It's very useful but I recommend double checking the information before heading out because some of the coordinates are not correct.

Many forest and desert roads are included along with streams. National forests, state forests, and other park areas are green. BLM land is not marked.

It has life time maps but I had to get a micro memory card for the last map update.

highdesertranger said:

 best of all they work off line so if I am in the middle of BFE without a cell signal,  I have complete set of detailed maps.

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BFE... Your knack for relaying information with humor has me laugh out loud, thanks for both

the GPS app Copilot works Very good - no internet connection nessarry