Trimble offers Android Outdoors application

[kgibbs51]

Originally Posted by Tyrell

Many apps can mark waypoints, including all the geocaching ones. The G1's camera and GPS receiver quality are only fair at best, though, and limited battery life with all the radios running is a killer for field work. A handheld GPS receiver with camera buys a better receiver and other features. If photo quality is a priority, there are several cameras with built-in GPS receivers. Depends on exactly what you are doing.

Really? What aps are those that allow waypoints? I can't make them in the Google Maps ap for Android. I'm sure there is some ap that will allow this but I'm unaware of it.

I also have a Trimble submeter XT but it doesn't allow all the functionality that the G1 may offer. I'm not worried about battery life since field work is done out of the car and we can supply chargers. I'm not concerned as much about the camera as we don't need hi-res images. We're only counting cigarette billboards and other bigger window dressing ads.

Sure a handheld GPS would be more accurate and there are plenty of GPS cameras but they all cost $400+. So then we'd need to give field staff a cell phone, a GPS, a camera (or post process images to georeferencing), and a laptop.

I'm hoping we can give them a smart phone that can do all this to keep costs down. Data entry forms will be sized to fit the touchscreen. All airline and travel will be completed at the back office but we'd want them to check flight status, rental car reservations, and of course email.

Plus we'd be able to use Latitude to track their progress. If we can download tracks and waypoints from them remotely then we'll have immediate data access from the waypoint locations and we might be able to use tracks to validate their work.