View Full Version : A good outdoor mobile phone? Suggestions please
I have a Nokia 5140 (http://www.nokia.co.uk/A4221081) which is an excellent phone for outdoor use but I'd like some of the new features that are being crammed into phones in these modern times.
Mrs Rebel recently got a Nokia N95 (http://www.nokia.co.uk/A4275003) and I like many of the features on it. Built in GPS/Sat Nav, can read PDF files, make audio notes, play MP3 files, store and display photos, etc. It even has a halfway decent camera.
However it looks very fragile. I can see me destroying this phone in a very short period of time. With my 5140 I can stand out in the rain talking on it, drop it off ladders onto concrete, drop it in the toilet bowl, lend it to the kids, stand on it and generally abuse it and it keeps on going.
Are there any phones with the ruggedness of the 5140 with the mod cons of the N95?
I don't know to be honest - I thought my phone had gone ridiculously high tech when
a camera appeared on it, I'd previously had a 'brick'.
Didn't know they had GPS on them now - I can see how that would be useful although
I've no clue how to use that technology.
Apart from the ruggedness of the casing (which presumably can be improved with
an over-case?) if you want a signal I suppose you have to be near-ish to a transmitter.
I'd have thought people would want to use the little radio talkie thingies that Maplin
sell (everywhere else sells them too of course but Maplin is wonderful) as they sound
the most fun.
Hmmmm, Same for me Rebel....As well as loving the outdoors for playing, I am a builder and have to deal with dust and damp and drops etc...I have had the builders phones like the 5140 which I thought was rubbish compared to the older 5210, which was much easier to take off the shell, was more water and dust proof, so more robust...I have had many other phones with more features, but they all break. I now have a more up to date phone, an orbit x9 pda phone, it has gps and camera etc etc, but I bought a silicon case for it so it will now take a bump or two (I hope). I also have a waterproof (and dustproof) bag for it too, so I am hoping this one will last. Thing I like about it, is it beeps at me to remind me to go look at a job or go to the dentist etc....
So, I say, get the phone you want, but protect it....
I dunno, the more gizmos they add, the more battery power the thing will chew up.
I'd be tempted with a motorola motofone f3 (http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=164 ), cheap (~30quid) so not too bothered when it gets smashed, built from the ground up to have a long battery life, 400hrs standby, 450mins talk.
Gailainne
30-05-2007, 19:24
I have the Nokia n73 the music version, first thing I did was get a crystal case for it (check amazon), also a spare battery and two 2 gigabyte sd cards.
I drop it all the time :o (lives in the top pocket of my shirt), the crystal case is well beaten up but the phone is still pristine.
I installed Tomtom so with a GPS reciever it is great for car satnav.
And it has around 4.5 days worth of music stored on an 2gig sd card (still room for more, or pictures, 3.2 megapixel camera and flash).
I can check my email, log online and google, or check out threads on BCUK :D.
The N95 is the next generation, better camera, built in GPS, the office package is better too I believe.
There are some very robust cases out there guys, should more than cater for your needs.
Theres a sealed neoprene one some company makes which would suit you guys well, I'll see if I can find a link.
I also just took delivery of a solar recharger "freeloader" :cool: I'm off to the sticks for 2 weeks and need to keep in touch at home. Hopefully it will work out and charge various bits of electronics including the mobile that I'm taking with me.
Stephen
Casio do a rugged phone, the G'Zone, http://www.casiogzone.com/ , just don't seem to be able to get it over here.
Theres a sealed neoprene one some company makes which would suit you guys well, I'll see if I can find a link. Yes Please...
I also just took delivery of a solar recharger "freeloader" :cool: I'm off to the sticks for 2 weeks and need to keep in touch at home. Hopefully it will work out and charge various bits of electronics including the mobile that I'm taking with me.
Stephen
I would also be interested to hear about how the solar charger does....
Casio do a rugged phone, the G'Zone, http://www.casiogzone.com/ , just don't seem to be able to get it over here.
That one looks good....
I have had the 5140 the 5210 and the one before(don't recall the model number, 5100?) and the most rugged by far was the first one . It was properly sealed, compact and had a "suspension" system to protect the innards. I found the 5140 only looked ruggedized and the"seal" was none existent. I now have the N80 and can't wait to change it, it is a slide phone and it is forever unlocking in my pocket has lots of features that I don't use, is very fragile but has an excellent camera, it is great for the internet( if you can afford to use it, I changed the settings to stop internet usage when I got my bill, two or thre times my normal bill and I had just looked at a couple of pages to try it out:eek: ) if you are around an office it would be ok but is useless outdoors,slightest moisture stops it working. I bought a case for it, that helped but didn't stop the accidental useage, and found I couldn't get it out of my pocket and out of the case in time to answer calls.
I remember seeing a neoprene case made by body glove a few years ago that was a good design and gave good protection to your phone with easy access, it was proper wetsuit material, been looking for one for years but the only body glove cases I find now seem to be flimsy plastic affairs.
So I am on the look out now for the same thing, preferably Nokia, I am used to their system and have found them reliable, I have had three models of motorola in the past and they have all had faults(had one model of phone exchanged 6 times before I insisted on a different model, then was told it was"an upgrade" and they wouldn't swap it again as I had exchanged my phone too often, I swapped provider:( )
Gailainne
30-05-2007, 20:30
http://www.body-glove.com/?gclid=CJ_cm7jPtowCFRWOEgodoCM CSg (Bodyglove)
Bodyglove was what I was thinking about Goose
specifically for my phone https://www.directmobileaccessories.co .uk/product_info.php?cPath=4134_50 22&products_id=4384
Your link doesn't work, http://www.bodyglove.com/ this one might.
Still couldn't find the one I saw a few years ago though, most of those have the corners cut out, that is the bit that needs more protection. I think a lot of the stuff goes for "form over function", it might look better but it protects less and is probably more expensive to produce!:rolleyes:
fred gordon
30-05-2007, 20:51
I would have thought the ideal phone for a Bushcrafer was a Blackberry.:D
The Casio phone does look good. It seems like the Sat Nav is an optional extra though and it only has up to 128MB memory (the Nokia has 2 gig).
I could be wrong but I think the Bodyglove looks more stylish than truly functional. Perhaps there are some good covers out there that would protect the phone and allow it to be used also. ie Without having to remove it from the cover.
The advantage for me of something like the N95 is that I could probably squeeze it out of the phone company as a "free" upgrade.
Gailainne
30-05-2007, 22:12
Hmm pity about the neoprene bodyglove, it sounded like a good idea :( the crystal cases however, do stand up to a lot of abuse, they aint dust proof tho, the only solution to that is a water resistant phone, and there are some out there, or a water resistant cover, again there are some out there, but a zippo bag will do that for you.
The reason I like my crystal case, apart from the fact is saves my phone everytime I drop it :( is I can use all the functions while its fitted, recharge, recharge while in the car cradle doing "at the next junction turn left stuff" and it lets me use the camera, which has a slide protector plate. I had an E65, liked the qwerty keyboard, didnt like the size, sold it. I like the N95 dont like the price, maybe next year.
BTW Goose which link doesnt work ? I just tried both and they work for me.
Maxpedition recently announced their new product lines for summer '07, and had some good looking phone holders.
http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/viewContent.asp?idpage=8
#0107 #0108 #0109 #0110
Perhaps with a skin (mobile phone condom thing) http://www.skins-mobile.com/main.aspx to keep it waterproof.
That Casio one looks good if you can get it over here. As for the Nokia N95 you'd need to take a spare rucksack along for that alone, why do Nokia makes such bricks?
My tip would be to get a silicon case for whatever phone you get they really do stop phones from being damaged and when I had one with my old Sony Ericsson K750i it literally bounced when I dropped it.
This place does a selection of silicon cases for various phones:
http://www.pivothk.com/shop/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=8803894f9516f70036308bc 4310cb19a
have a look at the nokia 5500. Same line but a bit more up to date
I've just got a Motorola C115 http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=73
It's small, has good battery life and only cost me 10£. I just put it in a ziplock bag to waterproof it. I can talk while it's in the ziplock bag, it doesn't seem to stop any noise.
Only thing is the ziplock bag does rip apart after a while.. But then again, the phone was cheap.. it's also built strong enough.
Doesn't have the camera and other features though, it's just a phone.
I have been looking some time ago for a strong waterproof phone as well. For my girlfriend as she doesn't care for things so well so phones do brake now and then.. So she got a 5210 but it did not survive sitting in her bag while the rain was pooring down.. I'm not impressed with nokia 5410 either. Seems like it's maybe 20% more water resistant then normal phones.. Not very useful.
I did see waterproof phones on the internet:
casio gzone : http://www.mobilewhack.com/reviews/casio_gzone_w42ca_cell_phone.h tml
ericson 310 and r250 was a phone which was built bombproof and waterproof, bit old though..: http://www.mobile-review.com/phonemodels/ericsson/ericson-r250-en.shtml
I just ended up buying the cheapest phone I could find with decent battery..
greetings, gunnar
neoxerox
31-05-2007, 14:40
Hi,
i've had the 5210 (first nokia outdoor phone) which was great for a couple of years until the software just went nuts,
I then moved onto the 5410 ( 2nd outdoor phone), this was awesome, until i lost it powerkiting in a long grass field, and it was on silent - DOH
Moving onto my current phone - the nokia 5500, which is the latest outdoor phone by them.
I've had it since september and it's not let me down, it's been sailing with me (in a wproof bag), mountaineering up ben nevis in winter (when i forgot my wproof bag), countless wet bike rides and hikes, every day in my pocket and it still looks near perfect.
The 5500 is also technically a "smartphone" in that it runs symbian s60 3rd edition, meaning that you can put all sorts of software on it. I have put tomtom navigator on it and it works fine! There is some GPS sofware included with the phone also, for using as a waypoint marker etc (of course you need to get a bluetooth GPS device to connect to).
The battery is not the greatest due to the usage requirements of being a smartphone, but it is not unacceptable.
I'd reccomend it to anyone. - couple of deals i found here: http://student-mobile-deals.com/display.asp?search=5500&showdeals=75
Just talking to a vodafone bod on IRC. He says they stopped selling casio gzones as they had been discontinued, and imagines something is about to replace them.
Seeing as there are various models of GZones (Type-R etc ) presumably newer model perhaps.
william#
31-05-2007, 15:34
mmmm gps phone
sadly i upgraded b4 they were available but as mentioned already bet they are hungry on the power.
i sudgest making a gord or bowls of some kind then spend a a few days making cordiage and have hammock to hammock comuniction
lol
but i have got a gps (actually i have 2 the first i got off ebay and was ripped off again on ebay as the base map was usa)
i have played with gps quiet a bit the past few years but have found limited use for them great for on the sea as the signal is pretty good there .though the gps now are using waas egos has certainly made the signal aquireing quicker.
i have found them great for night treks the down side being that u need to use a program like memory map to plot an acurate set of wey points so as to be able to use the gps exclusivly (memory map is a bit pricey too,and with the limited memory on a gps you need your pc or lap top to hand to load new routes.
topo uk is a relief map of the uk that yu can load on to your gps - again limited memory means you can only load bits of the uk at a time so again you may need your lappy .
geocasche now this is where they really become a bit more fun - for those of you who dont know its a global game where people hide boxes and you can download the coordinates from the net and go find them in your local area (or indeed create your own for others ).
and i heard this is available for the new phone gps .
when you take in to acount the cost of a handset the software needed to really get the most out of the things battery llife and that often you can not get a good fix if one at all in tree cover or in built up areas or valleys you are still better off with a local map which is a fraction of the cost and no big drama if gets damaged or lost.
will i continue to use the gps well yes ive spent tons on the thing with software , wish i never started - hell yes
optomistic about phone gps
nope
For a good basic phone with no frills but a really good battery life and reception, I use an old Nokia 3310. No GPS, but it gets signals my fancy Motorola or my lads Sony can't, and the battery just goes on forever. You can pick them up for pennies on eBay
The Nokia 5500 (http://www.nokia.co.uk/A4221003) does look pretty good. I did rather fancy having GPS/Sat Nav built in though and the 5500 doesn't seem to have that. Still it's worth considering.
With the N95 it's possible to download street maps of many countries around the world and store them on the phone for no extra charge via your computer and a broadband connection. So far I've downloaded England (which is about 90MB and downloads very slowly onto the phone via USB - the phone can store 2GB of data). This is just the basic street maps and doesn't get into topographic mapping.
GPS data can be accessed as well but you have to go through a few arcane menus to get to it. Fixing is a bit on the slow side but not too bad. I haven't tried it in anything other than fairly open space. (It is SWMBOs so I can't play with it too much :rolleyes: :D )
Personally I think it's handy to have an all in one solution - music, radio, dictaphone, notepad, camera, video, sat nav, organizer, phone, etc - that fits in my pocket. I realize it doesn't do all its tricks quite as professionally as dedicated units but it does them okay and good enough for me in many situations.
not meaning to hijack the thread, but could your recommend a good first gps unit william#
w00dsmoke
01-06-2007, 06:31
Hi,
Moving onto my current phone - the nokia 5500, which is the latest outdoor phone by them.
I've had it since september and it's not let me down, it's been sailing with me (in a wproof bag), mountaineering up ben nevis in winter (when i forgot my wproof bag), countless wet bike rides and hikes, every day in my pocket and it still looks near perfect.
The 5500 is also technically a "smartphone" in that it runs symbian s60 3rd edition, meaning that you can put all sorts of software on it. I have put tomtom navigator on it and it works fine! There is some GPS sofware included with the phone also, for using as a waypoint marker etc (of course you need to get a bluetooth GPS device to connect to).
The battery is not the greatest due to the usage requirements of being a smartphone, but it is not unacceptable.
I'd reccomend it to anyone. - couple of deals i found here: http://student-mobile-deals.com/display.asp?search=5500&showdeals=75
This is the phone I've used since it came out. Only because I had my 5540 knicked and I needed a replacement. I use it canoeing without a waterproof bag...:) and it's always been fine although I've not submerged it as yet! Ok it does use an awful lot of power up but hey it lasts a long weekend camping so thats good enough for me. I prefer my old rubber armoured 5540 but this has some cool extras I like like cammera and radio too.
How about getting an Otterbox for your phone?
http://www.otterbox.com/
Great stuff, altho your phone gets somewhat bulkier.
I work on mobiles all day and would definatly recommend the Nokia 5500 sport as a great outdoor phone. I usually switch to using this if I'm outside doing stuff.
I'dropped it over a balcony in the office onto a hard floor 15ft below and it's just bounced!!
It got a reasonable 2mp camera too.
mrstorey
01-06-2007, 14:26
I'd recommend the Orange Smartphone SPV C500 (or similar). You can run Memory Map Pocket Navigator on it so you can view proper OS digital maps on your phone. Very cool. And if you get an external GPS unit for it, it can do anything that the N95 can do.
clcuckow
01-06-2007, 14:36
I have got a Mio A701 (http://www.mio-tech.be/en/gps-navigation-products-a701-overview.htm) GPS smart phone and just love the fact that I use TomTom to navigate to the place I want to walk then switch to memory map and use it as a rolling map. The only thing agin it is that the GPS eats the battery so I have add a Free Loader (http://www.solartechnology.co.uk/products/Solar_chargers/freeloader.asp)which is a really great bit of kit as an alternative power source.
They are both pretty solid but I still keep my 'phone' in a berghaus gps case.
i use a pda phone the O2 exec which runs windows so is very versatile pdf exel word etc etc
run memory map for maps i have all uk in 1:25000 as well as 1:50000 on my main PC
this one does need a separate blue tooth GPS reciver :(
the new O2 orbit has one built in but ia a smaller screen :( :rolleyes:
anthonyyy
01-06-2007, 17:46
I like to put my phone in a waterproof phone bag. You can so easily ruin a phone in the great outdoors.