Gaia GPS

My An Arkie's Faith column from the February 9, 2022, issue of The Polk County Pulse. 

One of my favorite things to do is drive the back roads of Arkansas. I love the adventure and scenery. When I see a road, I always wonder where it goes. Sometimes exploring a new road can be quite an adventure. When traveling a rural Arkansas road, you often don’t know where you will end up.

I like to watch videos of people traveling the back roads of Arkansas on YouTube. Several YouTubers that I watch recommended the Gaia GPS app to help navigate back roads. I purchased the app thinking it would be nice to have detailed maps of backcountry and Forest Service roads downloaded to my phone. I started using the app and enjoyed the tracking feature that records my back road adventures.

After using the app for several weeks, I found one shortcoming; The small screen of my phone made it hard for me to see a large enough portion of the map to plan a route. I decided to download the app to my iPad to have a larger screen. On my first outing with the iPad, I was disappointed. The app didn’t work. I could see the map but could not see where I was, nor could I record where I had been. 

When I returned home, I began researching the problem. I discovered that iPads with the cellular option have an embedded GPS, but the WiFi-only iPads do not. My iPad is WiFi-only, so it doesn’t have an embedded GPS. I found that the only way that my iPad will work with the Gaia app is if I purchase an external GPS.

After more internet research, I purchased the Dual Electronics XGPS150A Multipurpose Portable Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver. Both pilots and overlanders recommended the unit. When I received the device, I was surprised by how small it was, two inches square and three-quarters of an inch tall. I couldn’t wait for my next backcountry adventure so that I could try it out.

But my next trip was another disappointment. The Dual GPS still didn’t work with my iPad. I was very frustrated because I would be in Big Bend National Park in Texas in two weeks, and there is no cell service there. The only way I would have access to maps on my electronic devices would be to get the Dual GPS working. 

Back home, I tried to troubleshoot the problem. On the Gaia app website, I found an article titled, “Using External GPS Devices with Gaia GPS.” One heading in the article was, “Pairing - Download the companion apps for these devices that confirm that the devices have properly connected.” One of the lines under the heading was the companion app for the Dual Electronics XGPS and the app’s link. “Perfect,” I thought, ‘this will give me the exact information that I need.”  

That weekend we made a trip to the top of Eagle Mountain on Saturday, and then on Sunday, we went to our favorite spot on the Cossatot River and spent several hours just relaxing by the river. As beautiful as it was, I was in a bit of a bad mood because my app still did not connect with my GPS. “What was I going to do,” I thought. “I am just about out of ideas.” I started watching videos of people using their Dual GPS with WiFi-only iPads. They would explain all kinds of things, but the GPS connected automatically to the iPad, and they never discussed it.

While researching the problem, I found a link to the Dual GPS user manual. Like many electronics these days, the device did not come with a manual. I downloaded the manual and started reading every word from the beginning. After a few pages, I read a section that said, “the mode switch must be set for the device you want to use the XGPS150 with. With the tip of a fine ballpoint pen, move the mode switch to the proper position: If you are using the XGPS150 with an iPad, slide the switch right, away from the USB connector.” The manual included a photo that showed a tiny unmarked switch next to the charging port. 

After following the instructions and changing the position of the tiny unmarked switch, I went on a short drive to test the GPS. I was delighted when everything worked properly. I had spent many hours trying to figure out why the GPS wasn’t working, and all that was needed was to change the position of a tiny switch. Now I can navigate Big Bend National Park and not worry about getting lost.

Have you taken any wrong turns in your life? Have you been on any bad roads? Have you ever been lost? How do you know which route to take? Having a good GPS can be very helpful. In Psalms 25:4 (NLT), the Bible says, “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.” That sounds like a GPS. God will point out the right road for us to follow. You can trust him. You might not always trust your GPS, but you can always trust God. No matter how knowledgeable you are, you aren’t the best navigator for your life. Proverbs 14:12 (VOICE) tells us, “before every person lies a road that seems to be right, but the end of that road is death and destruction.”

Gentle Reader, one of the advantages of being a Christian is having a knowledgeable navigator to guide us through this life to our eternal destination. Solomon explained it well in Proverbs 20:24 (VOICE), “Every one of our steps is directed by Him; so how can we attempt to figure out our own way?” Why would we decide not to listen to the best guide there is and use our judgment instead? The only reliable GPS for our spiritual life is God’s word. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalms 119:105 (NLT) I hope that you and I will be able to say what David said in Psalms 73:23-25 (NET). “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me by your wise advice, and then you will lead me to a position of honor. Whom do I have in heaven but you? On earth there is no one I desire but you.”