GPS Hardware / Software for Surface 3?

[midgrade]

I received a Surface 3 (not pro) for Christmas this year, but I am afraid I will have to return it because of the lack of GPS. The main thing I need it for is locating real estate parcels. I use Google Maps / Earth extensively. I need to enter GPS points, draw polygons to show where the parcels are, and see my GPS position in real time, as I locate them in the field. I've been doing all of these things with my Android phone, but the screen is just too small, and I need to upgrade.

I'd like to keep the Surface, as I like the ability to run full Windows, but if I can't create maps and track my location in real time, it's useless to me. I know I can add an external GPS receiver, but are there any mapping programs available that do everything that Google Maps / Earth does?

Alternatively, I see that there's an Android app that allows you to use your phone as an external GPS over Bluetooth. Since the GPS signal on the phone is based on data/wifi/and GPS, if I connected to the phone's GPS/Data, then ran Google Maps on the Surface, would it be able to give real time location information as if it were running on a wireless data connection (because technically, it would be)?

 

[jnjroach]

Did you get one with LTE? If yes, then your map apps should work, If not you can pickup a small USB GPS dongle, we have threads on the subject, search the forum for GPS.

 

[midgrade]

I just have the Wifi version. I saw all of the threads about adding the external GPS - I'm good with that, but nothing addresses mapping software that will perform the functions I am looking for. Google Maps will not provide real time location without a data connection in conjunction with GPS, so I need software that will allow me to edit and draw on maps, then plot my real time location on that map, using only the external GPS dongle without a 4G/3G data connection.

 

[leeshor]

Maybe this will help with the Google Maps, off-line.
How to Save Google Maps Offline