Looking for a true offline GPS alternative. - General Questions and Answers

There are some places I will be traveling to that I won't have signal. Google seems to currently support map caching of 10 miles. That doesn't help me much at all with how long some of these drives are going to be.
So I'm on the hunt for a true offline GPS solution for my Android phone. I read some reports from early June of this year that Google Nav was getting "true" offline navigational options this summer, but I haven't seen it yet, unless they were playing off the 10 mile map cache feature to be their "true offline" feature (which is just a bad joke if that's true).
So my questions are basically this. Does Google Navigation have TRUE offline navigation yet? Or is that still a work in progress?
If Google Nav is out, what alternatives would you recommend? I want to be able to download the maps and utilize the app against the maps without the need to ever touch wifi or mobile internet (with the exception of initially downloading the maps, of course).
Any suggestions?

Ndrive all the way. I use it since long time and never let me down.

I'll second that works a charm.

iGo user here. also, you can have Google Maps cache multiple areas

Google cache isn't what I want. It seems you can only cache 10 mile blurbs. There are some areas I might be without signal for significantly longer than that.
I'm still trying to find out if Google's offline thing is coming yet or if their cache option is just that. I sure hope not... as it's not a true "offline" GPS solution whatsoever.
Any further suggestions?

Related

Downloading Google Maps for Trip

I have an HTC Hermes (Cingular 8525) and have Google maps on it, I also have a bluetooth GPS receiver. Now, My problem is that I DO NOT HAVE A DATA PLAN... Yes, I have a smart-phone and no dataplan. My university has wall-to-wall (and even a little past the walls) Wifi, so I essentially had free wireless data anyway. Problem is, I'm taking a bit of a road-trip and won't have wireless in the car.
I need a program/app/utility so that I can enter my destination and origin, and it will save the route I'm going to travel on, so that I can have the map showing while driving with the gps updating my location without needing the constant internet connection.
It doesn't have to be google maps, just something that will run without internet.
Thanks!
tomtom is the obvious answer? Not free ofc, or at least, not free in any method I will mention on here..
I've searched a lot for some way of downloading parts of google maps cause i'm in the same situation as you, but with no success.. Seems odd, i would have thought it a really obvious feature to include?
I got myself a copy of tomtom navigator 6, brilliant for directions or just seeing where you are on your route, and no internet connection needed

No GPS Fix - Unless using ATT Nav.

So I know a lot of us (probably you if you're reading) have had tons of problems with the GPS regardless of ROM vesrsion. I've tried several ROMS (currently using Romeros (great)) and several radios (currently .28).
And here's what I've found. GPS will almost never work - except if ATT Nav is running. Then it works every time. However, as we all know, once you log into the Nav - you're being charged. This brings me to my quesiton. Have any of you Moderators / Hackers tried seeing what's in the ATT Nav that's enabling the GPS. I spoke to HTC today and they told me that the phone was designed NOT to work unless ATT Nav is running in the background. So what's that program doing to activate the GPS. And (and I'm not sure if this is how it works) couldn't we just install the app, and take a picture of the used dll's and registry changes to see what it's actually doing - and write a small program to do the same thing?
Thanks,
BZ
My GPS works without even having ATT Nav installed. It just takes awhile to 'warm up'. When I'm planning to use the GPS I will just fire up my map program, iGo or Google Maps and wait. It takes about 2 minutes to start working and then I get good GPS signal until I'm done.
i dont think this is true, since people with the unlocked/unbranded touch pro are having the same gps issues.
cladeus101 said:
My GPS works without even having ATT Nav installed. It just takes awhile to 'warm up'. When I'm planning to use the GPS I will just fire up my map program, iGo or Google Maps and wait. It takes about 2 minutes to start working and then I get good GPS signal until I'm done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. I go out to start the car and the nav program (CoPiolot or google maps) and come back in a couple minutes. THe GPSTest app doesn't seem to get it started any sooner, just tells you what sats it's seeing and the signal strength of each.
Regis
There is a whole thread on this subject with a cab file called GPS Tweaks.cab in it. Installing that CAB file fixed all my GPS issues .. Google, Windows Live Search, iNav all make proper use of the GPS now.
My gps works with google maps..
Launch quickgps, run google maps, it picks up sats in 1-3 mins.
ATT Fuze, stock rom, google maps
having gone through Advanced Configs and changed a few settings on the GPS, my GPS seems to be working perfectly within reason of a GPS on a phone. As long as i am outside or by the window, i get at least 4 sats in no more than 1 minute. most of the times, it is accurate to at least 20 feet if i am not in fast motion (car speed)
No problems here. Stock ROM, never installed AT&T Nav, takes about a minute or so to warm up, and loads Google Maps and Liver Search quickly. Very accurate - right down to standing under a tree in a park.
There's nothing to what you are saying - it must be a coincidence. It's been proven that the GPS is not locked to AT&T Navigator.

Question regarding Google maps navigation

hi, i'm new to this forum.
i purchased a nexus one and im running it on ATT without edge (yet).
now i know that google navigation needs a connection through wifi or data to download the general directions, but does the gps service work through data also? i.e. does the gps connection cost money/ is done through the mobile carrier or is it a connection like a regular gps device that google provides free of charge?
I tried googling this first btw, but could find a clear answer.
thank you
The GPS itself doesn't use data, but loading the maps does.
You'd have to buy and download one of the GPS apps on the Market -- something that stores all the maps on your SD card. Google Maps and Google Navigation stream the maps to your phone through the data connection, so without a data connection you could find your coordinates (since the GPS still functions), but you'd have no idea where those coordinates are.
but the gps use is complementary? google provides the satellite connection for location free of charge?
I've had the gps tracking me while the phone was in airplane mode. I was using one of the GPS speedometers and it seemed to work. That was on my G1, haven't tried it on the nexus yet though.
GPS
GPS has nothing to do with Google or your carrier. GPS coordinate data is a free service provided by the US government to anyone with a compatible device. Like others are saying though, Google Navigation only caches a limited amount of map data on your route, not the whole thing so if you don't have a data connection, you need to buy a different app
i did not realize the US government provided gps services.
i must say i am very impressed by the nexus one a google so far.

GPS?

I just got my g2x and installed EagleBlood on it immediately.
But I noticed there wasn't a stock GPS app?
Is it broken?
If not, what GPS app do you use (that uses the GPS signal since I don't have a data plan)
EggRoll53 said:
I just got my g2x and installed EagleBlood on it immediately.
But I noticed there wasn't a stock GPS app?
Is it broken?
If not, what GPS app do you use (that uses the GPS signal since I don't have a data plan)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not quite understanding your question? Did you download Google Maps from the market...?
mackster248 said:
Not quite understanding your question? Did you download Google Maps from the market...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it have turn by turn GPS?
Do I need wifi or does it use the GPS signal thingy.
Google Maps has turn by turn navigation, but it uses data to load the maps. You'll have to find an app that downloads the maps entirely to the phone if you want to use navigation without data, and they're most likely expensive. Not to mention it'll take up a LOT of space on your phone's memory.
I believe what he's looking for is the navigation app (separate from google maps). I think you may have to install google maps first. Never really looked into this before. Might have to check out google mobile. Gotta eat dinner, then i'll take a look into it if nobody else has by then.
EDIT: Ok, yeah, according to Google, all ya gotta do is download google maps and navigation comes with it. If you don't have a data plan, then yeah, you gotta download maps and get a pricey navigation app (that i'm aware of)
Try CoPilot Live. Turn by turn directions. Loads the maps onto your phone. It can be done state by state or the whole U.S. It does take about a gig to load the U.S. It is the best GPS program I have used. Much better then Google maps does not need a data connection and does not constantly loose the GPS signal like Google Maps/Navigator.
Navigation by Google works wonders. Needs a data connection at first to cache route but then its good.
It downloads all layers and surrounding areas around your route if you get off track. Also grabs POI info along the way.
I tested it on a recent trip and was impressed. Had Airplane mode on the whole way after it synced up.
I've used iGO in the past. Still got a copy that I've never touched in years since Google maps.
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[Q] AGPS over WIFI on Android?

Hi all,
I'm going on holiday and would like to use my Android (Galaxy Tab) for offline navigation. I'd like to keep my GSM module switched off all the time to avoid data roaming charges. I'll do my surfing etc over WIFI where available.
I'd like to use AGPS for a quick satellite fix.
Can I download AGPS satellite data over WIFI, or does this require a GSM (GPRS/UMTS) connection?
How do I manually trigger AGPS download on Android?*
Help is much appreciated!
N.
* On the Windows Mobile devices of old there used to be a program calles "QuickGPS" or similar that would download AGPS satellite data, but I don't see any such option on Android - - ?
Android GPS requires a LIVE data connection to function with realtime navigation, if u are just using Wi-Fi this won't work.
On the other hand, assuming u have a hefty sdcard in your tablet, u could use "sygic GPS" from market, that WILL allow offline GPS.
icenight89,
I'm using Navigon, which keeps map data on board, no data connection required there. Sygic is another option. Google Navigation does require a live connection, but Navigon, Sygic and others do not. Storage required for on-board map data is not all that massive btw, my Navigon maps of Europe require ~ 2 GB.
My question was more on the point of assisted-GPS satellite data. How do I download current satellite data so that my GPS knows where to look (thus getting a quicker satellite fix) if I want to avoid a mobile data connection via GSM?
Once I have a GPS fix, offline satnav is no problem.
Any ideas there?
N.
Android downloads agps data automatically, there is no way to "force" an update. U could try connecting to wifi and then running android nav (google maps/navigation) with GPS enabled, that would cache the new data I presume. That's your only option really
On a side note, I consider 2gb for one sole app a lot, whether its maps or not lol
Um, GPS Test software lets you do this.
syl0n said:
Um, GPS Test software lets you do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Five years later, google lands me on this thread because I too was asking "can I update AGPS over wifi?". (Empirical evidence: I can, because at the trail-head I get a lock in about 10 seconds. On the other hand, maybe it didn't update, and the GPS hardware/antenna is just that good. )
And since answers were given without answering the question, I will keep looking.
But as for GPS Test, it is essential. Prior to using any nav app, I open GPS Test and watch it get a lock, or not, because the satellite display shows me exactly what is going on, as opposed to the nav apps, which just sit there maybe getting a lock maybe not and you have no effing idea why.

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