GPS

Matt_Colie wrote:

Babcock,

I hate to disappoint you, but there are many "smartphones" that do not actually have a real GPS built in. They fake it by using a thing called "E-location" service. This is simple and it is what the cell phone system has used all along to locate a user that is traveling so the system can know which cell to hand you off to. It was later in cell handset history that the towers have made this available to the handset to use for its own purposes.

This is something I learned all about when the handset I had been using failed its charging port and I had to pick up a replacement on the fly and what I got was as cheap as could get my by. When we ran out of cell coverage, it also stopped being a GPS. Fortunately, the real GPS knew where we were.

Matt

Sorry...very few phones are made without GPS chips these days if not all. In fact, a GPS receiver is pretty much a necessity for a phone to have enough accuracy to meet the requirements of E911. I am an EE and designed cellular base station radio heads and my friend works for one of the companies that makes the GPS chips that are used in the phones. You are very mistaken.

Real GPS does not rely on or need a cell line.

babock wrote:
GPS works fine without a cell signal. Every cell phone has a GPS receiver in it. The problem is you won't have a map unless you load it for offline use. You can do that with Google. I do it all the time in Europe and all I am using is Wi-Fi at hotels to always make sure I have the area I am going to be in downloaded.

Babcock,

I hate to disappoint you, but there are many "smartphones" that do not actually have a real GPS built in. They fake it by using a thing called "E-location" service. This is simple and it is what the cell phone system has used all along to locate a user that is traveling so the system can know which cell to hand you off to. It was later in cell handset history that the towers have made this available to the handset to use for its own purposes.

This is something I learned all about when the handset I had been using failed its charging port and I had to pick up a replacement on the fly and what I got was as cheap as could get my by. When we ran out of cell coverage, it also stopped being a GPS. Fortunately, the real GPS knew where we were.

Matt

You can load multiple maps on Google before a trip. I loaded my 4 day trip from FL to MI that covered the entire route.
If you are hoping to use your older phone as a GPS only unit you can end the cellular service and use a local WiFi connection to load the Google Maps data to the phone and then it becomes a stand alone GPS for your travels. What you do lose is the traffic data which I find to be extremely valuable. The traffic data has saved me from sitting on the Interstate for hours twice now and it only required a minor detour through town to get to the next exit or a few exits down.

This is easily solved by loading an offline mapping system. Sygic, and CoPilot are two good one ones...

At least for me I have found Google Maps only allow a small area to be pre-downloaded, something about 150x150 miles, which may not span even a moderate days worth of driving distance.

GPS works fine without a cell signal. Every cell phone has a GPS receiver in it. The problem is you won't have a map unless you load it for offline use. You can do that with Google. I do it all the time in Europe and all I am using is Wi-Fi at hotels to always make sure I have the area I am going to be in downloaded.

Hi,

Kind of both. Once you create a map, the cell signal can be lost but the map will continue to work. If you try to make a change--then that map will disappear and not be available until there is cell service.

It is possible to download a local area map, but I don't know if a route can be created without cell service.