Cell Phone Maps

[jackandh2o]

Does anyone use cell phones apps for driving directions or does one need a separate unit like Magellan or TomTom


Thanks

Ray

[holstein13]

strollin wrote:

hawkeye-08 wrote:
You can download Google maps (the data files) when needed so you don't need data services later. We go places where there is no service on cell phone, so need to remember to download. I forgot last time and pulled out the Garmin to map our travels..

I use Google maps for local trips and it works very well for that. I tell Google where to navigate to, then turn the phone's screen off and put it in my shirt pocket. Google guides me via voice announcements and I never need to look at the screen.

Unless something has changed in the Google maps app that I'm not aware of, it will only let you download about a 10 mile section of map so if your route is longer than 10 miles, you're out of luck.

Technically, you are correct, but there is no reason you can't download several smaller maps vs. one big one.

[strollin]

hawkeye-08 wrote:
You can download Google maps (the data files) when needed so you don't need data services later. We go places where there is no service on cell phone, so need to remember to download. I forgot last time and pulled out the Garmin to map our travels..

I use Google maps for local trips and it works very well for that. I tell Google where to navigate to, then turn the phone's screen off and put it in my shirt pocket. Google guides me via voice announcements and I never need to look at the screen.

Unless something has changed in the Google maps app that I'm not aware of, it will only let you download about a 10 mile section of map so if your route is longer than 10 miles, you're out of luck.

[Matt_Colie]

I get asked about this a lot, maybe because I used to wear a name tag that said "Navigator".

Cell phone and particularly Google and Waze are good as long as you have coverage. We travel strange places and even with Verizon Coverage and a 38dB gain repeater, will still loose coverage and that often for 50~100 miles. If you don't get off the beaten path, you don't need more.

We run with three GPS. Not really a geek, but as I am a navigator, old habits die hard. It goes like this:
There is a 2595 on the dash for the driver. It was loaded with the day's route before the main engine started.
There is the Droid in the repeater cradle that will be running either Google Maps and/or Waze (Waze is useless outside of urban areas), and it is also being a hotspot.
The laptop in front of the navigator will be running Street Atlas real time from a GPS puck and GasBuddy (easier on the big screen). SA tells us where to think about fuel and what may be a good place to overnight. SA on the laptop also has the entire excursion plan. All of it, and many of the projected stops. That carefully arranged plan is usually pretty good from departure until noon of the next day. After that, changes are regularly required because we discovered someplace we never knew we wanted to see or some place we had read about, included a several hour stop, and on seeing it decided against even slowing down.

Needless to say, the separate driver and navigator jobs makes travel much more pleasant. Either can do either.

Don't like to have DW drive??? Get over it.

Matt

[Gjac]

After owning several Garmin's and wanting another with RV routing and faced with another $400 purchase for the Garmin 760 I decided to try the Copilot App for $6.99 first. It has the RV routing, low bridge routing and no propane tunnels. After using it for a trip out west I would never go back to the stand alone Garmin and worry about battery, map updates and hardware replacement. I downloaded Waze on my wife's phone for traffic and also use her phone for POI's. I found each system has its advantage. If you down load the Copilot app to your phone it is a standalone GPS and uses no data but takes up 2 GB of storage.

[paulcardoza]

Big fan of WAZE here. Good routing, takes traffic into account and re-routes if necessary. Advises of road hazards, crashes, speed-traps, etc. Is FREEEEEE!

[Hank_MI]

I've used both and prefer the phone, google maps. If I deliberately want to follow a different route google adjusts immediately to the new route. Garmin will go "Recalculating" and try to direct you back to the original route. Eventually it figures it out, "Recalculating" and goes with the new route but it's pretty annoying sometimes. I've also had the Garmin send me off in the wrong direction even though I keep the maps up to date. I do like to use the Garmin in map view so I have an idea of where I am and what's coming up.

[p220sigman]

I use both depending on the situation. I generally use the Garmin on the road due to its bigger screen. If I'm somewhere and just need quick directions, I'll use the phone. I've had problems with both leading me to a business/restaurant that was closed and had been for some time, so I don't know that the maps in one is any better than the maps in another.

[NoVa_RT]

Just use the I-Phone maps. Works fine. I normally check the route before leaving, so I pretty much know what to expect. I'm in Class B, so I don't have to worry about low bridges, either.

[holstein13]

I downloaded Rand Mcnally RV GPS to my tablet as a backup. It has bridge heights and campground information on it. On my phone I typically use Waze or Google maps if I have cell coverage.

If coverage is spotty, I'll use CoPilot USA or Navigon.

[wcjeep]

We have Verizon with cell phone booster. It's very rare we have no service. For directions we use Google Maps. It's very good and upto date. Google Maps is very good about telling which lane to be in for upcoming exits. For traffic info Waze works great. It's crowd sourced. Meaning other users report accidents, debris and slowdowns. Waze navigation is not as good as Google Maps. Google did buy Waze 2 or 3 yrs ago.

[Naio]

I use cell phone google maps, with backup paper maps.

If I am going to be out of cell range (often) I make notes to myself on an actual notebook, keep it next to me on the seat. 'L on 156, go 10 miles, R on 32' etc. Yeah, I am old school.

I also hate to use google maps on my computer. Even if I am doing something on the computer, like reading a trip report here that talks about a place I want to look up on the map, I pick up my phone to do it.

And I LOVE that I can type in 'tires' or 'Walmart' or whatever and see all the locations nearby.

Google is kind of weird about campgrounds, though. They miss some. And if you type in 'RV park' they also show you mobile home parks... which may or may not accept overnighters.

[hawkeye-08]

You can download Google maps (the data files) when needed so you don't need data services later. We go places where there is no service on cell phone, so need to remember to download. I forgot last time and pulled out the Garmin to map our travels..

[filthy_beast]

I am using Copilot. I have it installed on both my iPad and iPhone. I use the iPhone for local directions and the iPad when we are traveling. Maps are loaded onto your device and do not need a data connection to work. I have been very happy with it.

[Ron3rd]

I use either Google Maps or my Garmin GPS. Google maps has some nice features my very old Garmin does not have.