Sat nav or maps on phones?

[Kim and Phil]

Hello all

Been having a lovely time in France and weather fab, however the Sat nav has literally just died. Not a catastrophe as quite capable of reading a map and have our mobiles for Google maps.
My question is should we replace Sat nav, if so which one is best? Obviously if using using phone there are data considerations (my network currently still within my allowance in France). We have a Tom Tom with free lifetime map updates (now dead) but I wasn’t that impressed; couldn’t define vehicle parameters so had to be careful of planned route, especially when recently leaving Rouen (thank goodness we’d seen that thread) and it has lead us to a couple of dirt tracks recently (even though no unpaved roads was clearly selected). Any recommendations gratefully received!

 

[jongood]

Hello all

Been having a lovely time in France and weather fab, however the Sat nav has literally just died. Not a catastrophe as quite capable of reading a map and have our mobiles for Google maps.
My question is should we replace Sat nav, if so which one is best? Obviously if using using phone there are data considerations (my network currently still within my allowance in France). We have a Tom Tom with free lifetime map updates (now dead) but I wasn’t that impressed; couldn’t define vehicle parameters so had to be careful of planned route, especially when recently leaving Rouen (thank goodness we’d seen that thread) and it has lead us to a couple of dirt tracks recently (even though no unpaved roads was clearly selected). Any recommendations gratefully received!

Traffic info is much better on google maps or waze.

 

[PDrill]

If you can mount the phone firm and nice and aren't bothered with charging cable around (well, sure they work without but display set to bright will drain the battery significantly) why not go with the phone. Navigation doesn't take up data that much and I guess many applications can load map regions for offline use if data is of concern.

How ever, I have never managed that 'firm and nice' yet liked the cables, so in my last car I had a 2-DIN Android device and the next will have sat nav built in.

 

[PP Bear]

I use my iPad with the apple maps and cellular network. It’s really good as a satnav. Been using it for years and very impressive, especially with the latest updates.

Screenshots from one of my journeys, plus it’s a large clear screen. Not everyones cup of tea, but worth considering.

 

[claude et maude]

I use my iPad with the apple maps and cellular network. It’s really good as a satnav. Been using it for years and very impressive, especially with the latest updates.

Screenshots from one of my journeys, plus it’s a large clear screen. Not everyones cup of tea, but worth considering.
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I too use an iPad but mine is a refurbished iPad Mini which is mounted in a holder that fixes to the CD slot and I use Copilot for navigation on it.

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[PP Bear]

I too use an iPad but mine is a refurbished iPad Mini which is mounted in a holder that fixes to the CD slot and I use Copilot for navigation on it.

I much prefer the apple maps than Google maps, but not tried Copilot.

 

[kevino]

Aguri - reassuringly expensive but well worth it in my opinion and has never let me down!

 

[Hettie's Crew]

We fitted a Kenwood double din head unit with Apple Play and Android Auto and use Apple Maps or Google now. Sat nav’s redundant now.

 

[Arnside037]

Brought my TomTom with me but found that using an old Android tablet clipped in the dashboard thingamejig delivery pad holder in the Fiat Peugeot cab worked fine. Plug in a usb and tether it to a phone with some data and the display is pretty big too. Scroll the screen to see the larger route then recentre to return back to the route. My Google maps told me there was a 12 min faster route around Rennes yesterday due to an accident. You can also plan a routet the night before and even to include a fuel or lpg stop and then save the route to your home screen so you dont lose it when you plan an alternative. The downside is that Google doesn't let you set vehicle size. It does however allow you to avoid toll roads if that is your thing.

 

[JockandRita]

A 7" or 9" Xgody Truck Sat Nav, pending dashboard space and screen area.
However, the maps will need updating as soon as it comes out the box, as certain .ftr Truck files are not present on most units, but are readily available from the right source, to programme in.

Cheers,

Jock.

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[Richard n Ann]

None of the ones I've used are perfect
(ie Tomtom, Garmin, Google Navigation) but Google is easily the best, it usually sticks to the main routes, has far more detailed maps and information, and by today's standards doesn't use much data. Having said that, we follow the signs until we get close to destination anyway.

 

[royandsharont]

My first Tom Tom, many years ago, died whilst touring in Spain. What I didn’t know then was there is a reset hole in the bottom to insert a pen in, which I did when I read the manual on the CD when I got home and it worked like new again.

However there was an issue about 2019 with all satalites which meant the sat nav kept on crashing. It was too old for the changes so another new one was needed.

Is either of these your problem

 

[nicholsong]

Hello all

Been having a lovely time in France and weather fab, however the Sat nav has literally just died. Not a catastrophe as quite capable of reading a map and have our mobiles for Google maps.
My question is should we replace Sat nav, if so which one is best? Obviously if using using phone there are data considerations (my network currently still within my allowance in France). We have a Tom Tom with free lifetime map updates (now dead) but I wasn’t that impressed; couldn’t define vehicle parameters so had to be careful of planned route, especially when recently leaving Rouen (thank goodness we’d seen that thread) and it has lead us to a couple of dirt tracks recently (even though no unpaved roads was clearly selected). Any recommendations gratefully received!

Once the maps are downloaded to the phone memory there is no data use - the GPS does not use data.

 

[jongood]

None of the ones I've used are perfect
(ie Tomtom, Garmin, Google Navigation) but Google is easily the best, it usually sticks to the main routes, has far more detailed maps and information, and by today's standards doesn't use much data. Having said that, we follow the signs until we get close to destination anyway.

Completely agree, i prefer to have a rough idea of where I'm going from a map first and then my order of preference is 1 eyes, 2 signs, 3 satnav. I dont understand the mentality that blindly follows the satnav.

 

[Pausim]

We fitted a Kenwood double din head unit with Apple Play and Android Auto and use Apple Maps or Google now. Sat nav’s redundant now.

Another vote for Phone and Apple CarPlay/Google Auto. Phone travels in dashboard top box so no wire to get in the way. I have a choice of navigation apps, can download maps if I don’t want to use mobile data and less clutter on the dashboard. Head unit combines navigation with, hands free phone operation, messages and music. Good traffic info too, I use Waze because it gives on screen speed and speed limits which overcomes the problem of the unreadable Fiat speedometer.

At present CoPilot is not compatible with CarPlay but that is down to CoPilot not Apple, they just need to make the effort to update their app properly.

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[sonar]

I use my iPad with the apple maps and cellular network. It’s really good as a satnav. Been using it for years and very impressive, especially with the latest updates.

Screenshots from one of my journeys, plus it’s a large clear screen. Not everyones cup of tea, but worth considering.
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Is this just the iPad maps app. I have not been able to get the same sort of screen definition you have is this set as. Drive

 

[PP Bear]

The screen shots are on my new iPad Pro, but change as you get near to road sections and interchanges etc. I haven’t adjusted any definition, this is as per the app.

 

[ctc]

A 7" or 9" Xgody Truck Sat Nav, pending dashboard space and screen area.
However, the maps will need updating as soon as it comes out the box, as certain .ftr Truck files are not present on most units, but are readily available from the right source, to programme in.

Cheers,

Jock.

Cheap and works, above all you can use whatever suits you. I use Google or Sygic but have IGO and Waze installed with SEARCH for Sites just to make everything easy.

 

[activecampers]

TomTom Go on Android, supports Android Auto, the beta released this week (easy to opt in to) has a vehicle size section. Free to try. ££20/year for unlimited maps worldwide. Excellent traffic & cameras

 

[TOT]

Still of an age where I can visualise maps in my head ........... and get luvlykins to ask directions..........

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[autorouter]

I use Copilot on a 10" Android tablet (Samsung Galaxy 10 Tablet I think). I added a microSD card to store the maps on (3 or 4 GB for All Europe, Western and Eastern). If you just use the tablet as a satnav then there is enough memory without the SD card. Once downloaded there is no further internet connection required. As nicholsong says, GPS does not use any phone/internet data.

You can set it to do things like avoid toll roads if you want. I like to set my own somewhat meandering route. If you tap on a clear section of road and select 'Route through here' then that's what it does. You have to check that it's not doing anything silly, and sometimes it takes two or three route points for it to do the route you want.

I also set up a phone with a moving map display (Maps.me is good for this). I have it on high magnification to show me the next hairpin bend/roundabout so I can guess how slow/fast I have to go.

 

[philann]

Aguri - reassuringly expensive but well worth it in my opinion and has never let me down!

Mine melted, only left it in place for an hour

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Completely agree, i prefer to have a rough idea of where I'm going from a map first and then my order of preference is 1 eyes, 2 signs, 3 satnav. I dont understand the mentality that blindly follows the satnav.

For what it's worth, Google will calculate a best route taking traffic into account that isn't necessarily the signposted one, and offer you re-routes where possible if it sees new traffic congestion (or easing of previous congestion) ahead.

 

[sonar]

The screen shots are on my new iPad Pro, but change as you get near to road sections and interchanges etc. I haven’t adjusted any definition, this is as per the app.

Great news I have a spare iPad Pro I was going to use for co pilot but was also looking at alternatives.

but as a back up I do have a garmin 600 .
thank for the information.

 

[Mark and Mindy]

I use Google Maps on my Android phone for navigation and a big advantage is the search facility which is much easier and more accurate than having to know the postcode and then enter the postcode into a standalone sat nav.

Google maps also has integration with all my phone apps so I can usually set my destination with one click or my sharing a location to maps.

My PC is logged in to my Google account and so all my PC activity and history appears seamlessly on my phone.

Mark

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[sonar]

Mine melted, only left it in place for an hour

Note to self. The oven is not the best place to store a gps.

 

[Al n Val]

Garmin 890 up to now has been faultless so my vote goes to that

I now also run google maps on my iphone at the side and they sort of back each other up as we drive along

I’ll check Apple maps as well

 

[PP Bear]

Note to self. The oven is not the best place to store a gps.

Off tread, but as a kid I remember my dad having a coughing fit and out shot his dentures and broke in half on the stone floor in the kitchen. He proceeded to glue them together again, but used the wrong glue which wouldn’t set…….sooooooo he popped them into the gas oven to help cure them, but they deformed and twisted as the glue baked hard.

Honestly, he put them back in and carried on delivering the milk on the local round. He looked like something from a Quasimodo movie, all gnarled up, grotesque and out of shape. Mum wet herself laughing that morning and his customers couldn’t believe it either

 

[WildBunch]

Is there any legal difference between operating a mobile phone to using a proper Sat Nav unit ?
FYI, I use a Garmin 660 camper. Which I find OK.

 

[jongood]

For what it's worth, Google will calculate a best route taking traffic into account that isn't necessarily the signposted one, and offer you re-routes where possible if it sees new traffic congestion (or easing of previous congestion) ahead.

And that is how you end up in housing estates or facing low bridges.