Does Google Navigation GPS Requires 3G to work?

[endoftheline]

I'm considering using the Google Navigation GPS on my Motorola Droid for a long distance trip to Canada. The trip is about about 900 Miles from Washington DC to a somewhat remote part of Canada. I've used the Google Navigation for many trips around the Washington DC Area and never had any problems, but it was always within range of 3G coverage.

The Main Questions are:
Will the Google Navigation GPS continue to work fine when passing though area's with no 3G or even no cell phone coverage at all?
Like can it work just based on the GPS Satellite signal like a regular GPS?

It seems if it can only operate when in range of 3G or cell signal or both, that it will not work as a GPS for a long distance trip where I will travel though area's that I know do not have 3G coverage and likely not cell phone coverage either.

 

[DigiK]

My understanding of Google Nav is that it will cache your entire route in case leave a 3G/1X coverage area. My experience with the app concurs, BUT if you deviate from your course while out of coverage, Google Nav will not be able to update your route. You may also want to turn off Data Roaming in Canada.

If you're plannig a trip with multiple destinations or would like to add contingencies which might save the day in out of coverage events, you could use the Chrome to Phone app (if you're running Android 2.2), create a multiple destination trip from Google Maps within Chrome browser, and send it directly to your phone.

The final piece of the puzzle would be something like the free app, MapDroyd. You could pre-cache maps for your destination area. No GPS/Nav functionality included, but could help you navigate around the town you're staying in. There might be some other offline apps that include NAV functionality; someone else might be able to chime in there.

Hope this helps!

 

[endoftheline]

I have noticed that as well, that when I am making a call on the phone and miss a turn, it can't reroute me without ending the call and then re establishing the 3G connection.

I am not running a rooted droid which I guess lets you use 2.2 so I can't us that other app, but it sounds like it might work but is a little sketchy Relying on the cache to function, and there is a very good chance that a wrong turn will be taken, so I think I will need a real GPS for the trip.

Also what do you mean recall day-tips and push them to your phone? Is this like saving a trip to the my maps in a browser on a computer, and then accessing in the map layers?

 

[DigiK]

Also what do you mean recall day-tips and push them to your phone? Is this like saving a trip to the my maps in a browser on a computer, and then accessing in the map layers?

Yeah. Unfortunately, chrome-to-phone is only available in 2.2, but hopefully this will help other readers.

After thinking that one over a bit, pre-programming day trips is only partially possible without a data connection; so I edited it out of the original post. With chrome to phone, you can create new trips from point A to point B from your browser and send them to your phone. Once they reach your phone, you can recall them from map layers within the maps app. Unfortunately, you can only pre-cache the active route, so the best you'll get is the directions that were initially sent to your phone. Better than nothing, but not awesome.

If Goog implemented pre-caching for multiple trips, we'd be in business.

 

[maxnicks]

Am I wrong in saying that LinkPush does for 2.1 the same as ChrometoPhone does for Froyo?

 

[DigiK]

Am I wrong in saying that LinkPush does for 2.1 the same as ChrometoPhone does for Froyo?

Haven't tried it, but Chrome-to-Phone will actually push Nav directions directly to Google Maps. LinkPush looks like its pushing only webpages; but from there, you should be able to click the link to open the directions in maps. One more step, but same end result.

 

[endoftheline]

Thanks, I may try that out.

I was also wondering about saving a customized turn by turn route to the My Maps in Google Maps on your computer and then pulling it up in the Map Layers> My Maps in the Android Google Maps.

Basically on the basic Google Maps website you can get directions from A to B, and then drag the line to customize the route, and it changes the direction to match where you have dragged the line. Then you can save this customized route in the "My Maps" in your Google account, and then in the Android Google Maps you can Access it from Map Layers> My Maps.

When I do this, my custom route line shows up on the map, however when I press
the

button, I do not get Turn by Turn directions like with the normal GPS navigation, I get this:

>From: A

| Directions to:B

>TO:B

and I do not see anyway to get it to use the google navigation to give me the normal turn by turn directions using my custom route that I had previously created on my computer. The Custom route shows up on the main map on the android google maps, but I can not get it to display a list of the custom turn by turn directions that I had created, and I cannot get it to navigate me using them.

I am very much wondering if this is possible, as for a lot of trips I customized the route first on my computer using Google Maps, and I would very much like the GPS to guide me turn by turn on my customized route instead of just using its default routes.

 

[DigiK]

...I get this:

>From: A

| Directions to:B

>TO:B

From doing the same thing myself, it seems like Google Maps Android only has capability of displaying start and end point; BUT if you look at the route directions, you'll see your secondary/tertiary destinations are still listed.

 

[endoftheline]

That is true, all the way points or other destinations are listed and then you can just use its default navigation to go to them I guess.

Perhaps this feature will make it into android google maps sometime later.

 

[DigiK]

Have to run for now, but my final thought would be checking out NDrive for Android if you don't already own a GPS. It seems to be apretty popular off-line GPS app with 4 stars on the marketplace. Site was down for maintenance a few minutes ago, so I couldn't find pricing. might be worth a shot though to keep everything all on one device.

G'luck with your trip!

 

[endoftheline]

Thanks I will check that out

 

[Phreaker47]

Hey cool, I was wondering about an offline GPS app where you could load maps onto the SD card. I'd like to look at this Ndrive but yeah, site down?

 

[Bear in NM]

This will not help with real time navigation, but OryxMaps will let you install map databases on the phone. Used in conjunction with Mobile Atlas Creator (the pc app), you can install map sets on your sd card that will show you your position on the map without the need of 3g map download. Again no real time navigation, but the data bases available in Mobile Atlas creator may be able to help with detailed enough map info that you can at least see where you are, real time.

Craig

Edit: I forgot to add that with these two programs you can also import export waypoints and routes so you could also see destinations as well as your current position. Then your copilot can feed you turn by turns...

 

[linan516]

I use Navigator quite often and I'm not that happy with it. I've used it in the past and it was fine. But, on the Droid , it sometimes loses where I am. As someone stated above, has to be reset by hand, which is sort of annoying if you're on the road. I'm in rural Oregon and it DOES keep the signal there so it's not a signal issue. I mostly lose the route in Portland area. It's ok for b/u but there are many better, including a cheap gps.
Have fun in Canada

 

[endoftheline]

thanks for a ideas, right now it still seems like just using a regular GPS is the most reliable way to navigate on this long trip without 3G coverage. Once we have 3G everywhere this will be the way to go.