What Map App and why?

[bauere]

We use ALLSTAYS alot to find campgrounds fuel and food. We use Rand McNally on an iPad Air and like it but the maps are getting stale. We also carry a Garmin and built in enertial nav in silverado. Weaher overlays on Rand Mcnally have saved us from serious tornadic and rain storms several times. Using the internet in motion with these systems get more important in foul wather.

[NY24]

Apple Maps has been improved. In addition to AM, I use Google Maps, Waze, Google Earth Pro, MapQuest (and probably a few others). I can't say I see any one App as being SIGNIFICANTLY better than any other App. It's probably more important to be aware of an Apps' shortcomings so that you don't get bit in the butt. A BIG shortcoming in many Apps is that often, users can NOT enter important qualifiers (height of vehicle, amount of propane carried etc). The "Routing" feature on RVillage.com tried to route my 12'5" Super-C Class RV onto NY PARKWAYS!

[HowieE]

I loaded Waze. Is it a navigation app and if so, how other than tapping a location, is there a way to enter a destination. I like the option of being able to tap a location without and address but without some additional instructions can't see any advantage. The route, less than 10 miles, it displayed was not a logical route. How far off would it be over hundreds of miles?

At present I use Map Quest. A straight forward app that is easy to load a destination and speaks direction as I go. Google Maps was a bit cumbersome to load a destination and no clear way to start the nav.

[jcl]

I use a variety of apps.

If I have cell coverage, I use Google Maps as a first choice, Apple maps or another as a additional options.

When travelling, I will not be without City Maps to Go. It does not require cell coverage, you download the maps for where you will be. Particularly when travelling out of regular coverage areas (Europe, $$$ data) it is invaluable. The free version let me load one map for anywhere in the world, to try it. The pay version (a few bucks, I think) lets me download unlimited maps. When we went from BC to California, we downloaded the entire route and always had them to hand. Same for a trip across Italy, and so on. When you download the map for an area, you can choose to include the travel guide or not. If you do, then they use wiki descriptions for any attraction, and you have that stored offline ready to go, linked from the maps.

Jeff

[arden_dean]

I haven't found one that has every thing I need most don't have grade and evaluation. I try to avoid grades of 5 and -5 or greater. Bing seems to have good directions that can be adjusted with multible stops. I also check the route in google earth for grade and adjust the route when needed. Then I print it and keep a pdf file on a tablet. I'd like to see an app that has a 4 lane preferred setting.

[Bilbo]

Originally Posted by HowieE

If you could expand on your reasoning you may have the tie breaker I am interested in. Apple announced today they are opening a office in India and hiring 4,000 employees just to work on maps and surpass Google.

Not sure how to expand other than use more words to say the same thing...I like the route selection that Apple maps makes. It rarely (never?) takes me on a "strange" route, unlike the GM nav system. It is always current, unlike the GM system (which often shows me driving off-road when I'm on relatively new roads). I like the fact I can search for points of interest by name and usually find what I want. You can do this with voice command using Siri, if you like (I'm not a big Siri user.) The voice guidance is good, but I usually don't use it - it can be a little irritating, like all such systems. It has very accurate indication of traffic slowdowns. I find it far easier to program than the nav system built into my GMC. AND, you can program it while driving (copilot can program it, that is...)

I use the GM built in system when I do not have a good data signal for my iPhone or iPad. Wish I had Apple Carplay, but that came to GMC a year after I bought the TV.

The only time I use Google maps now is when I'm using a non-apple computer or mobile device and it's just simpler to get to Google maps...having said that, I'm sure that Google maps is also a good option for a "free", constantly updated navigation system.

[HowieE]

Yes. Apple has made improvements and I gave it another try the other day. The feature that struck my eye first and one I was looking for is the fact that you can cause a voice command to speak again after the initial speaking. Great if you missed the initial command. It also offers a means of pausing the voice command. Another great feature if you know where you are going at that point in the route or want to deviate from the route and not be scolded.

Something new is the ability to change the map orientation from north orientated to navigation orientation.

The only thing I would now like to see is the overview shown in either map format or satellite format

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by HowieE

I loaded Waze. Is it a navigation app and if so, how other than tapping a location, is there a way to enter a destination. I like the option of being able to tap a location without and address but without some additional instructions can't see any advantage. The route, less than 10 miles, it displayed was not a logical route. How far off would it be over hundreds of miles?

At present I use Map Quest. A straight forward app that is easy to load a destination and speaks direction as I go. Google Maps was a bit cumbersome to load a destination and no clear way to start the nav.

On the bottom left should be a small blue icon, like a bubble. Touch it and it will go to a search screen. You can enter your destination or set favorites, like home.

On the bottom right of that same screen is an orange bubble. You can use that to report things as you travel. I don't use this, that's the wife's job since I'm busy driving.

There is a learning curve to using the app, like any good app. It's best to let someone else drive while you learn. You can also go to their web site for more information.

[HowieE]

In Waze tapping ones location on the map allows you to send your current location to anyone in your contacts. A nice feature to let them know without fumbling with the phone while driving.

If you move the map off your route there does not seam to be a way to recenter on your route.

Very poor FAQ section

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by HowieE

In Waze tapping ones location on the map allows you to send your current location to anyone in your contacts. A nice feature to let them know without fumbling with the phone while driving.

If you move the map off your route there does not seam to be a way to recenter on your route.

Very poor FAQ section

This used to be easy but now they have decided to "improve" that feature.
When you move the map the "scope / find me" button appears on the left side. Press that to go back to your present location

If you tap the screen, you are presented with 3-4 icons (4 if you moved the map):
(left side) volume, scope/find me
(right side) point north, zoom (in-out)

If you haven't moved off center you don't get the scope/find me button when you tap the screen.

[m.hony]

I use the iPhone app, Garmin, and on-board navigation in the truck, as well as print instructions from Google maps before I leave.
Sometimes the 4 different sources give 4 different routes and all 4 are wrong...
If it a destination you are going to once, it doesn't really matter.
If it is a destination you visit yearly, you can sometimes find better routing on your own with a Rand-McNally road atlas.

[OTRA15]

Similar active thread FYI:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...ps-143321.html

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by HoffmanP

We use Co-Pilot. It is used by a lot of truckers. You can enter the dimensions of your rig and it routes you away from tight spots and low clearances. And you can download the maps, so you can at least view the maps when you don't have cellular coverage.

Ditto, Co-Pilot is what I use on my cell phone. I also have a built in GPS in my rig that uses IGO.

[SuzyHomemakr]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned any apps for fuel. I use Truck Stops Pro to find good places for diesel. Otherwise, it's Google Maps for my main navigation. You can download maps for Offline, which is a good idea for in my off-the-main-road destination area. Probably the best thing about Google Maps is that you can make a custom map around what ever subject matter that you desire. I've done a bunch for Florida, which I've shared with various Air Forum members.

I've got a Garmin Montana 400, but that's used for kayak navigation. I use Google Maps for initial routing, then download it to the device. I can use it for automotive navigation, but it's disconcerting when you're out paddling, and the GPS keeps on telling you to make a left at such-and-such street!

[Rich W]

For fuel I use Gas Buddy. I don't think any other app even comes close to what Gas Buddy offers. I've used it for a very long time, excellent app.

[davidrrand]

for those who use CoPilot RV, is it worth the $60.00 one time fee?

thanks!

[spenfolder]

Has anyone tried the Google Maps new "offline" feature? It appears that you load the area you are interested in when you have service, then your phone's GPS will allow you to use Google Maps when you don't have service. Seems a major drawback might be knowing in advance when and where you will and won't have service.

Stan
Salt Lake City

[alano]

Originally Posted by spenfolder

Has anyone tried the Google Maps new "offline" feature? It appears that you load the area you are interested in when you have service, then your phone's GPS will allow you to use Google Maps when you don't have service. Seems a major drawback might be knowing in advance when and where you will and won't have service.y

I used it in Europe last summer. I had a pre-paid data plan that ran out days before heading to Frankfurt Airport for our return, so I navigated everywhere for a couple of days by setting up my plan in the hotel and then setting off. Of course it worked fine for a few days, but on the way to the Airport to catch our flight back we ran into a detour in Geneva and accidentally screwed up and lost our plan. I can still remember the panic my wife and I felt thinking that we were going to miss our flight back home. All was well in the end but I swore never again to rely on the "offline" mode again in a can't-miss situation.

[RVDreamer]

Originally Posted by amaier7771

CAUTION:
Remember any app that runs on your Cell Phone, iPAD, or other device that utilizes the Cellular Phone network for location, will not work if you do not have Cellular Coverage, for example remote locations.

Location accuracy is based on how many cell towers your device is getting a signal from. If for example you are in the middle of Southern Utah and your device only is receiving a signal from a single tower, your location may be very inaccurate.

Actually most modern smartphones like Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy already have built in GPS and don't need a cellular connection. Many apps allow you to preplan trips and pre-download maps so that you don't need cell service on the road.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by RVDreamer

Actually most modern smartphones like Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy already have built in GPS and don't need a cellular connection. Many apps allow you to preplan trips and pre-download maps so that you don't need cell service on the road.

My experience with the Waze app is once you've started the route, even if you lose your data signal, the app keeps working, but you don't get the updated road information anymore until the signal comes back. If you don't have a signal and you go off the route you started (go on a different road for some reason) the app tries to connect to update the route, but can't, so it just goes into a "wait" state, even if you come back into a signal. I have to stop mine completely and restart it or it never comes back.

OTOH, you can start Google Maps and it will use the internal GPS just fine.