Android phone device and mapping choices?

[Lotz-A-Landies]

I've recently changed phones to a Samsung SII android device (note I didn't say upgraded). The Garmin navigator app wants about $10 per month and I'm looking at fuctionality for mapping including offroad and lowest price.

The phone has it's own GPS (which I assume is not a phone cell related GPRS function) and is mounted in a cradle with external antenna.

Which apps should I be buying?

Diana

[lewy]

oziexplorer has an android app,havn't used it as yet

[Blknight.aus]

I have, its excelent... I also use mapdroyd and the googlemaps precacher...

[Lotz-A-Landies]

O.K. so I've downloaded and purchased OziExplorer and inadvertantly also bought mapmerge for my PC thinking it was maps for the android.

Sometime ago I heard that NRMA have a set of maps that can be used in OziExplorer, is that correct? Where can I download them, I'm a Gold Member?

Or,

If not, is someone scanning the paper maps and using them.

Dave

Tell me about Googlemaps precacher?

Diana

[isuzutoo-eh]

I installed Androzic on my Galaxy SII but haven't bothered putting Ozi maps on it yet, so haven't really tested it. Battery life with GPS running is mediocre and I haven't bought a car charger yet. There was a set of NSW 25k and 100k Topo Ozi maps available for torrent download, but that was a few years ago. I run them on my GPS with Ozi.
I'm not going to push further with the phone as a navigation aid, an Android tablet PC+Andozic+topo maps is in my future instead.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Hi Mark

I bought a cradle kit from Telco Antennas ( Carcomm Samsung Galaxy S II i9100 Cradle - Mount, Car Charger & Antenna Connector (http://www.telcoantennas.com.au/site/carcomm-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-i9100-cradle-mount-car-charger-antenna-connector) ) and use the charger function that comes with the kit. Was only $129 + postage. The kit also has a windscreen mount antenna.

The problem is with the D4 not having an accessories function so the charger turns off as soon as you turn off the engine, however I guess it also allows you to turn off the charger when the battery is full by merely pulling out the plug.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Thanks Mark

Can you explain to the phone phobic where you find the "labs" function? Google Maps Pre-Caching on Google Maps for Android | Rob Blatt (http://www.robblatt.com/technology/google-maps-pre-caching-on-google-maps-for-android/)

Also, if I'm using the bluetooth to connect to the D4 can I turn on WiFi in either the android or the PC to act as a wireless access point and then transmit the GPS to the PC from the android? Will that allow data logging?

Is there a course for all this? :D ;) :p

[Blknight.aus]

Labs is on your real pc. To get it onto the android (for the situation we're talking about) first you need to update your google maps on the phone. Once thats done just follow the prompts on the phone.

yes, you can run the GPS out through the wifi or bluetooth but you need another app for that and software on the computer that you want to use it as a GPS for.

There are many GPS apps that will do datalogging on the phone in an exportable format (just hook the phone up via its USB and use it like an external drive)

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Labs is on your real pc. To get it onto the android (for the situation we're talking about) first you need to update your google maps on the phone. Once thats done just follow the prompts on the phone.

yes, you can run the GPS out through the wifi or bluetooth but you need another app for that and software on the computer that you want to use it as a GPS for.

There are many GPS apps that will do datalogging on the phone in an exportable format (just hook the phone up via its USB and use it like an external drive)Thanks Dave will follow up on those processes, particularly the datalogging on the android..

However if the phone is in the cradle to keep the power up to the GPS there no interface for the USB and only the WiFi or Bluetooth as alternatives, after the car takes the Bluetooth, what remains is WiFi.

[Blknight.aus]

let the phone do its datalogging thing.

you can then either do a wifi/bluetooth push to a wifi/bluetooth device or do what I do.

take the phone out of the car and plug it into the computer/laptop.

unless you're trying to use the phone as a GPS for a tablet/laptop while you're driving in which case the easiest answer is to power the phone up from the USB on the tablet/laptop and then use the phone as a GPS.

I believe there is also a way to get the in vehicle GPS to output on a USB or wireless system on some vehicles

[Lotz-A-Landies]

For the last two days I've been trying to get OziExplorer to work off GPS in the car. The android is a Samsung Galaxy SII 4G (Telstra) the best I can get is for the machine to acquire 2 satellites and that is only when the car is stopped. The rest of the time, particularly when it's moving there are no satellites acquired.

Using the android handheld outside the car I acquire at least 9 satelites within seconds.

Does anyone else have the same symptoms?

Is it the car, the glass screens and windows or the magnetic antennae interfact interferring with the GPS reception?

[Blknight.aus]

For the last two days I've been trying to get OziExplorer to work off GPS in the car. The android is a Samsung Galaxy SII 4G (Telstra) the best I can get is for the machine to acquire 2 satellites and that is only when the car is stopped. The rest of the time, particularly when it's moving there are no satellites acquired.

Using the android handheld outside the car I acquire at least 9 satelites within seconds.

Does anyone else have the same symptoms?

Is it the car, the glass screens and windows or the magnetic antennae interfact interferring with the GPS reception?

if you have tinted glass (some tints only) or the in screen micro antenna repeater things then you're basically screwed as your whole car is now a rolling faraday cage and you're going to want an external GPS antennae.

Try getting your GPS to sync to sats Prior to putting it in the car and see what happens then.

[inside]

Is it the car, the glass screens and windows or the magnetic antennae interfact interferring with the GPS reception?


Install this app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2&feature=search_result#'t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5lY 2xpcHNpbS5ncHNzdGF0dXMyIl0.
Once installed download "a-gps data"
GPS satellites should now acquire quickly
Repeat every few weeks or whenever GPS acquisition takes a long time

No guarantees with the above but it works for me on my HTC Desire. A lot of reviews say the same.

[Blknight.aus]

you can skip using that if you simply turn the GPS on and allow it to find the sats every 72 hours or so. (depending on how long your phones software holds its last fixinfo)

From a cold start you should be able to get HDOP to within 300m within 5 minutes while stationary and to withing 10 in 10. I've done cold starts while moving and not been able to get a reliable in vehicle fix untill I've dropped the speed to below 40kph. I have also done a cold start in a plane and gotten enough to get everything to work in under 20 minutes (but youve got to be by the portal or up in the cockpit)