Phone as a Sat Nav

[fl-veteran]

Originally Posted by Forkbeard

Thanks for all the info in this and your other post. Much appreciated.

I'm thinking of something sewn that holds it on the steering wheel?!? Otherwise I'll take a chance with a cheaper holder online, something like you suggest.

I've installed NavMii and will try that too. HERE I'm impressed with. GM offline is too clunky.

OH hates navigating... and it always results in arguments

I think you're right about the GPS, and a buddy of mine thinks they make use of the cell towers too, which might explain the disconnect in some areas.

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No problem .

I think you mean something like this - amazon/Silicone-st...510390&sr=8-21.

However, I think that solution might fox the compass / gps on your phone as you go around corners (i.e. as the device changes orientation with the steering wheel).

[GentleGiant]

I use Waze globally - however I also have a copy of Here maps as an offline backup.

Generally Waze will preload a large area of the map for your route, so the map will not just vanish when you lose signal.

I have driven some 7,000+ in the USA using Waze this year - over around 18 states! I do not recall a single issue of having no map.

[Loftus]

In terms of holding the phone I have a holder that goes into the CD slot. Unfortunately the Focus I hired had a wider than normal CD slot and the first turn I took coming out of the garage at the airport the holder and phone ended up on the passenger seat!
I managed to get to my accommodation OK and was given some sellotape by reception and stuck it into place. It was fine after that.
As far as a sat nav goes, Google maps using Three worked without a hitch.

[GentleGiant]

Look for a spider phone holder - I was given one by Waze and they are great - they slot into the air vent and grip the phone well.

I also have a CD mount, but take the spider in case no CD exists.

[Forkbeard]

Thanks everyone for all the info. All great stuff, and I'm reading it all.

CD Holder?!? Sounds interesting.

I have a vent holder for my chewing gum would you believe?!? I considered a vent holder for the phone, but knowing my luck the bloody vents will be different and it wont fit

So, no absolutely guaranteed way to attach the phone. Seems all a bit hit and miss and might fall and might not. Might fit, might not.

Plenty of GPS Apps, and I'll probably take a few of them with me. Irritating I can't easily import the POIs and Favourites in many of them though. For example one dibber has created a whole raft of POIs for best restaurants. That's the kind of thing you might like to import.

Originally Posted by fl-veteran

No problem .

I think you mean something like this - amazon/Silicone-st...510390&sr=8-21.

However, I think that solution might fox the compass / gps on your phone as you go around corners (i.e. as the device changes orientation with the steering wheel).

See more...

Hey, I'm liking that attachment thingy You could be right though, about the constant turning of the phone.

I don't know why I'm so bothered by it really. I use a Sat Nav attached to the screen all the time. Apparently my £400 Sat Nav did fall off twice, but not while I was using it :erm

I checked Amazon and loads of comments about phones falling off the screen. I think the heat might be an issue too?!?

[Guest]

Navfree ( now NavMii ) has always doing us well, i have the UK, US and EU maps installed on a old iphone 4

[Forkbeard]

Originally Posted by matt987106

Navfree ( now NavMii ) has always doing us well, i have the UK, US and EU maps installed on a old iphone 4

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I'm liking the look of NavMii, but haven't tested it yet.

It's another one that doesn't support POI import I think?!?

[BigSkip]

I've always found the wife to be the best phone holder... :-)

[Forkbeard]

Originally Posted by BigSkip

I've always found the wife to be the best phone holder... :-)

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Is that a euphemism?

So bad is my OH at navigation that I've swerved off the road arguing

[wanye]

Originally Posted by Forkbeard

Traffic updates and diversion is the one key reason to stay online. With the Three "feel at home" there's no reason not to.

The problem comes when you go into areas that have no coverage. Unlikely to happen in Orlando though

I wonder if the TomTom SIM loaded Sat Navs support traffic updates stateside?!?

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my tomtom uses an FM radio receiver built into the charger cable to provide useful traffic info in florida without need for a data sim. its not as good as waze/etc for traffic updates, but still pretty useful, and no need for a data connection

tomtom/howdoesitwork/...hp?ID=28&CID=8

*edit*
as for phone mounts, i have one of these that does pretty well: amazon/dp/B01J3J6W...58fbe6934074cd