OT: using tablet as a Sat nav

[alan_m]

The inbuilt Satnav in my 2017 Ford has had free map updates that I've installed.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Dealer cost to upgrade mine was over £500. Luckily found a cheaper way. But still cost over £100.

[Jeff Layman]

My Garmin came with free updates for 5 years. Only problem is that you can only update using Windows or a Mac.

[Brian Reay]

Some Garmins, including mine, can be updated without needing a computer. You just but in your Wi-fi details and set them going. Much faster than TomTom. Mine came with free ?for life? updates. Of course, what for life means is open to debate;-(

[JoeJoe]

There are plenty of navigation apps - even Google Maps, that work without the need for data access. You simply download the maps to the device in advance of your travel.

You will though access to services such as up-to-date traffic information (accidents, traffic jams, etc) that allows the app(s) to change your route accordingly. All should still work just fine without it, and if you have a smartphone with you you can still use its data access and hotspot it to the tablet.

[JoeJoe]

Make sure that the tablet has a GPS receiver. Most do, but some of the very cheap ones may not.

[JoeJoe]

If you live or drive in relatively heavily populated areas then you may want to consider Waze. Owned by Google and uses its maps and search engine it is basically a much superior navigation app to Maps whilst enjoying all the benefits.

[alan_m]

In general all SatNavs use the same 2 or 3 sources of Maps and the better map may depend on which country you are navigating through or even which part of the country.

The biggest difference I've found is the user interface and most annoying is some of the commercialisation of the "freebee" App that now have sponsored "Points of Interest" such as the nearest McDonald.

[polygonum_on_google]

At least sometimes, there will be no GPS in the wifi-only models, but will have GPS in the otherwise equivalent LTE (4G) models. Seems true of Apple iPads and at least some Samsung Tabs. A-GPS requires a mobile signal and it appears that the whole GPS/A-GPS/LTE is built into the same chippery.

[polygonum_on_google]

Years ago, I used Waze and found it quite good at navigating and re-routing. Then they started to put so much utter crap on it, I opted out. Things like getting points for going down certain roads. No idea what it was all about as it was just a huge distraction from what I was using it for. I also didn't really care to know who else was using Waze - which it was so desperate to tell me. Plus, at least at the time, it was utterly unusable without a mobile signal. Some or all of these might have been fixed but I am happy not using it.

[alan_m]

GPS should not require a mobile signal however the mobile network could be used to give the GPS a faster initial fix.

A SatNav device that requires a mobile signal to operate would be completely useless in some parts of the country where the mobile signal is either variable or missing whilst driving - such as in many parts of hilly Wales.

If you switch off your Satnav and then drive 100 miles and switch it back on a few of moths later it may take 10 to 15 minutes to get a usable fix for navigation. TomTom used to overcome much of this problem by allowing the user to input where they were at switch on. The mobile network can now be used to establish the current position of the device at switch on (albeit not to the same position accuracy).

[polygonum_on_google]

I don't believe I said that GPS requires a mobile signal?

This is one of many links which has some explanation of A-GPS.

However, the issue I was trying to address was which tablets have GPS. The answer is still that LTE/4G/3G devices are more likely to have GPS than wifi-only.

[tim...]

my tablet cost 49 pounds and has GPS

I don't believe that price point is a limiting factor here

tim

[Steve H]

I don't think that most do - iPads only get GPS if you buy a cellular version, and it looks like a lot of the Amazon range don't either.

[Andrew]

A definitive list of those that definately do/not would be useful

[Steve H]

Good luck with that!

[alan_m]

And some GPS receivers are more sensitive than others. In a car environment a Satnav or phone with a Satnav App may need to be mounted on the windscreen. This may be a problem with a bigger tablet.

Inbuilt car Satnavs will have a aerial.

In my previous car I mounted my phone with SatNav App lower down on the dash and sometimes had problems with poor reception which I cured with a small dedicated GPS receiver (Qstarz 818XT) mounted in the corner of the windscreen and linking that via bluetooth to my phone using the option "Enable Mock GPS Provider". This option on a phone may only be available if you have enabled the "hidden" developer mode in one of the menus,

My car had a heated front windscreen with and area clear of wires at each edge and I'm aware that some makes of (french?) car have metal sun screen layer in the windscreen that may block signals except in the area behind the rear view mirror.

[Dave Liquorice]

Maybe. Not all tarrifs allow tethering, how well it's monitored by the operator and what they do if they suspect/spot tethering is also variable.

I used to have TPO as my operator, they didn't allow tethering. Tried connecting the LAN over it, half an hour later data stopped working, automatically came back a few hours later.

[Jethro_uk]

It's a shame you can't tap into your cars GPS receivers and use those in your own homebrew tablet-sat-nav combo. Far better use of the thing than in the f****ng POS they foisted on me in the car.

[polygonum_on_google]

I didn't mean that only more expensive tablets get GPS. It was just that LTE/4G/3G versions often have GPS when the wifi-only versions of what is otherwise an identical tablet don't. Yes, wifi-only versions are usually less expensive. But a bargain basement tablet might well have GPS.