Sat Nav with live traffic

Mildly_Miffed

Iceweasel said:

Is there any navigation app that doesn't need a data connection?

That's the big advantage of built-in nav, with the mapping stored inside the car.

You can use offline mapping with Google Maps, with forward planning, and there are various other apps with offline mapping.

Living in an area with very, VERY poor mobile data coverage, you quickly learn not to trust anything that requires data. My elderly neighbour recently got VERY badly lost in the hinterlands trying to get home late at night, because Google Maps via Apple Carplay was no use at all, and she couldn't figure out how to switch back to the built-in nav in her VW.

northwalesd

facade said:

northwalensd said:

Google maps did stop working for me going over Woodhead Pass last summer, as there was no signal, so it does happen.

Was that because it lost the GPS signal?

No, it was because it lost all phone signal, therefore no data connection.

400ixl

facade said:

You have to have that dongle sticking out of the 'phone as well as the puck plugged into the USB?

You might as well just plug the 'phone into the USB and slow charge it whilst you use Android Auto.

 I was hoping for a solution that lets Android Auto work with the 'phone in my pocket, it just needs a Wifi connection to the head unit as bluetooth 5 isn't fast enough.

No, you have the puck connected to the car usb port, the dongle it a USB-A to USB-C converter if you car uses usb-C. There is nothing plugged into the phone.

In my Audi I have live map (including Google maps terrain view) and live data. I also have Android Auto wired and an AAwireless dongle to make it wireless and can use the wireless charging pad for using Waze, Google Maps or Audi navigation.

oldernonethewiser

Years ago I used the CoPilot app which stored the maps on the phone.  No live traffic but was useful to have when I had to drive a hired car in mainland Europe on my own.

Nowadays if you know what area you are going to be in you can download the relevant map in advance and navigate happily with no phone signal.  Again no live traffic though.

born_again

Iceweasel said:

Is there any navigation app that doesn't need a data connection?

Not if you want live traffic info.

I use waze, highest usage a day is 3 MB & that is including a lot of reports.

facade

400ixl said:

facade said:

You have to have that dongle sticking out of the 'phone as well as the puck plugged into the USB?

You might as well just plug the 'phone into the USB and slow charge it whilst you use Android Auto.

 I was hoping for a solution that lets Android Auto work with the 'phone in my pocket, it just needs a Wifi connection to the head unit as bluetooth 5 isn't fast enough.

No, you have the puck connected to the car usb port, the dongle it a USB-A to USB-C converter if you car uses usb-C. There is nothing plugged into the phone.

In my Audi I have live map (including Google maps terrain view) and live data. I also have Android Auto wired and an AAwireless dongle to make it wireless and can use the wireless charging pad for using Waze, Google Maps or Audi navigation.

Ah!! It is a wifi converter then, so it works how I want- I might get one.

I did see the blurb that said it works in your pocket, but you never believe anything in an Amazon description!

400ixl

As long as you have wired Android auto today then yes it will convert it to wireless Andoid Auto.

AAWireless is the device to get.