Best GPS Device in India

[sethumurugan]

Thanks Superbad and RK.

i will put it like this. Hope I have understood correctly.

• Generally we download Maps in our mobile or any other device.
• Once maps are downloaded when we switch it on, our device directly talk with GPS satelite and in return update our location in map and keep updating thru out our crusing.

The question is where the local operator comes into picture and why do we need to pay for internet if we can update our maps at home using local WIFI.

Edited after 20 Mints of this post.
Found an advt of mapmyindia and looked into and found something. In the following pic pls note the underlined sentances and explain if possible. Cost of this device is Rs.6490 which can play music, movies etc.

 

[Gurrala74]

Sethu I do not know how it is done on google maps and android phones, I will give below my experience.

1. I have downloaded all india maps using wifi and installed in my device. then how it works offline

2. I switch on my location and data connection for a while and it locates my location then I will set the direction where I want to go from my location by search option and fix the destination, then press the start navigation button, then it will fix and show the route. I will save it and switch off the data connection.

3. Select the already saved route on the navigation and start the navigation, it is done it starts showing the navigation offline with voice guidance.

 

[Indian]

Thanks Superbad and RK.

i will put it like this. Hope I have understood correctly.

• Generally we download Maps in our mobile or any other device.
• Once maps are downloaded when we switch it on, our device directly talk with GPS satelite and in return update our location in map and keep updating thru out our crusing.

The question is where the local operator comes into picture and why do we need to pay for internet if we can update our maps at home using local WIFI.

Sethu, Its like this..
Your phone can have offline(Sygic or Nokia) or online(G Maps) mapping software loaded. Offline maps you load using your 'mobile data' or WiFi or USB transfer. Just like any file. For online maps, you have to have constant supply of mobile data because you can not use WiFi while driving. Since offline no data so no money to be paid. Online as you are using the navigation software you need to have constant supply of mobile data(Although now Google also supports offline maps) to continuously keep updating your map as you drive.

Now the GPS part, its is a device on your phone, basically it supplies the mapping software the 'Gps data' received from the satellites. Now don't get confused with the 'GPS data' and the 'Mobile Data' they are completely different. 'GPS Data' is available for anyone for free! from US based satellites orbiting our earth 24X7. Any application on your phone can get the 'GPS data' as required. For eg facebook application on your mobile can post your location.

Last part is A-GPS, generally first time fix, meaning your GPS device pin pointing your location, will take about 30 sec or so. Because there is lot of calculations involved in 'fix'. GPS device also discards so much of data received which are not usable. Generally first time fix is time consuming one its called 'cold start'. If its a cloudy day your fix can take even couple of minutes or some time it just refuses to get 'fix'. So now the A-GPS comes in to picture. A-GPS could be one or more support such as based on your mobile towers, wifi networks available in the area and more importantly by downloading the almanac info and sending the gps data to GPS server for assisted calculation. The GPS server can get you the 'fix' lot more faster than the device calculation. But now to do this kind of operation your device need to send 'data'(=mobile data, which is just like your browsing data and it will cost you, but this is not a heavy data though). There are lot of utilities to update the A-GPS data manually. Before any trip I do this manually while connected to Wi-Fi. Once downloaded this info is good for couple of days. All devices may not support all the above stuff. But A-GPS is a must for navigation support.

Once your device gets locked and during your travel you can switch off the gps at say in a hotel and next morning when you switch on back it will get fixed very quickly. Because it remembers your last position and will try to start from there, this is 'warm start' generally it takes less than 10 secs.

Hope I have clarified your doubts, if have questions please revert back.

 

[appus]

Great work by Indian. appreciate your efforts in clearing doubts.

And, I was talking about 'battery drain' when gps used by software. I tried few things.

Switched on GPS and,

1. Switched on 3G (Chargeable) and google navigation(google maps), and the battery drained pretty fast.
2. I charged completely and changed to 2G(chargeable) and google navigation (google maps), battery drain was considerably slow. Maps updates comparatively late as i was on 2G
3. Tried on another day with Offline Maps (No 3g/2g enabled) and the battery drain was more than 2G and less than 3G.

The above three cases was done on Bangalore Mysore Kushalnagar Highways. So, less problem with network locating.

I completely agree the battery drain happens if you travel on train/bus where the network keeps getting changed. You may even see a dead phone once you reach the destination. Normally, I change the network to manual when i travel in that scenario.

@sethu sir,
Other than Indian and RK said, few more things.

If you buy an offline maps from store (I got MapMyIndia map cd along with my phone), you need to load thru your computer. You can just copy the content and install it.
Advantage - You need not connect to internet for downloading maps.
Disadvantage - You may not get the latest update. They wont support updates on CD. You need to pay for it once.

If you have Nokia Maps , you simply need to connect to your network (wifi preferably as mobile data plans are slower (2G) or 3G is costlier ) and download the whole India maps once.
Advantages - You get the latest map available. You get it free with Nokia phone.
Disadvantage - If you do not have a wifi, you end up paying a lot for 3G or you wait a long period for downloading (2G). [These days, everyone got a wifi network in home/office. so you can ignore the disadvantage). Maps are not the best compared to paid maps

If you are going for Offline Maps from Android, you have lots of options to choose from. Sygic (MapMyIndia), TomTom and few others.
Advantage : You have the freedom to choose what you want. You get lifetime update of maps. More accurate compared to free maps. You get 3D View and not just the maps.

Disadvantage : PAID (unless you meet me/someone who can give it free). You need to download the whole maps after paying for it (thru wifi/3g/2g).


Finally Google Maps - G Maps - Google Navigation

These maps are available for anyone anytime. Only problem is, you cant download the whole maps for India (or for a state) at once.
If you want to use the Google service, you need to be connected to internet. In this case, we cant depend on wifi as you cant get wireless network on your move. so you need to depend on your mobile internet (2G/3G) for downloading the maps at that point of time. So, you end up paying always for your internet.
Advantage : Free . The latest maps every time.
Disadvantage : Always connected to internet (Technically, you may not have to). No offline maps. No internet -> No Maps - No Navigation


Indian has covered a lot about GPS /A-GPS ! Kudos to him

 

[sethumurugan]

Great explanation. Thank you Indian, Appus and RK.

So if i need to use latest / updated map i need to pay. Will using 3g/2g for this purpose will cost much or negligible?

Will i get voice navigation support when I use offline maps from mobile?

 

[appus]

So if i need to use latest / updated map i need to pay. Will using 3g/2g for this purpose will cost much or negligible?

Again, do not get confused. If you are using Google maps/navigation, you will be always charged - It depends on the map. Google maps are downloaded On the Go (While traveling). It is used in emergency normally.



If you are using any offline maps (nokia/sygic/tomtom), you can download the map thru wifi always. It is not downloaded on the go. So, you need not worry about offline maps download charge

Will i get voice navigation support when I use offline maps from mobile?

All Offline maps comes with Voice Navigation Support

 

[Indian]

...

1. Switched on 3G (Chargeable) and google navigation(google maps), and the battery drained pretty fast.
2. I charged completely and changed to 2G(chargeable) and google navigation (google maps), battery drain was considerably slow. Maps updates comparatively late as i was on 2G
3. Tried on another day with Offline Maps (No 3g/2g enabled) and the battery drain was more than 2G and less than 3G.
...

Thanks Appus for the appreciation
There are lots of misconception about GPS and I have even seen people getting confused between GPS and GPRS

Regarding your analysis on the battery usage it look really surprising but may be the offline mapping has better UI and is more real time with interactive feedback. I am also Sygic user.

@Sethu,
In simple words, you better purchase phone with offline mapping such as Nokia or Sygic. Use the GMaps only as emergency as it costs the data.

Now GMaps has offline mapping, I have been able to use google navigation using offline maps. But you have to do this. First 'Save the offline maps' while connected to wi-fi. Google allows you to store maximum size of about 80 MB for a map segment. You can have multiple segments stored.(eg Bangalore Map and Mumbai Maps separately). Now assuming that you are in Bangalore and want to navigate, Load the Bangalore offline map, connect to 'Mobile Data' start navigation, once started disconnect the mobile data, now it should work for you with out mobile data on Google navigation. I have tried this method to test only. But this method you can not move out of your saved map(Bangalore in this case). But saving bunch of offline maps could be a good idea.

And another note of Google navigation, we say it costs money, but its not really consuming too much data. When ever I used Google navigation and when checked the data usage its hardly anything like less that 1 to 2 MB. Generally you would have atleast a 1GB data plan and I don't think one need to be paranoid on the costs.

 

[sethumurugan]

Thanks Indian. yes still someone start using GPS there will be confution always. Sorry to bother you guys much.

I understand now about downloading maps and storing it phone and start using it offline. Now am in offline mode and will my phone talk to GPS satilite? do i need to have my mobile operators help [data usage] for this?
Another question is you said there will be maps of different cities. What and how i manage when I travel between cities? how that navigation works?

 

[Indian]

Thanks Indian. yes still someone start using GPS there will be confution always. Sorry to bother you guys much.

I understand now about downloading maps and storing it phone and start using it offline. Now am in offline mode and will my phone talk to GPS satilite? do i need to have my mobile operators help [data usage] for this?
Another question is you said there will be maps of different cities. What and how i manage when I travel between cities? how that navigation works?

Dont have to say sorry, we are here to help each other. So feel free to ask. I dont think anyone will be annoyed with that

There is nothing called 'offline mode', its your choice whether you are using offline mapping(based on your choice of application such as Sygic, GMaps etc). Once you have any navigation application loaded on your phone, when you launch the application it will search for GPS data. Based on the setting it will get the GPS data(if you have already enabled GPS on your device if not it will ask you to turn on GPS device). Remember GPS device and the Mapping software are two different things. They work by talking to each other but they are two different things. Like your Microsoft word application prints on any printer!

To use GPS(Hardware)you dont need data connectivity or mobile providers help or anything. But to use Navigation Software you may have to use 'Mobile Data' where you will be charged if you use online mapping such as Google Navigation. If you are using Sygic or Nokia mapping then since you dont have to connect to internet no charges here.

Now regarding the 'two city' travel as you asked. Basically I was explaining how one can use Google Navigation(even thought its online mapping) with out using data. Yes if you are travelling from Bangalore to Mumbai. It wont be sufficient if you just have saved Bangalore and Mumbai maps. You need to have all intermediate maps between those two places also saved as offline map. I was just explaining how you can achieve offline use of online mapping. For eg. Assume that you are asked to travel to Delhi and you want the way to navigating and locating places with in Delhi. And you dont want to use online maps as it might cost you too much or drain your battery too much. Now the option is to quickly save the Delhi map as offline map(while you are still at home using wifi). Then when you are at Delhi start using the 'offline mapping'.

Hope things looks better than before?

 

[Gurrala74]

To cut short, Sethu

Buy any Nokia Lumia phone and download all india maps thru' wifi once. Thats all

They work offline with in the city and between cities where roads are normally either NH or SH, it will show you bit less details than of online google maps, but it is more than sufficient with voice guided assistance. I am using it regularly with my phone these days completely offline.

First I will open the Nokia maps and find the route between two destinations which is automatically saved to recent search. Then I close the maps and open the nokia drive and select the same route which is previously searched that's it start the navigation it just keep working excellent buddy

It is very rare I look for online maps, but even I have downloaded g maps and installed in my phone and whenever I am in bit remote village side, I use them for a while to fix the route and just follow the route without voice assistance.

 

[appus]

To cut short, Sethu

Buy any Nokia Lumia phone and download all india maps thru' wifi once. Thats all

Sethu Sir -> Please do not jump in buying. Since you heard these many suggestion, just check these two maps with friends. Come for Bangalore meet when RK comes down. I will show Sygic (MapMyIndia) maps and RK will show you Nokia maps. Then, you decide :D

Some offline maps needs a higher hardware. So, buy accordingly.

It is a small request from my side

 

[appus]

Here are the few screen shot from Sygic



The last one is when you press in the screen, you can see the nearest petrol stations , and shift the viewing angle etc.

Total Number of KM, Time to reach, Next Turn/change of direction, Your current speed etc

 

[Gurrala74]

Few of offline maps of Nokia and offline Navigation screen shots

 

[sethumurugan]

My god you people are rocking with these maps...

Am not going to buy a phone or tab or GPS device by now appus.. so no worries and thanks for your concern. But I had all these doubts for long time.

Now am clear. Hope when I use some of my freinds GPS lively then I might get some more clarification.

Appus you had mentioned the Marina Beach to Little Mt shortest rout in Chennai. Just share the image if possible.

 

[appus]

Great. As a fellow TAIan, it is our duty not to mislead you for something. So, you will surely see many guys during meetups. If you meet guys like Indian, you are rest assured that you will get the right product .

Appus you had mentioned the Marina Beach to Little Mt shortest rout in Chennai. Just share the image if possible.

I do not know which way it took us there. When we were passing thru some area, my cousin brother was saying 'some famous actor stays here'(i forgot whom he was mentioning). Not Rajnikanth for sure

I really do not have the image. I wont be able to recollect even if i see the map again. I think only Bikes and autos were going thru that lane (for about 100-500m). That too during Deepavali (Diwali) holidays. Was really scared of scratching my car.