off-line GPS software for New Zealand

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kingdragonfly

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#258579 10-Oct-2019 17:41

I have purchased a new 7" Android car radio. It has an external GPS antenna.

It has Google Maps, and I know Google has an off-line mode.

However I was looking for an off-line option as a backup. I've read there's a number of free options, but I'm wondering if there's one with a good New Zealand map. Hopefully with a map that can be updated without spending a lot of money.

Also if anyone knows of software to test the GPS connection, perhaps identifying how many satellites and how good, I'd love to hear about it also.

Cheers

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#2335202 10-Oct-2019 19:26

Navmii?

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mentalinc

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#2335204 10-Oct-2019 19:30

Anything backed by openmaps should do the trick.

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lNomNoml

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#2335205 10-Oct-2019 19:30

Does it have Android Auto or some obscure Android Google Maps on it? if it's Android Auto, just go on to the Google Maps App and look in the settings to download offline maps.

xpd

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#2335210 10-Oct-2019 19:41

Here We Go is my primary choice for Android.

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kingdragonfly

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#2335213 10-Oct-2019 19:48

lNomNoml: Does it have Android Auto or some obscure Android Google Maps on it? if it's Android Auto, just go on to the Google Maps App and look in the settings to download offline maps.

It has Google Maps. I was impressed by an attempt to get Maori place names as least somewhat correct,

I've been in situations where I've lost Internet connections (and sometime at the same time GPS locks).

I thought Google map downloads expired rather quickly, and you had to remember to download it after you planned a route also.

This is easy to skip if you're in a rush.

Is there a way to always download the Google Maps route?

lNomNoml

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#2335217 10-Oct-2019 20:01

kingdragonfly:
lNomNoml: Does it have Android Auto or some obscure Android Google Maps on it? if it's Android Auto, just go on to the Google Maps App and look in the settings to download offline maps.

It has Google Maps. I was impressed by an attempt to get Maori place names as least somewhat correct,

I've been in situations where I've lost Internet connections (and sometime at the same time GPS locks).

I thought Google map downloads expired rather quickly, and you had to remember to download it after you planned a route also.

This is easy to skip if you're in a rush.

Is there a way to always download the Google Maps route?

If it's using your mobile map data then you can download the maps offline: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6291838?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en&oco=1

kingdragonfly

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#2335219 10-Oct-2019 20:08

Thanks for the link.

This looks good

Offline maps that you downloaded on your phone or tablet need to be updated before they expire. When your offline maps expire in 15 days or less, Google Maps will try to update the area automatically when you're connected to Wi-Fi.

scottjpalmer

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#2335272 11-Oct-2019 01:03

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chartcross.gpstest

frankv

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#2335334 11-Oct-2019 07:24

MapFactor Navigator -- uses Open Street Map maps.

noroad

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#2335337 11-Oct-2019 07:34

I thought Google map downloads expired rather quickly, and you had to remember to download it after you planned a route also.

Offline maps used to expire in 1 month which was pretty useless, recently this changed to a year, so a once year reminder to update and you are golden

kingdragonfly

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#2335341 11-Oct-2019 08:01

Off subject, I see my car radio supports "DAB+".

Here's a related article

Kordia 'ready to invest' in Digital Audio Broadcasting in New Zealand if radio firms supportive

Kiwis would get more and better radio services if the country invested in a digital radio network and now would be good time to make a decision on the investment, says state-owned enterprise Kordia.

Chief executive Scott Bartlett said Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) had taken off overseas and it would cost less than $10 million for New Zealand to set up a transmission network.

DAB – not to be confused with internet radio – is the audio equivalent of digital television, which New Zealand moved to in 2013.

It provides clear reception, allows more radio stations to be packed into the same number of radio frequencies, and lets people select between stations by name without having to fine tune them.

djtOtago

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#2335359 11-Oct-2019 08:50

RE: DAB

kingdragonfly

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#2336502 14-Oct-2019 08:08

The Google off-line feature is a bit annoying for cross country trips.

On my Android 9 radio, I get a dragable fixed size rectangle.

For me, it's wider than high, so to capture most of the North Island, I need 6 or 7 downloaded saved.

Is this what others have experienced?

BlueShift

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#2336529 14-Oct-2019 09:13

xpd:

Here We Go is my primary choice for Android.

Likewise. You can download the entire NZ map at once, then not need to eat mobile data when you need directions.

You can also download the maps for other countries before you travel, and save expensive overseas data.

noroad

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#2336551 14-Oct-2019 09:31

kingdragonfly: The Google off-line feature is a bit annoying for cross country trips.

On my Android 9 radio, I get a dragable fixed size rectangle.

For me, it's wider than high, so to capture most of the North Island, I need 6 or 7 downloaded saved.

Is this what others have experienced?

Yep, not really an issue though.

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