I’m not sure if Navigation (Free, voice-guided GPS navigation system) is enabled in Google Maps here in Thailand in the latest, currently available version (5.10.0 ?) for your specific Android device? It should be easy enough to verify, go to Applications, scroll to “Navigation” (blue arrow). If, after accepting the terms, you get this message:

Attention: Google Maps Navigation is not yet available for this location.

then it is not enabled. If it is enabled you will be in the Navigation screen.

I am using a hacked version (Maps, Settings Directions, Enter start and end points, click on blue arrow, now in Navigation, route is highlighted, turn-by-turn directions available, with audio) 5.8.0-ownhereMOD-thanks-Brut, all (#5080011) Web.

There is a hacked version of 5.10.0 (mine may actually be based on 5.08?), but I haven’t pushed that to my phone yet.

Further, we can cache (download) maps to the phone for off-line use. However it seems like there is a limit to how many squares (10) we can cache. I have not looked for a work-around for this limitation; I suspect there may be one?

One more pic...

Cache snaps...

When I try the "Navigation" app I get the error you mentionned, "not avialable". This is what was calling 3D navigation in my previous post.

Caching of a limited area is available though.

When I try the "Navigation" app I get the error you mentionned, "not avialable". This is what was calling 3D navigation in my previous post.

Caching of a limited area is available though.

I don't think we're talking about "3D Navigation".

Can you just confirm if you have navigation with Google Maps, in, for lack of a better term, 2D? It should look like some of the pics I attached...Route Overview, Turn-by-Turn Directions, Voice-assisted.

My best guess is that you do not have any (2G, 3D, 4D) Navigation with Google Maps on rev. 5.10.0, so it may be safe to say that this capability remains unavailable for Thailand UNLESS you use the "ownhereMOD".

I will push the 5.10 ownhere update, and report any additional features/functions. I'll also see if there is a way to cache more than 10 squares.

Ok, here are some screenshots.

I never said voice assisted was an option, I don't see any place to enable it anyway.

OK. That's NOT Navigation, just driving directions which is standard in Google Maps. If you had Navigation then you would see a Blue Arrow in the upper right corner of screenshot #2 (right), adjacent to the M (Maps logo), which you could click to enter Navigation.

Having said that, Driving Directions seems to offer almost the same information as Navigation.

So Navigation remains unavailable here, unless modded.

Hm, ok if you say so ... but as you pointed out yourself, there doesn't seem to be much (any?) difference.

I got a Garmin for my car and just bought the Sygic GPS (19 GBP) for my Samsung GS2.

I tested them both this morning on the way to work. The Garmin interface looks like shit compared to the Sygic (uses tomtom maps).

But the Sygic was about 10 meters behind a couple of times.

The good thing with the Android app, you dont need the internet to use it, it connects via a GPS satellite which is ideal.

I just bought my Garmin too, looks like I will not sell it because the Sygic shits all over the Garmin.

I will do a video while using both GPS's this week sometime so you can see.

I use my Garmins because they get me where I want to go and not because they are pretty. My Nokia phone with the Nokia maps looks pretty good too but as far as detail and navigation, it is very inferior to the ESRI map and the Garmin GPS unit.

Hm, ok if you say so ... but as you pointed out yourself, there doesn't seem to be much (any?) difference.

There's a huge difference. what you have shown is simply a route map like one might draw up in advance and need to remember or keep looking at to see where you are on the route at any time (and don't go off route or you'd have to start all over!).

What a turn by turn street navigator does is follow real time telling you when to turn or prepare to turn and what lane to get in. If you take a wrong turning it recalculates real time. All done by sound so if driving can keep eyes on road.

Speednavi seems ok so far. It came with 1 year free membership when I bought the SG2.

It does give directions and you can chose USA or UK accents. It tells me, for example, right turn 700 meters, then 300 and so on. Though it has a 3D button and I have it enabled, I do not see it like on the garmins or other real gps machines, like elevated roads or even trees. I wish it did.

Following up on an earlier post re: OpenStreetMap, this WiKi lists all the Android app.s which use OSM.

I have been using OsmAnd, free in The Market. I downloaded the Thailand maps and POI (fun fact: they list "brothels" ). OSM offers full off-line maps, turn-by-turn navigation with voice assist. I think I still prefer Google Maps with Navigation (now up to 5.10.0-ownhereMOD via the hack), but OSM does have the entire map of Thailand available for download, and I haven't found a way to cache more than "ten squares" with Google Maps.

Following up on an earlier post re: OpenStreetMap, this WiKi lists all the Android app.s which use OSM.

I have been using OsmAnd, free in The Market. I downloaded the Thailand maps and POI (fun fact: they list "brothels" ). OSM offers full off-line maps, turn-by-turn navigation with voice assist. I think I still prefer Google Maps with Navigation (now up to 5.10.0-ownhereMOD via the hack), but OSM does have the entire map of Thailand available for download, and I haven't found a way to cache more than "ten squares" with Google Maps.

Cool, I will try OSMAnd

Following up on an earlier post re: OpenStreetMap, this WiKi lists all the Android app.s which use OSM.

I have been using OsmAnd, free in The Market. I downloaded the Thailand maps and POI (fun fact: they list "brothels" ). OSM offers full off-line maps, turn-by-turn navigation with voice assist. I think I still prefer Google Maps with Navigation (now up to 5.10.0-ownhereMOD via the hack), but OSM does have the entire map of Thailand available for download, and I haven't found a way to cache more than "ten squares" with Google Maps.

Cool, I will try OSMAnd

OSMAnd is so freaking shit........ It has really really weird ways of spelling the street names.

Trying to find Phetkasem rd, nothing happen, so I looked for it in map view, it spells it ephchreksm

Sukhumvit is spelt sukhumwith lol

I wasn't impressed by Navit and uninstalled it within 24 hours.

I installed Navit for Windows on my PC: utterly dysfunctional, no documentation. May try again in a year.

Obb

Speednavi seems ok so far. It came with 1 year free membership when I bought the SG2.

It does give directions and you can chose USA or UK accents. It tells me, for example, right turn 700 meters, then 300 and so on. Though it has a 3D button and I have it enabled, I do not see it like on the garmins or other real gps machines, like elevated roads or even trees. I wish it did.

Umm it would seem Speednavi is ONLY available as a bundled package NOT available on the market.

Just checked out Speednavi on an SG2, very poor on display and maps vs Garmin XT. I think I prefer Sygic.

i will be buying (my first) android phone in Australia and wish to use it to find directions between two places (outside of main cities). After reading entries here, I dont need navigation just directions. I was thinking of HTC Desire Z as it has a maps function/software with the phone that can be used while off line - i need to run the phone on minimal power as may not have access to recharging all the time-but am quite ignorant on this point (and most others as it is my first time to Thailand). Does anyone know if it will work in Thailand ie i can download have local data?

With "maps function", do you mean Google Maps? I believe you have to be online to use this.

All mobile phone carriers offer the option of Internet access. This subject is discussed in our forum Mobile internet and devices. If you can't find there what you are looking for, please feel free to start a new topic in that forum to get links to the relevant web pages of the various carriers.

With "maps function", do you mean Google Maps? I believe you have to be online to use this.

All mobile phone carriers offer the option of Internet access. This subject is discussed in our forum Mobile internet and devices. If you can't find there what you are looking for, please feel free to start a new topic in that forum to get links to the relevant web pages of the various carriers.

okay thanks Maestro. HTC Desire Z has software called 'locations' which you can use offline. will investigate further. cheers

I've been on this Android phone for a couple of months now and my choices in Thailand are:

1. Sygic for turn by turn navigation. Not free, but the apk files are easy to find for side loading free.

2. Orux maps. Totally free, awesome does online or offline and works anywhere in the world. This is the best GPS mobile ap I have ever seen in the past 15 years of using mobile GPS aps. It does not do turn by turn navigation however, but allows use to make their own maps from any source.

3. Google Maps, when all else fails.

The phone I got came with Speednavi, but that is very poorly designed. Deleted.

Has anybody seen turn by turn software for a tablet that has gps but no data connectivity

I've been on this Android phone for a couple of months now and my choices in Thailand are:

1. Sygic for turn by turn navigation. Not free, but the apk files are easy to find for side loading free.

2. Totally free, awesome does online or offline and works anywhere in the world. This is the best GPS mobile ap I have ever seen in the past 15 years of using mobile GPS aps. It does not do turn by turn navigation however, but allows use to make their own maps from any source.

3. Google Maps, when all else fails.

The phone I got came with Speednavi, but that is very poorly designed. Deleted.

Thanks Digitalbanana for the advice re orux, much appreciated.

Has anybody seen turn by turn software for a tablet that has gps but no data connectivity

Sygic does and it's pretty cheap at the moment.. 15.99 euro.

And a 7 day trial from the market.

Tried Sygic and found it useless especially in the night mode when it inverts colors, all the street names would disappear. It uses Tom Tom maps so it looks nice... just looks.

Tried Orux maps, it has a nice featire to cache the maps from different sources but it cant cache a lot per day so it would take forever to cache the whole of Thailand. The interface is confusing too, I guess you can get used to it, so it's just a personal preferrence.

I am using Locus Pro, it costs a few bucks and well worth it. There is a free version of it with ads available on a market. It just as a Pro version has all the features, but I wanted to support the app as it's so good and costs next to nothing.

It has an option to cache the maps from different sources (including Google maps), can be used for offroad or backcountry navigation, it's full of features, easy to use and has a lot of usefull addons like geocaching, storing your contacts as POI in the database, etc. It also does turn by turn navigation, but it has to go online to calculate the route, once it's done that, you can turn the data usage off again.

Highly recommended.

Yes Locus along with Orux are two good Android mapping programs I have encountered. Haven't used Locus much as I am used to Orux but depends what you like.

Personally I have a need to make my own maps out of nothing such as with a CAD or GIS program to map project specific details that cannot be found on generic map servers. Something as simple as scanning a jpg map out of a document and then go trekking/ mapping on that. Orux can to that with some tools and home made maps, but I am not sure if Locus Free can? I also couldn't seem to get access to Google maps/sat images when I used Locus Free, just lower res Mapquest roads and sat images but perhaps I didn't look far enough?

Yes, Locus and Orux are good, I just jot used to Locus quicker, was more intuitive, for me anyways, and each of these apps have some features the other doesn't have.

Correct, Orux let you create the custom maps, I didn't need that feature personally.

Earlier Locus versions had a lot of map providers which for some reason got removed in the later versions. There is an addon called Locus - addon Map Tweak, it will add all the earlier map providers and more.

I didn't really notice much differences between free and paid versions. No adds for sure but all else seems to be the same.

For more info:

Locus free

https://market.android.com/details?id=menion.android.locus&feature=search_result

Locus Pro

https://market.android.com/details?id=menion.android.locus.pro&feature=search_result

Tried Sygic and found it useless especially in the night mode when it inverts colors, all the street names would disappear. It uses Tom Tom maps so it looks nice... just looks.

Tried Orux maps, it has a nice featire to cache the maps from different sources but it cant cache a lot per day so it would take forever to cache the whole of Thailand. The interface is confusing too, I guess you can get used to it, so it's just a personal preferrence.

I am using Locus Pro, it costs a few bucks and well worth it. There is a free version of it with ads available on a market. It just as a Pro version has all the features, but I wanted to support the app as it's so good and costs next to nothing.

It has an option to cache the maps from different sources (including Google maps), can be used for offroad or backcountry navigation, it's full of features, easy to use and has a lot of usefull addons like geocaching, storing your contacts as POI in the database, etc. It also does turn by turn navigation, but it has to go online to calculate the route, once it's done that, you can turn the data usage off again.

Highly recommended.

I think it would depend a lot on the phone and Sygic version number. I have just tried the Sygic 11.2.2 that i have on a Samsung tab 1010 wifi. and have to say. No problems at all with colour washout etc. So i guess they have fixed that or it's a problem with your phone/tab.

I also like the easy POI section where you can check hotels etc.. it's almost like a Yellow pages, handy here in Thailand.

But i will look at Locus Pro.

It's a little offtopic, but does anyone know of a good free or cheap app for iPhones? My GF wants a somilat app on her phone and I really have no time nor desire to look for one, can't even try one without taking her phone away for a while. I kow there is a TomTom app for it but I am not paying $80+ for something that can be had free or at a low cost.

Thanks