Cant Get Navigation To Work

[apetley]

Hi as the title.

Trying to use navigation on my samsung galaxy and it just stays on the 'location and security' page even when I switch on 'use gps satellites'.

I know it works in the Uk as I used it there recently.

Anyone any ideas on how to use?

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

[yankee99]

The quick answer is the navigation on the galaxy does not work here in Thailand without modding your phone.

[apetley]

Hi thanks for the reply.

Is it an easy mod?

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[lomatopo]

In theory you should get this message when trying to launch Navigation (Google maps turn-by-turn navigation). As I understand it, Google has disabled navigation in those countries where the underlying Maps detail/information is less than robust. For anything more than rudimentary navigation requirements I would always recommend a dedicated GPS.

Assuming your phone is rooted, and you have not upgraded to Android 4.0.x, the mod is quite simple and straight-forward.

This post has instructions which have always worked for me. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=14063138&postcount=497

http://www.bestapk.info/2012/07/google-maps-v690-mod-world-navigation.html

http://www.jayceooi.com/2011/04/04/download-google-maps-navigation-unlocked-for-all-country-android/

[apetley]

Thanks for the detailed reply, I appreciate it.

Yes I have a dedicated gps but I'll try and get navigation working too.

After using it ok in the Uk it seems a shame not to be able to use it on my phone here too.

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[Captor]

Hi

I have a Samsung Galaxy S3. What about using a TomTom based navigation? Would that work in Thailand on tha phone? I have for now Android 4.04 installed.

Or which one navigation is the best for use in Thailand?

[Jayman]

This is free.. has thai maps.. and does navigation around the world

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapfactor.navigator&hl=en

[apetley]

Thanks very much for the link jayman, very much appreciated.

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[lomatopo]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/418919-thai-gps-app-for-android-which-better/

Other Android OSM front-ends: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Android

[Gary A]

This is free.. has thai maps.. and does navigation around the world

https://play.google....navigator&hl=en

I have this on my phone. Some areas are pretty detailed but if you want to use it in the boonies, you will be very disappointed. It also will not allow you to change the coordinate system. I like the decimal coordinates. Using search, I cannot enter any coordinates that seem to work. I also get a lot of "route not found".

[Captor]

Hi guys,

Thank you very much for your information. Mapfactor seems to be perfect for me, Jayman. Very helpful.

I can nvigate without satelites, the maps are stored, so no extra phone costs when in Thailand. And if using satelites I guess there is no extra phone costs for that as well, right?

I mean roaming costs. I using satelites has nothing to do with the 2g or 3g connection. Or am I wrong about this? Will there be some costs for using satelites?

And the other comments are very helpful as well. Nice lists on Wiki too...

[bino]

using satelites has nothing to do with the 2g or 3g connection. Or am I wrong about this? Will there be some costs for using satelites?

The GPS signals from satellites are free. However, your S3 would have "Assisted GPS" where you can get location data from the network to "assist" the satellite data- IE triangulate cell tower positions, etc. Bearing this in mind, there would be bandwidth usage on your mobile 2g / 3g account, but probably negligible amount.

[Captor]

Dear Bino

Thank you very much for the information about assisted GPS. I was not aware of that. Maybe it is possible to turn this off?

I will check in my manual about that. The best is to avoid roaming costs so I have full control about the costs. OK, I guess the navgation will not be that accurate

but I can try that first and maybe it is accurate enough. thanks again..

[Captor]

Has someone hear about iGO? Is that a free or pay navigation?

[Jayman]

Dear Bino

Thank you very much for the information about assisted GPS. I was not aware of that. Maybe it is possible to turn this off?

I will check in my manual about that. The best is to avoid roaming costs so I have full control about the costs. OK, I guess the navgation will not be that accurate

but I can try that first and maybe it is accurate enough. thanks again..

If you turn your data off then you won't be charged for data usage. If the maps are stored on your device then no data is needed for the GPS to function. The navigation happens on your device and not from the network.

[Captor]

You mean GPS need not to be activated at all? How can then the device keep track on were I am and were to drive next when I am heading to a destination?

I have now installed mapfactor and it works very fine. But of course the original Google Navigation has better quality. But that does not work offline. So that is out of question in Thailand.

Everything works with mapfactor except that the street names and other letters are very small. I have managed to increase the size in the settings but it is still pretty small. I believe when driving in the car on a thai quality road i will not be able to read any names.

[Jayman]

You mean GPS need not to be activated at all? How can then the device keep track on were I am and were to drive next when I am heading to a destination?

I have now installed mapfactor and it works very fine. But of course the original Google Navigation has better quality. But that does not work offline. So that is out of question in Thailand.

Everything works with mapfactor except that the street names and other letters are very small. I have managed to increase the size in the settings but it is still pretty small. I believe when driving in the car on a thai quality road i will not be able to read any names.

You have mis read my post. No where did I say to turn off GPS. How would the GPS function if it's turned off. I suggested that you turn off the DATA (GPRS/EDGE/3G) as it's NOT needed for the GPS to function and as long as you have the maps stored on your device then all the nav happens within the device and no data connection is needed.

I suggested this as you were worried about roaming charges and someone mentioned GPS assisted using data which completely threw you into the wrong direction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS

Edited July 26, 2012 by Jayman

[Captor]

Dear Jayman

OK, then I understand better. I was confused for a while, hehe... sorry.

Now I have try your suggestion the Mapfactor and that seems to work but a little hard to read due to small letters.

Is there anyone else out there who has other suggestions? Maybe i can find something better:-)

There is Sygic for example. They use the tomtom maps as I understand. But that is not not free. But that can be OK too if it is very much better then others.

There must be some extra value for the money otherwise the free navigations are fine too.

[lomatopo]

Dear Jayman

OK, then I understand better. I was confused for a while, hehe... sorry.

Now I have try your suggestion the Mapfactor and that seems to work but a little hard to read due to small letters.

Is there anyone else out there who has other suggestions? Maybe i can find something better:-)

There is Sygic for example. They use the tomtom maps as I understand. But that is not not free. But that can be OK too if it is very much better then others.

There must be some extra value for the money otherwise the free navigations are fine too.

Link posted, again. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/418919-thai-gps-app-for-android-which-better/

Some reviews of Sygic, and most of the others.

IME, a 3,000 baht dedicated GPS device works 1,000x better, for turn-by-turn navigation than any app, and I've used them all, paid or free on an Android device (SGS1, SGS2).

Can you describe your application? Do you really need turn-by-turn navigation? Are you doing a lot of driving? Or merely off-line mapping, with perhaps directions?

[Captor]

Hi lomatopo

I have an SGS3. A dedicated GPS only cost 3000 Bath? When I was looking for one I did only find for maybe 7-8 000 Bath.

Yes I know they works much better. But the need for a gps is not that uge so that is why i try to find something within the android phone.

But if there is dedicated for about 3000 bath than of course that is a strong option as well.

But if we talk about a gps for the android, which one was best according to your opinion? Ease of finding, easy to handle, nice and clear layout. Things like that?

Turn by turn I want to have. We are doing a lot of driving but not like a professional driver just private. Off-line mapping is nice too when I use my western phone to avoid roaming.

However, on-line is an option too for my gf´s phone.

[lomatopo]

But if we talk about a gps for the android, which one was best

Did you read the posts in the linked thread?

If you are doing a lot of driving I would strongly suggest a dedicated GPS: POIs, tolls, spoken directions (computan sai ) detailed, off-line maps, etc.

Just to show one can hack Google Maps with Navigation to work here...Note that it also has spoken directions, some quite amusing (Suck - um - Vitt)

Edited July 27, 2012 by lomatopo

[Captor]

Yes, I did read it.

How can one hack the google maps? I understand that the maps are not stored in the memory (off-line)? Anyway if it is possible to go offline with stored maps I am

very interested in that. The google maps are the one with best layout in my opinion. Maybe thats why they can be stored? They are to big?

[lomatopo]

More snaps of Google Maps off-line caching: note gmaps_cache_03, no live data connection, you can see the difference between the cached and non-cached maps on either side of the black diagonal line, which delineates the cached section.

[lomatopo]

How can one hack the google maps?

Seriously? Did you read post #4 in this thread?

[Captor]

yes i had, but that was I while ago and already forgotten. OK, there is a link on how to do, thanks. What is Titanium Backup?? Do I have that in my Samsung? I don´t think so.

Anyway, i will see if I can figure out what they mean in the link. I guees that is for another phone than Samsung. But it should be the same if i can find the storage place.

About the snaps, um... there is a big difference. Maybe better go for other apps then which are better on off-line mode. What about tomtom based apps then? I have seen that there are

some apps with that.

[bino]

If you're worried about roaming charges, why don't you just get a prepaid SIM card from True move who has the best 3G coverage, and then use google maps (which you seem to prefer) as normal?

[Captor]

Because that time I use that prepaid SIM card no one of my 350 customers can call me on the normal sim card. Which is Swedish by the way.

I don´t want to make it so complicated. I just like to find a decent navigation that works off-line that´s all. But out of them there are in the marked of course I try to find the best one.

I can even pay for it if there is no better solution for free.

[bino]

Do you have call forwarding in Sweden? When you get here and know what your Thai number will be, simply set your Swedish number to forward to the Thai one.

A friend of mine was here from Canada for three weeks in April, and did exactly as I described. He topped up the Thai SIM with 500 baht, and didn't run out / need to add any more. If you're willing to consider 3000 for a stand alone GPS, this would be considerably cheaper.

[Captor]

That is an idea of course. I use that already for an other phone forwarding to the mobile phone. I guess it is possible then to forward the mobile phone to another

thai sim card. The trick is to not forget that when coming home:-)

I am in Thailand 3 times every year. And that time I use to travel but I must also take care of my customers.

So if doing this way you things the Google Navigation is the best? That I have in the phone already. It was there when I bought it.

[bino]

You profess to liking the google maps best... and I agree. I use them a lot. The app was pre-loaded on my phone too. I don't know about any others- never tried them because google maps is all I need. Lomatopo and the others can (and have) provided advice on these.

Using a Thai SIM has the advantage that you can use as much data as you want- not just maps - and not worry about any roaming charges. You'll have permanent access to your email, hotel and travel websites, etc.