Google maps for mobiles

giner1961

Cycling Plus this month had an articale with regards to getting google maps on to your mobile, by downloading to your computer and then drag and drop in to the phone, this then enabled you to use google maps with a seperate GPS reciver and link to the phone vie bluetooth.
Anybody have any advice on what is needed to get the google maps on to the computer etc, or has anybody already done this, if so could you give me some advice.
Thanks

shazzz

I have google maps on my Blackberry. The BB does not have GPS - GPRS only - but it gives my current location with reasonable accuracy depending on the signal strength (within about 1km). It's good enough as an emergency path finder but not for detailed route planning. I don't think you can track your route and save it as you can with a proper GPS.

I don't have a separate GPS receiver.

Ignoring the GPS side of things, having the maps on your phone is very helpful for day to day stuff in any case - well worth downloading.

To download, just point your phone browser at www.maps.google.co.uk and then click on google maps for mobile (or similar). Dead easy.

giner1961

Hi
Thanks for your reply, yes i'm aware of the set up you have suggested, however the way cycling plus has done it means that you do not need to connect your phone to the provider, but use google maps with a gprs reciver, so basically you are getting free GPRS with a seperate reciever.

amaferanga

I have a Balckberry with Google maps and GPS and its ok.... I could get a bike holder designed specifically for my phone and there are other applications available that track your route so you can upload it to a website. I could then sort of use it for navigation, but only with Google directions. Unfortunately, unlike the full Google maps, the directions widget doesn't have much functionality (you can't drag routes and you can't add in between points) so its not really much use if you want to follow a route unless your route happens to be the shortest/quickest between the two points. Good if you get a bit lost following a map though and you want to check where you are, or maybe used in conjunction with a map.

As above for getting hold of it - that's what I did. As you probably guessed, its data intensive so not a good idea if you don't have an unlimited data plan....

amaferanga

I'm confused. You mean GPRS or GPS?

Matt-B

Google Maps will always download the maps from the internet, as far as I know, so although you can get a GPS fix from a separate unit, the maps will still need to be downloaded over-the-air, thus incurring data charges.

SpinyUK

You can only do this with Nokia maps afaik

Matt-B

Yeah - Nokia maps enables you to pre-load the maps via your PC, but if you're using the built-in GPS receiver on something like the N95, you need to have AGPS enabled anyway (otherwise it's painfully slow to get a fix...) and that uses data as well. So basically, if you really want to take this route, it pays to get an inclusive data allowance in your contract.

Matt-B

I haven't read it all properly, but a cursory search threw up this page, which might be of some help?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=351001

giner1961

Thanks for that, i shall give it a go

Cunobelin

Memory-Map has a sub progam that works on PDAs and "Smart Phones"

Both PDA and Phone have the local area (150 KM radius) at OS and Winchester through Southampton and Portsmouth at Street Level. All for no additional cost!

alfablue

My Nokia N82 with built in GPS and Nokia Maps works without assisted GPS - the first fix takes maybe a minute rather than seconds it works fine after that. The charges for data for the AGPS are just a few pence, though I have an £8/month 30GB data plan anyway (not just for these purposes). I enjoy using the SportsTracker software which records all sorts of data about my rides and uploads it to a web site that keeps workout details and shows them on Google Maps.

(the phone was free on Orange with a 500 minute / 100 text plan for £22/month).