Map/Navigation and Smartphone Apps Woes

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I've said the same thing many times here before. The relevant other forums have complained for years about not being able to keep a modified map or have an simple option. It would not be politically correct to have a safe neighborhood option. I recall in Memphis for some gun thing, a group of us went to a renown BBQ place. The app took us there on the free way close to the restaurant. Given the way the exits were arranged, it was asked to take us back to the nice hotel. Wanted to go right through the middle of what we were told to avoid. Even though it would have been a van full of trained and armed, the driver and others fought to get the app to get us back to the highway.

The app got me totally lost in VT. Stopped at a tourist site with a paper map to figure it. I always have such in the car.

[ST911]

I've run different mapping apps/GPS parallel to each other on road trips just to see the differences. Sometimes they're pretty remarkable, but all tend to rely on preference settings that can sometimes be deep in menus (i.e. fuel economy/green, avoid tollways, paved roads only, speed limits). In Glenn's example above, it's sometimes better to put in nearer destination or waypoint (if enabled) that will guarantee inclusion or avoidance of certain areas.

[Guerrero]

I've said the same thing many times here before. The relevant other forums have complained for years about not being able to keep a modified map or have an simple option. It would not be politically correct to have a safe neighborhood option. I recall in Memphis for some gun thing, a group of us went to a renown BBQ place. The app took us there on the free way close to the restaurant. Given the way the exits were arranged, it was asked to take us back to the nice hotel. Wanted to go right through the middle of what we were told to avoid. Even though it would have been a van full of trained and armed, the driver and others fought to get the app to get us back to the highway.

The app got me totally lost in VT. Stopped at a tourist site with a paper map to figure it. I always have such in the car.

My wife developed the "Panera Principle" for determining where we stop on our road trips: if the neighborhood has a Panera (or, even better, a yoga studio too), it's GTG.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Being an old fart and a member of AAA, when we take a long cross country trip, I get them to send me a neat little trip book of the path, with every intersection, etc. I give it read each night and compare to a big old map book or paper map. The problem I had in our last drive is that so many city loops had construction with last minute exits through weird sharp turns. Surprise!

When I used my Iphone, I didn't know this at first but it sent the verbal instructions through my phone number and they were always late and abbreviated. You would get a garbled - )$)#)# turn.

Then I found, that if it went through Blue Tooth, you got a clear message. I have a totally obsolescent Garmin that I just look at to confirm streets. It's a pain to program and I need to update it.

[masternave]

Having gone down a similar rabbit hole recently:

Google Maps is generally a great resource. It allows you to download maps, generally does ok turn-by-turn… but by default it records all your searches and stops. Stop it here: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/how-to-...ews-27792.html

OsmAnd is generally well regarded, has good features, and is a paid-for app… so therefore isn't selling your data.

caltopo.com can help you make some print maps if you want a physical backup or to make routes to send to your garmin.

Apple Maps (the default on the phone) has some nice features, doesn't track you at the moment, and in the fall will also support offline maps.

I use Apple Maps around town, Google Maps (for now) when on long road trips, osmand and caltopo generated maps for hiking. When Apple Maps gets offline maps I'll delete Google Maps and not go back for a while.

[jeep45238]

I'll generally download an off-internet chunk of the map for Google earth (I go where there's no cell reception a lot), and let it do it's thing if I'm not familiar with the route - and you can check settings for fastest route vs. most economical, tolls vs. none, highway vs. none, etc..

Due to my work, I take a lot of back roads, and that has shifted over to my driving habits. It's mentally easier to stay engaged taking a little more time on country roads than a highway during rush hour, even if it takes another 5-10 minutes.

Way less stressful when I've taken the mentality of "I'll get there when I get there" versus trying to make a certain time line.

[luckyman]

One thing I use quite often in google maps is the “search along route” option. Kinda bummed that Apple Maps doesn’t have that

[RoyGBiv]

Between Wife (Waze) and I (Google Maps), we can usually suss out a good path....

My car nav system was never great, but, now that its 3G interface is EoL, I can't send it destinations from my phone and I don't have Android Auto / Car Play... Been considering a replacement unit with carplay/aa but don't want to screw with the installation..

[EMC]

For road travel in civilization, I rely on google maps but make sure to download offline map sets ahead of time. The problem sometimes with offline maps in google maps is if you stop navigation and try to search for something mid-drive without coverage it typically falls on its face. Have to stay the course till you reach your destination.

For uncivilized offroad travel I create my own routes in an app called Backcountry navigator pro which allows for offline use with downloaded map sets quite well and has a plethora of open source topo map and imagery options for use. I like that it's a one time fee app and not a yearly subscription model like so many of them are today such as Gaia and OnX.

[luckyman]

Well this thread led me to conduct a multi hour experiment just now with both google maps and Apple Maps running at the same time, through some busy roads with slowdowns and many route choices.

Both maps gave very similar and accurate routings and ETA predictions.

Google maps correctly identified 4 “speed traps”; Apple did not.

I greatly preferred apple’s verbal instructions over Google, as well as the visual UI. WAY better.

As mentioned before Apple is missing the “search along route” feature.

Apple’s integration with Apple Watch (where the watch vibrates just before each turn) saved me once when I was busy talking with my wife and had the volume down. Overall the Apple Watch integration was appreciated when I was the driver, but kind of irritating when I was the passenger.

All in all still a tough choice. I’m leaning towards using Apple for everything except if I expect to need “search along route” to find an eating place. Definitely would use Apple whenever I think turns and lane positions etc might be tricky. Might use google for speed trap warnings along long easy routes.