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Old 03-03-2016, 10:56 AM   #21
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That may change when you start really going in the trailer, Laura. The smart phone has been an invaluable tool when out in the trailer. Once and awhile it's a brick depending on a weird camp location, but getting to be more rare that it isn't connected. I work on the road quite a bit and wouldn't be as capable of taking family camping without that device.
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Old 03-03-2016, 10:57 AM   #22
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John,

I tried WAZE on a recent trip and had to shut it off. Mostly I think it was because I hadn't spent the time to learn the app, but it seemed more concerned with telling me where other WAZE members were. Since we were on I-10 heading to LA it kept chirping away about WAZE members so I canned it and went back to maps. I hear a number of people that recommend it so I probably need to spend more time with it and find out how to can the other WAZE people function.
Hmmmmmmm perhaps that is a preference that I shut off?

When I first turn it on it does visually show me that #... but doesn't say it, and it never makes sounds I dont want it to....

I do recall there are preferences that one can set to have it show (and tell) you more, or less stuff....

As far as I can remember it has never audibly told me about how many Wazers are nearby (how annoying, and silly!) so I am sure that can be turned off.

I'd suggest you spend 5 minutes tinkering with it... for me it has really been helpful, especially when towing!
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Old 03-03-2016, 11:07 AM   #23
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Hey Greg

Update:

To get to Waze preferences: (at least on an iPhone… probably the same on Android)

tap the strange blue blob icon bottom left

tap the gear icon top left.

on that Settings page - I would keep sound on, however …

go to Display Settings / Show on Map / and turn OFF the ‘radio’ button that says Wazers. (and while you are there, turn off Map Chats, and Road Goodies.

That should fix your problem, i think.

Nearby wazers will no longer be shown (or announced)

That is how I have it set. This all seems vaguely familiar.

:-)
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Old 03-03-2016, 11:22 AM   #24
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Not a fan of smart phone GPS, we do a lot of travel between the US and Canada. Data plans for Canada and Mexico are very expensive, even more so when “roaming”. We still use a Garmin Nuvi with lifetime maps that you can pick up for $150.00 or so on Amazon. Scott

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Old 03-03-2016, 11:29 AM   #25
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Not a fan of smart phone GPS, we do a lot of travel between the US and Canada. Data plans for Canada and Mexico are very expensive, even more so when “roaming”. We still use a Garmin Nuvi with lifetime maps that you can pick up for $150.00 or so on Amazon. Scott

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On my Verizon iPhone I have turned OFF data roaming (outside of the USA)
.... so that is a non issue for me.... I do travel to Canada sometimes.....

a GPS on a smart phone does not rely on data to work. Of course you won't get traffic updates (as there is no data coming in) but it will work.
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Old 03-03-2016, 11:36 AM   #26
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All of our smartphones have been passed down by the kid, who has to have the latest ( and her husband is in IT ).
Both wife and I now have iPhone 5s that cost nothing.

Just have kids.
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Old 03-03-2016, 11:59 AM   #27
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On my Verizon iPhone I have turned OFF data roaming (outside of the USA)
.... so that is a non issue for me.... I do travel to Canada sometimes.....

a GPS on a smart phone does not rely on data to work. Of course you won't get traffic updates (as there is no data coming in) but it will work.
Never knew that, I'll be in BC Saturday. Have to give it a try.
(Edit: But the GPS won't work without cell service right? A lot of the places that we travel you can not get a signal.) Thanks. Scott

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Old 03-03-2016, 12:31 PM   #28
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Thanks LA John, I have removed the Wazers option per your instructions and will test it out around town. Excited to see how it works.
Old Skool, I believe the GPS on the phones operates independently of the Data Plan/Cell service.
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Old 03-03-2016, 12:52 PM   #29
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Sometimes, you need multiple methods to use on a long trip. On our 9 week trip back from BC with no reservations, we used the following: several smart phone apps, Garmin GPS, DeLorme Street Atlas USA, and an Excel spread sheet of campgrounds mentioned on the Escape Forum. The Apps were really great, but they often gave distance as a crow flys. That would have been great if we were flying! The Garmin gave me distance by road. Also, Garmin would work without cell service.
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Old 03-03-2016, 01:08 PM   #30
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I feel that GPS units are made almost obsolete by smart phones. Most of the time I just use Apple Maps for traveling short distances. On long road trips I use inRoute, which I really really like.
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Old 03-03-2016, 02:40 PM   #31
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If I were buying a Toyota, I would make free map updates a condition of the sale ( or at least try to ).
Why would a dealer commit to an unending series of updates, for which they would have to pay? Nice if you can get it, but I doubt this is a something the dealer can effectively use in negotiation... unlike items which only cost them their own labour, or at least have a high markup and only a single occurrence.

I know this is a long-standing complaint about Toyota's navigation systems, but are the other brands any different?
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Old 03-03-2016, 02:45 PM   #32
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I don't know for sure, if you need cell, it worked the whole way up n back and we were on 93 in Eastern NV for quite a bit which doesn't get much Boonier den dat. Maybe someone has a more definitive answer, but I would think it runs off of embedded gps and satellite like any of the devices.
I did find this fairly recent article on maps that is interesting:
How Well Do Google Maps Work Offline? Absolutely Flawlessly. | Outside Online
Any decent location system uses the device's built-in GPS receiver (which runs on signals from satellites) to determine your position; the issue is that the data for the map must be carried on the device or downloaded from an internet source (by the mobile network or a WiFi connection).

The article is interesting, if a little marginal technically. Thanks for the link
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Old 03-03-2016, 02:54 PM   #33
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But the GPS won't work without cell service right? A lot of the places that we travel you can not get a signal.
GPS does not depend on a cell signal; most navigation devices using GPS don't have any kind of network (mobile/cell or WiFi) connection at all. Traditionally, phones have been designed to make a server do some of the GPS calculation work, so they are dependent on mobile network data - this was done to increase expensive mobile data traffic to make money for the network operator, and was called "Assisted GPS". I don't know what the current practice is.

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... a GPS on a smart phone does not rely on data to work. Of course you won't get traffic updates (as there is no data coming in) but it will work.
The much bigger problem than actual Global Positioning System operation is that to be useful as a navigation system, you want the position shown on a map... that's where a data connection comes in, even if your phone has a fully functional GPS receiver. If the phone has stored the map, you're fine, but if not you are looking at a dot on a blank map.
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Old 03-03-2016, 03:13 PM   #34
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All of our smartphones have been passed down by the kid, who has to have the latest ( and her husband is in IT ).
Both wife and I now have iPhone 5s that cost nothing.

Just have kids.
Yeah, and which is cheaper? The phones or the raising of the kids?

But what about your monthly coverage fees?

We have thought about looking into a smartphone with a pay-per-minute like we get on our dumb phones. forget what they call it.

And yeah, I realize there are times it could be helpful to have one. However, I also have an ipad with cell coverage that I got so I could run credit cards through at shows without wifi coverage (or really slow connections as all of the other vendors are using it). So, that is a backup option for us.
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Old 03-03-2016, 03:26 PM   #35
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I have a plan - cheap $50 a month for voice and data. More than I ever use.
Wife has "Pay and Talk" plan. Cost $100 and is good for a year. She never phones anybody with the cell phone. Might take a call from me asking what yogurt she wants. Uses it for texting and most of the time it logs in via some free WiFi ( which is almost everywhere these days). If not, she is charged pennies for it.

You can send text messages by WiFi using the free application WhatsApp.
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Old 03-03-2016, 03:27 PM   #36
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GPS does not depend on a cell signal; most navigation devices using GPS don't have any kind of network (mobile/cell or WiFi) connection at all. Traditionally, phones have been designed to make a server do some of the GPS calculation work, so they are dependent on mobile network data - this was done to increase expensive mobile data traffic to make money for the network operator, and was called "Assisted GPS". I don't know what the current practice is.


The much bigger problem than actual Global Positioning System operation is that to be useful as a navigation system, you want the position shown on a map... that's where a data connection comes in, even if your phone has a fully functional GPS receiver. If the phone has stored the map, you're fine, but if not you are looking at a dot on a blank map.
Yes, this is what I was alluding to. I have to admit that last time I tried this was with a old Iphone 5 but in Northern BC where we did not have a signal the maps would not load. So in remote areas a Garmin is still your best bet, where a cell signal is not available. Right?, or am I missing something? Scott

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Old 03-03-2016, 03:59 PM   #37
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When travelling last year ,we had no phone service in parts of Georgia ,Alabama , Mississippi, Louisiana ,Texas ,New Mexico, North Dakota , Montana , Wisconsin ,Minnesota ,Washington ,Oregon ,Nevada , Colorado , Utah , Nebraska ,Iowa , Michigan and Idaho. NO phone NO Mapping . I plan on staying with my Garmin GPS with lifetime updates . The GPS worked everywhere !!
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Old 03-03-2016, 04:43 PM   #38
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That "Inroute" app looks promising, particularly using the weather overlap, anyone else use this?
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Old 03-03-2016, 05:12 PM   #39
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Now days, if you get lost near a store selling appliances, you can connect to/via a refrigerator on the showroom floor, like my wife did yesterday. (We were right out front in the car, so she saved cell-minutes by using the frig.)
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Old 03-03-2016, 05:50 PM   #40
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Well, I would! I'd have to purchase a smartphone and pay the monthly bills! Which we're not in any great rush to do. I hardly ever use my cell phone. Heck, half the time it's run out of battery power after sitting in my purse unused for days on end. We still have clamshell, flip phones and pay $100 a year for a 1000 minutes, which hardly ever get used up.

Yeah, we're part of the one third or less of phone owners that don't have a smartphone.
Guess we are in that 1/3 then because we both have flip phones and really don't want a smart phone and the charges . Both phones one att the other Verizon cost about 840 a year. Remember when 20-30 min was enough time a month . Now 200 , free mobile to mobile , 500 nights and weekends. May look into something else that is cheaper because we never come close to using all this up a month . Pat
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