Using a tablet as a sat nav!

Leakylunar

Leakylunar

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Anyone using or tried a tablet as a sat nav. Only asking as my iPhone is just to small and have 10'' Samsung tablet .
Otherwise suggestions for sat nav
 
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The wifi only ipds dont have a gps chip in them, it may work if you tether it to your phone as it will be getting the signal from this although i have never tried it.
 
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I have fitted the bracket to the top of the dash but now comes the tech bit.
When I put a route in and press start journey I get the map with the route but no voice commands. I checked managements I Phone and it gives voice commands as soon as you press start.
What am I doing wrong?. None tech help required please.
 
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bigwood said:
I have fitted the bracket to the top of the dash but now comes the tech bit.
When I put a route in and press start journey I get the map with the route but no voice commands. I checked managements I Phone and it gives voice commands as soon as you press start.
What am I doing wrong?. None tech help required please.
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Have you got the volume turned up?
 
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I wish it was that simple. Yes that was my first thought.
Searching the internet for answers the only instructions are for i phones.

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JaG said:
I use Waze, and love it but.....it is a shame it does not have any settings for width/height as our Autotrail is just over 3m so have to double check bridges, etc.
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That’s a good reason to use Waze, just be observant ( like we used to be) and win win you will get to enjoy pretty roads rather than dull duel carriageways.
 
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Midnightflyer said:
I wouldn't advise using a tablet as the map info is generic and not specific to Motorhomes, as the German found out 18 months ago that got stuck in a road too narrow for his unit.
I always use a TomTom programmed with my vehicle details, worth the money in many ways. I have tried Avtex, Garmin and other cheaper units but they don't compare, for your own sake spend the money and get the correct one, remember you pay the money and take what you get. Best advice I can give you.
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You can get MH specific apps to run on them, just as you can on your phone, wouldn't go back to using a 'dedicated' sat nav now, much prefer the larger more interactive screen of a tablet.
 
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bigwood said:
I have fitted the bracket to the top of the dash but now comes the tech bit.
When I put a route in and press start journey I get the map with the route but no voice commands. I checked managements I Phone and it gives voice commands as soon as you press start.
What am I doing wrong?. None tech help required please.
Click to expand...
There's likely a volume control within the app itself completely separate from the volume for the tablet, so have a shuftie in the app settings.
 
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zac said:
The wifi only ipds dont have a gps chip in them, it may work if you tether it to your phone as it will be getting the signal from this although i have never tried it.
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The position is taken from the GPS which your phone will have but whether this will 'transfer' to your tablet I don't know, I suppose casting the image to the tablet from the phone (ie seeing your phone image on the tablet) might work.
 
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Minxy said:
The position is taken from the GPS which your phone will have but whether this will 'transfer' to your tablet I don't know, I suppose casting the image to the tablet from the phone (ie seeing your phone image on the tablet) might work.
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No idea to be honest as not tried it but it would be worth a go if they have the basic wifi only ipads. Mine are 3/4G / Wifi ipads even though they are old so the GPS works as it should, just cannot get the app i want to use on it (Tomtom truck). This is currently only available on Android.

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zac said:
No idea to be honest as not tried it but it would be worth a go if they have the basic wifi only ipads. Mine are 3/4G / Wifi ipads even though they are old so the GPS works as it should, just cannot get the app i want to use on it (Tomtom truck). This is currently only available on Android.
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Have a look at Sygic app
 
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Minxy said:
Have a look at Sygic app
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Couldnt get on with Sygic or Copilot or Snooper the interface on these are awful compared to Tomtom truck, i have a dedicated Tomtom Professional 6200 unit which still works but its very slow. Its a lot more convenient to be able to look for somewhere to stay then click the link in the app for it then to load the Satnav of your choice instead of manually inputting co ordinates. I will probably install the tomtom truck on a cheap android tablet to see how that works but it will only be for a year as they want £99 a year from then and i won't pay that. Just as well then buy another standalone unit as they normally last more than 3 years which would then recoup the cost of the current tomtom truck at £369. Horses for courses though, one persons preference is another persons annoyance and vice versa. :)
 
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zac said:
Couldnt get on with Sygic or Copilot or Snooper the interface on these are awful compared to Tomtom truck, i have a dedicated Tomtom Professional 6200 unit which still works but its very slow. Its a lot more convenient to be able to look for somewhere to stay then click the link in the app for it then to load the Satnav of your choice instead of manually inputting co ordinates. I will probably install the tomtom truck on a cheap android tablet to see how that works but it will only be for a year as they want £99 a year from then and i won't pay that. Just as well then buy another standalone unit as they normally last more than 3 years which would then recoup the cost of the current tomtom truck at £369. Horses for courses though, one persons preference is another persons annoyance and vice versa. :)
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I'm not sure how you've been using Sygic but we don't have any problems with it, we look for somewhere to stay, usually using Park4Night or Search4Sites, click on the navigate icon, then the sat nav icon (choice of a few) and it takes us there, no inputting of coordinates.
 
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Minxy said:
I'm not sure how you've been using Sygic but we don't have any problems with it, we look for somewhere to stay, usually using Park4Night or Search4Sites, click on the navigate icon, then the sat nav icon (choice of a few) and it takes us there, no inputting of coordinates.
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Sygic took us down some very questionable routes when i last used it which was a few years ago now as did copilot and snooper (this was the worse one). All had the correct dimensions inputted but they were not up to the same standard as i what i have been used too (my opinion of course). No satnav is perfect but some are a lot worse than others,this is when i bought the tomtom truck satnav which is a few years old now, this device i have to manually put in the coordinates which is a pain and its very slow but its been very good. I like the idea as you have mentioned of looking for a place to stay on either of the 3 apps (campercontact/park4night/search4sites) then click on the satnav icon to load the route with no other intervention. This is why i am looking at the android version of tomtom, its not for everyone and people will have different views over which they prefer but for me tomtom have been above the others when it comes to the interface and routing and traffic alerts but not Cost :(
 
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bigwood said:
I wish it was that simple. Yes that was my first thought.
Searching the internet for answers the only instructions are for i phones.
Click to expand...
if you are using a samsung pad there is a mute icon on the front screen

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Minxy said:
You can get MH specific apps to run on them, just as you can on your phone, wouldn't go back to using a 'dedicated' sat nav now, much prefer the larger more interactive screen of a tablet.
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Yes, I have an RV version of copilot but stopped using it and now use Apple maps or Google maps for the simple reason that 99% of the time I know where I am going having researched the route first
 
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I’ve used this system throughout Europe for about a year and totally satisfied with the product and the low price. Programmable for dimensions of vehicle.
GPS Navigation for Trucks, Aonerex 9 Inch Touchscreen Navigation Device for Car 16GB Navigation with POI Flash Warning Voice Guide Driving Lane Lifetime Free Map Update 2022 EU & North America https://amzn.eu/d/1OxncTQ
 
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Our Garmin Satnav started to reboot randomly during a trip, so I fished out an old Huawai 10" tablet and downloaded the Sygic Truck app from Google play store, Bluetacked it to the windscreen and it got us home fine.
 
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Kevin R said:
I’ve used this system throughout Europe for about a year and totally satisfied with the product and the low price. Programmable for dimensions of vehicle.
GPS Navigation for Trucks, Aonerex 9 Inch Touchscreen Navigation Device for Car 16GB Navigation with POI Flash Warning Voice Guide Driving Lane Lifetime Free Map Update 2022 EU & North America https://amzn.eu/d/1OxncTQ
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Just read some of the reviews ... map updating seems to be a bit of an issue.
 
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Hi All. What is wrong with a good map? Yes, I have used my phone and Ipad on occasions to see how it works, and I used a built-in satnav on the coach that I drove. On that trip, it took me right past the jnc I needed! I have driven to Normandy many times in my Willys Jeep, that doesn't have doors, -let alone a SatNav- and leading a small convoy behind me. I like to know where I am going by using Google street view prior to driving, so that I know what to look out for in the way of landmarks etc. Also, I find it a distraction to have a large or small screen on the dashboard and as for that irritating voice! Oh, and did I not read in the Highway Code, a few years ago, that it was an offence to have a TV or a video screen of any sorts within the viewing range of the driver? Or has that been woked as well as the rest of things in normal life? I thought that the idea of motorhoming was to enjoy the scenery, happily plodding along through the rustic countryside, eating at a nice auberge and parking in a nice Aire or vineyard, meeting with the locals and enjoying the freedom of the open road. Remember, if you don't get lost, you won't find you way, and one never gets lost, only takes a diversion! Happy travelling to all!

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A map and a sat nav are the perfect combination but using a map on it's own? Not a flipping chance ... there's no way on earth we'd have got round some of the cities with a map trying to follow the signs with the traffic chaos. Having the sat nav makes it much safer for us as it means both of us can concentrate on the road when it's manic and ensure the idiotic drivers don't try to put us in an early grave, or I can look at the sat nav and ensure that hubby is going the right way whilst he concentrates.

We like a map for planning and for the times when there are road closures with no diversions or massive diversions taking you miles out of your way to major roads as they have to accommodate trucks whereas there are better/shorter routes for us to use.
 
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bigwood said:
I wish it was that simple. Yes that was my first thought.
Searching the internet for answers the only instructions are for i phones.
Click to expand...
If your using it via a hotspot try re-pairing it. Sometimes it can make things go a bit wrong.

You tried tapping on location icon in the bottom right that stays on screen for a short time once you tap go.
Once tapped you get to icons top left of the map one for route options and one for volume.
It's 3 settings on , off, on for important only check if its turned on.

Is your iOS up to date ? One of the minor updates included a few map bugs.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions Justus3 but you have lost me with hotspot re-pairing. I managed to down load the Waze app after a struggle but I am not keen so far. The routes it gave us are rather long winded taking me a long way round. I did get voice commands though.
 
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bigwood said:
Thanks for the suggestions Justus3 but you have lost me with hotspot re-pairing. I managed to down load the Waze app after a struggle but I am not keen so far. The routes it gave us are rather long winded taking me a long way round. I did get voice commands though.
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What vehicle is it set up for? In settings tap vehicle details then vehicle type, I only use it on my motorcycle and I set vehicle type to motorcycle it takes me down the twisty country roads rather then dual carriage ways. Also in settings there is one for navigation, then avoid difficult junctions if that is on it may take you on a longer route.
 
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I had an inspiration moment thinking management was using a different internet provider but that’s not the case. At home we both use Virgin. When we are away it will be 3 from the Huawei thing so I will see iff that makes a difference.

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Not one to give in I managed to download the Google Maps App. It gave routes to a couple of destinations that I tried and gave me voice instructions.
I have no idea why I couldn’t make Apple Maps work but that can go on hold for now.
 
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I use a 9 inch naval free yearly maps you can put your my size in and it's less than 100 pound
Must admit better than any Tom Tom or Garmin I have ever had
 
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Neilfg said:
We use 2 magnetic mounts stuck to the dash, and 2 metal disks on the back of the tablet, this holds the tablet in place perfectly, we also added a strip of nonslip tape for the tablet to rest on. Very easy to put in place and remove.

We did try one mount but it is a large tablet and fell off. One concern was whether the magnets would affect the GPS or WiFi etc.. but not an issue. Been using this way for a couple of years and not had a problem.

View attachment 667491

View attachment 667492
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That looks a great setup, can you tell me please where do you get the magnetic bits from.

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