android gps without cell service?

[MrBlah]

anyone know if you can use an android phone without having any service, and use the gps with an app like mapdroyd or something similar?

I'm weighing options for dualsport navigation, garmin 60csx, garmin gpsmap62, or an android phone with no cell service

[wbeck257]

Yeah, there are apps you can get that cache maps on your phone for navi w/o needing cell service.

[MrBlah]

any suggestions on which android device to look at? I'm limited to what's on craigslist used with no contract

[wbeck257]

I'd get a dedicated GPS unit. The GPS's in the phones are great for being in a phone -- but don't compare to the standalone units.

[MrBlah]

I have a couple dedicated gps's already, I use a garmin etrex with streets on it now

but trying to pan around the map on that thing, simply sucks, my typical use is exploring the map to try to figure out where I want to ride, it's terrible doing that on a garmin

[BlueLghtning]

I just downloaded MapDroid on my G1 the other day and played with it and yeah it does cache the maps in the phone. It works alright, but I still thinks GPS's are way better. It does pan pretty well, but so do most of my GPS. The etrex sucks at panning for sure and the screen is horribly small. I'm just not an etrex fan at all.

The G1 can be found pretty cheap since it was one of the first droid phones and is highly customizable. However, on the G1 you can't even truly activate it unless you have a sim with service and technically you need data. I don't have data, so I was able to look up a way to root the phone and enable wifi to activate it, but I'm not sure if it will do anything with a dead/disconnected SIM in it? I think I have one here, so I might have to try and see what it does.

If you have a Tmobile SIM though to quickly activate it, you should be okay.

Keep in mind most phone battery's suck horribly when the GPS is activated too.

[MrBlah]

I thought you could root the g1 and use cyanogenmod

I was considering buying a g1 because they are so cheap, ~100 $ on ebay/craigslist

[BlueLghtning]

I thought you could root the g1 and use cyanogenmod

I was considering buying a g1 because they are so cheap, ~100 $ on ebay/craigslist

Yes, you can root them and use cyanogenmod. That's what I have on mine. I'm on version 4.xx. I think they just went to version 6, so I need to upgrade, but still trying to figure out a few things they changed in the rooting process that I'm not familiar with yet.

Maybe I'm getting confused when I first got it and I hadn't discovered cyanogenmod yet.

I'm pulling my SIM now and putting in my disconnected SIM to see what it does and I'll let you know

[BlueLghtning]

I'm pulling my SIM now and putting in my disconnected SIM to see what it does and I'll let you know

Okay, it looks like my rooted phone and already "unlocked" it works fine GPS wise with no SIM or my disconnected SIM in there.

When you 1st start up a "stock" G1 though, you are stuck on "google's sign in screen". I'm not even sure if you can get that far with no SIM. Obviously, you can get around it, but it takes a bit of work and research on how to enable wifi in the background so you can sign into a google account and open up the phone.

[MrBlah]

you can disable that google sign on screen

[BlueLghtning]

you can disable that google sign on screen

Really. Got a link in case I ever have start over? :)

[MrBlah]

http://www.gotontheinter.net/content/faq-unlockingactivating-g1-or-adp1-without-sim-card
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=452316

[Zico]

why make things hard and try to re-invent something? just get a gps

a phone will have poor battery life and limited options for offline maps - i tried using my sprint mogul as a GPS for an 8 hr trip and it didn't last and I was using Garmin Mobile using a BlueTooth external GPS antenna; heck I had it hooked up to .5 Amp USB power source and it couldn't keep it charged enough to keep running and it overheated

not sure how it would handle the vibrations either

generally the screen will be too small to read while riding, you need to be able to quickly glance down and focus, but it's too small and the vibrations will keep you from seeing a clear picture of the map due to smaller display on a phone

www.ecost.com

click on bargin countdown in upper right - plenty of garmin options that are refurbs

[MrBlah]

as I said, I have a couple garmins already, been there done that, they are good for navigation, but that's not really what I'm after, they kinda suck when you want to pan around and explore the map, those dirt roads up there wander all through the woods

[MrBlah]

after another day of frustration with my garmin's and the absolutely crappy scrolling/zooming they have, I have got to come up with something better

anyone have a G1 they want to sell ?

[MrBlah]

Got one last night, 100 $ looks new

flashed it to RC29 for root hole, using no sim or cell service, so hacked to bypass initial setup prompt, and wifi setup dialog popup, reflashed and upgraded radio to 2.2 and then flashed cyanogenmod 6.0 rc3

using backcountry navigator for topo, works great, download maps on wifi for offline use.

I have not tried street navigation with it yet, I've heard mapdryoid works, but have not tried yet