Maps on navigation next app

paul69

hi all,

hopefully not a silly question, if it is, please do not laugh too much.
I am an MRA gold member and for route planning I believe this to be #1, I think the next app may well go the same way,
I am considering buying the next/MRA lifetime package etc, and I have a query, hopefully someone will answer.

is the next app able to work without internet access, i.e. offline, no SIM card etc
can the maps for the area to be travelled, be downloaded to the device for these occasions.

the reason I ask is, I may get rid of my Garmin device and buy a cheap Samsung galaxy tablet to use purely as my navigation device. I would download the app, maps, routes and updates etc through home wifi.
I will fashion a suitable holder and locking mechanism to keep it safe (ish)

some might say, just use personal mobile but I would rather not have this plugged in all day, or sat facing the sun, as this does cause it's own problems, as I have found out through experience.
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Jörgen

Hi,

yes, Navigation Next will work in future offline. You only need Internet to download your planned route and the maps in advance.
Maybe to get traffic information you require live connection, but normal navigation will work offline.

paul69

@Jörgen

thanks @Jörgen

that will persuade me even more to buy Next. now to source a cheap tablet, in readiness for going live later in the year, maybe even in time for my trip to Austrian Alps
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Arno 0

I use a separate old smartphone for MRA Next and connect it via WiFi with my other smartphone which I keep in my jacket. This works fine.

Corjan Meijerink

Indeed - our ambition is that the entire app will work without internet eventually but for now it is limited to merely offline Navigation.
This includes:

Individual routes can be downloaded for offline usage (already exists in the app)
Regions can be downloaded for offline navigation

Editing routes or any other functionalities will require internet. Obviously offline navigation won't include traffic alerts, dynamic routing etc.

paul69

@Arno-0 and @Corjan-Meijerink

thanks for the replies, it just gets better this app,
I do not use any MRA apps for navigation at present, I use a Garmin, however, as stated I use MRA for planning, but it is looking more and more likely that I will be using navigation next in the future. especially now I know it can be used offline,

I am not too concerned about traffic updates, I do not have this activated on my Garmin, all my planning will be done in advance, should there be a need to alter any particular route, while touring, then this can be easily achieved using hotel wifi or hotspot via phone.
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Con Hennekens

@paul-69, Your questions have been answered already, but what cheap tablet do you have in mind? Is it for use on the motorbike? In that case do not go too cheap, but get a "rugged" one. Not only for a rain-proof ride, but also for the ability to use without taking your gloves off. In my opinion modern phones have more then enough "real-estate" on their screens for comfortable navigation, but that's for yourself to decide

paul69

@Con-Hennekens

hi,

I agree, a cheap one is not the answer, I should have wrote, "a good one, but a little older", and yes rugged is always a good option,

For a number of trips, I used my old iPhone 6+ in a waterproof case, that served the purpose quite well, until I got my Garmin. I may even buy one of those again.

the point of it is, I will probably move away from the Garmin which will lessen the troubles inherited with transferring routes, although MRA goes a long way to sorting this problem out.

I may even use both, who knows,
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Con Hennekens

@paul-69, Using a waterproof case is often problematic because of overheating the phone, especially when your ride is a big tourer and the phone is mounted out of the wind. I have owned and used 4 different Garmin models, and never looked back at them after buying Navigation

paul69

@Con-Hennekens

hi @Con-Hennekens,

out of interest, what do you use the navigation app on now, and how do you prevent the overheating problem.

when I used my iPhone, I tried to wedge the cover open a little, to allow air flow, obviously in the dry, the phone did overheat on a couple of occasions, then switches off and then you have to revert to paper, which is ok, as long as you know where you are.
to me that is the one downfall of navigation devices, you have to keep your wits about you in order to know your exact location, same thing when people are out walking, and get lost because their battery dies. (off topic slightly)

it's difficult to find the best way,

use MRA nav app on phone/tablet and risk over heating or getting wet or being shaken to within an inch of its life
or
use dedicated satnav, and have the potential problems with routing.

the satnav is a more robust option, ahh! decisions decisions
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Con Hennekens

@paul-69, I won't argue about a dedicated satnav being more robust. But I found my CAT S52 adequately robust. I don't use a case, a rugged device doesn't need one. And I ride a naked bike, so airflow is also adequate. The device shuts down any connector in which water is detected. That happens for the earphone jack while riding in the pooring rain. The USB port has never been a problem, concerning water. But in pooring rain, as a precaution, I simply disconnect the phone from the charger. It can handle more than half a day navigating on it's brightest screen setting. I have used an older phone with waterproof case on my previous bike, an FJR, and found that on hot days my phone would overheat indeed. So, in my view a rugged phone is the most ideal dedicated satnav