Try building your map on Mapquest Beta Builder instead of the regular one. Works for me.

 

 

I purchased my Samsung Galaxy S Android phone mainly because I thought it would be nice to have a GPS and a phone all in one in my pocket that I could use. The GPS on it sucks major ***. This phone has problems with the GPS chip in it but also I don't like that it has to have a cell phone signal for the GPS to work. When I'm riding on back roads sometimes it is hard to get a signal so I gave up on it as a GPS.
I recently got a Garmin Zumo 450 from a member here and this thing is really nice. I'll stick to full blown GPS units and not rely on some half *** cell phone implementation from now on.

 

You discovered the major downside of most phone based GPS programs. They rely on cellphone connection to to download map data as needed. The Tom Tom app for iPhone downloads the entire map data so it can be used when you're out of range of cell towers.

 

There are downloadable maps systems for Droids...so they can work offline like a Garmin or TomTom.

However, these days...most areas have very good coverage. If you're in one of those "boonies" areas that doesn't have good coverage...chances are..that very remote area will just have a long road that you'll be traveling straight on anyways. In the real world, in a traveling vehicle...in a weak area you may have a slight dip in the road and briefly lose signal, but you'll drive up an incline or peak a hill and get signal again in mere minutes.

Google Maps is constantly updated. Older GPS systems...gotta keep downloading updates.

So while the "Google Navigation is online only...won't work when you're out of cell phone range" sounds like a legit con of it vs old GPS, I can't say I've found it to encumber me at all. Now I haven't tried it in the outback of Australia, but all throughout New England, down to PA, up to ME, through NH (used a lot through areas of NH), upstate NY and the Canada side of Niagara Falls...not one single problem. Our old school Tom Tom GPS has been collecting dust for over 2 years now since we got the first Droid phone in our house. Heck...I don't even know where it is anymore.

 

I've got T Mobile and I can't even get a phone signal in my neighborhood which is in the city, a couple blocks down and it picks it up. Riding down to NC it drops out some. I rarely even use my phone as a phone anyways, I mainly bought it to be a thin GPS system and it doesn't even do that worth a crap. I'll probably switch back to a Tracfone in a year when my contract is up. The Tracfone I used to have actually picked up a signal better than this Samsung Galxy S.

I'll stick with a dedicated GPS.

 

T-immobile..ahh...bingo..there ya go!

Verizon here....I am glued to my cell phone all day long for my job, and I'm on the road all the time going to clients all around.

Wife was on t-immobile when we met...always complained of poor signals, switched her over to my Verizon...rock solid now. She does real estate and travels around all the time, uses hers constantly.

Granted..different carriers have various areas of coverage. Up here in New England...Verizon dominates coverage by a longshot. I even have to travel to an island off the coast of CT for work..and it works there. And it's improving even further...4G is in our state and growing. My Samsung Charge is 4G and has been on it a few times depending on where I am. Screams! 4G signals lessen the dead spots much better than 3G, punches through walls into buildings better, and in the "dips" of valleys ..signal reaches better. By next spring when 4G is more completely rolled out...current dead spots should be disappearing.

 

Back Country Navigation is a map app for Droid that is not a slave to service. Have not tried it myself as I do not have a droid but I have seen good reviews of it. Archived Maps are gaining in popularity and more should be out soon.

You Need a Map is I- phones version.

 

The TomTom app for the iPhone has gotten good reviews, and RAM make a waterproof mount for the iPhone that can mounted to your handlebars.

I think standalone GPS units will eventually go the way of the Dodo as smartphone technology improves, but until then there is something to be said for using a large, waterproof, vibration-proof unit that's designed to be used whilst wearing gloves. I have a Garmin 660 which is fine for what it is, but has shortcomings when compared to the TomTom unit I used to have. Also, Garmin's PC software is staggeringly awful.

 

+1.

all android phones come with both google maps and google navigation for free, and both programs are excellent -- google navigation is as good as any standalone gps unit, in my opinion.

i havent tried to do any customized routes with either maps or navigation, but if they cant do it im sure there are android apps that can. might have to research that a bit myself.

also, a number of the newer droids are global, including the droid3 i believe. im not sure if any of the iphones work in europe, but i know for fact a number of android phones will.