GPS without using data?

[razorloves]

sporklover and austin, you are correct. neither gps or agps use data connection. if your data connection is turning on, it's for something else.

[pixelpower]

Dont listen to Miami_Son he really doesnt know what he is talking about. He tells you to turn off data hahahaha what? Thats like trying to turn on cellphone without battery hahahaha he is killing me.

[mike99]

IGO will work without data. I have used it extensively while traveling out of the country. Place your device in the airplane mode. Get the app called GPS Viewer. This app will greatly speed up GPS aquisition.

On a sunny day, you should be able to get a signal in 3-4 min. Run GPS Viewer first. Once you get the signal, shut it down and open IGO. It will work. Tested multiple times on several continents.

TomTom will also work without data service, but it needs to have phone connection on. It s NOT because it needs data, but because it will refuse to work in plane mode. It will say that in plane mode GPS connection is not allowed.

None of the programs that store maps on your device (Garmin, TT, IGO, Navigon) needs the data, but some will not function in plane mode.

Bing does not store map data on your phone (neither does google maps). The data is constantly downloaded to the phone via the data connection.

Without 3rd party app, GPS aquisition with IGO, TT, Garmin without data connection/AGPS may take very long time. AGPS using cell towers will greatly speed up GPS lock. Hence, use GPS Viewer. It will take a bit longer, but does the same trick as AGPS without data use.

Again, IGO has been tested by me extensively, both on TP and TP2. Works like a charm in plane mode. Make sure to get the GPS Viewer (I believe it is free) and appropriate map set on your phone.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[Sentinels]

Yep, iGO definitely does not need to download any data. As a matter of fact, it does not even need to connect to ANY cell towers. Just a clear view to the sky for GPS satellites.
All of its mapdata are on the memory card.

[Miami_Son]

Originally Posted by razorloves

sporklover and austin, you are correct. neither gps or agps use data connection. if your data connection is turning on, it's for something else.

Not to argue, but what exactly do you think the information transmitted by the phone about its location from the cell tower is if not data? Like I said, aGPS uses small amounts of data from/to the phone in order to triangulate its position from the cell towers. There's no way you can use aGPS and not use any data.

[austin420]

not to argue, but how does a phone transmit data from a cell tower? that didnt even make sense. cell tower locations are a known constant. they dont move. ever heard of a prl? your phone knows where those towers are. prolly by some sort of x and y coordinate. if your connected to more than 1 tower, it can figure out your appx location. i dont claim to be an expert on gps or agps, but i dont think that whatever the phone and tower are relaying is data in the typical smartphone data use sense of the word. i think its just radio service. to me the analogy is " does your phone use data everytime your signal bars move up or down? no. because it doesnt take data just to get tower location.

[Miami_Son]

The tower doesn't move, but your phone does. There are calculations made about the distance your phone is from the tower and they are computed and sent as data packets. Radio transmission is merely how they are transmitted, much the same as a wireless router sends data packets back and forth. Your graphic shows an "aGPS Server" suggesting the passing of data back and forth between it and the phone.

[WBFAir]

Just to chime in here just in case this is not being understood.

The GPS unit in the TP2, just like any GPS unit in anything does not use "ANY" data, the only reason you would use any data is if a program such as Verizon's Navigator needs to make a data connection for such as in its case, so it can retrieve map info. Also another example might be QuickGPS where it uses the know location of your phone to download satellite location info, or Windows Live where once it establishes where you are via the GPS, it then retrieves its further needed relevant info via the data connection.

But again to make it clear that GPS unit in itself in the TP2 communicates directly to the GPS satellites and that is all.

To more prove my point, I am still using 6.1 an as such am able to use a add-on called no data to 100% lock off my data connection and keep it off.

I then use a program called Delorme for a mapping direction finding program and as well even can use MS's Live Search and with the data 100% locked off, the GPS part of it works just fine. And I can confirm from my own use that this uses no data.

Of course for instance for Windows Live any needed data info will not come in but if I use WiFi and have a connection, it will.

My best recommendation is to find a program that does not need to retrieve any info to do its job such as one that stores map data on your card, and you will be fine.