With no satnav but a liking for maps, I used to rely on AA Classic Route Planner. This gave a nice, clear map A to B and a highly detailed set of route instructions that could be printed.
It is a long time since I needed it but now its map is poor and there are no instructions. What is a good substitute?
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www.viamichelin.co.uk/
One good point is that on zoomed resolution maps house numbers are readily visible.
The 'satellite' views are better resolution than google maps for some uk locations.
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Google maps will let you alter your route by dragging it onto the roads you want to use, then the route instructions can be printed.
The actual turn instructions can be a bit tricky to follow (e.g. they won't tell you what the signs say and if the junction is opposite the Red Lion) but you can use street view to check things out beforehand.
If you 'print to pdf' you can save it easily. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to generate the small junction maps for each turn any more.
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Sat navs are rapidly being overtaken by apps on smart phones. Stand alone sat navs are now very cheap.
Google is an entirely effective routing system which also accounts for ttraffic levels etc. But on a journey it relies upon a smart phone - a sort of sat nav on steroids which also allows you to make phone calles etc!
There may be some satisfaction in using outdated techniques (in this case map reading). It may also be a useful skill to fall back upon if GPS satellites fail. But as a way to get from A to B it is up there with the horse and cart!
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>> It is a long time since I needed it but now its map is poor
>> and there are no instructions. What is a good substitute?
Have you got a smart phone?
Why not?
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>> Have you got a smart phone?
>> Why not?
I've bit the bullet and got SWMBOs old one, but I still use it as a dumb phone, only using the smart features for 'track & trace' and QR codes. It's PAYG, which I find very expensive with all the features turned on. It's got a lousy battery capacity compared to my old dumb phone. It's bigger and heavier also.
Progress?
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Phones went through a phase where their functionality far exceeded the ease of use of their User Interface and the capabilities of their batteries.
My three year old and heavily used Huawei P20 does two or three days on a charge, charges from empty in less than 2 hours and is very easy to use.
Your 'new' phone comes from just the wrong time period.
However, "I find very expensive with all the features turned on" ? You need to look into that, it shouldn't be.
Turn off mobile data for everything that doesn't need it, don't let it roam automatically, turn off all notifications that you don't need, don't let it download updates or media other than by WiFi. get rid of all the default s***e, especially games, that came with the phone and download local maps.
Also, if I recall correctly, this is the PAYG SIM from your last phone which I thus assume you've had for a while? It is almost certainly worth looking around at the latest deals, especially those including data. You may be surprised.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sun 16 May 21 at 19:18
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It is almost certainly worth looking around
>> at the latest deals, especially those including data. You may be surprised.
>>
Very much so data is getting cheaper, the OH pays 14 quid for 30 gb. I think that's pretty good.
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>>Turn off mobile data for everything that doesn't need it, don't let it roam automatically, turn off all notifications that you don't need, don't let it download updates or media other than by WiFi. get rid of all the default s***e, especially games, that came with the phone and download local maps.
Also, if I recall correctly, this is the PAYG SIM from your last phone which I thus assume you've had for a while? It is almost certainly worth looking around at the latest deals, especially those including data. You may be surprised.
Mark helped me with this COC and I've got everything turned off except bluetooth, which doesn't now work in the car and I can't figure out why.
>>the OH pays 14 quid for 30 gb
I last put ten quids worth of credit on before Christmas and there's still six quids left.
>>It's bound to be bigger and heavier, pretty hard to watch a film on a postage stamp sized screen.
I don't want to watch films on a postage stamp screen.
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>the OH pays 14 quid for 30 gb
>> I last put ten quids worth of credit on before Christmas and there's still
>> six quids left.
Pennies to run then.
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>>except bluetooth, which doesn't now work in the car and I can't figure out why.
As well as switching bluetooth on it also has to be "visible to other devices". I think there's a setting for that.
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>> Progress?
Of course its not progress you admit you have one now rejected by your wife. All the problems with it is why. she dumped it on you.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 17 May 21 at 02:43
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>> Progress?
You've got an older phone, battery life will drop off as it gets older.
It's bound to be bigger and heavier, pretty hard to watch a film on a postage stamp sized screen.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 17 May 21 at 02:44
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>> It's PAYG, which I find very expensive with all the features turned on. It's got
>> a lousy battery capacity compared to my old dumb phone. It's bigger and heavier also.
GiffGaff
tinyurl.com/k2jptm2e (scroll down a bit)
Will give you half a gig, unlimited calls and texts for £6 a month. No contract.
If you are using it for satnav, plug it into the cigarette lighter to keep the battery topped up.
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I use this lot, not really had any problems
www.plus.net/mobile/sim-only-30-day
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>> Will give you half a gig, unlimited calls and texts for £6 a month.
For 8 quid a month I get 10gig & unlimited calls and txts - Tesco mobile.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 17 May 21 at 02:44
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>> GiffGaff
>>
>> tinyurl.com/k2jptm2e (scroll down a bit)
>>
>> Will give you half a gig, unlimited calls and texts for £6 a month. No
>> contract.
Moved the wife to plusnet. 2.5Gb for £6 a month. But as we have their broadband, they give 4.5Gb for £6. Unlimited texts and calls.
Around black friday, they make it 3gb/5gb. As it's a 30-day contract, I just phoned them and they moved her to it. So now 5Gb for £6 a month.
Last edited by: James T on Mon 17 May 21 at 06:31
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For $8.50 I have a Vodafone sim, unlimited calls & texts and 100Gb data. But I got SWMBO a Vodafone unlimited everything recently for £9.50. Both are buy redemption so I have to remember to send in 4 lots of bills within 60 days but that's not tricky.
Vodafone themselves did unlimited for £10 just after I got SWMBOs card. Offer didn't last long, but it's a sign of the way its going.
I moved SWMOBO off PlusNet, who were good. They gave her the customer upgrade even though we weren't customers.
Last edited by: smokie on Mon 17 May 21 at 12:14
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>>
>> I moved SWMOBO off PlusNet, who were good. They gave her the customer upgrade even
>> though we weren't customers.
>>
What does the extra 'O' stand for? Obviously?
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'Occasionally'
That would account for the bruises ...>> >>
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Oops, SWMBO new Vodafone SIM is 100Gb not unlimited data. Still pretty cheap.
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I pay about £40 for unlimited data / calls / SMS but in reality I could have a far more limited contract and not notice.
The unlimited data stops me worrying about listening to UK radio in the car, that's about the only thing.
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Route Planners - sherlock47
