GPS Navigator

If all you want is a street navigator (as distinct from a 4WD off-road navigator) get something for your phone that uses off-line maps.

I use CoPilot Aus-NZ ((link for Android version). It is also available for iPhones.

Truly excellent, carries its own maps so no need for phone service, has excellent coverage of minor roads, tracks and firetrails (not all, but way better than most turn-by-turn competitors) and free map upgrades.

And you can buy international mapping if you want to travel.

Cheers

Depends on how much you want to pay One of the mid range Tomtoms are pretty good. Have had a GO 730 for 7 years and with map updates it got me right around Australia including all the cities. Used similar model overseas and it was better than the Garmin I also had on one trip

Extra vote for Copilot.
I assume the app you were using needed an internet connection to work. Drop outs would probably have been when you lost signal briefly for whatever reason.
Not an issue for Copilot as uses off line maps.

Gidday

Google Maps aint fancy but it is free.

You can download an area of map to your phone over wifi (i am talking Android here) and then use it while on the move with no reliance on a phone connection or data charges.

Its very basic, just turn left, turn right, but that generally works well enough for me in unfamiliar suburbs.

cheers

Ross

I have a Tom Tom which has updates for life and I use this in cities and have a topo map in the dash unit.

The Tom Tom even has the tunnels on it and when going through them it shows where you are I guess by using dead reckoning as it certainly will not have GPS in the tunnels.

Alan

If you prefer using a GPS-equipped smartphone rather than a standalone GPS navigator, consider Maps.Me and CityMapsToGo as two very good (and free) offline map tools. We use a pair of Garmin Nuvi navigators (one as a spare) but also have BOTH of these freebies as extra backup and for when we go "walkies" whether in the city or the sticks.

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Mind you, Brisbane streets are a problem for any GPS navigator! lol

Hi Alan H. Free Map upgrades for life may not be all it's cracked up to be if it's anything like Navman.
In the fine print life is the anticipated life of the product, when upgrades are no longer provided for the relevant map and no longer than 4 years from when the particular model was released. The best you can hope for is 4 years if you purchased a model on the day it was released.