UKC

I have a deceptively simple request for a smartphone phobic friend. I would like to buy one robust hand held device that will operate as a sat nav (tell me how to get from A to B on road with a road map) and GPS tell me where I am with a grid reference and blob on an OS map.

Does such a device exist? I have been trawling the internet for hours to no avail. Devices all seem to do one or the other. It's so easy on an iPhone!

If there is one what is the cheapest? I don't need it to be gadget rich or particularly beautiful, just to work

Many thanks

In reply to Annabel Tall:

I have an Ipad mini. It does both those things. And you should be able to get an older 2nd hand model for around £100 or possibly less. All you need is google maps! Oh, and download 'map finder' from OS and it'll also give you a grid reference. Both these features work without wifi or data connection.

In reply to Annabel Tall:

Weirdly, for some reason, the mainstream manufacturers seem to compartmentalise their products. So satnavs don't provide a position and topo map, and position/topo map devices won't do satnav. It's a very strange marketing strategy, and hardly a surprise that their markets have been gobbled up by smartphones.

Really, I'd recommend your friend get over their smartphone phobia, and get a weather-resistant smartphone. Don't think of it as a phone, think of it as a small handheld navigation computer. That does other stuff as well.

Seems the same as I have found. I have got various apps on my phone for emergency use and balk at the idea of paying £100's to do the same things on two different gadgets. I have stripped an old iPhone down to Tomtom with preloaded UK map, OS maps and OS locate, hidden or deleted all the other icons and preloaded some OS maps so it will work off line and told him it's a "navigation device" ! about to order a robust case that has "Nav thingy" written on it.

I've already got an OS premium account which for anyone who hasn't found it yet is fantastic value for money at £17.99 a year for every map of the UK

Perhaps if it goes OK I can even add some wonderous apps, perhaps even whatsapp, music and videos and cameras at a latter date!

Strange that there isn't a market for a robust dedicated device that does both.

In reply to Annabel Tall:

Only problem with OS Maps is that it wont store maps on the sd card (android phone), only on phone internal memory (if anyone knows a way round this let me know). Must admit Im not using premium version. Been using ViewRanger which lets you store maps on sd card and is pretty good.

In reply to Annabel Tall:

They are expensive but I think the Garmin Edge cycling computers will work as a Sat Nav walking, Off road cycling and on road cycling. They will also show your location on a base map. Although I don't think that they will give a grid reference

https://support.garmin.com/support/manuals/manuals.htm?partNo=010-01161-01&...

In reply to Annabel Tall:

My Garmin 800 works as a Sat nav giving turn by turn instructions. It is just displayed on the screen though, not spoken.

It also gives a location using OS grid reference or lat /long.

I assume the more recent models do the same, but the 800 can be picked up on eBay for well under £100

In reply to steveb2006:

If you set up your SD card as internal memory, it works fine. Unfortunately you need to do this when you set up your card, or you will lose everything on it.