How to make a navigator from a tablet, review of suitable models and software. How to install, download, update, upload maps in the navigator

It is physically impossible to know every street. Well, what to do if you find yourself in a huge foreign city? Get lost? No. Not in our age and not with our technologies. Now almost everyone has such a thing as a tablet. And today we are talking about how to make a navigator out of a tablet.

Preparation and miraculous transformation

The very concept of “navigator” implies: an assistant in terrain orientation. And our faithful friend the tablet will solve this issue for us if we help him a little. Whether we walk or walk, the tablet doesn’t really care. This is a question for the software being installed. But more about it below.

Now let’s figure out whether our tablet can act as a navigator. So where to start? If until now we didn’t have the information on our tablet, then it’s time to master it.

Step by step to a miracle

We go to “Settings”, which is in the “Applications” menu, and look at the “Location” button there. She is - hurray! We are on the right track. Next, look for “GPS satellites”. Found it? Look how it's flooded. The “companions” immediately celebrated. And we realized that we have a navigator for the tablet.

To further advance along the chosen path, we will be provided with maps of the area. There are a lot of them. The most convenient and therefore popular are Google maps and Yandex maps. And since the base of our device is called Android, we are happy to use the first one, i.e. Google.

Video on how to enable GPS on Android:

Oh almighty Google Maps

We access the application from the main menu of the tablet. The first time the program meets us, it will ask you to indicate our location. Which is what we do. I advise you to switch to a Wi-Fi connection at this stage, if you haven’t already, because you will have to download a lot.

Car owners will appreciate this application. Here you can immediately specify two points (start and end) and plot the desired route. We can even set the travel time that we would like to spend on this trip. We can access Google Navigator using the icon with an up arrow. After all the operations performed, we can view in detail the entire laid path; there is also a menu that is controlled for the tablet.

If the manufacturer does not provide cards

Here's the problem: when we carried out the first steps in searching for a navigator program on a tablet, which are described at the beginning of the article, we discovered that it was missing. It's no big deal. We don’t worry, but install maps from the Play Market ourselves (when we have Android, if not, there are maps for any platform). And then everything follows the previously stated scenario.

Here I want to pay tribute to Yandex maps. Even if the manufacturer deprived us of a navigator in the device, this application determines the location via a Wi-Fi connection and functions with A-GPS.

And in fairness, I’ll mention a few more good applications that you can install and not regret about it:

These are the applications that allow you to use your tablet as a navigator. Next, let's look at what there are that allow us to do this. After all, in order for everything to work out, our tablet must have a built-in GPS module.

Models with GPS, all the pros and cons

Today, you probably won’t find a tablet that doesn’t have a built-in GPS module. But we are concerned about something else: will such a device work as well as a GPS navigator specifically designed for terrain navigation? Will. And in some aspects, a tablet is even better than a dedicated GPS device.

Brief overview of tablets

Now we know how to use a tablet as a navigator, and below are some models of tablet devices in different price categories and with different capabilities:

Pros and cons of our idea

Modern tablets have all the qualities of GPS navigators that allow them to be used in a car. Well, in what ways they are superior and in what ways they are inferior, let’s look further.

Here are the pros and cons. The conclusion from all of the above is the following: a tablet is a worthy replacement for a navigator. But if we want to replace the navigator with a tablet, then the latter must be of medium or high quality. Then this replacement will be complete and will not cause us any complaints. But Chinese ones are not suitable for these purposes due to their low navigation parameters, and the hardware itself in general.

Please add comments to the article below and express your opinion on the topic.

Internet connection required. Due to the size of map files, it is recommended to use a Wi-Fi connection.

Installing the card using a PC

This method is not intended for iPhone/iPad and devices running Windows Phone 7.x.

Before installing additional cards, update the program and installed cards to the latest versions according to the instructions and update the activation file according to instructions.
Log into your personal account on the NAVITEL ® website, then go to the My devices (updates) section and in the column Update select Available updates. A list of updates available under purchased and activated licenses will open.

If the device you want to download maps to is not added to the list of devices in your personal account, you need to add it.

Connect a navigation device or a memory card from it to the PC.
Find the required card in the list of available updates, click Download and save the file to a folder \NavitelContent\Maps\ in the device memory or on the memory card. If the specified folders are missing, create a folder in the root directory of your device NavitelContent, and inside it a folder Maps. Please note that the card version matches the version of the installed program.
If your device runs Android 4.4 or higher, then the path to the folder with maps on the external memory card should be: \Android\data\com.navitel\files\NavitelContent\Maps\

Navigator is a fairly easy-to-use equipment designed to make terrain navigation more convenient. Most devices come with an installed software and map package. But the basic version does not always contain the necessary set, so you should know how to download maps to a flash drive for your navigator, how to update them from the Internet, and that you can purchase licensed navigation programs from the manufacturer.

What versions are there for the navigator?

Official, where installing a license for search engines Garmin, Navitel and Avtosputnik is a fairly simple process, but paid. And on the developers’ websites there are detailed instructions on how to download the navigator to a flash drive in your car and how to update existing search programs.
Unofficial, where the whole difficulty lies in the lack of technical support and updates. These diagrams are created by GPS users themselves based on existing ones, so they can be downloaded completely free of charge. The format of the atlases must be suitable for a specific navigation program that can support such addition. Today, maps from the OpenStreetMap|1 portal are popular.

The most common version of navigation equipment is the Navitel program, as an example of which you can use the system for installing and updating search programs for other navigation devices.

IMPORTANT. Before you download Navitel maps to a flash drive, you need to understand that these are unofficial navigation programs and you do this at your own peril and risk. And before installing them, you need to make a backup copy of all data from the navigator to your PC, for greater security.

How to update Navitel data

There are several ways to update Navitel on a memory card: using the official website, with Navitel Navigator Updater software or in the software of the device itself.

Alternative update

If you have free access to the Internet, you can select “My Navitel” in the navigator menu, find the “My Products” tab and in the list of maps select the one that has a new version. When you click on this atlas, the system will offer to update it.

Update from the official website

Register on the Navitel.ru website and log into your personal account.
Connect a gadget or removable device and click the “Add” button.
Before downloading the Navitel map to a memory card, you need to make a copy of the contents of the flash drive.
Clear the existing update package from the hardware memory or removable storage device.
Download and unpack the new data archive, and copy the contents to the updates folder.

Update using the program

Download and install the Navitel Navigator Updater utility on your PC.
Follow the step-by-step instructions provided by the installation wizard.
The application itself will check for updates via the Internet and offer to install them.
After complete initiation, the program will open the latest version of the navigation system.

IMPORTANT. After the updated package is installed, you must reboot the device, otherwise incorrect operation of the programs will cause the schematic display to fail.

Using Yandex.Map

Currently, any Android can act as a navigation system, which is very convenient. One device can be a phone, a computer, and a navigator. To do this, download the Yandex.Maps application. It is better if you load the Yandex navigator onto a memory card, since it requires a lot of space, which is not always enough in the built-in memory of the devices used, and an 8 GB flash drive is quite suitable.

The application supports maps of Russia and neighboring countries. There is a search for objects (restaurants, gas stations, etc.), night mode, traffic events, voice prompt, etc. The main disadvantage of this navigator is the inability of the application to work without an Internet connection.

The process of installing Yandex.Map on an Android system, be it a phone, tablet or navigator, is quite simple:

If this is a navigator with Windows CE operating system, then you need to:

Download the YandexMap-wince archive to your computer.
Unpack it and send all the files to the gadget or save it on a flash drive.

Some manufacturers of navigation equipment have made it possible for their customers to use several search engines at once using the so-called alternative shell, which is copied to removable media. This allows a person to use an advanced search for the desired object in the shortest possible time.

The program for navigation from the Navitel satellite is supported by any device with one of the operating systems: Windows Mobile, Windows Phone, iOS, Android, BlackBerry. If your navigator or any other communicator has a map recognition sensor that operates on the basis of one of the listed shells, then you can download this utility. Here we will look at how to install Navitel on a navigator.

Where to find the program

You can download the application from Google Play. To do this, just enter the name of the service in the browser search engine.

If installation is intended to be installed on a navigator in a car, then the saved file can first be placed on a flash drive, and then manually downloaded to the device itself by inserting a USB drive into it. In order to install the program, the navigator can be connected directly to the computer. You just need to create a folder for maps in the root partition on the disk that opens.

In addition to Google tools, any version of the program can be downloaded immediately from the official website. They will provide a trial version.

Installation process

When the folder is created, you need to find the atlas in the navigator and open it. Create another folder there. In the pop-up window, specify the path to the new map by simply clicking “Create atlas”.

Installing the Navitel program on your navigator will be quite simple if it has a license. You just need to press a couple of buttons and the step-by-step installation will begin, which will go very quickly.

You can also install the program on your phone. If you download an application from Google, everything will happen as quickly as possible during the download.

Benefits of the official version

When the program is installed, it needs to be registered on the official website. This application has a shareware status. After successful registration on the site, paid, more advanced versions will become available, which will always be up-to-date. The official paid program supports all maps that the user has downloaded. In addition, it is constantly updated. Its cost is low, only about 600 rubles.

To install the program from the official website, you need to specify the device type and operating system in the download parameters. Once the application is downloaded, you just need to launch it and it will start working on its own.

Depending on the type of device, the installation process may vary. More detailed instructions can be found on the official website.

Free installation instructions

You can install Navitel on your navigator for free using a memory card supported by the device. To do this you need:

Download the archive with the version of the program supported by the operating system.
Format the card, create a “Navitel” folder in it and unpack the archive there.
After that, insert the USB flash drive into the navigator, follow the GPS link and click on NAVI.

The system will ask you to specify the program to launch. There you will need to select the Navitel download file. When the program is installed, you need to load maps into the Maps folder, which can also be found on the Internet. To do this, the memory device must be removed and connected to the computer.

When the flash drive is reinserted, everything should work. In the same way, you can install Navitel on the Explay navigator.

How to update

We looked at how to install Navitel on a navigator. The program and maps need to be updated regularly. To do this, in your “Personal Account” in the “My Devices” section there is a link with available updates. There is a whole list of navigator models, among which you need to choose yours, after which you can download the latest version of the program. It weighs only about 30 megabytes.

You can also set up automatic updates. To do this, you need to download the additional Navigation Updater utility to your navigator. It only works on computers with the Windows operating system. Mac owners can only use manual updates. To do this, you just need to erase old files and write new ones. The maps will either have to be deleted and downloaded again, or temporarily moved to another location.

The main thing is to allocate enough memory. Before installing Navitel on your navigator, you must carefully study the instructions. Quite often the program displays an error when there is not enough space on the card. The way out of the situation is to transfer all the information to a larger flash drive.

Here it is important not just to copy the files, but to do a number of additional actions, otherwise the program will not recognize any cards.

What to do:

Deactivate the key in your personal account.
Go through all the above steps again.

Please note that you can deactivate the key only once, that is, you need to be careful when choosing a flash drive.

So we looked at how to install Navitel on your navigator. The process is quite simple, but in case you need constant up-to-date information, it may require some time and patience for further convenience.

In the life of every motorist, it happens that you find yourself in unfamiliar places. Often in such situations the question arises: is my car moving in the right direction? This issue can be easily resolved. Nowadays, almost every family has a tablet computer, but, unfortunately, not many know how to make a navigator out of a tablet. But with its help you can easily find the right direction to the object you are interested in, the nearest cafes, gas stations, service stations.

The easiest option is to buy a tablet with a navigator. You just need to learn how to use the device. Let's look at another option. Let's say the tablet is already in stock. How can I find out whether it can be used as a navigator or not? It won't be difficult.

Checking the connection

Turn on the tablet device;
go to applications;
download the maps of interest to your device from the playmarket;
in the settings we find the “Location” option;
We select the location data that is suitable for us and see if there is an item - GPS satellites.

This seems to have been sorted out, but how to use the tablet with the navigator function further? If you are on the mobile Internet, it is better to switch to Wi-Fi, you will need to download a lot of different things, and through the latter it is several times faster and cheaper. We took an Android device as a basis, so it is better to use the Google Maps application or as it is also called Google map. It is located in the main menu of your device. We establish our location during the first turn on. We find an icon on the screen in the form of an arrow pointing upward, which shows the direction of our movement. It is he who will guide our route throughout the entire journey.

Here you can find a route to an object by indicating your location and the point of the object itself. The application will draw your route on the map and show the average time you will spend on the road. There is even an option that when you enter travel time into the database, a route will be selected for you that will take exactly the amount of time you planned.

But what to do if you want to use a tablet navigator without an Internet connection, and besides, the device does not support GPS? In this case, we recommend using an external GPS receiver. There are two connection methods; which one to use depends on the technical characteristics of your device.

Important! Some are not compatible with specific tablet models.

Therefore, before purchasing a receiver, make sure it matches your tablet computer.

In the video you can clearly see how the tablet works as a navigator:

First connection method. Via Bluetooth

Turn on the tablet and module. On the first one, we connect Bluetooth, and wait until they start interacting.

Next, set a password to connect devices to each other (usually the password is three zeros). In the tablet settings, we allow the use of GPS to determine location. Thus, we have a full-fledged navigator or tablet with GPS.

If the navigator does not connect to the module, you will need to download the Bluetooth GPS Provider program from the Play Market. You will have to run it before each time you turn on the navigator on your tablet.

The second connection method is via USB

The first option is a little simpler than this one. First, download and launch the USB GPS 4 Droid program. During its operation, mark Start-Stop GPS with a quotation mark. With these actions we activate the Choose GPS device speed item, where you need to enter the code that is indicated on the receiver. Next, in the tablet settings, go to the “For Developers” application, check the “Fictitious location” column in it. Everything is ready, launch the navigator and check its operation.

The variety of navigation software for Android is pleasing to the eye, but at the same time frightens the inexperienced person with its quantity. You have a choice - use the free version or buy the program in a specialized store, download and install the navigator on your tablet for free.

Necessary properties for a tablet navigator

There is no point in using devices with a diameter of less than 5 inches for these purposes. A tablet of 10 inches or more is a completely different matter. Everything will be perfectly visible on it, but a very large one will reduce the visibility for the driver. Therefore, the most optimal device for using a tablet as a navigator in a car would be a device with a screen size of 7-8 inches.

Which tablet operating system is preferable for a navigator, naturally - android. The advantage over others is ease of operation and installation, transparency of settings and a larger number of different devices. When purchasing a new device, it is best to purchase a tablet with GPS and 3G support. Although all tablets currently offered have fairly strong components that can cope with almost any task. But still, the presence of GPS guarantees that there will be no need to purchase an additional module, and 3G will allow you to use the device to a greater extent and will allow you to deal with traffic jams while the car is moving.

Not all manufacturers include the device with a holder. Therefore, you should think in advance about how you will use the navigator on the tablet while the car is moving.

If the tablet navigator program is not installed on your device, you will have to choose one of many navigation applications. Domestic manufacturers and application developers offer a variety of high-quality, high-quality products to choose from. Let's look at a few of the most common ones.

Navitel Navigator

The application actively leads in the number of users of smartphones, tablets and navigators. It accounts for about 60% of all sales and downloads. It differs in that it is multi-platform and supports a large number of different languages. Navitel Navigator also has extensive technical support.

This application is one of the most popular Yandex developments. All maps in this application are updated and downloaded to the device gradually, as needed. Its advantage is the ability to view photographs of monuments, landmarks and buildings that other users post online. Another plus is that the application has a voice prompt module.

The fact that this domestic development belongs to highly functional applications is evidenced by the fact that the Tolyatti Automobile Plant installs it on the built-in navigators of its cars, and the commercial licensed version of the application is used by many transport companies. The main advantage is the presence of “Traffic 2.0” technology. It displays the situation much faster than its competitors (Navitel or ProGorod).

Operating this application is simple and does not require any additional skills. The advantage is the presence of a system of dynamic corrections that reflect real situations occurring on the road.

One of the widely used navigators that do not require the Internet. The destination is indicated by a red flag; you can set it with a dot on the map or by entering a specific address in the search bar. The downside is that the free version of the application allows you to download only 10 maps.

The free version works without interruptions and guides the user through 2D maps. All downloaded maps are updated at least once a month. The downside is the lack of voice prompts and limited access to 3D maps. These options are only available in the paid version of the application.

Benefits of using 3G GPS in a car

Calculate average fuel consumption and calculate the cost of the distance traveled.
Checks the accuracy of the car's speedometer.
Will help you find a hotel, cafe or store with an ATM.
With it, you will be able to view the weather forecast or news via the Internet.
Check your email or social media page.
Play a game or watch a movie at the stop.
The battery capacity of a tablet computer is higher than that of navigators.

But most of the above is available by installing the appropriate programs and applications (software) on the device.

Disadvantages of using a tablet as a navigator in a car

To a greater extent, for tablets there is no panel mount, so you will have to figure it out yourself. The GPS module is powerful only on expensive models; the use of cheaper devices risks that the signal may periodically disappear (for large cities this may occur when driving through tunnels, bridges and overpasses).

Currently, Chinese manufacturers offer their customers a tablet with a TV tuner and a navigator, as well as a tablet navigator and a DVR. These devices, as a rule, belong to little-known manufacturers, but they differ from branded ones in their wide functionality. Their prices are naturally lower than those of well-known brands.

Attention! In the event of a breakdown or any malfunction, the user will have to resolve the issue of repair or return of funds by mailing the device at his own expense to the Middle Kingdom.

When purchasing a branded device, it is enough to contact a service center that repairs phones, laptops, navigators, tablets and other equipment.