# SatNav?



## PoleDancer

From a bit of a Google, I see that satellite navigation has only been legalised in Egypt fairly recently, and I can't find much useful detail on what mapping options exist. What little there is seems to point towards dodgy pirated / torrented software and I would like to keep things legal and legitimate. I also have a suspicion that Egyptian street naming (or not naming?) may make things less than simple and I don't expect the quality of what's available will be up to what I'm used to in the UK (though I'd love to be pleasantly surprised). 

So, does anyone know of any half-decent SatNav software/mapping for navigating around Cairo / Egypt and/or are there any options known to be so bad I should avoid them? Is this something I should procure before leaving the UK, or can hardware and software be acquired locally for reasonable cost?


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## elrasho

Ndrive really good, and has maps of Egypt too

NDrive | Home


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## PoleDancer

Sorry elrasho. I missed your reply. Thank you.

Ndrive is I think an iphone specific application, right? I don't have (and don't really want) an iphone. Does anyone know of mapping and navigation software available for more tradional GPS units, or know where in Cairo can supply? I've managed to cobble something together by using my Blackberry and a Bluetooth GPS puck, but I'd prefer something with route planning and turn-by-turn guidance.

From what I've experienced of Egyptian drivers' navigation skills ('stop and ask') so far, SatNav is sorely needed, but any questions about GPS just get blank looks.


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## MaidenScotland

Ahhh now I saw Sat nav advertised in a shop but for the life of me I can't think what shop.. it will come back to me and as soon as it does I will post the info. All I can remember is laughing when I was the advert lol


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## Beatle

PoleDancer said:


> From what I've experienced of Egyptian drivers' navigation skills ('stop and ask') so far, SatNav is sorely needed, but any questions about GPS just get blank looks.


The stop and ask technique doesn't scare me as much as the pulling parallel to another car to ask directions whilst both cars are still moving technique....


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## Sam

MaidenScotland said:


> Ahhh now I saw Sat nav advertised in a shop but for the life of me I can't think what shop.. it will come back to me and as soon as it does I will post the info. All I can remember is laughing when I was the advert lol


What was so funny on the advert?


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## MaidenScotland

Sam
I laughed because I really couldn't think of anything more impractical here in Cairo.
The street behind me has three names that I know of so what street name do you put into the Sat Nav to find the route? The streets surrounding me are also being made into one way systems or at least that is the idea.. the one way street behind me has traffic flowing both ways.

Maiden


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## Sam

MaidenScotland said:


> Sam
> I laughed because I really couldn't think of anything more impractical here in Cairo.
> The street behind me has three names that I know of so what street name do you put into the Sat Nav to find the route? The streets surrounding me are also being made into one way systems or at least that is the idea.. the one way street behind me has traffic flowing both ways.
> 
> Maiden



Oh, I see.

When you think about it, I suppose Cairo isn't the easiest of cities to map out. And with the lack of enforcement of road rules you can just about go anywhere it seems. Someone will have to test drive the sat nav and give us feedback here. A brave someone, lol.


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## PoleDancer

MaidenScotland said:


> Sam
> I laughed because I really couldn't think of anything more impractical here in Cairo.


Hmmmm. Whilst I agree it's never going to be as simple as just tapping in my UK postcode into my TomTom, I would find it a great help.

Now I've set up a 'jury rig' SatNav on my Blackberry, I'm already finding that very useful. It shows me where I am and gives me streetnames I'm on /near - useful when they're not always marked and I'm already finding cases where I know where I am even when my (temporary) driver doesn't. It's helped me orientate and navigate even at a basic level. Getting 'unlost' after taking a detour is another great benefit of SatNav. 

As to putting the streetname in, well if it doesn't recognise the name you use, pointing at the place on the map you want to go should still work. I have to do that in some rural areas in the UK (Welsh country lanes have names in two languages and sometimes more than one name too - SatNav copes), so it's no biggie.



Sam said:


> Someone will have to test drive the sat nav and give us feedback here. A brave someone, lol.


Happy to volunteer if I can find the right setup.


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## MaidenScotland

I understand the workings of TomTom as I use one in the U.K but in all honesty I couldn't use one here as to point at where I want to go on the map.. if I knew where it was I could probably work out how to get there without aid. I am sure it will be a good tool for you as you travel outside the city and I will keep racking my brains to recall where I saw it for sale.
Have you tried RadioShak?


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## NZCowboy

Saw an add for Ndrive SatNav in the Ewasst paper 3 or 4 months ago, I think the shop was called Polymac, I have the phone number of the wholesaler.
I have just spoke the wholesaler and they are retailed in a number of places such as Virgin Mega store City Stars and On the Run.
They seem expensive starting from $1580us for 3.5 inch model. Maps are supplied by Telemap and cover most of the cities in Egypt and roads connecting them. You can buy maps for other countries from 50-100us.


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## NZCowboy

Just been doing some more searching and find that you can buy the 3.5inch model in the UK for 151GBP, with UK and Ireland maps, and you could just buy the Egypt maps. Seems the much better option.


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## kevinthegulf

There was a guy with a stall just outside the Egyptair duty free shop in city stars a week ago selling Satnavs for 1500LE, it looked quite nifty hiss english wasnt right cracking though so explanation etc left a bit to be desired,
I have recently downloaded a egypt map for my Garmin, its not official, as Garmin do not do egypt, cost $50, testing it out its pretty ok, just been on a job out of Ismailia, where coverage was weak, but most of Cairo shows up, however very limited testing so far so will not give verdict yet, on the way home tonight the voice directions were not too bad, but as with all Satnavs, they are not perfect.


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## PoleDancer

Thanks chaps. Very helpful stuff.

NZC - NDrive do indeed sell Egypt mapping, which was effectively what I was looking for (if only I'd found that before I left the UK, where buying a GPS is cheap and easy). It sounds like if I can find a Windows CE GPS somewhere then that might be the right solution.

Kevinthegulf - Your City Stars man could be just the guy I'm looking for. I may not get out there until I have a car though. I don't suppose he has a cousin in Maadi or Downtown? ;-)


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## MaidenScotland

PoleDancer said:


> Thanks chaps. Very helpful stuff.
> 
> NZC - NDrive do indeed sell Egypt mapping, which was effectively what I was looking for (if only I'd found that before I left the UK, where buying a GPS is cheap and easy). It sounds like if I can find a Windows CE GPS somewhere then that might be the right solution.
> 
> Kevinthegulf - Your City Stars man could be just the guy I'm looking for. I may not get out there until I have a car though. I don't suppose he has a cousin in Maadi or Downtown? ;-)



I am going to City Stars tomorrow I will look out for him and try and get a number for you.

A taxi to city stars from downtown is in a metered cab 29LE.. go on push the boat out lol


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## MaidenScotland

The chap outside the Duty Free has the GPS.. 1200LE for the 4.5 screen and for th 5'' screen the price is 1500LE and of course it can be used in English.

Telephone no.. 25193777


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## PoleDancer

Thanks. Very kind of you to look and report back. Appreciated.


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## MaidenScotland

I was out this evening and found another sat nav.. I didn't go into the shop to ask about it but it was in an english printed box and it was in shop next door to the care in the community Kentucky near the Alpha market in Dokki.

Maiden


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## PoleDancer

Thanks. That was kind of you to look and report back.

I popped in to see City Stars SatNav chappie, albeit my journey on the rickety tram thing (until it broke/derailed) and then on foot was far more economical than a shocking GBP3 taxi ;-)

For anyone else interested, he's selling THESE

They looked reasonable enough. The GPS software is iGo 8. The memory spec on the units meets the 'required' rather than the 'recommended' level for that software, but my guess is it should do. Mapping of Cairo looked sort of OK from his little demo (well it would, wouldn't it), but is clearly lacking for some areas of the country. For example, when I tried, it found Dahab, but didn't show any roads there. Unless I end up with a SatNav equipped car, I expect to buy and report back.


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