evening,
QBD have 25% off on the 'greater area' street directories for Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.. was $40, now $30.
cheapest ebay price is $40 for brissy.
free shipping.
unsure how long free shipping or the lowered price goes for.
Thought it was time to upgrade from my 1983 directory.. a bit has changed since then.. like the gateway arterial for example
paper beats google in a game of paper, scissors, rock, google.. because paper doesn't need batteries to run.. (not to mention a working screen, reception, data etc)
paper doesn't need batteries to run
You're driving a car - use the car's battery and a cigarette-lighter-socket charger.
reception
Plenty of map apps have offline maps, no data link needed, just download the map data over your home WiFi when you install the app. My favourite at the moment is Maps.Me, as it lets you search by street name:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapswithme…
Do paper maps have voice guidance? Route planning? GPS for when you're lost? Backlight for night use? Free to update the maps in a year? You can get all of these, and it will cost you maybe $29 for the cheapest Android phone, plus maybe $5 for a car charger. Don't put a SIM in the phone, it's not needed if you're using it purely as a GPS+mapping device. And remember you can still use it to call emergency services if you need them, all Android phones can call emergency services even without a SIM fitted.
It's also a lot easier to mount a phone on your dashboard, although I don't recommend that. I prefer to check the route first, then use voice guidance while driving. Less distracting, and I get to keep my eyes on the road.
P.S. when you use an Android phone like this, create a new google account for it (needed so you can download the app). This way, if it is stolen, the thief doesn't get access to your "normal" account's email, drive, messaging, etc.
i realise all this (and now I regret not following my instincts to disclaim this when i made the post)
to clarify, of course i use my phone 99.9% of the time for navigation.. it's the 3rd most useful function my phone has, right behind tinder.
you have great suggestions and i generally agree with them as a backup for the sunday driver.. but if you drive to random locations as part of work i still think a paper backup is the only reliable insurance for having right royal f-up on your hands and my roid-raging boss screaming down the line.
many people have car usb that doesn't charge at a sufficient speed, meaning i have to wait 15mins to get a bit of power to make an important call..
or i find the cord damaged or missing at inopportune times. (in which case I couldn't probably charge the -now drained over time- backup dormant phone.. which probably has failed or exploded by now having been left in a car in australian heat)
i've had to find a servo or bail people up on the street.. not a great feeling in peak hour, stressed or running to a client meeting.
but yeah, if i had a 9-5 job i probably won't bother with any backup.
I am a little uncertain myself as to the life of phone batteries in a hot car, but as many dashcams have them, I suspect they'll be okay.
Re the missing USB cable - use epoxy to glue it into the car charger, that tends to stop people from "borrowing" it. You can also store a spare cable under the spare tyre in the boot, so it's there if you need it, and unlikely to be casually taken. It's also a good place to store jumper cables, but put them in a hessian bag so they don't rattle and/or scratch the paint.
I used to love street directories - would still buy them in late 2000s (when they are heavily discounted)
Am tempted to order one, but I can't remember when was the last time I used one. Really can't remember
Yeah lm only getting one as backup because my new job relies heavily on mappage ..
I'll also throw some important phone numbers/ addresses on the first page so I can contact clients/family if my phone carks it.
Saw this and thought of my parents! Adelaide Compact 2016 is $22.81 at Book Depository. Checked using Booko
cheers.. I didn't know about booko.. will bookomark it.
the 'greater area' ones all seem to be cheapest at qbd.. currently
Thought of this then realised since getting a portable GPS and then Smart Mobile phone with GPS many years ago that I haven't used paper maps at all. Even though I have an older edition in the car as backup just in case.
I remember just how confusing It used to be in the days before electronic GPS travelling to unfamiliar places. After having to stop all the time to consult the street directory when trying to navigate to these areas.
Thanks OP.
Just ordered a Sydney one for my elderly parents
And also Google Maps …