SYNC 4 with Telenav will keep navigation & maps working even with no cell service

[Merc4x4]

If I could, I'd delete all of the unnecessary electronics. What is the point of going off-grid if you take the grid with you? It just raises the purchase price, and keeps your credit card busy at the dealership.

Ford is coming a long way with autonomous driving vehicles. I see test vehicles here around Austin. Perhaps they can develop an autonomous Bronco. Pull up to the trailhead, take a nap while it drives the trails, and when you get back to the city, you can brag what a Badass you are, and how you conquered the mountains.

I'd like an autonomous Bronco to drive me to the trails. There are too many cars on the roads in eastern US.

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[Ajusaf]

I would have bought that instead of the bronco

 

[Gordon Freeman]

For paved roads navigation nothing beats Android Auto / Apple Carplay + Google Maps.
For trails - who knows.

 

[siddious33]

My biggest question/concern is, "Will Sync 4 actually work and not be the glitchy, buggy mess that Sync 2 and 3 are?" It's seriously one of the things I worry most about this new Bronco.

 

[t3n2and4]

Seems pretty trivial to have a similar system in a vehicle that uses distance traveled (odometer) and steering orientation.
Real question is how accurate it could be and what compounding errors would do.
Though, as a stop-gap in between GPS reception....

It degrades very quickly. A few degrees of error propagates into inconsistency fairly rapidly. The aircraft uses gyros because they don’t compound the errors as rapidly. Less than 1/10 of a degree was critical to gyro alignment on a system that I was working with, your steering is sloppier than that by a large margin.

 

[t3n2and4]

Seems pretty trivial to have a similar system in a vehicle that uses distance traveled (odometer) and steering orientation.
Real question is how accurate it could be and what compounding errors would do.
Though, as a stop-gap in between GPS reception....

I found a technical resource. Using much higher precision Gyros, the degradation was 2 Nautical Miles/ Hour accuracy degradation. “INS accuracy will drift with time; this can occur for many different reasons. Older stabilised platform INS (1970’s and early 1980’s) may have position errors of 2 nautical miles (nm) per hour. Modern strap-down LRG INS tend to have error rates of 0.6 nm/hr.”

Under “Accuracy and Limitations”https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Inertial_Reference_System_(IRS)#Accuracy_and_Limitations

 

[JessD05]

https://community.thebronconation.c...nd-price-update-q-a-with-ford.2795/post-34222

Potential Answer From the BN in TeleNav working through Ford Pass App which maybe mid package or higher:

“The answer is actually pretty simple. Trail maps operate through the Ford Pass Performance app. Our understanding is that the Ford Pass Performance app is compatible with Broncos that have the Mid, High, and Lux packages. The reason is that the Base equipment group doesn't have the GPS hardware required to make the feature work.”

 

[WuNgUn]

And what about built-in Vs not built in Nav? The included subscription service is 3 years for the built in, which is a plus. But is seems nobody really knows the diff?

 

[da_jokker]

From other threads, the concensus is that the Built in not only has its own GPS reciever, but that the maps will continue to work after your subscription ends (you just won't get any updates)

 

[ZackDanger]

I thought I found a good answer once here:

https://www.ford.com/technology/sync/sync-4/

But the link they provide is definitely a mistake.

I think the person designing the page wanted to leave a note to put “Something here” but accidentally linked to a private webpage.

 

[JesseS]

Connected Nav is phone dependent for maps & GPS info, and a subscription for trail maps, weather, road conditions and such. Built in connected has a roll bar gps antenna/receiver, and built in maps, with a comped 3 year subscription to services, after which time the maps will still be available but not the services unless you renew. On the connected only, maps, GPS, & services are behind the pay wall, if you lose the cloud connection via your phone...it's a brick.

 

[OmahaKevin]

As a trail runner, you can be miles from civilization, miles from cell service and never even see GPS signals waiver. If you can see the sky you will have a reliable GPS signal.

Ironically if you want GPS to take a dump the one place that happens pretty reliably is among tall buildings in city centers. The skyscrapers cut off your view of the sky.

No reason to ever worry about not having GPS signal in nature

There's talk of updating the LORAN network ....

 

[PhoenixM3]

MAPS OFF THE BEATEN PATH: TELENAV®, FORD NAVIGATION TECH KEEPS ROUTING EVEN WHEN F-150, BRONCO OFF-ROADERS EXIT CELL COVERAGE

Jul 29, 2020 | DEARBORN, Mich.

• Ford and Telenav are helping ensure their connected navigation technologies continue working on far-off adventures unlike smartphone mapping apps that cease to work outside cellular range
• 
  
• New SYNC 4 connected vehicle technology features Telenav’s navigation that includes specialized route suggestions for towing and off-roading
• 
  
• The available hybrid navigation solution, which stores maps and continues routing if adventures take drivers out of cell coverage, is part of the SYNC 4 technology available in the newly redesigned Ford F-150 and Bronco

DEARBORN, Mich., July 29, 2020 – As the all-new F-150 pickup and Bronco two- and four-door 4x4 rugged SUVs take customers on ever more extreme adventures, Ford and Telenav are helping ensure their connected navigation technologies continue working on far-off adventures unlike smartphone mapping apps that cease to work outside cellular range.

That is because Telenav®, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNAV), a leading provider of connected-car and location-based services, is expanding its collaboration with Ford to supply hybrid navigation software and services that continue to work smoothly even when users venture out of network coverage. The available hybrid navigation solution, which stores maps and continues routing if adventures take drivers out of cell coverage, is part of the SYNC 4 technology available in the newly redesigned Ford F-150 and Bronco.

“Customers want connected vehicle technologies to work more like smartphones with real-time, personalized services – and that is exactly what we are offering with Ford SYNC 4 innovations such as Telenav’s navigation system,” said Gary Jablonski, manager, Ford Connected Vehicle Infotainment Systems. “F-150 and Bronco drivers now can get richer, quicker location search results, tow more confidently with custom routes and keep following off-road trail maps where other navigation systems go dark when cell coverage ends.”

Additionally, the navigation includes specialized routing options for customers who are towing a trailer or off-roading, both important capabilities for these vehicles. The system guides users to routes best suited for the dimensions of their trailer to help avoid sharp turns, narrow bridges and low overpasses. Off-road enthusiasts can navigate to and on many 4X4 trails across North America, with additional trail maps to be added over time.

For everyday driving, the connected navigation experience will give F-150 and Bronco owners the latest maps for reliable, time-saving navigation and location information such as finding cheap and available parking or a well-reviewed restaurant to eat along the way. The navigation solution uses real-time traffic conditions to provide the fastest routes with alerts of incidences like accidents and congestions along the route. To help minimize distractions while driving, customers can use SYNC 4’s digital voice assistance for many of these features.

“Ford and Telenav are building on a long-term collaboration to help customers get the most out of their vehicles, whether it’s advising F-150 customers to steer around traffic jams to help save time getting to jobs or keeping Bronco off-roaders on track on their exciting adventures,” said H.P. Jin, Telenav Co-Founder and CEO. “We’re proud to be a partner in that with our connected navigation solution and services.”

F-150 and Bronco customers also will have access to up-to-date landmarks and businesses in the surrounding area with their descriptions and user ratings from Yelp. Telenav’s one-box search technology makes looking up addresses and destinations simple and convenient, intelligently prioritizing results based on the user’s location and personal preferences. The navigation solution incorporates prediction service that anticipates the user’s destinations and automatically makes routing suggestions, all without the user having to enter a single word.

I’m sorry, doesn’t GPS use satellite for positioning.....

 

[PhoenixM3]

Aircraft generally have this capability - INS (Inertial Navigavition System) uses (anymore) laser-ring gyros to create a reference point - usually in conjunction with GPS. Then using a bunch of math, and precise measurements of precession in the ring gyros, the system can self determine position. The accuracy isn’t as good as GPS and it will degrade over time but the systems are pretty slick. And self contained.

JK

Ships and submarines have this too.

 

[Killed By Death]

Connected Nav is phone dependent for maps & GPS info, and a subscription for trail maps, weather, road conditions and such. Built in connected has a roll bar gps antenna/receiver, and built in maps, with a comped 3 year subscription to services, after which time the maps will still be available but not the services unless you renew. On the connected only, maps, GPS, & services are behind the pay wall, if you lose the cloud connection via your phone...it's a brick.

This is the answer I was looking for. Hope you are correct.

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