MVV map and timetables for your mobile phone

The MVV has released the "MVV-Handy-Fahrplan" - a map and timetable for the U- and S-Bahn that you can download to your mobile phone.

It comes in either German or English. If you send an SMS with the word "München" (for the German version) or "Munich" (for the English version) to 84422 they will send you an SMS containing a link to a Java installation file, which you have to download over GPRS/WAP.

The SMS costs 49 cents, but you can probably avoid paying that by downloading the files directly to your PC and copying them to your phone over bluetooth/infrared/whatever:

German version
English version

However an internet connection is still required because after installing the application will connect to some server to download the timetable info. This is a one-time download and only needs to be repeated if any updates are required in the timetable data. Information about updates will be published in the MVV newsletter.

Since a map is already included, is there any chance of getting them to shade the drop-out areas (Handy-Löcher)? Ismaning to the mid-point between that and Unterföhring and some are near Leuchtenburgring are always Handy-killers. Fun to laugh at the tourists and annoying bastards; pain in the arse when you're on a call with some company sending you kit and which needs your address quick to make the last UPS/DHL pick-up.

woof.

Nice application. Much better than the earlier version where you simply downloaded a single route to your mobile and then applied a departure time to it.

Thanks for that...

YL6

Alternatively, using WAP on ur mobile, you can visit wap.mvv-muenchen.de and put in place from, stop from, place to, stop to, time info and get that lovely list showing you the best connections.

Much more useful i expect than a single route, especially if you have more than one friend living in a different part of the city.

KT

But this isn't a "single route" - it's the entire S- and U-Bahn schedule along with a complete map of the system in one downloadable application

Well that must look great on a 1 inch screen

What ever happened to a good old pocket guide, or small print out?

Laying in the same corner as the two tin cans and length of string.
Maybe you should try it before being sarcastic about it...

I suppose you need a bigger screen to see the map properly, but since the route info is just text it makes no difference what size the screen is.

These pictures don't really do it justice, but they ought to give you some idea of what it looks like:

I aren't criticising it, i said ' I bet that looks great on a one inch screen

And Spudbury has proved it.

KT

I'm just trying to imagine the complex arrangement of mirrors so your camera phone can take a picture of itself

excelent post malcolm

just when i start to think Toytown is meaningless useless twaddle, you post something informative and useful

thanks very much

When i am trying to start/install the program ..it is saying check GPRS/WAP settings?? what should I do about that?

Nice little app

shame theres no bus or tram info on it, wonder if they'll include that later

Poots

pity - it doesn't seem to work on my Blackberry :-(

You need to make sure the application has permission to use the internet. There should be a setting for it somewhere.

I have a contact in strategic development at the MVV at so after MS showed us this toy I asked this very question. Apparantly it was considered but the issue is the amount of data required. At the moment all the S and U Bahn data sits on your phone, but to add bus and tram info would increase the database approximately 100-fold which most phones could not handle. There is already a facility to download timetables for a particular route (including connections), and a WAP facility for on-line timetabling, so having all the data sitting on the phone is not really necessary.

The current app is an experiment - if there is a reasonable take-up of it (which they will evaluate from the number of update-downloads in December) then theyll look at ways of segmenting the data for a selection of routes, a geographical area, or a selection of lines...

YL6

Even for me it's same error... can anyone help in this regard?

I tried open browser with some other page, it was opening successfully!!! There seems to some other settings, Rahul, how did you do it??

Am even unable to go to wap.mvv-muenchen.de. It gives error message as: Für den angeforderten Server gibt es keinen DNS eintrag.

-Bhupesh

What type of phone?

Mine too having same problem, it is SE K700i

Got it working yesterday. Too bad (like everybody has already said) that there isn't tram/bus info included.

Hey Guys,

I got my internet settings right and installed the application.

I downloaded all data, took a few minutes for that, but now when I try to run it, it shows the first screen, with option of building a route...

I give-in my options, then it doesn't process, just a message keeps on running...
"Processing... Searching for best route!!"

Does any body had the same problem?? How can it be rectified?? Do I need to re-install the whole application?? (being a windows user, this option is first in my mind...)

Regards,
Bhupesh Gahrotra

Never had this problem. It worked correctly for me...Maybe your timetable data somehow got corrupted. I'd re-install it if I were you.

besides the pretty map, whats the difference between this new program and the normal WAP site they run? DB also have a WAP site that covers all MVV/MVG stops.

Its a lot quicker to use than the MVV wapsite. For me its already prooved its usefulness, but lets see how it goes over time.

P

The downside of the WAP site, which admittedly is more comprehensive, is that you need to connect (takes time) and is slow to navigate, but most of all it costs money (especially if using pre-paid) and doesn't work in much of the UBahn...

YL6

If using the Downloaded Program it still needs to connect to the MVV servers to get it's info. In doing so it makes a Data connection either via dial-up/GPRS or 3G, so it's gonna cost $$ for the xfer anyway, regardless of contract/provider. (Unless you have some unlimited data xfer option)

Since the connection is over the handy network, then both programs
wouldn't be able to connect to the servers, thus neither will work in the Ubahn, as they don't have antt. in the tunnels (YET). Thus unless you looking up cached info. you may still have problems.

The application downloads the data once and stores it on the phone (in the Java RecordStore, if you want to be specific). It then uses that stored data to build the route information.

Therefore the application does work in the U-Bahn, or indeed in any location where the signal is weak or unavailable. It only needs to connect over GPRS again if/when the timetable data needs to be updated.

From my original post (with added emphasis for your convenience):

Well, even before reading this post, I re-installed the same.

Again it downloaded the data i think download is in 8 parts...

But again the same thing... I am using SE K 700i. What could be the problem??

It shows the same screen, "Processing... $%&§"

Is Java on my handset corrupted?? But I use Java to play games and there is no major problem faced by me...

Anybody have similar experience or can help??

By the way, I am using the English Version downloaded from this post itself!!!

Regards,
Bhupesh Gahrotra

@Darknight
From my original post (with added emphasis for your convenience)

The MVV faq suggest clearing the cache, but also notes that Java problems are often due to firm/software issues, and recommends manufacturer updates...

I cleared the cache of my phone... Same problem...

Now only thing left is get software upgrade...

Till then... any other option?? or any other suggestion...

Maybe someone else knows the answer. I have tried to download the file through GPRS connection and it says that the file is too large. I then, read how to clear my cache and tried again and have the same error message. I looked and I have 404kb free, which is more than what is listed as necessary. Does anyone know if I have a separate area for the java programs cache? Or what may be the problem?

I use a nokia 6100.

My phone has now 470kb free but it tells me that the limit for uploading files is 64 kb while this applet is 84 kb. How can I change the upload capacity or limits on a Nokia 6100?

I have the same question for a 6220, and I have 2674kb free

A new version of the Handy-Fahrplan has been released to coincide with the new S-Bahn plans and timetables. It also includes a couple of new features.

Again, it's available in either German or English. I downloaded the new files directly from the website (see below) but I assume they still support the SMS request as in the previous version: send an SMS with the word "München" (for the German version) or "Munich" (for the English version) to 84422 and they will send you an SMS containing a link to a Java installation file, which you have to download over GPRS/WAP.

Alternatively you can download the files to your PC and then copy them to your phone over bluetooth/infrared/whatever.

Here are direct links to the application installation files:
German version
English version

I've managed to download the application and install it on my phone (T610), but having problems getting it to connect to the server for the timetable itself. It's originally an Orange phone from the UK, which I removed the lock on, and now has an O2.loop sim card (Prepay type). I've done a bit of a google to try to work out how to connect to WAP through either GSM or GPRS with it with no luck. I tried to set up a new account but don't know the user id or password for the O2.de service, if such a thing exists. Does anyone have experience of this or am I looking at a lost cause really?

UPDATE: I've managed it now using my UK SIM to do the WAP access. It would still be interesting to know if this is possible with my O2 account though.

I had an O2 contract phone and had a difficult time for a bit, until I changed the web session default from my phone which was setup initially as o2 mms. I had to add a new entry and chnage it to o2 wap gprs. It is complicated with the shit Razr by motorola that I have. SO make certain that you are connecting with the o2 Wap gprs.

Well at least my problem was that it would pretend to connect but would hang up and not download the files.

Ben, go to sonyericsson.com and follow the links through the support pages to telephone configuration.

You can put in your phone model etc and have it send you the configurations for your network directly to your phone so you don't have to mess about manually typing it all in.

OK, been trying to get this thing workin on my SE K750i now for over a week, but it won't work! I wen't to the SE homepage, let them do the GPRS install and stuff, even updated the whole bloody phone, but nothing helps!

When I try to install the prog on the mobile it just says "Installation - connecting" and then freezes!

Anyone got an idea why it doesn't work, or is anyone experiencing the same problem? This is really starting to piss me off... could it just be my mobile?

Read my post above as I had the same error and I did the same thing. You need to be certain that your default is set to the GPRS. Look for where the choice is on your phone and switch it.

Thanks brokenm! Now it's workin! For everyone else who is having trouble installing this on a SE K750i, the settings you can get on the SE homepage (automated GPRS settings) are not correct! Go to the wapGPRS profile they've sent you and change the "Internet mode" from http to wap...

I can't even download it. I get an error message saying the file is too large, although I have 2.8 MB free on my Nokia 6220. Ideas, anyone?

I had a problem with my nokia, and I eventually spoke to the service center for Nokia. They limit something small like 65K for uploadable files. You can't get around that. new handy or carry a pic of the MVV system in your wallet.

Is the limit only for internet downloads, or a limit on Java application size?

If it's only for internet downloads, download the file on your PC and then transfer it to the phone via IR, bluetooth, USB, or memory card.

I tried that. It is for any upload. I don't remember the exact amounts, but the MVV applet is around 85kb and th e limit for Nokia 6100 (and I assume that Oli has a similar problem with the 6220) is 65kb. It is frustarting because I had a lot more space available for the more Java applets and for memory in general. I emailed Nokia, and reveived no response and I eventually went to a Nokia center and they said that I could not up date or flash a newer operatng program on my nokia and this one limits uploads to that size.

Yeah, I also tried copying it from PC via USB, same thing. Great logic there from the market leader Nokia: Sell an expensive phone with lots of memory, but disable uploading/copying useful files to it (for no comprehensible reason). Perhaps their idea is that I go buy a new phone. Possibly I will, but hardly a Nokia…

OK, I've just done a little bit more research. It seems Nokia are following the Java specification (JSR185 - Java Technology for the Wireless Industry) to the letter. The spec says that a Java JAR file should be limited to 64Kb. It's not just related to the amount of storage space on the device, but also to do with resource usage in general.

Thanks, that's interesting. That would mean that nobody w/ a Nokia phone can use the MVV service. Which is also a bit weird, since most mobile phones here are indeed Nokias.

Hehe... when you google a bit for this problem you can find some really good points why they limit it down this size... the accidential download of big files is prohibited this way to spare the mobile user from unexpected costs... just like building a car which tank only fits half a pint of fuel, so you don't spend too much money at the petrol station...

Awww… so Nokia's just being nice and I there I was thinking they were being obnoxious. Well isn't it awfully nice of them to look after me like that. Any reason why a message couldn't just warn me of the file size and possible related costs, and then continue w/ the download anyway if I let it? Nokia or MVV, someone hasn't put enough thought into this. And I find it rather annoying.